MEDFORD MATL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, ORIWOX, MONDAY, APRIL 25, 1910.
3
THIS SERMON IS A REGULAR WEEKLY FEATURE
MB
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PEOPLE'S PULPIT...
Sermon !y
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pailor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.
Ooo
On tuo Mcdltcrrntu'iui Hen, April 17.
Wo nro not fur from tlio plnco where
poor Joiinli lotijj tigo hml UU unit ex
perience In lib nlleiiipt to run away
frpui tho Dlvlno communion to the
NlnuvltcB. Wo nro wnrlni: JuITu, the
port from which ho unlled, then culled
Joppn. Home, Intent on dltiprorlnff n
much n yoNHlhlo of tho Hlble, hnvo
nftmnptttl to mnUo llht of Jonnh'ii ox
pcrlcnccn. clnlmlus thnt there wn no
(lilt In the world of Mich cnpnclty 01
could nwnllow n man entirely. Wo
nro to roiuomher, however, thnt tho
Scripture do not ay that It wm nu
ofdlnnry whnlo thnt nwnllowcd Jonnh,
hat rothcr they upoclflcnlly declare
thnt Owl "peclally prepnrcd" a treat
Dili for tho occualon. Nor l thU all.
Wo hnvo our lord's oja tcMlrnony to
tlio trtithfulnciv of tho mutter, nnd
whoever denies either hU truthfuhicM
or hU IntelllKctico U thereby denying
nlo lilt M(.-Nlnhhlp and repudiation
htm n n Savior, becaueo neither n
fnlilflor nor a dupo could poiwlbljr bo
wcoirnUcd ns tho crent Hedecmer and
Bavlor, tho Sent of God. tho Mewlou.
Additionally our I.ord Informs tin thnt
the Jonnh incident wus In tho imturoof
type, eapeelnlly dcalgmd of Owl to
forcHhndow the fact thnt Jeaus hlmaclf
would bo dead for ports of three dnya
aud nrlao from tho dend on tho third
dny, otcu na Jonnh wna burled nllvo
for pnrta of three dnya nnd on the
third dny tho urcut tUh vomited him
upon dry Innd. Them la nothing dllM
cult about tho norratlvo to one who
Una proper fnlth In Gol. To thoo who
hnvo not faith, nothing connected with
Dlrluo revolntlon. la renaonnble, com
tncndablo or antlafnctory. Lot w
maintain our atnud with thoao who
hold faut to, nnd hold forth for other,
tho Word of Life.
Tht 011 of Hall Dticrlbtd.
nut what hnvo "tho belly of hell"
and tho poor aoul crying from It to do
with tho atory of Jonnh And how
doea tho atory naaoclnto Itself with our
Journey today over tho Mediterranean
Deep? Jonnti wna tho tnnn who was
lu the belly of hell nnd whose cry unto
tho Lord from thcru constltutca our
text. When n boy I heard this text,
aud my Inuiglnntlon conjured up what
holl would bo tike, nnd especially what
tho belly of hell, or whnt 1 supposed
the middle pnrt of it, would bo like.
I bnd tho opportunity of looking Into
blnst furnaces through what la called
the glory-holo or peep-hole. There I
noted thnt tho center of tho fire wna
at white henr. I tried to Imnglno peo
ple In such n condition In the very
middle or belly of hell. I could not
imnglno how they could survive such
nn experience a slnglu moment, let
nlono for nil otcrnlty. 1 aought theo
logical expositions of the matter and
learned thut somo thcologlnus of tho
hoary past, admitting the destructive
effect of tire, c In lined thnt Ood would
specially vltullzo nil the poor creatures
consigned to this torment, so thnt they
would never die, hut would keep on
Buffering forover nnd forever and for
ever, uutclhiblo tortures. I found thnt
other theologians cxplnlned that thoso
consigned to mich n llery ordeal would
gradually becomo adapted to it nnd
assume nu nsbcstos-llko shell which
would meuuurnbly protect them from
the lire. Hut these thcologlnus went
on to explain thnt, wishing Uioin to
uffer horrible torturos, Ood would
acnlo off tho nsbestori shell, causing
them to Hiiffer still more excruclntlngly
every time the operation was perform
ed. Ah n child I tried to lumglue thnt
tills was the Just desert of sinners,
and that the Heavenly Father wuu
really kind nud loving thnt ho did not
give thorn worse, though I could not
think of anything worse that they
could suffer,
"Wheu 1 wna a child, I spake ns a
child; but when I heenmo n man, I
put nway childish things" (I Corin
thians ill!, 11). 1 nskod for tho proof
that anybody could endure such Buf
ferings and yet live. I asked for tho
proof thnt our Ood is nu unsympathetic
an any devil could be. My mind rejected
as irrational tho wholo proposition. I
aid: Tho God whom I shall worship
must ho a greater being than myself
greater than any human being, not only
In power to execute his will, but also in
wisdom to muko n wlso arrangement
for his creatures, and also perfect In
Justice to do to them as he would hnvo
them do to him, if ho were tho cren
turo and thoy tho God, lie must also
bo perfect lu love, the noblest featuro
Of any character, I said to myself,
Such must bo tho God who was tho
Creator of our raco, for ho has pro
duced In humanity cortalu degrees of
theso various qualities nnd ho could
not glvo to tnnn what ho docs not him
self possess, nor can wo mipposo that
bo would cronto mau with raoro Jus
tice, wisdom, lore and powor than ho
himself possesses, To that great God
I bowed my heart and mind and every
po,wer that I possess. To him I still
OUT OF THE
BELLY OF HELL
CRIED 1
"I cried by reaton of mine affliction
unto the Lord, and lie heard me; out
of the belly of hell cried I" (Jonah ii, 2.)
