Fesruary 15, 1917 possible. It applies to small towns as well as to R. F. D. routes. We received severa] Money Orders one day recently. In love and service, J. & L. Hurcwinson.—Pa. OUR LOVING CHIEF SHEPHERD CALLED HIM Dearty BELoveD BRETHREN :— We, the members of the Hatfield class, have unanimously voted to express hereby our heartfelt sympathy in the bereavement that has come to us, but particularly to you, through the death of our beloved Pastor. Nevertheless our sorrow is not unmingled with joy; for we firmly believe that what is our loss is his gain. We are also convinced that our loving Chief Shepherd, who has called our under-shepherd to his reward, is not only willing but abundantly able to use and direct other humble, loyal, willing hearts and heads from among our late Pastor’s faithful coworkers, who will continue the work so grandly outlined by him before his departure. May the all-surrounding love of our heavenly Father and our Elder Brother, with the assurance of their continued nearness, so encourage and strengthen your hearts that finally you may, like our Pastor, hear his “well done!” Yours in the hope of again greeting Brother Russell face to face, HatrieLpD CLass.—Jamaica. THE WATCH TOWER (63-68) LAST TRIBUTE OF RESPECT Drak FRIENDS :— In_memory and honor of our beloved Pastor Charles T. Russell, we wish to pay our laat tribute of respect: Whereas, It has pleased our heavenly Father to call home our faithful and beloved Pastor, we cheerfully submit to him who is “too wise to err and too good to be unkind.” We therefore tender our loving testimonial regarding him whose life was such a noble example and which was laid down in self-sacrifice in the interest of the truth and for us. Watertown Cuurcu.—n. Y. SPURRED TO GREATER EFFORT Dear BRETHREN :— The friends gathered here wish to convey to you a vote of sympathy. We are sure that you will especially feel the loss of our dear Brother Russell, and we pray that the Lord will guide and direct all the efforts you may put forth in the harvest work. We trust, also that our dear brother’s love and zeal may continue to spur us on to greater effort. May the Lord be with you! BaRNOLDSWICK Eccrresra.—England. VoL. XXXVIII BROOKLYN, N. Y., MARCH 1, 1917 No. 5 PROCLAIMERS OF THE KINGDOM MESSAGE ‘‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth!’’—Isaiah 52:7. Looking down through the corridors of the ages, and viewing the closing part of the Gospel age, the Prophet of the Lord wrote concerning that time in the words of our text. The Gospel age opened with the clarion notes of the Master announcing, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand!” The King was then upon the earth; but before he could attain to the glorified condition and assume the authority of his great office he must suffer, die and rise again. So those who compose the members of his body must likewise suffer and die and rise from the dead before the kingdom will be fully in operation. Throughout the Gospel age, therefore, the body members have been in course of preparation, and many Scriptures teach that at the close of the age those remaining in the flesh to finish the work would be especially honored by the Lord. “FEET MEMBERS’’ OF THE MYSTICAL CHEIST St. Paul, in addressing the Corinthian church, uses a human body to illustrate The Christ, saying, “For as the body is one and hath many members, and al! the members of that body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.” (1 Cor. 12:12-27) The Apostle calls attention to the importance of each part of the body, and the office that each performs. In another place he says, “He (Jesus) is the Head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:18) The Head, Christ Jesus, was born first, and it follows, therefore, that the last members of the body to be born would properly be designated “feet members.” Hence the Prophet Isaiah refers prophetically to these last members of the body, who would participate in the glorious privilege of announcing the glad tidings on the earth. He describes them as “beautiful.” Evidently their beauty does not appeal to the world. Their special beauty is not a beauty of the flesh; they are beautiful by reason of the sweet, unselfish, sacrificing spirit manifested. Their great desire is to announce the King and the blessings which his kingdom will bring. The word “mountains” in the text symbolically represents kingdoms. At this time we see the kingdoms of the earth torn with the strife of the most horrible war in history. Every nation is threatened with disruption. All peoples desire lasting peace, yet know not how to obtain it. Everywhere men’s hearts are failing them for fear because of what they now see upon the world, and they are fearful that even worse things will come. “All faces gather blackness.”—Joel 2:6. The Prophet Isaiah contrasts this condition of distress amongst the peoples of the earth with the condition and work of the “feet members” of the body of Christ, and with ecstasy exclaims, How beautiful are the feet of the Messiah now engaged in publishing peace, in giving to the-world the mess: that will bring a lasting peace; who bring good tidings of good; who are bringing to the dying race the sweet message of salvation! Truly wonderful is the position occupied by every spiritbegotten one who in this harvest time fully appreciates the privilege of serving the Lord! These are coworkers with the present King, engaged in a special sense in proclaiming the closing message of the age—“‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand”—the King is present! It has been the privilege of the Watcu Towsr BIBLE anp Tracr Society since its organization to send out brethren designated as pilgrims, or lecturers, to proclaim this glorious message to those who have hearing ears. The Lord gave the harvest message to the Laodicean church, the faithful ones of whom compose the “feet members” of Christ; and he gave it through his especially chosen servant, according to his promise. (Matthew 24:45-47) All.the “feet members” who are now engaged in proclaiming this precious message received their enlightenment by partaking of the “food” which the Lord sent through his chosen servant. THE WaTcH Tower unhesitatingly proclaims Brother Russell as “that faithful and wise servant.” He delivered the message faithfully, finished his course and has now entered into his reward. Thro him the Lord gave to the church the message that is so essential to each one who in this harvest time would win the glorious prize. We cannot too strongly urge upon the pilgrim brethren, therefore, that they emphasize to the various classes the necessity of adhering strictly to the meseage which the Lord gave through this chosen channel. Any departure from the message at this time must necessarily be displeasing to the Lord and work a detriment to those thus turning aside to accept some other message or scheme. The pilgrims have the privilege of opening the way. It has been found necessary for others to follow up the pilgrim work, that those who have manifested some interest in present truth may be encouraged to greater growth in knowledge. THE COLPORTEUR WORK The Society has long recognized the importance of the colporteur work. If we were to draw comparisons, we would say that the colporteurs do the most important work of all, because they are bearing this message of glad tidings of peace and good will in a form that enables the one receiving it to feed upon it in the quiet of the home, and thus to grow thereby. The colporteurs, therefore, enjoy a wonderful privilege as coworkers with the Master in the field. The strongest of our pilgrim brethren are unable to deliver more than three lectures daily, whereas the colporteur who places only one volume in the hands of the interested thereby preaches many discourses, and in such connected and convenient form that they may be referred to as often as desired. The colporteurs are in no sense book agents, but are truly ambassadors of the Lord, delivering his message of reconciliation to the world. It is our desire to encourage the colporteurs all we can to be as diligent as ever, and rather to speed wp than to become faint or weary in their minds. At this time the majority of people have some ready money and are anxious to know the meaning of the great distress among the nations. The colporteurs, by placing the ScrrpruRE Srupies before them, thus bring that which will fully answer their questions and satisfy their desires. We hope to hear of more becoming active in the colporteur field by Spring time, and trust that they may labor with diligence before the great [6049]
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