The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-07-29

Scriptures. The
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! for
ye have received your consolation.
And He lifted up His eyes on His dis
ctples, and said, Blessed be We poor:
for yours is the Kingdom of Cod
Luke 6:24. 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,
not through needing the Divine Mes
sage. bat through neglecting 1t. Al
though not rich myself. | can sympa-
th1ze 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;
70 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 were 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
poor OF this world, rich in faith. These
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
rs financial wealth. This view broad
ems the text to signify that all who
now possess great privileges and bless
Lngs 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
lure. 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 1t as already
fulfilled in the past, except for the fact
that the Jewish nation and its expe-
dences at that time typifed 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-
balonians 2:16) If all the woes pur-
posed Of God upon the IsraeIites in the
conclusion Of their Age were fulfilled,
rs st. Paul declares, then none of those
woes belong to the future.
That woes and fluctuations are asso-
ciatsd with the present life for both
the rich and the poor Is unbeatable.
All acknowledge these woes. But the
most terrible forebodings are associated
with imaginary woes of the future life
quite contrary to the Scripture teach.
Ings. 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 nullify
the nightmare of the Dark Ages re-
Bpecting 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 in the end of
their Age. and that great settlement
Of matters was about to take place.
Similarly, we are now living in the end
Of this Gospel Age-another great set.
Element day in the Divine arrange.
ment. The Intellectually, politically,
socially and financially rich at that
time, addressed by our Lord, were very
Belf-satisied very prosperous. and
looked for the Messianic 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
wishing that nothing might disturb
their wonderful progress for the future
and these are looking for their bless.
fngs and prosperity In a direction the
reverse OF that indicated by the Word
Of God.
Jesus prophetically foreknew and
foretold the crisis of the Jewish nation
His Message gathered out of that ma.
ton the "Israelites indeed, in whom
was no guile" Then the nation was
given over to itself. The Divine Hand
which had guided it safely In the past
let go the rudder; and human passion
accomplished the wreck in the anarchy
which overthrow the nation in A. D.
70. Similarly, we may understand. that
now has come the Harvest of this
Gospel Age: that now God Is gathering
His Elect: and that as soon as this
worh4shall have been accomplished, the
Aimighty's Hand which has held in
check the powers of human passion un.
III now, will release its hold.
Then mankind, left to themselves,
Will wreck their present civilization.
As the rich of Jesus day suffered most
keenly in their time of trouble. so the
rich will suffer most keenly in the time
Of trouble now near. Thank God, how.
ever, that these woes, both upon the
Jews and upon Christendom today, are
not woes of eternal torment
compensations In Nature.
Who has not been struck with Ma.
lures compensations? The rich, the
learned, the favored, have trials and
difficulties, perplexities. cares, doubts
and fears, which the poor. the unlearn-
Cd, know nothing about The clerk.
the mechanic and the laborer may fin
ish their toll under certain hours and
be care free, while the employer often
faces perplexing problems which him
der sleep and undermine health.
In matters of grace the same rule to
some extent, prevails. The rich have
more on which to set their hearts,
more to occupy their time. more to cul-
ttvate self-will. more opportunity for
disqualification more riches for which
to be responsible. more education by
which, under present conditions, errors
are more likely to be gained than truth
The rich in influence have more to d.
EaEt them and to cultivate their pride