The Hartford republican., 1913-09-05

tOaolSk -SUoSlllJI en- Ulu tne Lore
behold the earth
to hear the groaning OF the prisoners
to loose those that are appointed (,
death. Psalm 1O2:1S-2O.
The Pastor opened his address with
the declaration that the Bible reveals
the only God of love and pity. The
heather gods are vengeful, tyrannical
merciless. The picture of God i'm our
creeds. formulated In the Dark Ages
misrepresents Him even more than dc
the heather idols. To rid himself of
the misconceptions Of the Almighty,
furnished by our creeds. and to appre-
ciate the God Of the Bible, should be
the endeavor Of every person.
Next the Pastor called attention to
Gods sympathy for His fallen crea-
lures. as expressed In the text, and to
the fact that 1t is direct contradic-
ton Of our theories respecting the Di-
r,;,ce predestination Of more than nine
teDt6s of humanity to an eternity Of
torture. Tn L2rH did not wholly aban-
don His creatures escause Of the dis
obedience IN Eden. E
Human Wretehednsss In cod's Sight.
Pastor Russell then described human
conditions as they pust appear FROM
the Heavenly Viewpoint The sight Is
tefrible-enough 10 make d6gels weep.
Some are defhented to the extent Of
wallowing IN the mire Of sin: some SO
deprared that they love wrong and
hate right; others so weak that they
cannot do as they would: many In pris-
6ns: hundreds Of thousands In hOspi-
tails; other hundreds Of thousands in In
sane asylums: thousands Of millions
gone down into the tomb; with q few.
In comparative health, rushing head
long seeking happiness Or lighting and
cheatIbg ID amass fortunesaYhlch, dy.
ing, they must leave. As GOD looks
down. the earth must look like vast
hospital, cemetery, madhouse.
The Almighty fOreknew mans way
ward course and its penalty Of sin and
death. and from the beginning planned
to rescue man. That rescue is not
from a fiery he'll OF everlasting torture,
but from the terrible condition OF sip
and death IN which we and ongselSst.
fr.sinu Death. Appointed frissnsrs.
Adams entire RAGE. shacsled with sin
and under sentence Of death, have for
six thousand yesra been marching to
the great prison house Of the tomb.
They are how entering the prison,
house ct the rate 6f ninety thousand
every twenty-four hours. God has sym
with them and has provided
q. redemption.
The Pastor then demonstrated that as
one mans sin brought, death upon hu-
manity, so Divine Wisdom has ar
ranged that a Savior should give Him.
self a Ransom for Adam and his race.
This has already been accomplished In
Christ's death. But this is only the be-
ginning. The thousands Of millions or
Adams children must actually be set
free from sin and death conditions.
But life must be restored ere they can
profit by the RedeeIner's sacrifice.
The New Creation.
Pastor Russell declared that Gods
benevolent design for the recreation
of humanity began its work at Pen
tecost. In His acceptance Of the Church
and the begetting of its members by
the Holy Spirit. This work will con-
tinue until the entire number Of the
fore-ordained Neio Creation are exalted
by the power Of the First Resurrection.
These will be kind Of first-frits to
God of His creatures. The after-fruits
will be much more numerous. though
less choice I'm quality. Again. the
Church now being selected is "the
Church of the First-borns,. written. In
Heaven" The inference is plain that
there viii be after-borns.
In the Regeneration Times.
Then the Pastor showed conclusively
from Scripture that the reign OF
Christ's saints is the long-promised
Millennium, or thousand years Of
righteousness. during which Satan will
he bound. ST. Peter shows that then
will be the time of human Restitution
to the original perfection, lost by
Adams disobedience, redeemed by
Jesus obedience. All the willing and
obedient will be raised out of sin and
death-re-created In Gods image. This
Is the resurrection Of the unjust. men
toned by st. Paul.
The rest of the dead-aslde from the
Church, constituting the First Resur-
rectlon-will not fully live again until
the thousand years Of the Messianic
Kingdom are finished, st. Paul de-
rlarns that the groaning creation shall