Souvenir Notes — Bible Students Conventions (1910)
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SOUVENIR
NOTES
BIBLE STUDENTS' CONVENTIONS
ROCK OF AGES
Other Foundation can no man lift
A RANSOM FOR ALL
UNBELIEF
THE SHIP IS SAFE
TENTH
SOUVENIR
CONVENTION
REPORT
INTERNATIONAL
BIBLE
STUDENTS
1910 To the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
IN THE INTEREST OF
HIS CONSECRATED SAINTS, WAITING FOR THE ADOPTION
This Work is Dedicated
"To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God."
"Wherein He hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself; that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things, under Christ."—Eph. 3:4,5,9;1:8-10.
Introduction
SENDING out this TENTH SOUVENIR CONVENTION REPORT, we do so with a prayer that it may be a real blessing, as we have abundant evidence that the others have been, to all who appreciate the significance of the wonderful things that have been transpiring in this our day, and
especially during this year, 1910.
It has been our privilege to personally enjoy many of these things, and while doing so, have endeavored to gather up a few baskets of crumbs for those who could not be present in person, though we feel they were there in spirit—their thoughts, desires and prayers were there; also as a reminder to those who were present, but who, because of our leaky vessels, are unable to retain the good things there enjoyed.
Other conventions have been held this year than those reported, but we were unable to be present at all, and even those attended are not in all cases reported in full. Therefore, the work is far from perfect, but we trust it is sufficiently full to enable us to keep these things before our minds.
We wish to take this opportunity to thank the different ones who have assisted in various ways in its preparation, without whose help it probably would not have been prepared.
We have ordered a number of extra copies, so that those who have not been able to order in advance, and who still desire copies, may secure them. In this connection, we would call your attention to a page of SPECIAL NOTICES at the back of the Report, which we suggest that you read carefully.
We endeavored to secure photographs of the Elders and Deacons at all the places where conventions were held, as reported herein, that you might at least become acquainted with their type or shadow. While not successful in securing all, we feel that you will be pleased to look upon those we have secured.
Yours in HIS service,
DR. L. W. JONES,
3003 Walnut St.,
Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
C.T. RUSSELL
P. S. L. JOHNSON
F. DRAPER
A. H. MACMILLAN
F. H. ROBISON
M. L. HERR
O. L. SULLIVAN
H. C. ROCKWELL
CHURCH
FEDERATION
COUNTING THE COST
BROOKLYN
ACADEMY OF MUSIC
AT 4:3 O'CLOCK P.M.
SUNDAY·JAN·16
What Congregationalists
Methodists & Presbyterians
Must Surrender
SUNDAY·JAN·30
What Episcopalians
Catholics & Lutherans
Must Surrender
SUNDAY·JAN·23
What Baptists
Disciples & Adventists
Must Surrender
SUNDAY·FEB·6
The Church Militant's
Surrender to
The Church Triumphant
UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE
PEOPLES BUILD
PEOPLE'S PULPIT
ASSOCIATION
OF NEW YORK
I. HOSKINS
E.W. BRENNEISER
R. H. HIRSH
C. A. WISE
J. A. BOHNET
A. E. BURGESS
J. F. RUTHERFORD
OPERA
Brooklyn Academy of Music
This building contains the finest auditorium in Brooklyn, and Pastor Russell preaches here
the first Sunday in each month, unless otherwise announced.
Pastor Russell Addressing Congregation at Brooklyn Tabernacle.
INTERNATIONAL
BIBLE STUDENTS
?-1910-?
BLE STUDENTS versed in the Divine Plan of the Ages have for years been looking forward to '1910' with a mental question mark, wondering what its future will unfold, what prophecies will be fulfilled, what features of the "harvest" work will be carried out, etc. Now, as the new year dawns, we feel like saying with the poet:
PILGRIM:
Watchman, tell me, does the morning
Of fair Zion's glory dawn?
Gird thy bridal robes around thee;
Have the signs that mark its coming
Yet upon thy pathway shown?
WATCHMAN:
Pilgrim, yes! arise! look 'round thee!
Light is breaking in the skies!
Morning dawns! arise! arise!
PILGRIM:
Watchman, is the light ascending Of the grand Sabbatic year?
Are the voices now portending That the kingdom's very near?
WATCHMAN:
Pilgrim, yes, I see just yonder
Canaan's glorious heights arise;
Salem, too, appears in grandeur,
Tow'ring 'neath its cloudless skies.
Pilgrim, see! the land is nearing,
With its vernal fruits and flowers!
On! just yonder-O how cheering!
Bloom forever Eden's bowers.
Hark! the choral strains are ringing,
Glory to the Lamb of God!
Blessings to mankind he's bringing,
Even though with chastening rod.
Events of tremendous importance, as to their far-reaching influence in the history of the human race, but especially in their deep significance to the present generation, seem to be standing on the very threshold, waiting for "Father Time" to pass on, tallying another mark on his chronological chart, and for the new year of 1910 to be ushered in; for, when opening the January 1st issue of the WATCH TOWER AND HERALD OF CHRIST'S PRESENCE, on the inside cover, one of the first things to catch the eye is the following announcement:
Four Special Services SundaysJanuary 16,23,30,and February 6Brooklyn Academy of Music-Church Federation-Counting the Cost
January 16, 3 P. M.—Topic: "What Congregationalists Methodists and Presbyterians Must Surrender."
January 23, 3 P. M.—Topic: "What Baptists, Disciples and Adventists Must Surrender."
January 30, 3 P. M.—Topic: "What Episcopalians, Catholics and Lutherans Must Surrender."
February 6, 3 P. M.—Topic: "The Church Militant's Surrender to the Church Triumphant."
