The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-06-20
Pastor RuSSell's Sermon

TIe did not resurrect any of these.
They were merely awakened-and be-
fore the time for the general awaken
ing Hence they fell asleep again. A
great awakening Day. however. is near
at hand. the Pastor declared.
He Carried his hearers back to the
remote past. He reminded them of
the record respecting Abraham. that
he slept with his fathers He asked
who the fathers were and where they
slept. and replied that they We're hea-
then He asked whether they could
sleep in Heaven. or whether they
could sleep in 81 warm a place as Pur-
gatory is supposed to be. or in the still
more unreasonable hell He took it for
granted apparently. that his hearers
agreed with him that sleep under such
conditions would be impossible. and
that the only conclusion must be that
they slept in death
The Pastor reminded them that SINH
the good and bad kings and judges and
prophets They were gathered to their
fathers, they slept with their fathers.
Similarly. when st Stephen was stoned
to death. we read that 'he fell on
Sleep He cited st Paul as teaching
that all the Church will sleep. except
those who are alive at the time of the
Second Coming of Jesus: "We shall not
all sleep. but we shall all be changed"
He quoted Jesus words. "All that are
in the graves shall hear His [Jesus'l
voice and shall come forth" the faith
full. the saintly, to a resurrection of
Iife-perfectiOn. honor; the remainder
of mankind unto'a resurrection of trial.
testing Corinthians 1851.
Without the death of Jesus. said the
Pastor. all of the race would be per-
ished. and only in the resurrection
leving in salvation from death. Only
because Christ died is there an oppor-
tunity for the Church during this Cos
pei Age to respond to high calling
to the Divine nature. Likewise only
through the merit of Christ's death
from perishing and have an opportu,
nifty during Messiah's Kingdom to be
recovered from sin and death condi-
tons. from ignorance. superstition,
etc. from the tomb.
Gradually they will be raised up, up,
up. I'm the image and likeness of God
I'm the flesh. ultimately to enjoy Him
forever in II worldwide Paradise. from
which will be cut off in the Second
Death all wilful evil-doers. all who pre-
fer sin to righteousness. when the
Truth shall be made clear to them and
when the opportunity will be fully
within their grasp Incidentally, the
Pastor mentioned a gross mistransla-
ton of the inspired Word in John
300. namely, resurrection of damna,
ton" The Greek word here. he said
is kriSis. and has not in it the slightest
suggestion of fire or torture or suffer
ing The Revised Version renders this
verse properly "a resurrection oil
Judgment"
Only "He That Believeth."
/ am not forgetting. said the speak
err, that our text proffers Divine bless
ings only to believers. Neither am
| forgetting that only a few are believ
ers in the Scriptural sense now. Sta
| tistics mention four hundred millions
| of Christians: but, as we all know, this
includes practically everybody in Eu
rope and America. with few in Asia
and Africa 1t includes many in pris
ons and insane asyIums. penitentiaries
etc And that leaves three times a:
many whom we call heather. who have
/ no knowledge of Christ whatever
! twelve hundred millions. Surely none
of these are believers in the sense Gle
| fined by Jesus and the Apostles.
Jesus implies that if any one reall!
believes His Message, his faith viii
transform his whole life-he would SCI
so great blessing promised to thu
faithful follower of Jesus that III
would count all other aims and ambl
lions as loss and dross-and run will
patience the race set before him. Onl.
these are believers. and they are com
paratively few They are fine com
pany. They will get the prize. tn
pearl of great price" the Kingdom
ioint-heirship with the Redeemer II
His glory, honor and immortality.
But are no others to be blessed? |
not, why did Jesus taste death for eV
cry man? Does not that expressio
imply that every man will have som
opportunity of profting by Jesus
death? 1t surely does! Those VIII
now hear. appreciate, believe. in tn
Bible sense. alone will have an oppo1
tunity for sharing the First Resurret
ton of the blessed and holy. But tn
remainder. we are assured. will a
come forth from the tomb-to be gran
ed an opportunity then for hearing an
believing and gaining an inferior bles:
ing. The blessing now is a spirituf
one only; but the blessing to be offere
under Messiah's Kingdom will be a
earthly ne-Restitution. human pc
lection in an earthly Paradise everlas
ing.
The Bible tells all this. says Paste
Russell. 1t declares that the god {
this world, Satan. is now binding I'll
minds of all except believers. 1t equa
ly tells that in Gods due time. durin
Messiah's reign. all the blind eyes wi
be opened. and all the deaf ears III
stopped tIsaiah 35:5.l Then the who
world will be granted an opportunit