Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 172, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1913 — WOE TO YOU RICH BLESSED YE POOR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WOE TO YOU RICH BLESSED YE POOR

The Philosophy of These, the Master’s Words, Is Shown by Pastor RusseH.

Are the Woes and the Blessings Present or Future?—God la Very Rich. Many of God’s Servants In the Past Were Rich—Why Classify st. All? Why Contrast Rich and Pear? What Blessings Have the Poor? Riches of Wealth, Riches of -Honor, Riches of "Education, Do' These All Bring Woes?—Poverty of Education and Earthly Goods and Earthly Fame, Do These Insure Blessings?

Asheville, N C., July 20—A large Convention of the International Bible Students Association is being held here students of all ages giving every evidence of knowledge of the Scriptures. Pastor Russell spoke today. from the text, “Woe unto you

that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. ♦ • • And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the Kingdom of God.”r-Luke 6:20, 24. The Pastor began by declaring that his address was not intended to arouse class animosity. Although not rich, he could sympathize with the rich in their position, as well as with the poor in theirs. God, who is very rich, is able to sympathize with both classes. The Savior is also able, who being rich, for our sakes became poor, that through His poverty we might become rich in the truest sense. Some of God’s faithful in the past were very rich—Abraham, for instance. Nevertheless, during this Gospel Age, not many great, rich or learned have been called to the blessing now offered. Its recipients have been chiefly the poor of this world, rich in faith.

The Master evidently included riches of wealth, honor, education, etc., in His statement. He implies that all now possessing any of these blessings will be more or less hindered from obtaining God’s highest blessing, and more or less subject to woes. We are not to suppose that He meant that at death the rich would be thrown into everlasting torture. These woes appertain to thie present life. At the close of the Jewish Age, this class experienced severe trials; and our Lord intimates that at the close of this Age the same class will have similar experiences. Wrath to the Uttermost Upon Jews. Wrath came upon the Jewish people to the uttermost, in the End of their Age. (1 Thessalonians 2:16.) Those woes did not belong to a future life. That tribulations come to all in the present life is undebatable. But the most terrible forebodings are associated with Imaginary woes of the future life—quite contrary to Scripture. We are glad to set aside this nightmare of the Dark Ages.

The Jews, whom our Lord addressed, did not realize that they were living in the End of their Age, and that a great settlement was about to come. Similarly, we are living in the End of this Gospel Age, and a settlement is now due. Jesus foretold the crisis of the Jewish nation. His message gathered out from that nation all the Israelites indeed, and then the nation was given over to itself. The Divide Hand which had guided them loosed its hold; and human passions accomplished their overthrow in anarchy, which caused their downfall, A. D. 70. So we understand that the End of this Age has come, and God is gather' ing His Elect. As soon as this is accomplished, God will permit mankind to wreck their present civilization. As the rich of Jesus’ day suffered most keenly, so the rich will suffer most in the coming time of trouble.

Compensations In Nature. The Pastor then showed that both rich and poor have compensations. The rich have trials and perplexities that the poor know not of., They also have many more temptations to make them lees likely to seek the priceless things of God’s Kingdom. But we are not to understand that God is partial to the poor. He is choosing a special class, and the conditions surrounding the rich and great make them less susceptible to His message and to the cultivation of humility. The experiences of the poor are most favorable, apparently, to the cultivation of meekness, gentleness, patience and love—qualities God estimates greatly.

Some poor, however, instead of being drawn to God by poverty, cultivate a spirit of hatred, malice and strife. Such turn away from Him. The class described by Jesus as “ye poor” are those hungering and thirsting after righteousness, who have become God's children. These may be rich or poor In the things of this world; but all that they have Is consecrated to God, In order that they may become joint-heirs with Christ Thenceforth, the esteem of men. while not Ignored, must be secondary to the Lord and His Truth. All that this class may possess will be used to His glory, regardless of the fact that It will all be consumed In His eervtro The world knows not the followers of Jesus, even as It knew Him Mt ■. */ ■ "..I . .. •IL’?', d '.<?