Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 298, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1912 — Page 3 Advertisements Column 3 [ADVERTISEMENT]

HEAVENLY MANSIONS IN FATHER’S HOUSE Jesus Now Makes Ready For His Bible, the Church. Places For Humanity and For the Angels of Various Degrees, Cher* urbim, Seraphim, Principalities and Powers, but None Previously Prepared For the Bride—She Is God’s New Creation —Hers to Be the Highest Place, the Divine Nature. ■ Buffalo, N. Y., Dec. 15. —We report one of Pastor Russell’s discourses here today from the text. “In My Father's Bouse many mansions; *. * * 1 go to prepare a place for you; * * * I will come again and receive you unto MylIK/vaimc tcuy>U-LII self." - John xlv, 3. | The Heavenly Father not In temples made with hartds." In the largest sense the whole—Creation is His House, every apartment of which shall ultimately be peopled with holy, happy beings. “All the wicked will He destroy."—Psalm exlv, ”0. Man’s, fallen condition is the result of heredity. God made Adam in His own Image, iierfeot. upright, holy. Disobedience and sin have wrought mental, moral and physical infirmities, and “There is none righteous, no, not one.” All are prone Jo siu “as the sparks to fly upward.” God provided Adam a mansion—the earth—Paradise. But sin (not unforeseen) brought Adam and his race under a death sentence., God chose to permit sin, and death to reign during Six Great/Days of a thousand years each, thus to give valuable lessons to both angels and men. He does not intend that this lesson shall work disadvantage to any. He has provided a great Redemption, which shows His sympathy for His creatures and the unchangeableness of His Law. The Divine Program for dealing with this rebellious province is to be carried out by the Kingdom of Messiah, during the Seventh Great Thousandyear Day. Satan and every evil influence shall be restrained. “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His beams." and the curse of death will be set aside. Man will be assisted toward righteousness and life everlasting by the interposition of the Kingdom for which we pray, “Thy Kingdom come: Tuy will be done on earth, even as it is done in Heaven.” Humanity’s Mansion—Perfected Earth. At the close of Messiah's reign the “mansion” appropriated to Adam and bis race will be fully release* Yrom the curse, and God’s footstool will be a glorious Paradise. (Isaiah lx. 13.) All refusing the blessings of Messiah’s Kingdom will be destroyed by the Second Death.—Acts ill, 23; Rev. xx, 14,15. While there were places arranged in the Divine Plan for the angels, an* for humanity, no habitation was perfected for! the Church. This is because, the Church is a New Creation. Writing of these. St. John says: “The world knoweth us not even as it knew Him not.” St. Paul refers to this New Creation as the of God.” All of these demonstrate their faifb and obedience by walking the “narrow way" of self-sacrifice, ”by faith and not b.v siqhl." To all of them it is declared. “Through much tribulation shall ye enter the Kingdom.” But this class have the assurance that “all things work together for good to them”; that they "shall not be tempted above that they are able to bear.” This New Creation is “made a spectacle to angels and men"; God is giving the angels a great object lesson in connection with the development of this class. He is able to transform gome of the mean things of this world into polished “jewels." “a royal diadem in the hands of thy God.’’—Malachi til. 17; Isaiah Ixii, 3. t Heavenly Mansion For Churoh. St. Peter dells about the “mansion” designed for the Church, saying. “God hath given unto us [consecrated followers of Jesns] exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we might become partakers of the Divine nature.”—ll Bs|er 14. Thus we she what it means to be members pf the New Creation! “Bye hath not seen; ear hath not heard; neither have entered the human tyeart the things which Gotl hath in reservation for. them that love Him”—the choicest mansion, the highest place! As oar Lord Jesns in His Resurrection ascended “far above angels." so will His Church, who will share His Resurrection, and be made "like Him.” “set Him as He is." and share His glory. The Master's death was for humanity in general, but its merit remained to be appropriated at the inauguration of His Kingdom. The whole world still “lietb in the Wicked One.” until Christ makes satisfaction for their sins with the merit of His sacrifice. Meantime, our Lord deals merely with His Church, as we read: "He appeared In the presence of God for «*” (Hebrews lx, 24»—as the Church's Advocate. tfk make “satisfaction for out tins." The preparation im ns and for ns will be completed when the number Is fh11—144.000. It is for ns to Comply with the conditions of our covenant of sacrifice and to “4ralk in His steps," thus to make oar Tealllng and etectioa fiatae.”M members of Jhe New Creation.