Because of the large seating capacity, these will be held in the Academy of Music instead of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
These services were to be held under the auspices of THE PEOPLE'S PULPIT ASSOCIATION, with Pastor Russell, of Brooklyn Tabernacle, as the principal speaker. Knowing the speaker's ability as a Bible exponent, and realizing the interest these meetings would arouse, many Bible students began to arrange their affairs so as to be present at those meetings, as well as to have a hand in heralding the notice of same through the printed page.
Never in the history of the world was such thorough and systematic advertising done, and practically without money and without price. Besides many large posters, post cards, advertising in the newspapers, there were distributed from door to door, during about ten days preceding the first meeting, about three hundred thousand copies of the People's Pulpit announcing these meetings. Many of the Brooklyn Tabernacle congregation had a hand in this work, but the large part of it, however, was done by willing colporteurs who devoted all of their time to that work for the time being. The Lord greatly blessed their work and they were able to gain entrance into many office buildings, factories and department stores where ordinary advertising matter is prohibited. The People's Pulpit, however, is a religious publication, and not an advertisement, and as Federation was before the minds of the people because of other meetings in New York under the name of Federation, the announcements were received by nearly all. In some instance the department-store managers took large quantities and attended to the distribution among their employees. Besides the announcement, the paper also contained two sermons. For the four meetings a total of about 700,000 copies were distributed. Thus more than a million sermons were put into the hands of intelligent people. All who had a hand in that remarkable work thanked God for the privilege.
CHURCH FEDERATION
The Cost of Church Federation to Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Methodists
Sunday, January 16, 1910
T 3 P. M. the largest auditorium in the Academy of Music was comfortably filled when this first meeting of the series of Mass Meetings on Church Federation opened.
Just before the service opened Brother William P. Mockridge sang as a solo the hymn entitled "A Thousand Years."
Pilgrim Bro. J. F. Rutherford acted as chairman and opened the service by saying,
"The entire Christian world at this time is discussing with great interest the question of church federation. We are quite sure that all Christians desire to know how they can get an answer from the Lord's Word on this important question.
"This is the beginning of a series of four meetings in this hall at which Pastor Russell of the Brooklyn Tabernacle will discuss this great question, which has been subdivided under four heads. We are quite sure there is no one in the world today who is better qualified to discuss this question from the Scriptural standpoint and we bespeak for him an attentive hearing.
"For this particular occasion the question is, What Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Methodists must surrender.
"There is no one in the world today who has devoted so much time and strength to the intelligent study of God's Word on this and other Bible lines as Pastor Russell. His writings have been placed in a great number of homes throughout the world. The sale thereof has reached far into the millions and we presume, therefore, that many of the homes in the city of Brooklyn contain his books, wherein all who are interested may find more information along the line of the question which will be discussed this afternoon."
(Reprint from New York World, Jan. 18, 1910.)
Mass Meetings on Church Federation
Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sundays, Jan. 23, 30; Feb. 6; 3 P.M. Doctrinal Points Surrendered by Presbyterians Congregationalists and Methodists, Considered at the First Meeting.
A very large audience attended the first of the four Christian mass-meetings being held under the auspices of the People's Pulpit Association during four successive Sunday afternoons in Brooklyn's largest auditorium, the Academy of Music, for the consideration of the questions involved in Church Federation.
These meetings are unique in that admission is free, no collections taken, no appeals made for financial support in any way, and no business transacted. It is announced that through these meetings every truth-seeking sceptic as well as every sincere Christian may learn the Scriptural basis upon which the conflicting creeds may federate, no matter how great the cost to their own denomination.
Pastor C. T. Russell, of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, has been selected to deliver the addresses at the four big meetings.
The topic for the first meeting was: "What Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Methodists Must Surrender in the Interests of Church Federation."
Topic for Sunday, January 23, 3 P. M., will be: "Cost of Church Federation to Baptists, Adventists, Disciples." The Honorable J. F. Rutherford, attorney-at-law, introduced Pastor Russell, who said:—
I take for my text the Word of the Lord through the Prophet, "Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid" (Isaiah viii., 12).
The desirableness of oneness in the Church of Christ is beyond dispute. The impropriety of sectarianism or division is now generally conceded, although twenty years ago many defended the divided condition of the Church as being helpful. They pointed to our Lord's words, I am the vine and ye are the branches; every branch in me that beareth
not fruit my Father, the husbandman, taketh away. And every branch that beareth fruit he pruneth, that it may bring forth more fruit (John xv., 1-5). They claimed that the denominations were the branches. The evident teaching of the Master here is that his people are related to him in an individual sense and not as parties, sects or denominations, and that they are dealt with from the individual standpoint as one Church and not many.
St. Paul enunciated the same great truth (I. Corinthians xii, 13), declaring that the Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is his body, and that as the human body has many members under the full control of the head, except when diseased, so the Church, as members in particular of the Body of Christ, are all to be subject to the Lord as their Head. They are all to be so connected with their Head, and thus with each other, that when one suffers, all suffer with it; and when one rejoices, all rejoice with it, because they all have fellowship in the one spirit of the Head. Hence the eye cannot say to the hand, nor the hand to the foot, I have no need of you, for every member is necessary to the prosperity of the Body as a whole. And as the joint supports and strengthens the limb and is joined thereto by sinews, etc., so individually God's people are united to each other in the bonds of grace and truth and love.
It must be conceded that Church Federation or Confederacy is in many respects quite a different thing from the Church's oneness illustrated by our Lord's parable of the vine, and the Apostle's illustration of the human body. Nevertheless since a Federation is proposed as the nearest possible approach to the spiritual enjoined Union, it is proper that we and all Christians everywhere should inquire carefully the cost and the gain implied in the Federation movement. As the program shows, this series of meetings will consider impartially the cost of Federation to the creeds of the most prominent denominations. First in the list today we consider the sacrifices of Congregationalism, Presbyterianism and Methodism.
