The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-18
PASTOR RUSSELL'S
SERMON
Why God Permitted Sin and Death


Pastor Russell delivered two ad
dresses here today under the
~ auspices OF the Interna tional Bible
Students association. local branch.
we report the one in which he discussed
the permission of evil by. the Almighty.
lie took no particular text although, as
usual. he quoted from the Bible freely
throughout his discourse. He said in
part
,1I,, The question of the age is. Why did the
And why has an omnlpotent ruler such
as ne, Tor more than sixty centuries.
permitted Satan to continue his reisu
OF sin end death? Leaving out entirely
the nnscripturnl theory so prevalent, re-
specting purgatory Of centuries, or a
torment everlasting. and considering
merely the trials, suffering. SORROW and
pain Of humanity during the present life,
how Shall we account for their permission
by an all-powerful Creator, who knew
The e. end from the beginning?
oonsness. headaches, heartaches. etc, ?
Why. does he not deal with humanity
graciously. lindly. lovingly, AS n father
as he deals with the angelic sons Of
of our Creator to bring forth millions
OF his creatures under the1o. admittedly
unfavorable conditions by weak
nesscs and sInwar6ness from their birth
and heset by Satan and his mtnions-
wicked spirits? Is it just that we should
thus be In an unequal fight subjected TO
weaknesses and dying and imperfect con :
ditions on account OF the sin Of our first
parents and then, on the same account.
he In danger Of an eternity of torture
with nine hundred and ninety-n nine
chances out Of n thousand against US?
Our question is surely TOO deep for
any human philosophy, and those who
answer. God himself. and none other,
could tell us OF his own secrets-why he
did as he did Truly We read, The Sc
cret OF the lord is with them that rev
erence him: and he will show them his
covenant" (Ps. Xiv, ~.
The light now shining upon the Word
OF God shows us that the divine purpose
in connection with mankind is a pro-
pensations. II we ignore these, we are
thereby blinded TO the true answer TO
our question. Accepting these; II is The
privilege OF Bible students today to see
the light In Gods Word-to see matters
from the divine standpoint, to understand
the mystery OF God, hidden from ages
and from generations. and now MADE
known unto his saints, namely, that IN
the ages to come, all the trials and diff
culIies. all the sorrows and tears OF the
past Will be more than compensated tor.
and proved to be part OF The great di :
vine programme which will work out TO
and blessing of angels and men
Mans Primary Lesson.
First of all, God chooses TO have chill
dren possessed Of a quality like his own
freedom OF will. He therefore not only
created man perfect in mind and body,
but he gave 10 him VIII, the power ct
choice-liberty TO choose one course or
another. God foresaw that giving man
this liberty OF will would lead to the Sc
duction OF Mother Eve, and TO the disn-
bedience of Father Adam, through his
love for his wife Adams prefere nee
in harmony with God without her; for II
he should disobey he would come under
the sentence Of death. Although Adam
and the angels were perfect they had
not a perfect knowledge OF their Crea :
tor. OF his love, his wisdom, his justice.
his power.
God therefore, without interfering with
Adams liberty. permitted the great ca
larity Of death to come upon him and
MS race, From the very beginning God
premeiitated the entire plan OF saliva
ton, as he has since been working IT out
and he will completely accomplish the
same ultimately through MessIah's king
dom. The great lesson which will even
tually come both TO angels and men will
show forth divine wisdom, Justice. love
and power, fully co-ordinated In nc
other way that we can imagine could
this great revelation Of the divine char
acter be so we'll made. However. in or
der to comprehend this great programme
ii Is necessary that we follow strictly the
Scriptura teachings, and avoid wholly
the nonsense Of our creeds. manufactured
during the dark ages. We must see that
"the wages OF SIM Is not eternal torment
nor purgatory, but death.
God allowed this reign of sin and death
from Adam until Moses without so much
as making an offer of terms OF recon
ciliation and peace. Then an offer was
made to the nation OF Israel. and TO nc
other nation. The offer OF Israels Law
covenant was, He that doeth these
things shall live" God, of course. knew
condition OF that great and wonderful
law The offer served as lesson to thai
nation respecting the impossbilitlty OF
any mans keeping the perfect law: and
the same lesson comes 10 US OF this gospe
dispensation. We see that what the Jew