Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-06-14

New York City, June 4.-PastoI
Russell spoke at The Temple, w
63rd St., near Broadway. His text
was, But We are a chosen genera
lltion, Royal Priesthood, an holy ma
ton, peculiar people, that we should
show forth the praises of Him who
hath called you out of darkness into
His marvellous light Peter2:9.
The discourse brought to view sew
eral marked correspondencies be-
tween the Jewish Church-"Israel
after the fiesh"-and the Christian
Church-"The Israel of God" Some
of these correspondence open up a
| fruitful field of thought for every
Bible student. The Pastor first brief
ly reviewed the history of Natural
Israel. God called them to be His
chosen people, His holy nation. (Exo-
dus 1875, g. For over eighteen hun
dred years they were in training IN
der the Law, to demonstrate wheth-
er they were worthy to be Gods peo-
pie. God foreknew, however, that
even with their best endeavors they
could not keep the Law and thus
gain the prize of everlasting life;
for no imperfect being could keep a
perfect Law. But He had arranged for
the redemption of Israel and all the
world through Jesus death, and
knew that the Law would be their
schoolmaster to lead the Jews in due
time to Christ.-Galatians 1924.
Natural Israel hoped that God
would make of them a great people
to rule the world as Gods Kingdom.
They were Abraham's seed, and con-
sidered it a foregone conclusion that
the Lords Promise to Abraham
Genesis $3.50 could mean no others
but themselves. They overlooked
the fact that the true Seed would
have the faith, the heart obedience
of Abraham-qualities which they as
la nation lacked. When the long-ex-
pected Messiah came, they rejected
and slew Him. Only a few, the is
raelites indeed" of humble, teach
able heart, received Him. God fore
knew the national rejection Of His
Son, and had pre-arranged that when
the faithful few had been gathered
from Israel the call for the Seed
class should go 10 the Gentiles.
In Jehovah's Plan this Abrahamic
Seed which would bless the world was
to be composed CT 1000
from each of the twelve tribes of Is
lael. Hence when the 10000 or more
Israelites who were worthy were
brought into the Christian Church,
the Gospel Message was sent to the
Gentiles to take out a sufficient num-
Der to fill up what was lacking from
each tribe of Israel. The Gentiles
thus chosen became members of Spir-
|itual Israel-the Church of Christ.
All these have had the faith of
Abraham.
Spiritual Israel-A New Nation.
Natural Israel having been reject
ed as regarded the Gospel Call, a
new nation began to be formed, COM
posed of the faithful few from both
Jews and Gentiles. God had opened
up new way of life, through Christ.
(Hebrews 10:19-22.) The calling and
preparing of this New Nation for
their great future work has been the
work of the Gospel Age. The way
opened to the Gospel Church has not
been failure as was that opened for
Natural Israel. The Gospel Church
is not under law, but under grace.
Gods provision in Christ enables
those to succeed who are walking in
the new way to life. They keep
Gods Law in spirit, and the robe
OF Christ's merit covers all their un-
avoidable blemishes, imperfections.
This chosen class st. Peter calls "a
Royal Priesthood, a holy nation, a
peculiar people," The Office of a
king is to rule; that of a priest is to
teach, to heal and to bless. These two
Offices will be united in the work
which this class will perform when
exalted in the Messianic Kingdom.
They have become separate from all
ether peoples. They ARE strangers
and pilgrims on the earth" They will
constitute, with their Head, Christ
Jesus, the New Government to be sci
up in the earth upon the ruins of the
present order. Not as human beings.
but as spirit beings, will this class
reign, teach and bless the world, af-
ter their glorification in the First
Resurrection.
The character tests applied to this
company of prospective rulers are
very rigid. They must first learn to
govern themselves before they would
be fit to govern others. They are
placed In the School of Christ to be
taught of Him-lessons of meekness,