(1) As to church government very slight concessions will be required of any of the federating denominations. Denominational liberties as respects forms of worship and methods of government and discipline are to be permitted very loose rein. The Federation proposes chiefly the regulation of home and foreign mission work and a general watch-care over the interests of the federated systems along the lines of political influence. The expectation is that the political power of the Federation will have considerable to do with molding of legislation favorable to the Federation, and later on, unfavorable to the smaller denominations not associated in the Federation.
(2) It is along doctrinal lines that the sacrificing in the interest of federation will be chiefly demanded.
Doctrinally Congregationalists and Presbyterians are one; hence we may consider their sacrifices of doctrine in the interests of federation as the same. They both accept the Westminster Confession of Faith with its Calvinistic foundation—that God, before the foundation of the world, foreordained whatsoever comes to pass; that he predestined an elect, saintly few to heavenly glory, and equally foreordained that the remainder of thousands of millions of non-elect should be maintained in eternal life to all eternity, in order that they might suffer excruciating pains, both mental and physical, never-ending, as a part of the supposed penalty of the "Original Sin" committed by our first parents in Eden.
Evidently there will be few people in those highly intelligent Christian bodies ready to insist, as our forefathers did, that this element of faith is essential to salvation. Few of us would agree with Brother John Calvin, the great architect of this creed, that fellow-Christians rejecting this doctrine should be burned at the stake, as Brother Calvin decided in respect to Brother Servetus. No, thank God! We have outgrown some of the narrowness which so terribly fettered some of our brethren during the dark ages.
Few any longer believe that there are "infants in hell not a span long," because non-elect.
Even where the doctrine of election is still blindly held few have the temerity to state their belief that any innocent infant was predestined to everlasting torture. But Brother Calvin's contention expressed in the Westminster Confession is that there are no innocent infants—that the condemnation of Original Sin was to eternal torture and that Adam's children, "born in sin and shapen in iniquity," were therefore not innocent, but guilty—born under the sentence of eternal torment and salvable from it only through membership in the Church of Christ. Indeed we may say that this theory was still older than Calvin, for did not St. Augustine first declare the danger of infants to eternal torture and the necessity of their being brought into the Church of Christ by baptism in order to escape eternal torture? And is not the force of this teaching still manifest amongst both Protestants and Catholics, as evidenced by their fear to have an infant die unbaptized—so that some, in extreme cases, even practice "baptism in utero"?
Doctrinally Methodism is indirectly opposed to Calvinism in every sense of the word. Possibly Methodists will have less to concede than Calvinists, because, although in Wesley's days the doctrine of Free Grace was combated on every hand, it is now the tacit faith of the vast majority of Christendom. The doctrine that God had premeditated and irrevocably foreordained the eternal torture of our race except a handful of the Elect was too horrible a one to stand. So the Methodist doctrine of Divine Love for all and Free Grace as respects salvation has appealed more and more to the growing intelligence of mankind. Nevertheless we cannot do otherwise than concede that it will matter little to the thousands of millions which all "orthodox" creeds consign to eternal torture whether they shall suffer eternal agonies as a result of Divine lovelessness in foreordaining their sufferings or to Divine inability to outwork for their benefit the supposed advantages of Free Grace arranged for them by Divine Love.
The More Excellent Way
Our suggestion is that now, in the lapping time of this Gospel Age with the oncoming Millennial Age, as the are electric light casts the candle of the past into the shadow, so the clearer light now shining from the pages of God's Word casts into the shadow all the doctrines of the "dark ages," relieving us of the horrible nightmare which once beclouded our hearts and lives and made us fearful of our Creator as an all-powerful but merciless sovereign. In this blessed light now shining from God's Book have we not a basis for Christian union? Let us see! If we can find in God's Word that the doctrine of Election and the doctrine of Free Grace are both true, both Biblical, but that one belongs to the Church in this Gospel Age and the other to mankind in general in the coming Millennial Age, will not this solve our problem and give us doctrinal union instead of a mere federation based upon the ignoring of doctrine? We can all assent to this, therefore let us examine the facts.
The Bible assuredly declares a Divine election according to a Divine purpose foreordained—but not such an election as Brother Calvin outlined. God foreordained the selection of a Church, predestinating the number who would constitute its membership and the character of each one who would be acceptable as a member. He foreordained tests of the worthiness of these members and the glorious reward that should be theirs and a great work which they shall be privileged to do for mankind—limitedly now, fully during the Millennium. Accustomed to the election of fellow-citizens to the presidency, to congress, etc., where they will have the opportunity for blessing the non-elect, we should have carried this same thought to the Divine election of the Church. We should have discerned that the elect Church, the "Seed of Abraham" (Galatians 3:29), is specially intended to be the channel of Divine blessing to "all the families of the earth" (Genesis 28:14).
How strange that we overlooked this and the assurance that with the completion of the Church Messiah would exalt her in the "First Resurrection" to be his Bride and joint-heir in his Millennial Kingdom, to be established for the blessing of all mankind! How strange that we did not notice that every text of Scripture used by our Methodist brethren to substantiate their doctrine of Free Grace belongs to the Millennial Kingdom. As, for instance, the Bible, after telling us of the completion of the Church now espoused to the Lord and after her marriage or union with him at his Second Coming, as "the Bride, the Lamb's Wife," tells that then "the Spirit and the Bride shall say, Come
and whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely'' (Revelation 22:17).
Ah, yes, we failed disastrously to keep the Apostle's command, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). We failed to thus divide the Truth and to note the portion applicable now and the other portion applicable during the Millennium. Thank God, we are not yet too old to learn. We surely have been thoroughly sickened by our mistaken interpretations of the past, which made nonsense of both the doctrines—Election and Free Grace—and worse than this, defamed and vilified our Heavenly Father, "the God of all Grace."
