Publication date
11/15/17
Volume
38
Number
22
The WatchTower
The price of exaltation
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1917/22/1917-22-1.html
 
 
 
 
(333-326) 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BItOOIUYII', 
N. 
Y. 
very 
sure 
sign 
of 
the 
character 
which 
God 
is 
seeking, 
es· 
pecially 
in 
matters 
pertaining 
to 
our 
great 
salvation. 
Yet 
amongst 
all 
those 
who 
have 
been 
justified 
by 
faith-cleansed 
from 
their 
iniquities 
and 
covered 
with 
the 
robe 
of 
Chri~t's 
righteousness-how 
few, 
comparatively, 
there 
are 
who 
carry 
out 
in 
full 
their 
consecration 
of 
themselves 
to 
God-their 
reasonable 
service. 
Only 
the 
truly 
thankful 
are 
constrained 
to 
'do 
so-only 
the 
truly 
appreciative. 
Let 
us 
each 
and 
all 
seek 
to 
c;ultivate 
more 
and 
more 
the 
spirit 
of 
thankfulness, 
the 
"reasonable" 
spirit 
or 
disposition. 
Thankfulness 
will 
make 
every 
trial 
and 
sacrifice 
on 
our 
part 
seem 
small 
and 
proportionately 
easy 
to 
be 
offered; 
and 
it 
will 
make 
all 
of 
God's 
mercies 
a.nd 
favors 
toward 
us 
proportionately 
grand, 
great 
and 
inspiring. 
Today's 
study 
expresses 
the 
heart 
sentiment 
of 
every 
truly 
consecrated 
child 
of 
God. 
The 
more 
we 
come 
into 
possession 
of 
the 
spiritual 
blessings 
which 
the 
Lord 
has 
promised 
us, 
and 
which 
we 
have 
accepted 
by 
faith, 
the 
more 
need 
shall 
we 
have 
of 
humility; 
and 
our 
humility 
will 
be 
proportionate 
to 
our 
appreciation 
of 
divine 
goodness 
and 
our 
thankfulness 
therefor. 
The 
grateful, 
thankful 
heart 
may 
go 
on 
from 
grace 
to 
grace, 
from 
strength 
to 
strength, 
from 
knowledge 
to 
knowledge, 
from 
attainment 
to 
attainment; 
but 
if 
gratitude 
begins 
to 
wane 
and 
if 
our 
advantages 
are 
accepted 
either 
as 
matters 
of 
our 
own 
attainment 
or 
of 
good 
luck, 
in 
that 
same 
proportion 
we 
shall 
find 
ourselves 
growing 
cold 
spiritually. 
Moreover, 
with 
unthankfulness 
will 
come 
unholiness, 
spiritual 
pride 
and 
self-conceit; 
and 
all 
of 
this 
will 
lead 
to 
spiritual 
dearth 
and, 
if 
persisted 
in, 
to 
spiritual 
death. 
PRICE 
DEPOSITED 
WI'rB 
DIVIHE 
roSTIOE 
Ever 
since 
Jesus 
died, 
the 
ransom-price 
has 
been 
in 
the 
hands 
of 
divine 
Justice-in 
the 
Father's 
hands, 
where 
our 
Lord 
placed 
it 
at 
the 
time 
of 
his 
death. 
But 
it 
is 
there 
only 
as 
a 
deposit; 
for 
the 
time 
has 
not 
yet 
come 
for 
it 
to 
be 
paid 
over 
offiJcially 
for 
Adam 
and 
his 
posterity. 
If 
the 
divine 
plan 
had 
been 
for 
Jesus 
to 
take 
possession 
of 
the 
world 
and 
to 
set 
up 
his 
kingdom 
at 
Pentecost, 
then 
it 
wouuld 
have 
been 
proper 
for 
him 
to 
pay 
over 
to 
the 
Father 
the 
ransom-price 
fUlly 
and 
completely-appropriating 
it 
as 
the 
offset 
to 
father 
Adam's 
sin 
and 
sentence 
on 
behalf 
of 
all 
his 
ralle. 
