The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-07-07

days. Three Gen
lAS0R RgSSELg) eral Conventions
--- of this Associa-
ton are now in progress. the other two
being at Columbus, Ohio. and Clinton.
Iowa. Upwards of 1000 delegates are
in attendance at each Convention. Be
ing President of the Association. Pas
tor Russell expects to be present three
days at each of the assemblies.
Two sessions are held daily in each
of the cities. and the Pastors famous
Creation Drama is exhibited each even
ing. There being four parts to the
Drama. three full presentations will be
given.
Pastor Russell's theme today was
one Of great interest. The discourse
set forth the philosophy of the untold
sufferings of Christians throughout
this Gospel Dispensation. Part ". of
The Photo-Drama Of Creation. now on
exhibition both at home and abroad.
depicts the unwritten history of the
Church of Christ. and enables those
who see it to realize to some extent
what it has cost true Christians to ''fol-
low His steps" The Pastors text was.
"Jehovah hath appointed Me to preach
good tidings to the meek, to bind up
the broken hearted. Isaiah Gil
The Pastor opened his discourse by
drawing attention to the statement
that the Gospel Message is for the
meek. the broken-hearted During the
Bfilennial Reign of Christ God will
$nI~ {to ctox - hoo
mankind and will give, instead. hearts
of flesh. Under the blessed conditions
iof the Kingdom. hard, selfish hearts
Twill gradually become soft. tender.
Ekind. gentle. But now. in advance Of
Messiahs Kingdom. God is seeking
ithose who are seeking Him. Those
Iwho are not especially seeking Him are
mot likely to find Him.
Preaching the Gospel to the meek
lis the work of this Age This is the
,only class which God wishes to have
now. He is seeking the class that de-
,sire to be of the Bride of Christ. Jesus
fjoint heirs in the Messianic Kingdom
Therefore the Message is not such as
}wogfd suit the hard-hearted. Only the
fender-hearted care to know about the
siove of God. the mercy of God. the
forgiveness of sins. the privilege of re-
turning to the Fathers House and
,of having Jesus as their Savior
The Pastor believes that in the past
we have had wrong idea as to whom
the Gospel Message is TO go. We went
out into the highways and byways to
find those who We're very wicked
blasphemers, ETC.. thinking that these
were the ones with whom we were to
deal. The Scriptures do not authorize
any such idea. A person living in I'M
irepented sin is not in the proper con
dition to receive Gods great Plan of
the Ages, the speaker claimed. God
has declared that s'none of the wicked
shall understand" He does not wish
them to do so. The very reverse is
true. His purpose is to bind up the
ken-hearted
Gods Message speaks peace to those
who are in trouble and who are look
ing to Him. seeking the righteousness
which He provides. Some apparently
have made great mistake in think
ing that the Gospel is a sledge ham,
mer with which they are to break
mems hearts. The speaker does not
know of any Scriptural commission
for any of the people of God to break
the hearts of men. On the contrary,
he thinks that the Devil does most of
such work.
The Two Conversions.
There are two conversions, declared
the Pastor. The first is a turning from
sin; the second. a turning to God.
Those DESTROYS of approaching God are
seeking to leave sin. Those who are
living in sin wish to be away from God.
We cannot go in two directions at once.
The course which God would have any
pursue is this When one finds that
he Is sinner, he should repent and
turn away from sin; then. when he
learns that God has made an arrange
ment by which sinners may be recon
ciled to Himself, he shoulc ascertain
what steps he should take In order to
obtain his share in that reconciliation
While turning from sin may in some
respects be called a conversion, yet it
those who take the step Of full con-
seeration to the Lord may receive the
holy Spirit and obtain clear view Of
the Divine Plan. AS the APOSTLE says.
1.-THE natural man receiveth not the
things Of the Spirit of God; for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can
he know them, because they are spirit
ually discerned"
Then the Pastor explained that those
begotten of the Holy Spirit are Scrip
turally called children of God, heirs of
God, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ If
faithful unto death. they will be glori-
fed in the First Resurrection. Mean
time they are to grow In grace, knowl
edge, love and all other fruits and
graces of the Spirit-grow by their
trials, by their obedience, by striving
against the world, the flesh and the
Devil. All this must be done before
this class will be ready for their resur
rection change. In the present time,
however, all who are begotten of the
Holy Spirit not only belong to the
Church In general. with all others of
the people of God, this one Brother
hood of Christ on the spiritual plane,
but they are also reckoned as members
of the Body of Christ ON the fieshly
plane-the earthly plane.
From this viewpoint. Christ has been |
suffering In the flesh throughout the |
Gospel Age. St. Peter says that the |
Prophets of Israel testified beforehand /
Of the sufferings of The Christ and of |
the glory to follow; and hence he urges |
the Church to arm themselves with the |
same mind that Jesus had. st. Paul !
speaks of filing up that which is be |
hind of the Affections of The Christ |
all the members Of His Body. After
these sufferings are filled up, then the |
glory will follow The sufferings are |
not yet complete.
The speaker went on to explain how /
trials and discipline are means of de- |
veloping Christian character. preparing |
the child of God for future service in /
the Kingdom. The privilege Of suffer
ing with Christ in the flesh is some
thing to be appreciated. Whoever has
trials in the flesh because of Christ.
because of being His disciple, has oc-
casion for rejoicing. Such should con
tinue faithful, In order that by and by
as polished jewel he may be ready
for a glorious setting in the immortal
fly of the future An uncut, unpublished
jewel is not worth much. Its real
worth is brought forth In the cutting
SO the Lord gives His jewels the cut
/