In the light now shining we may see that the terms of the Divine election of the Church are in every sense of the word without partiality, except as regards character and faithfulness. Those now called with the heavenly calling to be of "the elect" are indeed invited to eternal life on the spirit plane, to be like unto the angels, but more exalted, while the opportunities to be granted to the world in general during the Millennium will be inferior, earthly, restitutionary—yet grand (Acts 3:19·21). But this difference of reward is counterbalanced by the severer trials and testings of those now called to be of the elect. They must walk by faith and not by sight. They must take up their cross and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. They must count their lives not dear unto them, but willingly sacrifice their earthly interests that they may be participants with their Redeemer in glory, honor and immortality, and in his great work of the Millennium—the blessing of the world of mankind with a mental, moral, social and physical uplift.
Cannot we all, Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Methodists, and all others of God's people unite as one body upon this Scriptural hypothesis? Are we not satisfied with the terms of this election—that they are sufficiently stringent to exclude all except the saintly? Hearken to the Apostle's declaration, which we once so grievously misunderstood: He says of God's election, "Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son." In other words, when our Heavenly Father foreknew and predetermined to gather an elect Church as the Bride of Christ, he also predetermined that none could be members of it unless they attained through faith and obedience in the School of Christ character-likeness of Jesus—heart likeness to him—hence, as nearly as possible, an obedience of the flesh to his Law.
Surely no one will claim that any but a little flock has ever attained to this honored condition; hence our former ideas respecting the non-elect would consign the majority of our families, neighbors, friends and all the heathen to endless woe. But now how differently we see in God's Word that the elect class is selected in advance, that in God's due time, with the Redeemer, it may bless every creature with fullest opportunity to return to human perfection in a Paradise regained—restored during the Millennium. This proposition of the Scriptures includes those who have gone down to the prison-house of death—into Sheol, into Hades, both the evil and the good. All shall then know, from the least to the greatest, that "Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man." They shall know that the redeeming blood was not shed in vain, but will secure to each member of Adam's race, not eternal life, but an opportunity to attain eternal life—either on the heavenly plane during this age or on the earthly plane during the Millennium.
I address you, dear friends, not from a sectarian standpoint, but from a Federation standpoint; yea, more than this, from the standpoint of those who desire to be doctrinally, as well as outwardly, in agreement with the Lord and with each other. Have we not, in this beautiful election of the Bible, the basis for the grandest of all hopes, the highest of all ambitions—to be "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord"? Can we want more than this for ourselves? And does it not enhance the glory of this prize to have the prospect of conquering the world for Jesus and for the Father during the Millennium, in the only way in which it ever can be conquered—God's way?
Is it not for this Kingdom that our Redeemer taught us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven"? Is it not for this Kingdom that he taught us to wait, saying, "Fear not, little flock; it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom" (Luke 12:32)? Is it not for this Kingdom that the world waits?
"Unto him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess." "The knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth." "All shall know him from the least to the greatest." "And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from amongst the people" (Acts 3:23). Shall we, then, stop merely with an outward federation or confederacy? Shall we not rather unite our hearts and heads and hands along the lines of the Divine promise given to us—"In thee and in thy seed shall the families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 28:14)?
We conclude that the Foreordination-Predestination theory of our fathers, which consigns all but the elect to eternal woe, and even sent a Christian (Servitus) to the stake, is no longer acceptable or satisfying. Neither are we satisfied that mankind enjoys Free Grace, while only one in a thousand has any intelligent conception of the terms of salvation. Assuredly we could not allow the surrender of these
theories to longer bar fellowship in Federation. And yet Federation renounces neither of these errors, but endorses both. Can we conscientiously do this? Shall we not rather reject the extremes of both? Shall we not have union of heart and head, without prevarication, along Bible lines? When we see that the Church is being elected, without the damnation of the non-elect world, but for their uplifting, their blessing during the Millennium, all opposition to such election vanishes. Let us then, by cultivating our hearts in Christlikeness, "make our calling and election sure" (2 Pet. 1:10) to membership in the Bride of Christ, through whom Free Grace will be extended to all in God's due time. Rev. 22:17.
I thank you, dear friends, for your attention, and now ask you to join with me in singing praises to our great Redeemer. Let us join in singing the first verse of "All Hail the Power of Jesus's Name."
The meeting was then dismissed with prayer.
BROOKLYN TABERNACLE
Sunday Evening, January 16, 7:00 p. m.
THIS meeting was to have been a question meeting, but Brother Russell first gave a little talk to the friends on the work in general. He said:
I want to congratulate the dear friends of the congregation in general with respect to the volunteering that has been done during the past week. It seems a very remarkable record indeed, that 390,000 copies of
the Peoples Pulpit were circulated. If you count the sermons that were thus put right into the hands of the people, you can see that quite a considerable work was accomplished in that way, even if nothing else came from it. Suppose nothing came from the meeting at the Academy of Music, the volunteer work itself, the distribution of so many sermons among the people, was well worth the effort.
I understand from several quarters that considerable reading has been done and considerable interest has been manifested from what the people have read from those Peoples Pulpits. The principal article in that issue, "Gathering the Lord's Jewels,'" is new to a great many.
It is proposed, dear friends, since only about one-third or one-quarter of the cities of New York and Brooklyn have had such a distribution, that now is a good time for this kind of volunteer work, and particularly in connection with the meetings held at the Academy. I think it is a grand opportunity and without any reflection upon those who are not able, I think all who can ought to continue that work. Let each decide for himself, what he or she would like to, and can do.
God is a great paymaster and has already paid us more than we could ask or think and he proposes to do so in the future. It is said of one great preacher in New York, Dr. Hall, who is said to be the greatest man in the country for raising money, that he was asked to preach a sermon in connection with a great collection that was to be taken up. He was noted for preaching longer than some preferred and the people who were interested in the collection said, Dr. Hall, will you please make the discourse very short, pithy, and right to the point, because as you know it will be a great congregation and we want to reach the people, and if you preach longer than half an hour the people will not stay. Dr. Hall said that he would agree not to preach too long.