If 
that 
Price 
had 
been 
formally 
paid 
over, 
the 
proper 
and 
logical 
thing 
would 
have 
been 
for 
the 
Father 
to 
put 
the 
whole 
world 
immediately 
into 
the 
hands 
of 
our 
Lord 
Jesus, 
and 
for 
the 
Millennial 
age 
to 
begin. 
God 
did 
not 
wish, 
however, 
to 
turn 
the 
kingdom 
over 
to 
our 
Lord 
until 
the 
great 
seventh 
day, 
the 
.Millennium; 
for 
he 
had 
another 
feature 
of 
his 
plan 
to 
be 
worked 
out 
nrst. 
He 
purposed 
that 
during 
the 
intervening 
more 
th:in 
eighteen 
centuries 
a 
church 
class 
should 
be 
called 
out 
from 
amongst 
mankind, 
to 
be 
the 
bride 
and 
joint-heir 
of 
his 
Son 
in, 
the 
kingdom. 
Hence 
the 
ransom-price 
for 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
whole 
world 
was 
merely 
left 
unappropriated, 
while 
he 
dealt 
with 
the 
church. 
And 
since 
the 
Father's 
plan 
for 
the 
church 
was 
that 
they 
should 
sacrifice 
or 
surrender 
their 
earthly 
interests 
and 
receive 
instead 
heavenly 
interests 
and 
the 
divine 
nature, 
therefore 
it 
was 
not 
necessary 
to 
give 
the 
church 
restitution-the 
thing 
which 
the 
ransom-price 
will 
secure 
for 
the 
world 
of 
mankind. 
Hence, 
instead 
of 
giving 
the 
church 
a 
share 
in 
the 
ransom 
blessings, 
which 
would 
mean 
restitu­ 
tion, 
the 
divine 
provision 
for 
them 
is 
different: 
namely, 
an 
imputation 
of 
merit 
covering 
their 
blemishes, 
so 
that 
they 
might 
present 
their 
bodies 
a 
living 
sacrifice, 
holy 
and 
ac­ 
ceptable 
to 
God. 
All, 
therefore, 
that 
our 
Lord 
Jesus 
has 
done 
with 
the 
ransom-price 
is 
to 
impute 
the 
value 
arising 
therefrom 
to 
cover 
the 
shortcomings 
of 
those 
who 
desire 
to 
become 
his 
disciples 
and 
joint-heirs. 
The 
benefit 
to 
them 
is 
the 
same 
as 
though 
they 
had 
full 
restitution, 
for 
they 
are 
fUlly 
justified 
from 
all 
sin, 
and 
are 
thus 
permitted 
to 
be 
accepted 
of 
the 
Father 
as 
members 
of 
the 
house 
of 
sons, 
by 
the 
begetting 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit. 
Shortly 
the 
church 
shall 
be 
completed, 
and 
later 
presented 
before 
the 
Father 
blameless 
and 
unre­ 
provable, 
without' 
any 
of 
our 
present 
mental, 
moral 
and 
phy­ 
sical 
diseases 
and 
weaknesses, 
and 
in 
the 
full 
possession 
of 
the 
new 
life 
and 
the 
new 
resurrection 
bodies. 
BEREAN 
STUDIES 
IN 
VOLUME 
VII. 
STUDIES 
IN 
THE 
SCRIPTURES 
fAs 
these 
questions 
are 
to 
be 
had 
in 
book 
form 
we 
do 
not 
reproduce 
them 
here.] 
IF 
THEY 
ONLY 
KNEW 
Jerusalem, 
Jerusalem, 
hadst 
thou 
but 
known 
Thy 
day 
of 
visitation, 
hadst 
thou 
recognized 
Messiah 
in 
thy 
midst, 
would 
not 
t'1 
y 
Pharisees, 
With 
scoffing 
priests 
and 
populace, 
have 
vied 
to 
do 
Him 
homage! 
Dost 
thou 
think 
the 
Master 
e'er 
had 
been 
Footsore 
and 
weary 
I 
Would 
there 
not 
have 
stood 
by 
day, 
By 
night, 
full 
threescore 
chariots 
ready 
at 
his 
callI 
Ab, 
me! 