bow, nnd glvo thanks thut by his grace
I have come to sou his character, his
Plan and his Won! more clearly than
lu the past. I thank lilin that now I
can see In whnt way ultimately Jesus
will be tho "Light Of tho world"-not
merely the Light of the Church (John
vlll. IS).
in nbnuiloiilug tho doctrine of eter
ual torment my disposition was to
abandon the lllblo ulso, becnuso ' be
lluved that the lllble wan tho fouiuhi
lion of the Irrational theory which hud
pictured Ood to my inlml ns a demon
of the worst Imaginable type. Hut,
thank Ood. dear friends, tho Lord
heard my prayer for light, for knowl
edge respecting himself. After 1 had
made a search of heathen creeds, as
well as thoso of Christendom, and hail
found them nil Illogical, unreasonable,
unsatisfactory, I turned to the lllble
again, saying. Perhaps I have not done
the nihle Justice; perhaps I have un
consciously attributed to the lllblo the
teaching" of the creeds. Perhaps I
hnvo rend It through colored specta
cles. . Praying to Owl for guidance 1
took up Hlble study In a very differ
ent wny from previously. I began to
study the lllble ns I should hnvo done
nt first without reference to any
of the creed. I begun to let God
tench me. I censed to any. It rends,
"Thus," but It must mean otherwise.
It says, "So nnd so," but ennnot mean
thnt. but the reverse. In other words
I cenned lo try to tench God nnd on
denvored to be tnught of God through
his Word, guided by his holy Spirit
International Dlblo Studies.
Thnt wns thirty-eight yip ngo. Un
der the lord's blessing I found the
Key to the Interpretation of the Scrip
tun not because of ability, but. I
believe, because It Is now due time
for the lllble to be understood In the
closing of this Gospel Age nnd the
dawning of the Millennial tiny. lim
ing found the Key nud used it myself
I have spent my best endeavors since
to put tho Key into the hands of God'
cousecnitttl people the world over. I
have nothing to boiTfct of, dear friends,
but hnvo much to be glnd for. First.
I am glnd on my own account with n
Joy uusHnknble. thnt now I know my
Heavenly Father nnd can have con
tldeiice In him and can hnvo love for
him, ns never lieforo. I nm thankful
thnt, to some extent, 1 hnvo been en
aided to convey similar Joys, similar
blessings, to others of his dear people
of all denominations in nil parts of the
world. Thu Lord bus gradually en
Inrgcd my optmrtunltlca yenr by yenr
I nm not building a sect not mnklug
a new denomination not founding n
Church! We hnvo hnd too much ot
that sort of thing nlrendy. Not onlj
hnvo we Wesley's Church nnd CalvluV
Church, etc.. etc.. but It bus beconn
the custom for each minister to bi
spoken of ns the proprietor of tlx
Church; as, for Instance, The Itever
end Dr. A.'s Church. It tins bceomc i
custom, too, for the prenchers to spent,
of tho people ns "My people." "Mj
Church." This Is nil wrong. I wish
to have neither pnrt nor lot lu It. 1
have no Church, aud wish for none
Tlnw Is but the one Church- tht
Church of Christ-"the Church of tht
Living God"-"the Church of the First
llonii, whose name uro written lu
henven." That Church Includes In It
membership every true saint of God
who trusts In thu merit of Christ and
seeks to walk In his footsteps, Whnt
ever earthly systems such tuny be Itleh
tilled with nro without Divine author
ization. Their standing In God's sight
Is merely becnuso of their IdentltU'ii
tlon with Christ ns "members of his
Hotly."