I will tell you Dr. Hall's sermon, text and all. The text: "He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and he will repay him." Now the sermon: "If you like the security, down with the dust."
Our work is a question of distributing and giving our divine truth. We speak of this work as scattering the hail, or whatever you please, so if you like the security, scatter the truth. "He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and he will repay him." He will attend to it; we know that from experience; he has more than paid me for anything I have ever done. If the whole matter was called off now, we would find that we were debtors and could not pay up the blessings that we have enjoyed.
So as many as can continue in the volunteering next week are requested to do so and to meet at the Tabernacle at
8:30 tomorrow morning, and receive instructions from Broth ers Brenneisen and Munsell, who have been selected to look after this work, not because they are the only ones but that we need a head in each department. Some time it may be your turn and then we will want them to cooperate with you—it is one Lord and one great work. I think, dear friends, we should be greatly encouraged and stimulated to go on. Here we are in this city of several millions of population, people gathered from every city of the globe. They are the most intelligent people in several ways, not discounting the city of London. There are not three millions of more intelligent people on the face of the earth than are centered here in New York, in my judgment, and I believe that is the general consensus of opinion. All those people need to have some kind of witness to the truth and the Lord has given us an opportunity to do it. Already you have circulated 390,000 within six days. Such matters are contagious, dear friends; your actions and zeal are contagious; even to those to whom you serve the truth. If you go forth with zeal for the truth, you will be showing forth the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light—there is nothing like it. We can hardly properly estimate the darkness we were in several years ago respecting God's character, etc.
The more you understand your own experience, the more you will find it is not merely a theoretical experience, but something that is helpful in every avenue of life. I think of one brother to whom I made such a remark—that the truth, a real knowledge and proper interpretation of God's Word will be helpful not only in drawing you nearer to the Lord; but it will brighten your whole mind, you will be a better workman. I notice that, Brother Russell, he replied, you will be surprised to know that it has made me a better carpenter during the three years that I have been in the truth. No one can be successful in any department of life unless he has some ambition before him. The great mass of mankind has no ambition. Some, however, have an ambition for fame, wealth, social position, etc., but these are all inferior and cannot call out the better sentiments. But when we get the ambition from the Word of God, we get the highest possible incentive that can come to a human life. The thought is that we may be ambassadors for the Lord, but if we receive persecution from those who are ignorant and do not understand, then let us rejoice, as did Paul, knowing that these work out a better condition in the future. A further thought is the great matter respecting the eternal future to be enjoyed and which these experiences will help us to attain to, and this is the principal ambition that God has set before us. The more we see this, the more we realize the wisdom of God in putting it in just the form which he has put it; it is the very highest.
Do you mean to say that those people who have received the truth, an understanding of God's Word, are naturally the brightest people in the world? No, the Scriptures state that, "Not many wise, great or rich are called, but chiefly the poor of this world, rich in faith." Not many noble; the Apostle said, God hath chosen the mean things of this world to confound the mighty; all those who are specially his are amongst those who are not the greatest
The Tabernacle Building is a quaint old structure of red brick, consisting of two floors and a basement. There are three windows and two large entrances in front. On the center window there is a large "Cross and Crown" painted in red and gold, and encircled by the Restitution wreath of green, and below this are the words in gold, "In the Cross of Christ I glory." The building is situated about two blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge. On top of the building is a large electrically lighted sign, bearing the words. "Brooklyn Tabernacle." The letter "T" is in the form of a cross and when lighted remains red, while the other letters in white lights are flashed on and off. This sign is plainly seen by the thousands who pass over Brooklyn Bridge.
Bethel and People's Pulpit Association Hotel
Bethel proper is what was known as "The Old Henry Ward Beecher Home," but finding this too small, the building adjoining was purchased. These two houses, however, have proved too small for the additional help required at the Tabernacle, and an eight-story addition has been added in the rear of these two houses.
Pastor Russell's Study
This room was formerly used by Henry Ward Beecher as his library, and the old black walnut book-cases are still there, and as one glances at the cases the attention is attracted by the shining silver letters on the backs of the "Studies in the Scriptures."
and grandest of the human family.
The truth takes hold upon some who are not so grand and noble, and builds up their characters so that they become grand. Each one looking back on his own life and wisdom before he got the truth is truly thankful, and appreciates the fact that we are what we are by the grace of God, for we see what progress we have made and what the truth has done for us and it stimulates us to go on. It took us from the miry clay and put our feet upon the rock and put a new song in our hearts. That is the song that animates the heart and mind, if we have that thankfulness in heart and mind. We are not through, have not reached the goal yet. Perhaps more glorious opportunities await us tomorrow, next week, next year. We are in the Lord's kind hands and are going on from grace to grace, from knowledge to knowledge, and from obedience to obedience.
We look then for as many as can find it convenient and possible to engage in this work, to meet in this room tomorrow.
E will now take up some of the questions: Question:What is meant by Christ's merit? Where did he get it? If he sacrificed this on our behalf, have we Christ's merit?
Answer: Our Lord came into the world to do a work, the work that he came to do was to do the Father's will. The Father's will was that he should show or demonstrate
his loyalty. The Father wished to have a great Captain of our salvation and had a great and glorious plan for that Captain to work out. The great work was the gathering of the Church during this Gospel Age and the restoring of the world during the Millennial Age, and the Father wished to find a Captain of our salvation. This work was not offered to any of the angels, but it was offered to our Lord, who was full of grace and truth before he came into the world.
The offer was: Would you like to do my will? Certainly I would.
Would you if it cost you something?
Certainly, of course I would.
Are you loyal down to the last degree? Most assuredly I am.
Most assuredly I am.
Arc you willing to be put to the test? I am indeed.
Would you consent to be a man? I would indeed.
I would indeed.
If, being a man, would you be willing to be tested?