If 
they 
had 
only 
known, 
dost 
thin}c 
the 
feast 
At 
Simon's 
house 
had 
been 
the 
only 
one 
thus 
spread; 
Or 
would 
He 
e'er 
have 
need 
to 
say, 
"The 
birds 
have 
nests, 
The 
foxes 
of 
the 
earth 
have 
holes, 
but 
I, 
the 
Son 
Of 
Man, 
no 
place 
to 
lay 
my 
head!" 
Jerusalem, 
Would 
not 
Uy 
palace 
gates 
have 
opened 
wide 
to 
him, 
The 
Alpha 
and 
Omega, 
Prophet, 
Pnest 
and 
King 
I 
Ah 
me! 
Had 
they 
but 
known, 
in 
all 
the 
centuries 
since, 
The 
chosen 
few 
who 
brave 
Iv 
followed 
in 
his 
steps, 
Dost 
think 
earth's 
great 
ones 
would 
have 
left 
them 
lonely, 
poor, 
Despised 
f 
Would 
they 
have 
driven 
proudly 
by 
in 
state, 
The 
while 
"his 
feet" 
presSed 
wearily 
the 
wayside 
dust 
f 
All 
ye 
who 
often 
long, 
like 
Mary, 
to 
have 
poured 
The 
precious 
ointment 
on 
his 
head, 
remember 
this: 
His 
words 
are 
true 
today 
as 
then, 
that, 
"Inasmuch 
As 
ye 
have 
done 
it 
unto 
one 
of 
these, 
the 
least 
Of 
mine, 
it 
hath 
been 
done 
to 
me!" 
Ah, 
yes! 
and 
e'en 
A 
cup 
of 
water 
shall 
not 
fail 
of 
its 
'reward, 
Because 
'twas 
given 
in'the 
name 
of 
Christ, 
the 
Lord. 
Then, 
let 
us 
ever 
seek 
to 
find 
and 
humbly 
serve 
His 
"little 
ones"; 
for 
thus 
we 
do 
it 
unto 
him." 
VOL. 
XXXVIII 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
NOVEMBER 
15,1917 
THE 
PRICE 
OF 
EXALTATION 
No. 
22 
"Be 
clothed 
with 
humility; 
for 
God 
resistetb 
the 
proud 
and 
giveth 
grace 
to 
the 
humble. 
Humble 
yourselves 
therefore 
under 
the 
mighty 
hand 
of 
God, 
that 
he 
may 
exalt 
you 
in 
due 
time. 
"-1 
Peter 
5 
:5, 
6. 
Who 
would 
dare, 
without 
divine 
authorization, 
to 
enter- 
Now 
He 
has 
come, 
and 
the 
kingdom 
is 
being 
inaugurated. 
Many 
tain 
a 
hope 
of 
memberslotip 
in 
the 
royal 
family 
of 
heaven! 
Yet 
have 
already 
been 
exalted, 
while 
o1lbers 
are 
patiently 
waiting 
nat 
only 
is 
this 
hope 
held 
out 
to 
some, 
but 
such 
is 
the 
positive 
the 
day 
of 
their 
glorification. 
The 
latter 
must 
shortly 
finish 
promise 
of 
Jehovah 
to 
those 
who, 
having 
been 
called 
to 
that 
their 
course. 
The 
time 
()f 
the 
exaltation 
of 
the 
last 
members 
high 
position 
and 
begotten 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
of 
God, 
meet 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Ohrist 
is 
drawing 
nigh; 
hence 
the 
importance 
the 
requirements, 
continuing 
faithful 
unto 
death. 
The 
neafllr 
()f 
the 
words 
of 
St. 
Peter 
in 
our 
text. 
All 
truly 
consecrated 
we 
come 
to 
the 
time 
of 
exaltation, 
the 
greater 
js 
the 
thrill 
in 
dllsire 
exaltation; 
therefore 
the 
importance 
of 
learning 
well 
contemplating 
the 
marvelous 
change. 
the 
rules. 
that 
pertain 
to 
the 
heavenly 
way 
• 
. 
The 
Gospel 
~e 
is 
closing 
with 
th.e 
greatest 
events 
of. 
all 
THE 
MAJESTY 
OF 
JEHOVAH 
GOD 
tIme. 
The 
~rave 
Import 
of 
thIS 
hour 
wIll 
never 
be 
fUlly 
realIzed 
. 