In God's provldenco I wns led to pub
lish six volumes of "Studies In the
Scriptures," or lllble Keys. These
were taken up by tho Hlble nnd Tract
Society, nnd published at cost price, to
ennblo all of God's peoplo everywhere
to procure them. They ore now puln
llshed in ten of the most prominent
languages, The llrst Volume, "The
Plan of tho Ages," ban pnssed the
three million mark, I have received
not one cent of royntty. My life Is n
vory simple one. My expenses are
small. I accept no salary nnd take up
no collections, Voluntary donations
from those who bnvc been blessed by
my lalwrs supply my needs nud the
surplus goes to tho IUhM and Tract So
ciety for the general forwnrdlng of its
work "Tho Promulgation of Christian
Knowledge,"
Knch earnest Christian who obtnlnn
tho assistance of theso Hlble Keys and
raters Into tho treasures of Owl's
Word nud becomes rich himself In
spiritual knowledge nnd In Joy aud
peaco of heart Is glad to cnll tho at
tention of others to thoso lllblo Keys,
Thus tho International classes of lllble
Students of nil denominations In all
pnrta of tho world are springing up
and a blessed light, wo bellovo, Is go
lug forth from theso, nsslutful to all
who lovo righteousness nud hnto In
to.ulty. Although I nm tho regular Pas
tor of tho Ilrooklyn Tabernacle congre
gation, there are several assistants and
I ntn privileged to Bpeak to thinking
Christiana of various pnrta of the
world, especially in tho Uulted States,
Oidy tho Lord knows how 1 tbnuk htm
for thin privilege of nervlcc, and for
tho still larger opportunity afforded mo
through the columns of sumo of tho
prlnclpnl nowspnpers of the United
States,
My Mormons nro hnndlcd by a Byndl
ii i nm iiilvlsed that now tliev
- ..... ..........
. ...... m!.. ft.... I.,,,i,1r,i,1 firiu-..
uiFi'ur iii Hutu ij nw ,,i,m.. fly
paper, aggregating n circulation of
tlx million copies, or,' according to
newspaper count thirty million rend-
cm. All of theso dear people of every
Ueuotnlnntlon who do any thinking nt
all, I am sure hnvo hnd similar dim
cullloi to thoso which I oxpcrlenccd-
dllllcultlon lu appreciating how our
Heavenly Father could bo n good Fa
ther, n good God. a loving Crentor
and yet provide for his human crea
tures such terrible destinies an all tho
creeds of the' "dark ngen" act forth.
There Is not a thinking Christian In
tho world who doea not need tho cor
rect understanding of tho lllblo In
order to be able to stand In tho evil
day that Is upon us. All need to give
heed to St. Paul's words, "Take unto
yon tho whole armour of God, that
yo may be nblo to withstand In tho
evil dny, and. having done all, to
stand" (Hphenlnns vl, 131. Our day
Is n blessed one In respect to Its won
derful opportunities nnd privileges,
but It Is nn ovll ono in the sense of
being n time of great trial and testing
of fnlth to Christendom.
Thinking mluds nro rejecting the
doctrluo of eternal torment and gener
ally at tho eaino tlmo rejecting the
Hlble and denying that It is tho In
spired Word of God. Theso dear
friends aro stumbling Into Infidelity
and think thnt Higher Criticism and
DnrwIn'B Evolution theory nro uew
light. Whnt they need Is to see that
thu true light la In the Hlble and that,
wearing our grandfathers' spectacles,
we inherited the Word of God and
wrested It to out. own injury and to
tho loss of our peace of mind nnd fel
lowship with thu Father and with the
Son nnd with tho holy Spirit.
The Kay to the Scriptures.