If, being a man, would you be willing to be tested? I have such confidence in you, Heavenly Father, that any test that you might apply I would fully consent to without asking the nature of the test at all. It would be enough for me to know that it was your will, and it would be my will—I wish to do what you would have me do.
That was the spirit of our Lord in the very beginning. The Apostle contrasts the mind of Satan with that of Christ. Instead of thinking to exalt himself and get something the Father had not offered, he was willing to have the Father's will done to the last degree, and in harmony with this the Father allowed him to take the human nature. Our Lord was born the babe and grew to manhood and when thirty years of age the time came to begin his work, it was not the babe that was to be tried. Adam was not a babe when he sinned and therefore a babe could not redeem Adam or any of the race. A man had sinned and been condemned to death and, according to divine law, a man must die, one who was perfect, free from sin or any condemnation. Jesus was all of this when he was thirty years of age. What did he do? Just as soon as he was thirty years of age, he came to John at Jordan to be baptized. What did he mean, just as the other Jews meant? No. John said, You should not come to me to be baptized, I am asking only those who are recalcitrant sinners, those who wish to turn over a new leaf; you have no sins to wash away. Of the two of us, I am the one to be baptized, not you. This was John's proposition and Jesus said, "Suffer it to be so now." He did not try to explain to John, for it would have been impossible for John to fully understand, not being spirit-begotten; it was not for him to understand, but for him to be obedient. So he was obedient to Jesus, not in the washing away of Jesus' sins, for he had none to wash away. What for? Symbolically, Jesus died, symbolically was buried. The Apostle Paul tells us of this and puts the word of the prophet in the mouth of Jesus at that time, saying, "Lo, I come, in
the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O my God''; anything that is your will, I am here to do. The Father's will was that he should lay down his life. Anything that is God's will, should be our attitude of heart. Then seek to know what God's will is—not seek to dodge it—but seek to find out what it is and then seek to do it with all your might. Then the holy Spirit came upon him and under that influence he turned aside into the wilderness. We should remember that he had his mind already stored with the Word of God; he had a perfect brain as a child, sat in the synagogue every Sabbath day and heard the law and the prophets read, section by section, so that when his perfect mind heard it once or twice, he knew every word, without looking on the book at all, though he was able to read, which was not customary at that time. But he could read and they sometimes handed him the book to read. Now with all this impressed upon his mind, the whole path of God, and his mind enlightened by the holy Spirit, he was in the wilderness to figure out this whole matter and think out God's great plan. Now it was the proper time to understand, but it was not the proper time until then.
We read in the symbolic book of Revelation, that Jehovah had a scroll in his hand, written inside and outside, and the proclamation was made, "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the scals thereof?" No one was found worthy to unfold and execute this plan. Then you remember the picture further; John wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. John was weeping because he saw that God had a wonderful plan and felt that there was not a soul worthy to execute it and therefore no one could know it. "And one of the elders said unto me, weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the scals thereof." Then John saw and beheld a Lamb, as it had been slain. This all pictured the time when our Lord was to have the scroll turned over to him.
O, Brother Russell, he was not the Lamb until Calvary.
Yes he was; right there at Jordan the sacrifice was made, the slaying was done when he gave himself. This is just as the Apostle says of you and me, "Ye are dead." When did you die? You died after this same manner when you gave yourself. When did Jesus die? When he was at Calvary, and he was three and one-half years in accomplishing that death. He was the slain Lamb from the time he was at Jordan. He was privileged to read what was on the outside of the scroll, but could not read inside until he had finished his course.
In the wilderness, illumination was granted him, just like we have the influence of the holy Spirit, which is a Scriptural statement, for the Apostle said, "After that ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions." When were you? Oh, it dates from the time when you gave yourself unreservedly to the Lord, and our Lord's death dated from the time he gave himself to the Father at Jordan. He was for forty days in the wilderness, getting that great plan all straight. I suppose he had in his mind all of the sacrifices on the day of Atonement, the bullock, the Lord's goat and the scape-goat. He had them all in his mind and was getting them located and then saw all the other types of the law. He was getting a better understanding, of course, than we, because we only have the spirit by measure, but he had the spirit without measure. But he tells us that he did not understand all things, that there were some things that no man knew, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only. Those were some of the things written inside of the scroll, beyond the seals, which must be broken before those things could be understood; but he had the outside, all that was proper to know at that time.
Thus he gave himself unreservedly to God. Was it accepted? Yes. How do we know? By the holy Spirit coming upon him. Did he keep in God's favor? Yes, all through these three and one-half years. You remember that just before he died he was in agony, he wondered if everything was entirely satisfactory and fully accomplished. He sweat bloody sweat and prayed with strong cries and tears unto him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard in the things which he feared. How? An angel appeared, encouraging, strengthening and assuring him that he was in the Father's love and favor. Then you notice what a change there was in the Master—instead of apparent weakness, if we might so speak of it, he was the bravest of the brave. Later, when the disciples were frightened and all fled, Jesus was the only cool one among them.
Even the soldiers fell backward to the ground, and of the whole company, Jesus was the only cool one among them.
So it was before the high priest in the Sanhedrin and before Pilate, and so when led to Calvary. It was he that said to those around him, Weep not for me, but for yourselves and your children. He had the assurance of the Father that he was all right. The main thing is that we should have that loyalty to God that anything that will interfere with our fellowship to God would cause us pain. Anything else should be comparatively easy. No matter what else happens, if you have the assurance that God is on your side, who could be against you?
What did Jesus lay down? What did he give to the Father?
He was obedient.
Did he forfeit his earthly life?
No.
Why so?
To forfeit it he must have sinned.
Did God give him a spiritual life in exchange for the human? Did he have a human life when he arose from the dead?
No, he was put to death flesh, made alive spirit.
Why did God do this?
