Aprit 1, 1910 his work; or rather, as the Apostle says, “It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” It was God that worked in Jesus that he should accomplish his sacrifice in the proper manner, and it is God that is now working in us in the same manner. He set before us a great prize. As we read of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of God.” so also we learn that God hath “given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might become partakers of the divine nature.” By the operation of these promises in our hearts we are enabled to lay down our lives for the brethren and to copy the characteristics of our Lord and Savior, even unto death. Now, we are qualified or able ministers of the New Covenant, not of the letter, but of the spirit. The Mediator of the Covenant, of course, should be in harmony with all the terms of the Covenant, The terms of this New Covenant are the perfect obedience to God as represented in the divine law, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy being and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.” Of course, Jesus is in full accord with this Law of God which he accepted as the basis of the arrangement he would make for mankind, and all of those whom God would accept as members of his body, as associates with him, as able ministers and servants with him of this New Covenant—all such must be in accord with the divine law, else how could they be servants of that law? But now, says the Apostle, in our case we are not able to measure up to the standard of the letter of that Covenant, but we are able to come to the measure of the spirit of it, to the intention of it. .And in harmony with this he says elsewhere, “The righteousness of the Law [that is. the true meaning. the true spirit of the Law], is fulfilled in us. who are walking not after the flesh but after the spirit.” He does not say that we are able to walk up to the spirit, up to the divine law. and we know indeed that we are not able to do so, but we are able to walk after it. As we are accepted of God as able ministers of the New Covenant, and as members of this hody of the Mediator, King and Priest at the time of our consecration, through the merit of Jesus our Advocate, so God has made provision that for any unintentional infractions of this Law, of this Covenant, on our part ‘we have an Advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the Righteous.” He is not only an Advocate when we first come THE WATCH TOWER (1y4 131) to the Father and present ourselves living sacrifices, and are accepted through the imputation of our Lord's merit, but he is our Advocate still—and we need his advocacy still, because, while we have this standing as new creatures. and as new creatures our intentions are good, nevertheless as new creatures we are responsible for the earthen vessel, the natural body, through which we operate as new creatures. We are responsible for all of its infraction of the divine law. Therefore, as the Apostle tells us, if we find that unintentionally, contrary to the intentions of our will. the spirit of our mind, we infract the divine law, we are to come with courage to the throne of heavenly grace. We are not to suppose that what our Lord did for us when we presented ourselves living sacrifices makes good our defects to the end of life. We are to understand that he merely made good the defects to that point and that for every imperfeetion and deviation since that time we are to come to the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help. We come with courage because we have such a great High Priest. because we realize that we are members of the House of God, antitypical Levites, who include both the little flock and the great company. They are all privileged to come with courage to the throne of heavenly grace and there obtain merey and grace to help in every time of need. Thus the “able ministers” [servants] of the New Covenant may maintain their standing with God continually, through their Advocate, “who ever liveth to make intercession for them.” It is heeause we have this Advoeate, because we recognize Jesus ax our Advocate. that we may come to the throne of grace, All those come who are privileged to call God our Father for the forgiveness of those trespasses. which come day hy day and which are unintentional on our part. It is then that we make apology and get forgiveness and assistance that we may be more faithful, more able to overcome in these various respects thenceforth. Thus we are qualified ministers of the New Covenant, not according to the letter of that Covenant, as it will operate during the Millennium, but according to the spirit of the New Covenant, which now operates toward us through our Advocate and enables us at all times to be acceptable to the Father through him, and to perform the service of able ministers and to abide in the Holy and to hope ultimately to pass, as members of the body of the great Priest, Prophet, Mediator and King. beyond the second vail into the Most Holy. PUBLISHERS’ NOTICES BROTHER RUSSELL’S JERUSALEM TRIP Curiosity as to why Bro. Russell takes the trip to Jerusalem is not to be wondered at amongst our readers. He ix recognized as being intensely practical and having a reason for every move. His motive in this instance is not curiosity, nor change of scenery. nor health, nor relaxation; for a stenographer accompanies him. so that not an hour may be lost. He goes at the suggestion of the newspaper syndicate which handles his sermons, and all of his expenses are provided for. The syndicate feel the public pulse and urge that it is necessary to center the public interest upon the preacher in order to make his sermons the more attractive to the publishers and to the reading public. Brother Russell vields to anything which does not bridle his tongue nor compromise the truth. AMENDED DATES ABROAD In order to keep an appointment at Rome, May 1, Brother Russell will arrive one day later at Vienna, Austria, May 3; Warsaw, Russia, May 4. and at Berlin, May 5. The Swiss meeting will be at Berne instead of Basle. London arrival will be at 8 o'clock Sunday morning, May 8, at Liverpool St. Station, giving another day for Barmen, BROTHER RUSSELL’S SERMONS The Brooklyn Eagle advises that it has received a great many requests for the sermons, but for the present it concludes not to publish Brother Russell’s sermons. Should it change its opinion later we will advise our readers. Meantime do not forget to encourage by letters and ecards those papers that are publishing the sermons—especially the one lovated nearest to your home. Encourage also by your own subscription or those of your friends. If a paper ceases to publish the sermons, please do not berate it. but merely in kindly terms express your disappointment at the loss and your hope that the sermons will be continued, The proper time to encour Von. AXXT BROOKLYN, N. Y., APRIL 15, 1910 No. § age the Editor is while the sermons are a regular feature. Report concerning Volunteer Matter. We have no method of checking our printers except as vou assist us. Please, therefore, report to us on post-card the receipt of your Volunteer consignment—stating how many bundles you received and the condition in which they arrived. and how many papers to each bundle. You need not count every bundle, but average them; count about two. One brother recently reported that his bundles of one hundred averaged only ninety-seven. This smail shortage on a million copies would amount to thirty thousand. Kindly assist us in this matter. TO WHAT DEGREE SHOULD WE CONFESS FAULTS? “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed.’—James 5:16. This text represents a general principle of humility and willingness to make acknowledgement when we commit a fault, particularly to the one against whom the fault or wrong has been committed, with due apology and reparation so far as possible. It is quite proper for us to freely concede that we are not perfect, and no one should attempt to pose as perfect, but rather to acknowledge what the Scriptures de clare that “there is none righteous, no, not one;” that we are merely righteous in our intentions and efforts and are trusting for full covering in the sight of God through the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ. There might be times when the confession of a fault should be made publicly to the advantage of others and if we feel sure that the telling of our own shortcoming would he of [4597]
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