Whoever gets tho proper understand
ing of our text has In his possession
tho Key to the Ulblo. If ho will uso
It, passago after pansago will open for
him and tho wholo Word of God be
comes n new and glorious revelation
of Justice, Wisdom, Lovo nnd Power
Divine. Jonnh was in the fish's belly
he was burled alive. It Is this that
la referred to In our text Tho words
hcll-Utlv signify grave-lxllu or Mil'
grave. Tho context shows nil this,
telling us additionally thnt sen-weeds
wero wrapped about tho Prophet's
bend and that God heard his prayer
and delivered him from tho hcU-Mly,
or btllv-pravc, on tho third dny by
causing the fish to vomit him up. If
you hnvo a reference Ulblo nolo that
In the margin there Is a reference to
tho words of our text, anylng. "Ile
brow, tho grave." Ahl says one, The
translators merely made a mistake
and translated It htll when they should
havo translated It grave. Yes. I an
swer, nnd they made tho same mis
take In every enso In which they used
the c.nrao word thcol throughout tho
Old Testament. As it is, enrol is trans
lated grave moro times than It Is trans
lated htll In our Common Version; but
It should be translated grave every tlmo.
There wo hnvo the Key to the Hlble.
The hell of the Hlble, the icnnlty for
sin, Is death, the grave, tho tomb. It
la not nn everlasting hell, for special
Scriptures declare thnt thcol (hell) shnll
bo destroyed. "I will rnnsom them
from tho power of the grave (thcol)', I
will redeem them from death: O death,
I will bo thy plagues; O grnvo (thcol,
htll) I will bo thy destruction" (Hosen
xlll, U), St. Paul quotes this prophecy
in conjunction with his great discourse
on the resurrection, "O denth, whero
Is thy sting? 0 grave (hades) whero Is
thy victory" (I Corinthians xv, r35).
Wo Bee, denr friends, what our denr
Hedecmer suffered on our bchnlf to re
lenso us from the penalty for sin. Ho
did not go to eternal torment for our
sins. He did go Into thcol, into hades,
into tho grave. "Christ died for our
sins, nccordlng to tho Scriptures" (1
Corinthians xv, 3). Thus God has pro
vided for the resurrection of thu dead
nil mankind, "both of the lust nnd of
tho unjust." Tho just nro tho Church,
tho (salute. The unjust Include all oth
ers. Tho blood of Jesus will avail for
tho release of every mouiber of tho
raco from tho great penalty of denth.
Now It operates under a special call
to tho saintly few who nra invited to
becomo Jolnt-hclrs with the Redeemer
In hlB great Kingdom which shortly Is
to bless all the families of the earth
not only thoRO then living, but also all
who hnvo gone down to the tomb. Tho
gonernl resurrection will not bo nu In
stantaneous one, as lu tho case of tho
saints. It will bo n gradual one lu
two senses.
(1) All will not come forth at once,
but, as tho Apostlo declares, "Every
man In his own order," company or
band (I Corinthians xv, 23),
(2) It will bo gradual in the sonso
thnt tho awakening from the tomb will
be but tho beginning of tho resurrec
tion of tho world. During tho thou
sand years of Christ's reign all who
will glvo heed to his instructions and
OBslatunco may rtso gradually up, up,
up and by tho closo of tho Millennium
they will reach the full perfection aud
Image of God lost by Father Adam
through disobedience Tho unwilling,
thoso rebellious after tho light has ful
ly como upon thorn, will be dostroyed
lu tho Second Death, from which thero
will bo no recovery. Thoy will perish
as the brute bensts,
, So, then, lot us learn a lesson from
Jonah's words, not forgetting the oth
er lesson mentioned by our Lord whon
ho declares that Jonah's experiences
In tho grave tho bolly of tho fish, and
his roleaso thorofrom foreshadowed
his own oxporloncca In tho torsi) and
his resurrection lu power and great
glory on tho third day.
Here Are Some Fine
Business Chances
BLACKSMITH SHOP, doing good business.
GENTS' CLOTIIlNQ STORE; good lease and snap
at price asked.
OTHER OPENINGS we do not care to advertise.
CHOICE BUSINESS LOTS FOR SALE AT $67.00
PER FRONT FOOT.
Rogue River Land Co.
11 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE
Animal Insurance
rVe Insure Horses and Cattle Against Death From Accident, Dls
east or Fire.
NATIONAL LIVESTOCK INSURANCE ASSOCIATION,
). E. Tull, Agent, Medford.
J. E. ENYAItT. President
JOHN 8, OltTFI. fm.ii..
J. A, PERRY, Vice-President.
W. B, JACKSON, Asa't Cashier.
THE MEDFORD NATIONAL BANK
SURPLUS 510,000
Safety bexw ftr rent. A gineral Banklnf Business transacted.
We solicit ysur patronage.
