The Mankato free press., 1913-07-25


program calls for four discourses daily
for eight days. Amongst the speakers
are some noted Bible students. Pastor
Russell was one of the speakers of to
day. We report his address. from the
text, Woe unto you that are rich. fol
We have received your consolation. =.
And He lifted up His eyes OH His dis.
cipleS. and said. Blessed be We poor
for yours is the Kingdom of Cod
Luke GA. 20.
Think not. my dear brethren. said the
Pastor. that my address is intended to
stir up class animosity. The tribula-
tons and disappointments of life come,
moi through needing the Divine Mes.
sage. but through neglecting it. AL
though not rich myself, | can sympa-
thiZe with the rich in their position. as
well as with the poor in theirs. God
Himself very rich, is able to sympa-
thize with both the poor and the rich;
so is the Savior, who, being rich. for
our sakes became poor. that we
through His poverty might become
rich in the truest sense of that word.
Some of Gods faithful servants in
the past We're very rich-Abraham. for
instance. Nevertheless, the Lord fore
warned us that not many rich, great.
learned, or mighty would receive the
highest blessing promised during this
Age. On the contrary, recipients of
the greatest favor will be chiefly the
,Nf hi. -sxl, f.,s 4,
will be heirs of the Kingdom.
The Master evidently intended to in
Clude riches of every kind-learning
influence. honor of men. etc. as well
as financial wealth. This view broad
els the text to signify that all who
now possess great privileges and bless
ings above the average of mankind
will. by these blessings. be more or
less hindered from obtaining the best
things of Gods favor, and more or less
subject to woes
We are not to take the views of the
darker days. and to suppose that the
Master meant that the rich at death
would be thrown into everlasting tor
ture. The woes of the Bible on the
contrary, apply TO the present life.
The rich. the influential. the learned.
the great, addressed by the Master in
the words of our text. were living in
the close of the Jewish Age. but re-
allied it not. And we might have no
occasion whatever to apply our text to-
day, but might consider it as already
fulfilled in the past. except for the fact
that the Jewish nation and its expe-
riences mt that time typified the Cos
pei Church and the experiences of
Christendom in our day
Wrath to the Uttermost Upon the
Jews.
st. Paul. referring to the same woes
which Jesus predicted. but living near
the close of the Jewish Age when the
woes were being poured out. declared.
WRATH has come upon this people to
the uttermost-that all things written
IN the Law and the Prophets concern
ing them should be fulfilled Il Thes-
salonians 2:l6.l If all the woes pur-
posed of God upon the Israelites in the
conclusion of their Age We're fulfilled.
as st. Paul declares. then none of those
woes belong to the future.
That woes and tribulations are asso-
ciated with the present life for both
the rich and the poor is unbeatable
IL acknowledge these woes. But the
most terrible forebodings are associated
with imaginary woes of the future life
quite contsary to the Scripture teach
.ngs. If we must speak of tribula-
lions in the present life in order to be
faithful to our commission. we are
glad to be able to set aside and nuflify
the nightmare of the Dark Ages re-
specting eternal torment for any.
The Jews. whom Jesus addressed.
He declared "knew not the time of
their visitation" They realized not
that they were living i'm the end of
their Age. and that a great settlement
of matters was about to take place
Similarly, we are now living in the end
of this Gospel Age-another great set
tIement day in the Divine arrange
ment. The intellectually. politically.
socially and financially rich at that
time. addressed by our Lord. were very
self-satisfied. very prosperous. and
looked for the Messianc Kingdom in
an opposite direction from that which
Jesus taught. So today. the intellec-
tual and the rich in various ways are
satisfied as never before. and merely