For a reward. The Apostle, after telling that Jesus humbled himself, said, "Wherefore (on this account) God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named." This was a reward. Again we read, that it was, "for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." The Father said, I will be pleased to have you do this. Did he get the great reward? Yes. What was it? Change of nature. Oh, yes, but you say, He was a spirit being before; could he be of a higher order than before? do the Scriptures say so? Yes. But was not he the highest of all God's creatures before? Yes, he was the only begotten of the Father, and by him and for him are all things. Without him was not anything; everything that was accomplished in the way of creation was accomplished through him and for him, but God had a still higher position to give, and that was the glory, honor and immortality of the divine nature, not only a little, but FAR above the angels. Since his resurrection Jesus has been a spirit being, appearing and disappearing among the disciples until his ascension, showing that he was no longer dead, no longer human, but changed, coming and going like the wind. He would appear like a man, sometimes like a gardener, sometimes like a wayfaring traveler, sometimes on the scashore; none dared to ask him who he was; they knew he was the Lord. This was to prove to them that he was no longer human. Other spirit beings have appeared in the past; for instance, the angels appeared to Abraham; they appeared as men, ate and talked as men, and Abraham did not know them from men.
Jesus, in this glorified condition, then ascended up on high, there to appear in the presence of God for us. Why for us? What did he have? He had a right to the earthly nature because he had not violated the law. So when God raised him to the divine nature, he had the divine nature and a right to the human nature. This merit, or right to human life, he did not want to use. Does anybody else want it, or does anybody else care for it? Yes, 20,000,000,000 want it, and cannot have eternal life without it. Oh, could that do for all those? According to divine justice Father Adam sinned and entailed death upon his posterity; one man sinned and all his children have died. What is needed to cancel that sin? One man to die and redeem all men. Did Jesus do that? He died, but he has not yet redeemed all. Why? Because it would not have made nearly such a glorious plan. If he had given all his merit when he had ascended up on high, it would have benefited only a small number. How so? Why, this way: Whoever, in all the world, would by faith accept God's arrangements, would be justified. It would have justified all of us to earthly life, but no sinner, for God never proposes to give eternal life to sinners; He never gives a rebel eternal life. "He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." God's proposition is to give those in harmony with him eternal life. Suppose Jesus had appeared before God and applied it for all, then at the very most those waiting at Pentecost would have received a blessing, but not the one they did receive, for they received a higher, a spiritual blessing, not an earthly blessing; they received
a begetting of the spiritual nature, which they would not have gotten if Jesus had appeared in presence of God for the whole world of mankind; it would have justified them merely to the human life, to the human rights which Adam enjoyed when here. Why? Because that was what Jesus had to give; he had a divine nature to keep and a human nature to give away. God does not propose to give eternal life to any except the pure in heart. So then, you see, if God had made the arrangement to apply the merit for all when Jesus ascended on high, his plan would have been very much smaller than it is. The little flock and the great company would have been practically the only ones who would have gotten eternal life. They are the only ones ready of heart, so God had a better and a more noble way.
The Scriptures say that Christ appeared in the presence of God for us. Did he give his merit to God? Yes, he gave it to God on our behalf. Who are we? Why, the Church, the household of faith, all who believe in him and have turned from sin. Was it applied for sinners? No, only those whose hearts are in harmony with him. Get the point, don't lose it, hold that point; God is not engaged in justifying those who are of a wicked heart; the kind he is justifying, are those who are seeking him. Those who love wickedness are not justified and never will be; they must get out of that condition, or they will not get any justification, now or in the future—stripes for the rebels and blessings for those who come into harmony with him. He applied the merit on our behalf; the merit comes to the whole Church; began with those at Pentecost and includes you and me, and all of this same class of believers, consecrated to God, who have turned away from sin—the merit is applied to all that class all down the Gospel Age.
Now then, dear friends, it is applied to these in a peculiar way. In our common law we have an arrangement whereby a husband will leave certain property to his wife in trust for his children, which at her death is to go to the children. That is much the way Christ has left the deposit of his merit; it cannot be of advantage to any except this consecrated class, and so he applied it for us so that we may use it and have all the benefit and then when we die leave it to the world.
So you and I are getting our benefit. What benefit? It justifies us and constitutes the basis upon which we may have our relationship with the Father and gives the ground upon which our sacrifice would be acceptable. He could not accept yours or my sacrifice, except we were made right. Jesus was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and he needed to apply his merit for us, in order that our sacrifice might be accepted. That is what he did. Then those who are trusting in the merit of Christ should desire to give themselves wholly to the Lord. That is what this Gospel Age is for, to give us the opportunity of sacrificing.
Get the thought of imputation. The Bible says his merit is imputed or counted to us. He does not give us restitution, or human life, the right to live here; no, indeed, that is for the world. He is seeking for a class to whom he will impute his righteousness, that they might sacrifice their earthly nature, that they might also lay down their life; that is what you have been seeking to do, and that is what I have been seeking to do. Now what? By the end of this Gospel Age all sacrificing will be at an end. Won't there be any more sacrificing in the future? No. Why? There will be a great change, no devil to persecute and no persecutors to burn one another at the stake. NOW is the day in which he will accept your sacrifice—it is the acceptable year of the Lord. It is a wonderful thing that God will accept us. How do we know? "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
Now when it is all laid down, the merit is all back in God's hands, having only been imputed to you, to give you opportunity to sacrifice with him as members of his body; he is the head and we the body; giving us the opportunity to be dead with him, that we may reign with him. When all is complete, all the sacrificing finished, then the great high-priest is complete and all the merit is back in the hands of justice, ready to be used again. We cannot keep any share of your restitution rights that Jesus loaned to us that we might sacrifice, for every bit must go back into the hands of justice. What for? The great Priest, King and Mediator will take the merit and apply it on behalf of the sins of the whole world. But you said, Brother Russell, that if he had given it on behalf of the world, then the Church could not have had any share in the sacrificing. It is going to be applied for the world; no contradiction at all.