A SNAP IN ORCHARD LAND
One hundred and sixty acres of free red soil, 10 to 30 feet depth;
two wells, about 25 acres cleared; a very gradual south hill slope;
one-half milo from postoffice, less than one-fourth mile from school
and seven and one-half miles southwest of Jacksonville. Only $30
per acre. Call on or address
JOE THOMAS 'SS
222 SOUTH HOLLY. STREET. MEDFORD, OREGON
PLUMBING
STEAM JND HOT WATER HEATING
All Work Guaranteed Prices Reasonable
COFFEEN & PRICE
11 North D St., Medford, Ore.
Phone 303
$150 AN ACRE 270 aerei, foothill land, about 6 miles from Med
ford; thero are about 85 acres on this place now planted to fruit,
which includes about 20 acres in bearing. The bearing varietiei
nro Newtown and Spitcenberg apples and Cornice pears. There
are 25 acres of Newtowns in their second year with peach afillers
and abont 0 acres of Newtowns just planted; also 20 acrea ot
Jonathans and 10 acres of Bartlett and Anjou pears just planted.
About 200 acres of first-class fruit land on tho place. Ther are
many springs on the place and considerable water could bi de
veloped for irrigation; two houses, Rood barn and other buildings.
Would subdivide nicely. Easy terms.
$2500 Sixty acres, 0 miles from Medford, about 15 acres cleared and
partly planted; small buildings.
$250 AN ACRE 70 acres, about 4 miles from Medford, free soil; 25
acres planted to Newtown and Spitzengerg apples, mostly 3 years
old; in addition, about 25 acres undor cultivation, balance easily
cleared; good now 0-room plastered house, new barn; also set of
old buildings. Could be subdivided into two or three tracts nioolj.
easy terms. . ,w.v. ..t;J.JlSfes3
$5500 Six miles from. Modford, good new buildings, about 8 acres
planted to Newtowns, Spitxenbergs and pears, 1 and 2 years old;
about 7 acros additional cleared, balance not hard clearing; good
team, wagon nnd machinery gea wlth -na PIace- 11118 u a 40"
ncre tract.
t
$15,000 A first-class fruit and alfalfa ranch, 185 acres, 5V4 miles
from railway station, practically all bottom land, 140 acres now
under cultivation, water right with placo; fair houso, two barns,
schoolhonso on the place, for $15,000, which is only $81 an aero;
$0000 cash will handle, and easy terms can be had on the balance;
this is a fino chance to get a first-class tract of low-priced land
for development purposes. Wo don't think this will last long, and
if you are intorestod, come in and see us about it.
$12,525 Eleven acres in Cornice pears, 10 years old ; 0 acrea in Bart
lett and Anjou pears, 1 to 3 years old; closo in; good soil; terms.
$12,000 Eloven acres in Cornice and Boso pears, 14 years old; these
troes are in full bearing and will pay a good income on the price
asked. ".TiMtll
$15,000 Twenty acres, fino now modem bungalow, buildings easily
worth $4000; about 3 acres of apples in full bearing; trees aw 16
years old; balanco planted to apples 2 years old; good soil; sightly
location; close to market; an assured income from the beginning; a
fino home. 'M ii iflaiii'iTTiiY' T ' "'" 'j '
$150 to $200 PER ACRE Stewart nore tracts; 2 miles from Medford;
traots are from 10 to 25 acres in size; fine building spots on all;
can all be irrigated; oheapost traots in Medford neighborhood; easy
terms.
$300 PER ACRE Finest 5 and 10-acre orchard and garden tracts in
tho vallev: easr terms. w
GOLD RAY GRANITE CO.
Office: 209 West Main St., Mtdfoid, Ore.
t Operating Quarry at Cold Ray, Oregon
DEALERS IN
BUILDING, MONUMENTAL AND
CRUSHED. GRANITE
REAL ESTATE
W. T. YORK & CO.
Farmland Timber Land
EOrehard land
Residences City Lots
Orchards and Mining Claims
L
Medford Realty Co
Room 10, JaGkson County Bank Building
If Your Neighbor Has
Electric Light
and you have not, just step into his house
some evening after dark and compare its light
with your own. Study each point of conve
nience, cleanliness, clearness, beauty carefully,
and then figure out for yourself if it would
not pay you well to have your house wired
for electric light at once.
Electric light today is cheaper and better than
ever before, since the General Electric Com
pany placed its MAZDA lamp on the mar
ket. We have arranged to supply our cus
tomers with the G.E.MAZDA lamps on very
favorable terms. These lamps give two to
three times as much light as other lamps
using the same current.
If your house is located on any of our dis
tributing lines we shall be glad to advise you
about having it wed and will give you
more facts about the efficient electric lighting
of your home.
ROGrTJE RIVER ELECTRIC COMPANY