The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-11-27
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Pastor nacPherson Explains Secret
Of longevity.

There was nothing slow about Pastor
MacPherson's lecture here on Thursday
evening, Nov. 18th. He held his
audience entranced while he carefully
opened up the Scriptures on the
subject: Victory Der the Grave"
He appealed only to the Bible for sup
port and his points were we'll made and
clearly and conclusively proven. We
give brief report of his sermon for
the benefit of your readers.
We have reached the position which
we have won by means of the many
victories we have won along the path
way of our experiences. All mankind
has advanced by overcoming difficult
ties, and each. victory prepares the way
for the succeeding one. Among our
many achievements, however. there is
one great sad thing lacking 1--WE shave
failed to gam any victory Ger the
grave
Mans greatest enemy is death
Instead of man conquering death,
Death has been conquering Man. Man
once had perfect life, and no such thing
as death existed When man disobeyed,
he became amenable to the death
penalty, and since then Death has grad
ually been gaining the ascendancy.
Before the Flood the average man lived
about 700 years before he became the
complete victim of Death; Immediately
after the Flood the average fell down to
120 years whereas now the average
length of life is little above 80 years.
If something is not done soon, what
may we expect for our race in the
few centuries? Thank God, the Bible
points out a relief, and assures US that
/ it will come before it is too late
Like so many tributaries flowing INTO
one great river to swell its volume and
ultimately to be merged into the great
gulf below, so, century after century,
have the lives of men flowed into the
one great river of Death which termi-
mates in the gulf or Tomb. There was
no hope of deliverance until Jesus came
and voluntarily poured out His SOU
unto death, He also went down this
great river of death into the gulf or
| Tomb. He was the first one to gain
victory DER the grave.
/ Since Jesus paid Adams penalty,
/ Adam and his race are legally free, and
in God 5 appointed time they will all be
/ set free, and given an individual trial in
the Judgment Day to prove whether
they are worthy of eternal life or death
1t was Jesus who opened the way from
death unto life, and eventually "All
that are in their graves shall hear His
voice and come forth. "-Jno. AIS.
We are not to suppose that all will be
I resurrected at once The Resurrection
Day shown in the Scriptures is thous-
ana yearday The resurrection from
grave will be a gradual process accord
/ ing TO the Apostle Paul The dead IN
| Christshall arise first, then we whichare
alive and remain. - "All shall be made
alive. but every man in his own order. "
We see that there will be order in the
/ resurrection. MANY that are first
shall be last, and the last shall be first. -
/ Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection: on such
; the second death hath no power (they
will be made death-prooN, but they
/ shall be priests OF God and Of Christ,
and shall reign with Him a thousand
years. Rev. 20:6. This is easily seen
+ to refer to the church, elsewhere called
the Church of the first-born, whose
names are written in heaven" The
/ Church will be highly exalted and will
SIT with Christ in His throne to assist in
Judging the world, and even the angles
/ Then will come the second resurrection
including first a great company of good
Christian people called in the Bible the
great multitude. Those were not so
faithful to the Master as the members
of the Little Flock. These will not
sit. in Christ's throne, but will be
/ permitted to ''serve day and night"
before the throne. They will not wear
crowns of glory. but will be permitted
to carry palms Of victory.
I The second resurrection pictured in
the Scriptures applies also to the world
of mankind. Theirs will not to a
heavenly glory as in the case of the
Church, but to an earthly glory. St
| Paul calls attention to this terrestrial
glory in Cor. 1910 The glory of the
celestial is one. and the glory of the
/ terrestrial is another.
/ Chief among those in Paradise, or
earth restored to perfection as it was
in the Garden of Eden, will be those
who were faithful to God before the
| Gospel Age. These Ancient Worthless
will assist in raising the rest of the
world up to perfection. Death will
| gradully vanish. ''Christ shall reign
/ till He hath put all enemies under His
feet. The last enemy that shall be
DESTROYED is Death" All the wicked
will finally be destroyed, and the uni
verse will thus be purified. This is
victory indeed, this is climacteric, this
is glorious!
Lives again our glorious King;
Where, 0 Death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save.
Where thy victory, Boosting Grave?"
] IA -. A Eni.al. n.