, 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
and 
appreCIated 
until 
it 
is 
passed; 
indeed, 
it 
cannot 
be. 
For 
True 
humIlIty 
IS 
that 
condItIo.n 
?f 
mmd. 
or 
heart 
whIch 
nearly 
ninetee'll 
hundred 
years 
the 
school 
of 
Christ 
has 
been 
in 
causes 
one 
to 
have 
a 
proper 
Rpp~eClatIon 
of 
hIS 
o,,:n 
worth 
and 
operation; 
and 
during 
this 
time 
God 
has 
been 
inviting 
same 
the 
worth 
o~ 
o~hers, 
and 
to 
realIze 
t,he 
value 
to 
~I~se1f 
of 
~he 
to 
enter 
this 
school, 
with 
the 
promise 
of 
full 
graduation 
and 
rob; 
o! 
ChrIst 
s 
righteousness. 
It 
IS 
that. 
co~dltion 
of. 
mmd 
exaltation 
to 
those 
who 
truly 
learn 
the 
lesson, 
that 
are 
therein 
whIch 
ll~pels 
one 
always 
to 
keep 
the 
Lord 
m, 
v:ew.and 
hImself 
taught. 
In 
times 
past 
some 
faithful 
once 
have 
IIIfl.de 
progre8B 
out 
of 
sl~ht. 
All 
who 
have 
the 
robe 
o.f 
ChrIst.s 
nghteousnll.ss 
in 
this 
school, 
have 
finh;lhed 
their 
course, 
have 
been 
approved, 
received 
It 
only 
~fter 
a 
full 
conseera~lon 
0 
gIve 
up 
~e~f-will 
graduated, 
and 
set 
ll.llide 
~ 
await 
the 
coming 
of 
the 
great 
King. 
and 
to 
do 
the 
WIll 
of 
God. 
To 
contInue 
m 
such 
posItion 
of 
[6166] 
(333-326) very sure sign of the character which God is seeking, especially in matters pertaining to our great salvation. Yet amongst all those who have been justified by faith—cleansed from their iniquities and covered with the robe of Christ’s righteousness—-how few, comparatively, there are who carry out in full their consecration of themselves to God—their reasonable service. Only the truly thankful are constrained to do so—only the truly appreciative. Let us each and all seek to cultivate more and more the spirit of thankfulness, the “reasonable’ spirit or disposition, Thankfulness will make every trial and sacrifice on our part seem small and proportionately easy to be offered; and it will! make all of God’s mercies and favors toward us proportionately grand, great and inspiring. Today’s study expresses the heart sentiment of every truly consecrated child of God. The more we come into possession of the spiritual blessings which the Lord has promised us, and which we have accepted by faith, the more need shall we have of humility; and our humility will be proportionate to our appreciation of divine goodness and our thankfulness therefor. The grateful, thankful heart may go on from grace to grace, from strength to strength, from knowledge to knowledge, from attainment to attainment; but if gratitude beging to wane and if our advantages are accepted either aa matters of our own attainment or of good luck, in that same proportion we shall find ourselves growing cold spiritually. Moreover, with unthankfulness will come unholiness, spiritual pride and self-conceit; and all of this will lead to spiritual dearth and, if persisted in, to spiritual death. PRICE DEPOSITED WITH DIVINE JUSTICE Ever since Jesus died, the ransom-price has been in the hands of divine Justice—in the Father’s hands, where our Lord placed it at the time of his death. But it is there only as a deposit; for the time has not yet come for it to be paid over officially for Adam and his posterity. If the divine plan had been for Jesus to take possession of the world and to set up his kingdom at Pentecost, then it wouuld have been proper for him to pay over to the Father the ransom-price THE WATCH TOWER Brooxiyy, N. Y. fully and completely—appropriating it as the offset to father Adam’s sin and sentence on behalf of all his raee. If that Price had been formally paid over, the proper and logical thing would have been for the Father to put the whole world immediately into the hands of our Lord Jesus, and for the Millennial age to begin. Ged did not wish, however, to turn the kingdom over to our Lord until the great seventh day, the Millennium; for he had another feature of his plan to be worked out first. He purposed that during the intervening more than eighteen centuries a church class should be called out from amongst mankind, to be the bride and joint-heir of his Son in. the kingdom. Hence the ransom-price for the sing of the whole world waa merely left unappropriated, while he dealt with the church. And since the Father’s plan for the church was that they should sacrifice or surrender their earthly interests and receive instead heavenly interests and the divine nature, therefore it was not necessary to give the church restitution—the thing which the ransom-price will secure for the world of mankind. Hence, instead of giving the church a share in the ransom blessings, which would mean restitution, the divine provision for them is different: namely, an imputation of merit covering