But it is not to be applied directly to the world, but in a covered way. He will seal the new covenant, the whole world is taken in, and through Israel they may all get the blessing. That is what God promised and what the Jews waited 1,845 years for, that they might have the opportunity of blessing the world. The time came when he gave the great blessing to Spiritual Israel, and when the time for sacrificing is completed, the blessing will go back to Natural Israel as he intended. The new covenant which will be sealed in the end of this Gospel age will be the covenant of blessing with Israel, and all the world will have an opportunity of coming under that new covenant, so that they may become Israelites. At the end of the Millennial Age there will be none but Israelites. If they want to come into harmony with God they will have to come into Israel. Just as if you were to say, a blessing is coming to the United States, and if you want it, you must become a citizen of the United States. All nations shall flow into Jerusalem, which shall be exalted in the top of the mountains, higher than the other kingdoms, is the thought. All other nations shall flow unto Jerusalem and they will be flowing there for a thousand years. The Ancient Worthies will be the Princes in the earth, and the blessing of the Lord will be upon Israel and every promise will have its fulfillment on a grand scale. The world never imagined such a grand arrangement. So we read, "I have made thee, Abraham, a father of many nations." There is where the many nations come in. So again we read, thy seed, Abraham, shall be as the stars of heaven, the Spiritual class, the Church, the Little Flock, and the Great Company. Also as the sands of the seashore; that will include all nations.
Again, this is in harmony with Revelation 20:8,9, "And (Satan) shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together in battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed to camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone."
All who will prove loyal at the end of the Millennial Age will be Abraham's children.
Volunteer Work
URING the week the great activity in the distribution of the Peoples Pulpits continued, and to such an extent that the printers were unable to supply them fast enough and so sent them over to the Tabernacle just as they came off the press, without being folded. The willing workers, nothing daunted, spent their evenings at the Tabernacle folding and tying them in bunches of
twenty-five, ready for the morrow's delivery. Those evenings
will never be forgotten by those who participated in the work-it was a time of grand fellowship and praise. One evening there were ninety-five present, and while Brother Thompson presided at the organ the rest folded papers and sang the "harvest" hymns. As the night drew on and they wended their way to their rooms, all could sing,"One more day's work for Jesus."
One less of life for me!
But heav'n is nearer,
And Christ is dearer
Than yesterday to me;
His love and light
Fill all my soul to-night.
"One more day's work for Jesus,
How glorious is my King!
'Tis joy, not duty,
To show his beauty;
My soul mounts on the wing
At the mere thought,
How Christ my life has bought.
'One more day's work for Jesus! How sweet the work has been, To tell the story, To show the glory, Where Christ's flock enter in! How it did shine In this poor heart of mine!
"One more day's work for Jesus! O yes, a weary day; But heaven shines clearer And rest comes nearer At each step of the way; And Christ in all, Before his face I fall.
"O blessed work for Jesus! O rest at Jesus feet! There toil seems pleasure, My wants are treasure, And pain for him is sweet. Lord, if I may, I'll serve another day!"
The next morning they were at it bright and early, and so the work went on from Sunday to Sunday for the four weeks.
CHURCH FEDERATION
January 23, 1910, Brooklyn, N. Y.
UST before the meeting opened, a quartet of ladies—Mrs. Frank Detwiller, Mrs. E. W. Brenneison, Miss Virginia Noble and Miss Blanche Raymond, sang the hymn:
I Came to Jesus
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto me and rest:
Thy load of care thou mayest lay down
And be no more distressed."
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in him a resting place,
And he hath made me glad.
Brother H. C. Rockwell then led in prayer and this was followed by the singing of hymn "In the Cross of Christ I Glory."
The chairman, Brother J. F. Rutherford, then addressed the meeting as follows:
Dear Friends: Those of you who had the pleasure of hearing Pastor Russell last Sunday afternoon, we are quite sure were greatly pleased and blessed. We are glad you give evidence of continued interest in this subject by your presence on this occasion.
In the discussion of these subjects no ordinary mind can quickly take in and retain it all. We desire to call your attention to some aids which will be of great benefit to all who have them in their homes, or who can procure them. In order that the truth might be known freely throughout the earth to those who desire it, the Lord has permitted Pastor Russell to publish and have distributed in many languages a series of "STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES." These studies have reached a circulation that is exceeded by no other publication save the Bible alone. In view of the fact that so many have been distributed throughout the earth, and particularly in this country, we are quite sure that in the great City of Churches, like Brooklyn, there are many copies of these Studies in your homes, and we commend them to your careful and prayerful study of the Bible.
Pastor Russell is also editor of the "WATCH TOWER."
This is a journal published twice a month, in which are discussed Bible topics of interest to all who are interested in the study of God's Word. We are quite sure that there is nothing more beneficial than the reverent study of God's Word.
Pastor Russell's sermons are also published in a large number of the leading newspapers throughout the country, in order that the people in general may get the truth as found in the Bible.
We are glad that you are here this afternoon, that you may have the opportunity of hearing discussed, at this time, the subject announced for this occasion, concerning what the Baptists, Adventists and Disciples must surrender in Church Federation.
Next Sunday afternoon, in this same hall and at this same hour, Pastor Russell will deliver another discourse, the subject then being, what Catholics, Lutherans and Episcopalians must surrender in order to federate with the other churches.
We have now much pleasure in introducing to you Pastor Russell, of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, who will address you.
(Reprint from New York World, Jan. 24, 1910.)
Second Mass Meeting on Church Federation Brooklyn Academy of Music
Two More Meetings—Sunday, June 30; Feb. 6, 3 P.M. A capacity house listened to the lucid explanation on Baptism and other main doctrines as held by Baptists, Adventists and Disciples, given by Pastor Russell yesterday afternoon at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
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