The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-05-11
God Uttered His Voice;
the Earth Melted
By PASTOR RUSSELL
of Brooklyn Tabernacle


the sea.-Psalm 14:2.
l have chosen for my text a sea
topic, a symbolical prophecy which,
believe, Is rapidly nearing fulflIment.
All Bible students recognize the fact
that many of the Psalms are Mes
siantc; that is to say, they apply to
the time of the Inauguration of Mes
siah's Millennial Kingdom. Some Of
them detail the peace and Joy and
blessings which will then prevail
among men, when the great leveling
processes of that time will raise all
the worthy poor and degraded and
will humble all the proud, establish
ing society under such new conditions
that the new order of things is sym
bolically styled in the scriptures "a
new heavens and a new earth, where
in dwelleth righteousness" QI. Peter
Ill, 49,. Others Of the Psalms describe
in highly figurative terms the work Of
the Millennial Age. For instance, we
read:
Therefore will not we fear. though
the earth be removed, and though the
mountains be carried into the midst
OF the sea- Fear is the great tor
ment Of the majority of our race. 1t
is the lash which the adversary fire.
Quently uses to drive away from God
those who need his sympathy and
love and succor. To such the Lord
speaks tenderly saying, Come unto
me, all ye that labor and are heavy
Laden, and l will give you rest" And
again, God declares his name to be
Love and says, Their fear toward me
IS taught by the precepts of men
not by his word isaiah xxx, 49, He
would have us trust him as a great,
loving, generous father, saying, Like
as father pitieth his children, so the
Lord compassionate those who rever-
ence him psalm Gill, 49,. As love,
more love, perfect love, comes into
our hearts It more and more casts out
the fear which the adversary would
inculcate and which has burned into
mems minds and consciences the doc.
trines Of devils" to which the apostle
The fact that the scriptures prophet.
ically describe the overwhelming OF
the social order and the great govern.
ments of the earth must not be I'm.
derstood to signify that the Bible
counsels revolution or anarchy. On
the contrary, all of Gods people
throughout the scriptures are coun.
seled to live peaceably with all men.
so far as possible. They are coun.
seled not to use carnal weapons, not
ment OF disputes, but rather to suf.
fer injury. They are counseled that
God is the great Overload, and that
although he is not now ruling direct.
ly amongst men he is fully the mas.
ter OF the situation In that he could at
any time overthrow all opponents. He
does not acknowledge that his will is
now done In the earth, but tells us
that 1t will be done by and by and
encourages US TO pray and to hope and
to wait for It, He tells US that Satan
is now the Prince of this world" by
virtue Of the fact that he deceives the
minds and hearts OF the majority. God
would have his people understand
something of his great program, but
he would keep this hidden from all
others; hence the impossibility of ex.
planning spiritual things to a carnal
mind q Corinthians II. 14). None OF
the wicked shall understand" Daniel
xii, 100.
The great creator has contented
himself with such supervision of hui
man affairs as leaves much respon-
sibility in human hands He merely
interferes to raise up or to cast down
on occasions when the interest OF his
cause and program may demand. For
instance, the case of the Pharaoh,
raised to the throne of Egypt, In
Moses day. God there raised to the
throne man Of great determination,
and hindered from reaching the throne
other men not so favorable to the car
rying out of the divine purposes.
Thus, without interfering with the
free moral agency Of the king, God
N0CN NhC "i"th VI man " IN dlSt uIul
and the remainder he restrained. Sim
ilarly, God previously raised Joseph
to the governorship of Egypt for his
own purposes.
We are not OF those who would
harass the minds of our fellows with
fear. Rather We would point them to
the fact that behind this cloud of
trouble there is a glorious silver lin
ing of millennial Joy ard blessing for
all the families Of the earth. Rather
we would encourage all who have the
hearing ear to zeal and faithfulness In
their conservation, that they may
make their calling and their election
sure" to share in the kingdom glo-
ries and escape those things coming
upon the earth" duke XXI, $50. In
word, the gospel of Christ is not a
message of damnation and fear and
torture, but, as the angels declared,
Good things Of great Joy which shall
be unto all people" duke II, 100.
Beginning with the sixth verse the
Prophet gives a brief synoptical pic
ture of the time Of trouble and its
contamination and the Inauguration
of universal peace. The heather
Gentle peoples) ragged" These
words describe the tumult which will