Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1913 — RESTITUTION IN PEARL OF ANTILLES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

RESTITUTION IN PEARL OF ANTILLES

Pastor Russell Returning From Panama Preaches In Hanna.

Modern Application of a Familiar Text.' What the Bible Means by tion Timeo" —The Pastor Claims Each ■Time” a Year, a Thousand Altogether and a Beginning Made—Earth’s Happy Day Nearing—A Little While, a Dark Hour May Intervene.

Havana, Cuba, ■Mttrcti2?—‘Pastor Russell is delight ed with Cuba, and does not fall t<> call attention to the wide contrast between prevalent sanitary conditions and those of a short time ago. when this fair land suffered con tinuatly from yellow fever and otto

er tropical ailments. The Pastor referred to General Wood as the one through whose energy and skill Cuba’s restitution and rejuvenation came about “Honor to whom honor is due” appears to be one of Pastor Russell’s mottoes. The text was Acts 3:19-21: “Times of Restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His Holy Prophets since the world began.” He said:—

In Panama a week ago I saw one of the stupendous works of man in subduing the earth and making it suitable to his purposes. How wisely God has left the subduing of the earth to man! A blessing must come to humanity from mastering nature. I testified respecting the increased education of mankind through modern inventions, which speak to us of the dawning of the New Era long foretold in the Bible. Today I point you to man’s increasing skill along other lines. The laws of health are better understood than ever before. The laws of chemistry, applicable to nearly everything in life, are marvelously clear and greatly extended beyond anything of previous times. This increased knowledge lies close to the work of sanitation, so widely approved. The sudden influx of knowledge is a sign of the dawning of the New Day—Restitution. Millennial Work In Cuba. The Pastor urged his congregation to consider the wonderful transformation in their fair Island an exemplification Of the great work to prevail worldwide shortly. It properly raises our estimation of human intelligence, and of the beneficence of the United States Government, whose agent in this transforming work was General Wood. What has taken place so markedly In Cuba is gradually being accomplished all over the world. The Scriptures everywhere associate the glorious work of human uplift with Messiah’s Kingdom. Perhaps many have expected the blessing to come in another way; nevertheless, all should see the facts and acknowledge prophetical fulfilments. Instead of being disappointed that God is using humanity for the fulfilment of His glorious promises, let us rejoice that mankind may be so wonderfully used. Best of All —Human Restitution. As man fell from the image and likeness of God. Restitution to him means a return to that image and likeness. Of all the Restitution wonders, this will be the grandest Were “every prospect pleasing,” and humanity vile, sinful, imperfect mentally, morally and physically—the curse would still rest on the earth. The lifting of some of man’s ignorance and superstition is by no means a realization of what Is to be expected. If a taste of Divine favor and goodness be so refreshing, what will the full draft be! This message is meaningless to be lievers In human evolution. Disbelieving in man’s fall from’ the Divine image in the flesh, these must logically deny also the Redemption, and all necessity for a Savior to die for our sins. Surely they cannot count It sin to experience evolution, as they claim; and if sin has not been committed, there could be neither Redemption from sin nor Restitution to a former condition. All such theories, therefore, are unsbrlptural. For this reason they are antagonistic to the Bible view: that man fell from God’s image six thousand years ago: that he has passed through six great Days In which there has been a reign of sin and death. Induced by Satan, and still Influenced by him. Under this reign, man has lost much of the Divine image, and has become more or lees brutal. Restitution was not due when Jesus gave His life as man’s Redemption price; but ft is due now. for we are living in the dawn of the great Seventh Thousand-Year Day. Messiah’s first work as the great King is about to be Inaugurated. He Is about to bind Satan—“that old serpent, the Devil.” He is about to bless humanity by rolling away the curse of death. Nothing of human Restitution is possible. however, until after the comple tton of the Church. So particular Is this feature of God’s Plan that nearly two thousand years have been devoted to it, whereas only one thousand la assigned for the uplift of mankind. God Is selecting a saintly class tn be His children on the highest plane of existence. These are required to be exceptional characters, and to attest their fiUthfulneM and devotion onto death.

PASTOR RUSSELL