Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-01
Pastor Russell's Sermon

ID L0hC present uC0leVemenJS OuL-THnk
those Of the past, not so much in skill
as in opportunity. Ancient masonry,
found south Of us here, like that in the
Great Pyramid Of Egypt. tells Of a
skill with which we cannot yet com.
pete in that great stones we're so truly
squared and so accurately laid as to
make it difficult to find the creVices be-
tween them.
We must credit our great progress to
God. His time has come for lifting
the veil of ignorance and superstition.
He has been gradually favoring the
Increase Of knowledge along every
line. We today are merely taking ad-
vantage Of this more extended knowl-
edge, carried into all the homes and
offices by means of steam printing
presses, railroads, steamships, postal
service etc. Instead, therefore, Of try
ing to belittle our ancestors, let us
confess that we have drawn and are
still drawing from them deep inspira-
ton along various llnes-the Bible,
Shakespeare, and other writings.
Let us accredit our progress, not to
Evolution. but to the more reasonable
proposition that Gods time has come
to give us the blessings promised in
the Scrlptures-the blessings which are
heraldlng Messiahs Kingdom Of
peace on earth, good will toward
men," We have waited for 1t, prayed
for 1t and sung about 1t for centuries
And now that we are beginning to en-
Joy Its blessings, now that the dawn
ing Of the New Day is visible on every
hand, let us make no mistake. While
learning from each other. let us not
forget to be taught of God, reading in
the signs of the times the fufllment
of the predictions Of forty centuries.
What Will Man Beeome2
Our text asks, what is man that
Thou art mindful Of him?" intlmaing
what we all ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS man is
poor, weak, imperfect, fallen, unwor-
thy of his Creators favor and bless
ing He is not deserving Of eternal
torment, but deserving Of the Divine
sentence, dying thou shalt die" be-
cause of degradation through the fall.
Yet God is mindful Of man.
God has made provision for mans re-
eovery from sin and death. The foun-
dation for the recovery was laid by the
Sin-AtOnement Sacrifice at Calvary.
The blessings of that Atonement have
been extended thus far only to small
number. They have been limited to
such as would take up their cross and
follow in the Savlors footsteps. AS
the Scriptures declare, these are few,
a ''little flock"-not many great, wise,
rich or noble.
But the selection of the Elect to be
associates with Messiah in His gori-
Gus Kingdom is only the beginning of
Gods favor toward mankind. The
Elect will soon be completed. The
sanity followers Of Jesus from every
nation and denomination will soon be-
come His Bride and Joint-heirs in the
Kingdom. Then that Kingdom will be
established by Divine Power in au-
thority and dominion, not to crush
mankind. but for human uplift out of
sin and degradation, ignorance and
superstition, back to the full image and
likeness Of God.
If mankind In the fallen condition,
and imbued with sin and selfishness,
can be influenced by knowledge and
ambition to accomplish the wonders Of
our day, what will not be possible to
the restored man, as gradually he re-
attains the image and likeness Of his
Creator! The eyes Of our understand
ing open widely as we consider the
great length aud breadth of human pos.
sibillties, under those favorable con.
dltions which God declares will obtain
during the thousand years Of MessiOh's
Kingdom, for which we pray, "Thy
Kingdom come; Thy will be done on
earth, as 1t IL In Heaven"
"Little Lower Than the Angels,p
Our context declares that man was
made "a little lower than the angels;
that is to say man as an earthly, or
animal being is on n lower plane than
angels, who are spirit beings Yet
there Is one respect In which man is
treated from standpoint superior to
that Of angels. or man God said, sin
Our likeness let him have dominion
over the earth" So man was to have
the earth as his little universe. But no
dominion, 80 far as we know, has ever
been given to the angels.
Mans ruling power was ncutrallzed
by the sentence OF death which came
upon him. As the dying process
continued, mans power to rule his
dominion wnncd Whereas originally
he was able by mere exercise Of his
mind to control the beasts, he has since
been Obliged TO cope with the beast
by brute force and superior cunning
Finally by invention, fire arms, etc, he
has gained the mastery In the world by
force.
Doubtless the lessons OF experience
In all these six great Days tslx thou.
sand years since the falh will ulti.
mately inurc to mans benefit His eE-
ercise Of his ingenuity in battling with
thorns thlstles, beasts, etc, has served
to quicken, TO cnerglze, to give him
force OF character, Hut alas this force
OF character IN not In any way adyan.
tageous; for In many respects II is
contrary to the highest stnndOrds-con.
trary to the image OF his Creator.