their blemishes, so that they might present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. All, therefore, that our Lord Jesus has done with the ransom-price is to impute the value arising therefrom to cover the shortcomings of those who desire to become his disciples and joint-heirs. The benefit to them is the same as though they had full restitution, for they are fully justified from all sin, and are thus permitted to be accepted of the Father as members of the house of sons, by the begetting of the holy Spirit. Shortly the church shall be completed, and later presented before the Father blameless and unreprovable, without any of our present mental, moral and physical diseases and weaknesses, and in the full possession of the new life and the new resurrection bodies. BEREAN STUDIES IN VOLUME VII, STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES [As these questions are to be had in book form we do not reproduce them here.]} IF THEY ONLY KNEW Jerusalem, Jerusalem, hadst thou but known Thy day of visitation, hadst thou recognized Messiah in thy midst, would not thy Pharisees, With scoffing priests and populace, have vied to do Him homage! Dost thou think the Master e’er had been Footsore and weary! Would there not have stood by day, By night, full threescore chariots ready at his call! An, me! If they had only known, dost think the feast At Simon’s house had been the only one thus spread; Or would He e’er have need to say, “The birds have nests, The foxes of the earth have holes, but I, the Son Of Man, no place to lay my head!” Jerusalem, Would not thy palace gates have opened wide to him, The Alpha and Omega, Prophet, Priest and King! Ah me! Had they but known, in all the centuries since, The chosen few who bravely followed in his steps, Dost think earth’s great ones would have left them lonely, poor, Despised? Would they have driven proudly by in state, The while “his feet” pressed wearily the wayside dust? All ye who often long, like Mary, to have poured The precious ointment on hia head, remember this: His words are true today as then, that, “Inasmuch As ye have done it unto one of these, the least Of mine, it hath been done to me!” Ah, yes! and e’en A cup of water shall not fail of its reward, Because ’twas given in’ the name of Christ, the Lord. Then, let us ever seek to find and humbly serve His “little ones”; for thus we do it unto him.” Vou. XXXVI BROOKLYN, N. Y., NOVEMBER 15,1917 No. 22 = THE PRICE OF EXALTATION ‘*Be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace te the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.’*—1 Peter 5:5, 6, Who would dare, without divine authorization, to entertain a hope of membership in the royal family of heaven! Yet not only is this hope held out to some, but such is the positive promise of Jehovah to those who, having been called to that high position and begotten of the holy Spirit of God, meet the requirements, continuing faithful unto death. The nearer we come to the time of exaltation, the greater is the thrill in contemplating the marvelous change. The Gospel age is closing with the greatest events of all time, The grave import of this hour will never be fully realized and appreciated until it is passed; indeed, it cannot be. For nearly nineteen hundred years the school of Christ has been in operation; and during this time God has been inviting some to enter this school, with the promise of full graduation and exaltation to those who truly learn the lessona,that are therein taught. In times past some faithful ones have made progress in this school, have finished their course, have been approved, graduated, and set aside to await the coming of the great King. Now He has come, and the kingdom is being inaugurated. Many have already been exalted, while others are patiently waiting the day of their glorification. The latter must shortly finish their course. The time of the exaltation of the last members of the body of Christ is drawing nigh; hence the importance of the words of St. Peter in our text. All truly consecrated desire exaltation; therefore the importance of learning well the rules that pertain to the heavenly way. THE MAJESTY OF JEHOVAH GOD True humility is that condition of mind or heart which causes one to have a proper appreciation of his own worth and the worth of others, and to realize the value to himself of the robe of Christ’s righteousness. It is that condition of mind which impels one always to keep the Lord in view and himself out of sight. All who have the robe of Christ’s righteousness received it only after a full consecration to give up self-will and to do the will of God. To continue in such position of 16166}

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