Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-12-02
Pastor Russell's Sermon
separate from and contrary to the
teaching Of Gods Word.
Nj. Taxt and conte.t

tCdShAh5 VI 0Ouo UOAu.
HE Text and Context.
Notice how contrary our text Is to
everything we have been taught re-
specting the Heavenly Father. 1t
gives US the true basis for thlngs-an
appreciation Of Gods goodness: 20
give thanks unto the Lord; for He is
goodw Then follows the assurance
that Divine mercy endureth forever.
All! this is the merciful God which our
souls have hungered after! When St.
Paul declared that the heather were
feeling after God that they might find
Him, 1t was this true God whose mer-
cy endureth forever that they were
feeling after And when we presented
to them horrible Misrepresentation,
showing Him to be the instigator of
eternal torture for all our race, this
blasphemy has served to turn their
hearts from Him and from the Bible.
1t is high time that we realized the
terrible mistake we made. 1t Is high
time that we began to preach the Mes
sage Of our text, His mercy endureth
forever" This expression respecting
the endlessness Of Divine Mercy is re-
peated twenty-five times In this one
Psalm alone. And yet we as Chris
tians have denied this statement, and
have declared instead that Gods mer-
cy is only for the Elect; that the thou
sands Of millions Of heathendom and
other hundreds Of millions In Christen-
dom will have no mercy.
Knowing that the majority Of minds
are darkened through sin, ignorance,
and superstition; knowing that the
Apostle declares that Satan has blind
ed the minds of all unbeIievers; know
Ing that the Lord through the Apostles
and the Prophets has declared that
the coming Age Of Messlahs Kingdom
is the time when all the deaf ears will
be unstopped and all the blinded eyes
opened, and that the glory Of the Lord
shall cover the whole earth--ln spite
Of all this we have cried out TO the
world that there will be no mercy for
them beyond the grave, that Gods
mercy does not endure forever, but
merely for the time we call the pres
ent life.
Why do we thus contradict the Al
mighty? What motive is there behind
this? In seeking to restrict the grace
Of God to the present unfavorable time
OF blindness and darkness, we have
had the encouragement Of Satan, and
the visions, messages and dreams
caused by tho fallen angels, st. Paul
pictured our day exactly, saying,
"Many shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seduclng spirits and
doctrines of devils"
Tell the Truth--shame the Devil.
II Is time for all who love the Lord
and the Bible to get straight them
selves and then to help others. II Is
time that the world knew what real
cause 1t has for gratitude 10 God and
for contentment with the blessings
now being enjoyed 1t is time to tell
them that the death OF Christ is to be
the full Offset OF the sin OF Adam, and
that the death penalty Of Adams sin
In to be fully lifted. II is time to tell
them that during Messlah's Reign Of
a thousand years the world will rise
again out Of sin and death to righteous
ness and life everlasting the reversal
OF the present reign Of Sin and Death
II is time to tell them that God In
deed has been eectlng, or selecting,
satntly ones, but not to the injury of
the non-elect' that the work Of the
hlect In association with Jesus for a
thousand years, win be the blessing OF
all the families OF the earth-the nom
elect.
II Is time to tell the world that the
Bible hell is the tomb, sheol, Hades;
that from II all will be redeemed and
will have opportunity for resurrection
to perfection OF life everlasting; and
that only the wllfully wicked will die
the Second Death, symbolicnlly Illus
trated by Gehenna, 1t Is time 10 tell
them that Nll--both good and bad, rich
and poor-have been going to the 81
bic hell, the tomb; and that the First
Resurrection VIII be constituted only
OF the SANITY, the Church, who are TO
be associated with Christ In His King
dom Revelation 2O;G.
II IL time TO tell them that none ex-
cept those begotten OF the Holy Spirit
since Pentecost will ever reach the
Heavenly condition and share the Dl'
vine nature, II is time to tell them
that Gods blessed provision for Adam
and the remainder Of his race IL Rostl-
restoration 20 human perfec.
tlon from which they fell, and TO u
worldwide Eden Gods footstool made
glorious,
Il Is time TO tell them that all the
thorns, thistles. trials, dliIieultlcs, aor.
rows ana tears Of the past six thou.
sand years are part OF tho penalty
"Dylng, thou shalt die II IL time to
tell them that God during Messlah's
Kingdom, by uplifting the race, Will
wipe away the tears from on all faces.
Il is time to lot them know that He
Is indeed d God whose mercy endur-
9th forever; aud that although His
mercy IL as yot extended only % The
Church and TO Natural Israel, eventu.
ally IN the coming AYE Il shall extend
20 every member OF the race for which
Christ died,
On This Basis Thankfulnsaa.