Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-02-10
Pastor RusseII's Sermon


and he Is really the on-spriS 8 OF an
ape. then Restitution would be the
worst thing that could possibly come
10 mankind--to restore him to simlan
conditions. But the Bible is quite right
In giving the Divine declaration 70
man that he was created perfect and
upright and in the image and likeness
Of God and that our de6lement came
through the sin Of disobedlence and
that our degradation came through he
redIty and that we needed to be re-
deemed with the life Of another-that
aas by a man came death. by a man
also should come the resurrection OF
the dead" The simple story OF the
Bible is of human degradation and
death, Of redemption and Of coming
time Of uplifting from sin and death
conditions to perfection and life. This
offer will be as worldwide as was the
condemnation which came upon our
race through Adam. For six Thousand
wears our race has been living under
a reign Of sin and death, but the Sew
enth Thousand viii be the great Sab
bath typlded by IsraeIs Jubilee Year,
in which all debtors went free ana
every man returned to his former es-
tate.
The glorious possibilities Of that
thousand years are variously present
ed 10 US in the Bible. 1t Is to be the
New Day, to be ushered in by the sun
OF righteousness with healing In His
beams. Ignorance and sin, sorrow and
death, shall fee away-darkness ana
guperstition shall vanish. Satan shall
he hound for thousand years and de-
celve man no more. Messiah viii
reign with Divine Power. A Priest
mon His Throne, He will extend mer'
cv 70 those whom He rules. He will
instruct them, succor them. uplift
them, and. as the hand Of Cod VIII
wipe away all tears.
Meantime the earth itself will be
made to "blossom as the rose" and to
"yield her increase" and "the wilder
ness and the solitary place shall be
glad" "The knowledge Of the glory
Of God shall nll the whole earth as the
winters cover the sea-" The result will
Be that "every knee win bow and ey-
cry tongue confess" to the glory OF
God. for all who shall reject this won
derfuI demonstration of Divine Power
and love will be esteemed unworthy OF
any further favors and will be de-
stroyed from among the people, 10 the
Second Death. st. Peter tells US that
all the holy Prophets told this blessed
story Of coming restitution. See bis
plain statement OF the matter In Acts
III, 1928.
A Rsdemptlve Sacrifice Necessary.
We must not forget that In the Di-
vine arrangement a sacrifice for sins
was necessary. Because Of his disc
bedience, Adam waa condemned to
death, but not to eternal torment as
our creeds mistakenly declare His
race in him. when he sinned, shared
his penalty; hence we are a dying race
mentally, morally and physically
wrecked. God could not Justly set
aside His own sentiments and declare
us worthy Of His favor and Its gift OF
eternal life But since all came into
this condemned condition through one
mans dlsobedlence, It was possible
that all should be released from the
death sentence through the sacrifice OF
one Redeemer "As all In Adam die,
even 80 all In Christ shall be made
alive. every man In his own order
Corinthians xv, %, 20.
Here we have an important ques-
tion, Has Redeemer been provided
so that God can justly permit Messiah
to awaken the sleeping members OF
our race and to uplift all out OF sin
and death, bacH to human perfection
and an earthly Eden, worldwide? The
answer Is, Yes Jesus left His heav'
enly glory and was made flesh, "that
He by the grace of God should taste
death (not eternal torment for every
man. uIebrews H. % His reward or
tho Father was a glorious exaltahon
to the right hand Of Divine Majesty,
"far above angels prlncipnlltles and
powers" Thus He was qualified to
rule and to bless those whom His
death redeemed.
why. then, does the Messianic work
delay2 Why did Jesus not Immediate
! " begin the work Of restitution The
Blble answers tho question most clear
ly II assures us that before that work
can begin there must be selected from
amongst men. by a special call and by
special tests, sanity class, little
dock" to whom II Is the Fathers good
pleasure to give the Kingdom In Joint
helrship with His only Son, the Re
deomer. so. then, what remains Is for
ali OF this class to hnlsh their course
With 10y and then, by the First Resur'
rectlon, to pass beyond the veil to be
forever with their Lord as spirit be-
lngs-pariakon OF The divine nature,
far above angels, prlncipallties and
powers
Then the spiritual Seed Of Abraham
will bo complete. aud then II will be
gin ia work OF blessing, drst the nat
ural seed OF Abraham, and subse-
Quenty. all tho families OF the earth.
II at first we were inclined to feel i'm.
patient Of the long delay we are check
cd by the thought that II the work Of
God In the selection OF the spiritual
Seed OF Abraham, "like unto the stars
OF heaven" had been completed soon
OF. Wc would have missed the glorious
opportunity OF becoming members OF
IT, Rather. therefore. let us rejoice In
tho delay realizing that the world In
general suffers nothing Ia death. but
merely sleeps until the resurrection