The herald., 1894-12-21
WITH THE PREMILLENN|ALS.
The Church and the Kingdom
of Jesus Christ.
DR.. Frost Ends His Signs of the
Times"
He Cites Many Facts From which He
Concludes That tho Time Of
tho End Is Nigh.


Yesterday was the third day OF the
premilenuial conference at the Fir st
Baptist church. There were many
people present. In the morning DIR
Haskins lectured on the Principles Of
Biblical Interpretation.
DIR. Daniel Read. pastor OF the First
Baptist church, next read a paper on
the Church and the Kingdom, OF which
synopsis ie here given.
The doctor said that the lack Of care
iul study and discriminating thought
mas resulted in confounding the church
of Christ with the kingdom of Christ.
The scriptures broadly distinguished
between the two. Let us bear in mind
that God takes human language es he
finds it in use among men and employs
it in the sense in which men employ it
in their business, otherwise He could
not be understood. Ii God ehould use
this word heaven in the eense of the
earth and man in the sense OF beast,
and salvation in the sense OF damna-
tion, endless confusion would result.
and it would be impossible to make
Himself understood. Let us then
understand God to mean what
He says and say what He
means. When He says kingdom
He uses the word Kingdom in the
sense which men attach to the word,
and when He Gays church He means
church in the same sense which men
attached TO this word when first used.
TIE word church in the original Greek
is ecclesia, and signifies a body called
out and organized and entrusted with
corporate powers; select assembly
regularly called out and possessing cer-
tain governmental powers. This word
the holy spirit chose to designate the
church OF Christ. II is then q word
which means body called ont from the
world aud organized and entrusted with
specific powers.
On the other hand the word kin gdom
was used to designate form OF govern
ment among man, including q king, a
territory, people and the laws enacted
for the public administration. Christ's
kingdom-the kingdom OF heaven pro-
poses the administration and conduct of
all secular affairs on principles oil right
eousnees.
The reverend lecturer then traced the
differences set forth in the scriptures
betwesn the church of Christ and the
kingdom of Christ, showing that in all
the figures and forms OF expression OF
the texts quoted by him we have the
idea set forth that the church is origi-
mated and sustained by the divine resur-
rection of Christ. but that the origin of
the kingdom OF Christ was in the cove
nant God made with David, as recorded
in SAM. chapter.
Against this view is often urged that
| Christ taught that the kingdom OF God
is within us, az he said in Luke II :2l: !:
"rhe reign of God comsth not with OBJ
servation. neither shall they say. 10 here
+ and 10 there, for behold the kingdom Of
| God 10 within you." The context OF the
passage shows that Jesus could not
mean within the hearts of the people he
was addressing. These people were the
Pharisees, his bitter enemies.
Again, the manifestations and revela-
tions OF the doctrine of the chnrch were
before Christs day. In all the old
testament no hint ia given Of any such
organization. The word kingdom is
mentioned 228 times in the old testa-
ment, but church not once; nor is the
idea even hinted. And in the new
testament the word kingdom is uaed 147
times, while church is ueed only 100
times, showing the kingdom idea is
made much more prominent than the
church.
| The mission of the church ia to bear
witness to the resurrection of Christ and
to wait and watch for his coming, and
while we waiG for the return of our
blessed Lord we must witness for him.
Witnessing for Christ, this is our work:
Not the cultivation Of science, not art,
not literature, not reformation, not gov.
ernment. not anything but witnessing
for Jesus, the preaching OF the gospel.
We may engage in science and art and
literature and reformation in order to
provide ourselves and our families with
the comforts of life. but our mission, our
high business, is 10 witness for Jesus.
On the other hand, the attitude of the
kingdom of Christ in this world, when
once 1t shall be established, will be that
of supremacy and sovereignty. The
mission of this kingdom is to bring all
material and secular affairs under the
dominion of tho spirit Of God aud the
principlee of righteousness. Matter is
not to be annihilated, but transfigured
and g!orified the human race is not to
| 10 uosLEoyeu, Dut peIpeJuuLou Dy otor-
nal generations, and therefore business
must be transacted. the factories run,
the stores and shops operated. the fields
and gardens titled. science and art and
literature and government cultivated
forever and forever under the dominion
OF tho power of the Son of God. The
kingdom of Christ shall regulate and
control all these multiple and various
forces and agencies, and by them all
gloriiy the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Mr.. Benjamin Douglass. Of Santa Bar
bara, being absent on account of the
death of his wife, his paper on the
Great Day of the Lord. was read by one
of the clergvmen present.
The Reverend DR.. Frost. OF San Ber-
nardlno. last night resumed his lecture
on the Signs Of the Times. the first in