River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-04-23

esting to the point of fascination. One
desires to see it owe and over again.
1t is now reported successful in more
than thirty of the best theatres of the
principal cities, where crowds are the
rule. Over $4,000 attend in one day,
and the numbers are rapidly rising.
In the forenoon Pastor Russell deliv-
cred a discourse on 'The Chiefest Res
u~rrectiOn,' from the text, "There shall
be a resurrection of the dead, both of
the just and the unjust."-Acts 24:15.
The Pastor remarked that Easter
Sunday, throughout the civilized world,
stands as the reminder of the reSurrec-
ton of Jesus; and yet there has perhaps
never been a time when the protested
followers of Jesus have believed less
in the Resurrection of the Dead than
at present. This shows a great falling
away from the faith once delivered to
the saints. The Resurrection hope is
the great hope which the Bible sets be-
fore mankind.
The Pastor cited various Scriptures
to prove that death is the penalty of
sin-the curse which came upon Adam
and all his race because of Adams dis
obedience to God in Eden. He showed
that Gods promise to roll away the
curse, and to give blessing instead, in
cludes every member of the human
family. He reasoned, and produced BIZ
BILE proofs in support, that the bless
ing of all the families of the earth,
therefore, will mean the resurrection
of the dead-the resurrection of Adam
and every member of his race.
The earliest information on Gods
part that He would do anything for
mans recovery from the death sen
tence, was given when our first parents
were expelled from Eden. There God
vaguely declared that at some future
time the Seed of the woman should
bruise the serpent's head. This was
merely a ray of hope. with no intima-
ton of how it would be accomplished.
Gods first definite statement of what
He purpOSed to do for Adam and his
race was made to Abraham two thou
sand years after sin had entered the
world. To Abraham God made known
His future good intentions toward
Adam and all of his posterity. He
said, Il purpose to bless all the fam
lilies of the earth. Walk before Me
and be hot faithful; and the blessing
shall come to the human family
through thee and thy posterity." Aft
er Abraham had endured tests, God
confirmed the previous assurances and
gave His oath to prove the certainty
of the whole matter. The words were:
I'm thee and in thy Seed shall all the
families of the earth be blessed"
The Law Covenant and Shadow.
God knew. when He made the Prom
Use to Abraham, that his Spiritual Seed.
The Christ, would not appear even in
the flesh for more than two thousand
years. He knew also that it would be
nearly two thousand years after that
before the Spiritual Seed would be Civ
en- the necessary power and authority
to bind Satan and to release the slaves
of sin from the tomb ard from the
shackles Of ignorance, superstition and
weakness. But it was neither neces-
sary nor expedient that all this should
be told to Abraham. 1T was sufficient
that the friend of God should know of
a surety that a blessing was coming,
and that his seed would be identified
with that work of blessing mankind.
God did, indeed, give a typical lesson
respecting the fact that there would
be two seeds of Abraham; one, HeGDen-
~, and the other, earthly. Without ex-
planning the matter to Abraham, God
stated it so that it would be written
aforetime for the information of the
Household of Faith of this Gospel Age.
He said. Thy Seed shall be as the
stars of Heaven. md as the sand OF
the seashore.'' One of these seeds
would be developed under the Law-by
being required to obey the Divine Law,
and thus being helped up toward per-
lection. The other Seed. the Heaven.
". would be by grace, not by Law.
Good works would be accounted to the
Heavenly Seed on the basis of faith.
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