Avcust 15, 1917 THE ANGELOPHONE IMPROVED WITH USE Dear BRETHREN :— We received the Angelophone on the 8th inst. We are indeed thankful that Pastor Russell’s voice is audible. We know that it is he who is speaking. How great are CGod’s wisdom and power! Our Pastor’s memory will live throughout the ages. Through his teachings God has drawn us closer to himself. We would have written sconer, but were waiting to see if the Angelophone would improve with use. We find that it does. We hope that the dear friends who have been so badly disappointed will find their Angelophones improving in like manner. We very much regret the impatience shown on our part, and will try to improve along that line, as well as along many others. Asking your pardon for being so impatient, we are, dear friends, Yours in the one hope, ———.— Fla. WATCH TOWER (242-259) DOING WHAT SHE OAN DO TO SPREAD THE TRUTH My Dear BRETHREN :— Greetings in our dear Redeemer’s name: Having read the article in Tue Warcn Towrr regarding the V. D. M. questions, I feel that it is meat in due season for me, I received great blessing from it, and now wish to have a blank mailed to me if you please, so that I may know just where I stand in the school of Christ, I am so thankful to the heavenly Father that you had that in THs WaTon Towers. I feel it was especially for me, I am one of the few who cannot go out in the pastoral work, but I witness to my neighbors and friends as I have the opportunity, and hand out tracts in the car sometimes and to those who come to my door. Once in a while I get a hearing ear, and it makes my heart rejoice. In sincere Christian love, Your sister in the Lord, by his grace, Harggier H. Moore.—Ind. THE HARVEST WORK IN JAMAICA For some time the work in Jamaica has been hindered in a measure. We are pleased to announce now that the SocrETY has opened a depot at No. 5 Duke St., Kingston; and from that headquarters all the work of the Socipry will be transacted throughout Jamaica and Porto Rico. We hope the dear friends will co-operate with the brethren there in spreading the glad tidings. The opportunities now for putting the SckrpTureE STUDIES jin the hands of the people, and for doing the volunteer work, and for the spreading of the glad tid ings, are second to no time in the past; and we hope that all who can will go forth in the harvest while it is called day. Please address all communications concerning the work in the West Indies to the INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS Assn., No. 5 Duke St., Kingston, A general convention is being arranged for the Island, to be held at Kinsgton, October 28 to 31, inclusive. All inquiries concerning the convention and arrangements should be addressed to the depot above named. BROTHER RUSSELL’S A book containing many of Brother Russell’s choice sermons is being prepared. The number of orders from the SERMONS IN BOOK friends will determine the size of the edition. that we may know how many books to print. Order now Price later. Von. XXXVIIT BROOKLYN, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 1, 1917 No. 17 THE BOND OF PERFECTION “And besides all these things, put on love; it is the bond of completeness; and let the peace of the Anointed preside in your hearts, for which you were also called in one body; and be thankful.’ ’—Colossians 3:14, 15, Diaglott. The children of God, walking by faith, rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and all along their journey are striving to put on the bond of perfection, which is love. To aid us in the development of the likeness of our Lord and Master, God has given us in his Word many great and precious promises, Love is an inexhaustible stbject. Only when we have attained to that perfect state which God has promised as a reward to those who love him supremely shall we be able to love as we ought and to manifest it as we desire. The Apostle Paul, a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, was wholly devoted to the Lord and his righteous cause; and possessing a keen desire to build up the brethren in the most holy faith, he wrote much to them concerning love. Since he tells us it is the bond of perfection, we can with profit meditate much upon the subject. What is love? It is the greatest and grandest attribute of character possessed by any creature. The Scripture declares, “God is Love.” This does not mean that Love is God, but that in Jehovah is found the perfect expression of love. The Scriptures show that there is a distinction between our love for God and our love for the brethren. It is well that we get this distinction clearly in our minds, that we may analyze the subject and have a deeper appreciation thereof. Love for God may be defined as a worshipful adoration of Jehovah, a fellowship of spirit, and a joyful submission to his holy will because of our reverence for him and gratitude to him as the Almighty One, for what he has done for us, WHY DO WE LOVE GOD? We believe that our heavenly Father is pleased with an intelligent worship of him. The Apostle Peter tells us that we should be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us. (1 Peter 3:15) We should likewise be able to give the reason why we love Jehovah. The reason that must appeal to our minds is the reason which we find in the Word of the Lord. Sweeter than all things else is love. The human race has had only a taste of that which pertains to life, and never the enjoyment of life with the right thereto, since Adam forfeited that right. Any one who would give to us the thing that we chiefly desire would merit our deepest gratitude. Desiring life, death has ever been the certain portion of man. Desiring love, how few have found ita satisfaction! Behold the unselfish desire of God to do good to man, to give him a supreme expression of his love by making provision whereby these deep jongings may yet be fully gratified! “God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16) It would be impossible for one to truly love God without having a knowledge’ of him; and as a man with a reverential mind increases in knowledge of the gracious and loving character of* Jehovah, his love necessarily increases. WHO I8 GoD? Who is the great and mighty One who has taken cognizance of us to provide a means whereby we may obtain life 1—the Giver of this unspeakable gift provided for all his obedient creatures? Answer: He is the great First Cause, without beginning and without ending, ‘from everlasting to everlasting.” It is he who created all things for his pleasure and for the joy of those who will love and serve him faithfully. All creation bespeaks his justice, wisdom, love and power. Truly did David, the sweet musician and singer of Israel, say to him: “The heavens relate the glory of God, and the expanse telleth of the works of his hands; day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard; but their melody extendeth through all the earth and to the end of the world their words. For the sun hath he set a tabernacle among them.”—Psalm 19:1-5, Leeser. As a youthful shepherd David reveled in the visible creation of God. With the field for his bedchamber, with probably a sheepskin for his mattress and a stone for his pillow, he gazed into the expanse above him with the naked eye and beheld the myriads of stars moving noiselessly through space, and his own heart was moved to adoration and praise, and with reverential mind he gave utterance to these words of worship and devotion. What might one say if he could behold all the wonders of God’s creation? By the use of modern appliances, scientists tell us that they are able to measure the distance to the sun, and even to the Pleiades, supposed to be the throne of Jehovah, They tell us that millions of planets—which are merely the satellites of great suns and which have their own satellites— have been discovered by the use of such ‘instruments; and doubtless if man could stand on the outer rim of the orbit of the farthest world that has been discovered, and gaze on into space with even stronger instruments, millions more of God’s wonderful suns with their retinue of planets would appear. As we have in mind the visible creation of Jehovah and contemplate its wonders, beyond all that man can comprehend, we begin to have a deeper appreciation of the works of King David, when he said on another occasion, “O Lord, how mani [6133]
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