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Show CONSulhlON AND THE GOSPEL Religion and the White Plague. 6in'c Relationship to Sickness and Death "Tho Wages of Sin Is Death." Man's Battle Against the Curse a Losing One "In God Is Thy Help." The Result Will Be Glorious. h use jPASTOQtBSjLDj Plague, that shall consume beforej the eyes, and cnuse sorrow of heart." His topic was chosen in harmony with the moNement against consumption the white plague, which he declared is annually sweeping more millions Into tho grave than are nil the w orld's wars While the Pastor's commission Is to preach the Gospel, nevertheless, since It Is the Divine arrangement for recov ery from sin and death, he considered I It eminently proper to call attenUon to the ravages of the white plague as part of sin's penalty. Ho would not be understood as meaning that all con sumptlves nre especially sinners, for some of God's most saintly people have died of consumption and other ailments. ail-ments. The Redeemer Himself died of a ruptured heart, a disease not unknown un-known to medical practice. The speaker declared that much confusion con-fusion prevails amongst Christians respecting re-specting sickness and he-ilrh. True we have the Bible Instruction that sickness is a part of the death penalty inherited from our first parents on account ac-count of their disobedience. Yet it seems natural to think that after wc-have wc-have turned from sin and have consecrated conse-crated our lives to God. He would restore re-store us fully to everlasting life and happy condltloDs. When we and that some of God's best people. Including the Savior, the Apostles and the Prophets, Proph-ets, have suffered, even unto death, and that none are immune from this penalty a perplexity arises that only the Bible sets straight. The Old Covenant and the New. The Pastor then discussed God's Covenants Cov-enants with Israel. God first announf ed to Abraham His ultimate purpose of blessing mankind releasing them from the curse of sin and death. God did not explain how this would be J done, except that It would be through Abraham's posterity, or "Seed." Four hundred years later. God proposed t-the t-the Israelites that If they wished t inherit the Promise made to Abraham, the door was open for them. God en tered into a Covenant with them at Mt. Sinai through .Moses. In this Cov-I Cov-I enant Israel agreed to kepp the Divine Law perfectly; mid God agreed that If I they would do so. He would bless them I with everlasting life and empower them to stve the world to help man kind out from under the death-curse Israel failed to keep the Law per-fectly, per-fectly, as God foreknew. Later, God promised to send Messiah, who would prepare a Seed which would, with Him. constitute the Kingdom of God. and bless mankind. Our text is a part of God's message to Israel, In whl h He assures them that If they would keep the Law, tliey would receive blessings; but that If they were dlsoVdlent. various sicknesses sick-nesses would come upon them. As for other nations, they were not In covenant cove-nant relationship with God, but were subject to the mutations of their dying condition. All mankind are under the death sentence, all dying justly whether by hunger, accident, white plague, black plague or other nllment. The Pastor then demonstrated that Christ's followers aro not exempt from these ailments. They have entered a Covenant of Sacrifice, exchanging all earthly hopes for Heavenly ones. Only those who die with Him to the earthly earth-ly nature will live with Him on the - Heavenly plane. Few seem to have uotlced that Jesus healed neither Himself Him-self nor His Apostles. Miracles of healing were performed on outsiders, with a view to evidencing tho Redeemer's Redeem-er's teachings; and, as St Paul declared, declar-ed, even these miracles ceased after I tho Church had been established. The Gospel Respecting the Plague. The Gospel Message to those smitten with any of the hundreds of forms of death said the Pastor, is that the present pres-ent life is only a vestibule to a more glorious life, an anteroom of preparation prepara-tion and instruction, before entering the life provided for all who nre will ing to accept it on God's terms tbrougb the merit of Christ's sacrifice. Thus, as St Paul declares, the Lord's Message Mes-sage speaks peace to troubled human Ity through Jesus Christ. The broad Gospel Message, while it has only one offer In the present time assures us of n future opportunity tOf all. Those now accepting God's urace are privileged to become members of the Church of Glory Others are ns sured that there will be n resurreetim an opportunity of rising out of sii and death conditions to human perfBC tion. This will not mean au escap from the penally of wilful sin In thi present life; for tho Divine Law I that whoever sins sh ill suffer. Thos. who have known the Master's will an failed to do it will receive more seven stripes than will othrr.-;. The Pastor Russell's letters for six weeks past have gone estray. and have Just arrived. They will now be published daily until all the missing letters have appeared. |