River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-12-30

JONI SuS DapllSI was IuC ldSl VI
the prophets. To him was commit
ted the honorable service of directly
announcing the Savior, who said of
him, Verify say unto you, Among
them that are born of women there
hath not risen a greater than John
the Baptist; Notwithstanding, he
that is least in the Kingdom of
heaven is greater than he" Matt.
11:11) The last representative of
the house of servants" he dis
charged the duties of his Office with
dignity, declaring Jesus to be the
long promised Messiah-King, who
was about to select Bride class, to
be his joint-heirs in his Kingdom
The Prophet recognized that he him
self was not eligible to this class,
yet rejoiced in his privilege of an
nouncing the Bridegroom, saying,
He that hath the Bride is the Bride
groom; but the friend Of the Bride
groom, which standeth and heareth
him rejoiceth greatly because of the
Bridegroom voice; this my JOY
therefore is fulfilled. John 1929.
The Scriptures maintain clear
distinction between people of God
prior to Pentecost, called friends
and servants of God, and the people
of God since Pentecost, called the
sons of God. The latter are sons
because begotten of the holy Spirit
to new nature-a spirit nature
to be fully attained by share in the
First Resurrection. This important
point is distinctly marked by St.
Paul. After recounting the faithful
ness of Gods people of the past,
who had this testimony, that they
pleased Go6," he declares, "All
these died in faith, not having re-
ceived the promise (fulillment),
God having reserved some better
thing for us, that they without US
should not be made perfect. He
brews 1889, 80.
That "better thine for us" is the
spiritual part of ne great Abra-
hamic promise. Di inc favor was
cut off from the .atural seed of
Abraham during the past eighteen
centuries and bestowed upon the
spiritual Seed selected from both
Jews and Gentiles.
But as soon as the spiritual Seed,
"the Elect" shall be completed, the
blessing of the Lord shall proceed
from and through the spiritual Seed
to the natural seed, eventually full
filling to Israel Gods promises of
an earthly kind SO long deferred
Romans 11:25. 80.
Johns mission was to arouse the
people of Israel to the fact that
Messiah had come, that the time of
the inauguration of the long-prom-
ised Kingdom of God was at hand,
and that if they, as people, de-
sired to share in it, in harmony with
their long cherished hopes, they
should at once begin preparation.
Not as whole would the favored
nation be accepted, but as individ-
uals. All, therefore. should make a
searching of their hearts. If they
had been living in known violation
of the Law, they should repent and
turn from the sin, and should sym
bolize their reformation in the pres
ence of witnesses by baptism which
symbolically represented this put
ting away of sin.
God chose strong, rugged char
acter to bear this message. Provi-
dentially Johns experiences in the
wilderness specially qualified him;
and his peculiar rair ent and food
enabled him to be inc spendent of all
religious sects and p. rites amongst
the Jews and gave hi n freedom of
utterance, which he light not other