Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-10-20

e cometh, and keep
llRASl0R RUSSElllj eth My works I'M
to the end, to him
will give power over the nations; and
he shall rule them with rod Of iron;
as the vessels of potter shall they be
broken to shivers. even as received
of Ny Father
The discourse presented broad.
comprehensive view Of the Divine
Plan for the salvation of our race. be-
ginning with the fall of man from his
original perfection. and setting forth
the various steps in Gods arrange
ment for the restoration Of that lost
perfection to all who will comply with
the terms offered by the incoming Mes
slanic Kingdom, which for thousand
years will control the earth for the
purpose of abolishing sin and death
and establishing righteousness on
permanent basis. The speaker showed
that this Divine Plan is set forth in
Scripture in connection with the three
great Covenants therein mentioned;
the Abrahamic Covenant, the Law
Covenant made at Mount Sinai, and
the New Covenant soon to be estab-
lished for the blessing Of all mankind.
The Bible tells us that our Heaven
ly Father purposed in Himself, before
the foundation Of the world, the great
Plan of Salvation which He has been
carrying out He has made no change
in this Plan; for He knew the end
from the beginning. isaiah 400, 10;
55:8-11.) This Plan was not made
known to humanity. except vaguely
(Genesis 3:15). until the time Of Abra-
ham, to whom God first made declara.
ton of His Purpose. Genesis 1873;
22:15-1S; Galatians 3:8) Then God
seemed to ignore His Promise; for CEN
turtles rolled by without anything mp
parently being done.
Four hundred years after the Abra-
hamic Covenant was made, Abraham's
natural seed, the Israelites, were in
bondage in Egypt. with that Covenant
still standing. Through Moses as lead
err God brought them to Mount Sinai,
where He made great Law Covenant
with them, Moses being the mediator.
Exodus 1919; 24:3-S) Here God in
Dictated to them that If they desired to
be the promised Seed Of Blessing, they
must demonstrate their fitness by
keeping His Law. This they could not
do, however, although they tried to do
SO year after year. No imperfect be-
ing has the ability to keep Gods per-
feet Law. Finally they became dis
couraged; for they saw that they could
not gain everlasting life for them
selves, and therefore could not bless
the world. Then through His Prophets
God sent Israel word that one day He
would make New Law Covenant
with them.-Jeremiah 31:31-34; Eze-
kiel 37:21-2S; etc.
Christ the Promised Seed Of Blessing.
The Pastor here explained that the
point he had in mind was the fact
that thus far tie Israelites have failed
to receive the fulflment Of Gods prom
ises to them. He told what these were
and why they had not been fulfilled.
Israel hoped to be a nation Of over
corners, Q victorious nation, one that
God would exalt so highly that they
could bring all the world into sub
lection to Jehovah, that they might i'm
press the Mosaic Law upon all nations.
and accomplish the work which God
! purposed for the world. But God had
fofetold that Israel would fail to be-
come the Seed Of Blessing.
In due time Jehovah sent His Son
into the world to die as a Ransom for
the sins of the world. This arrange
ment was merely further step In the
Plan of Salvation. Our Lord kept per-
fectly the Divine Law, and thus DEM
onstrated that He was worthy OF ev-
erlasting life. But as q man He could
never have permanently blessed the
world. Hence It was necessary for
Him first to attain relationship to God
as the Spiritual Seed of Abraham be-
fore He could save and bless mankind.
To do this. He gave His life as the
RansOm-price for Adam, in whom all
We're cOndemned.-1 Cor. 1929.
/ When God raised our Lord from the
dead, the latter had the right to two
lives-the Divine nature given Him as
, q reward for His faithfulness. and the
human life which He had not forfeit
ed by sin. This right to human life He
will give for Adam and his posterity.
Meantime, our Lord started new ma
tion-the Church. q Peter 2:9.) This
new nation Is to be q new creation as
well-spirit beings like their Lord Il
John 32) For 1900 years our Lord
has been selecting this class, to inner
I A. aAA-