The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-11-26
PEOPLES PULPIT. .
ELECTING KINGS.
Brethren, Give Diligence to
Make Your Calling and Elec-
ton Sure" Gil Peter i, 10y.

this matter of our election, after learn.
ing that the Office for which we are
running Is Il combination O. priesthood
and kngship. The elect are to be
priestly kings, or. otherwise styled. IA
Royal Priesthood" Their glorious
service is to be for period OF one
thousand years, during which they will
be kings and priests unto God and will
! rein over the earth 0Revelation Xxx, a;
Peter H. o..
They will not reign on the earth" In
the sense of being earthly beings. hav.
ing earthly courts and thrones; their
resurrection change" will constitute
them heavenly or spirit beings; they
will be invisible to mankind. as now
| the Prince of this world" Is Invisible
and as the holy angels are invisible.
! But they will possess heavenly power
and authority and wisdom and grace.
BY these glorious attributes they will
be able to serve God and humanity by
reign of righteousness, whose up
! lifting or restitution influences (Acts
Ill. 2D will begin with the living gen
]
the families of the EARTH" who have
been going down for the past six thou
sand years into the great prison-house
of death-'prisoners of hope" how
! ever, because of the promise of Gods
Word and the redemption sacrifice of
Jesus.
My beloved hearers. If your hearts
| I,, nP
| Gods grace and this information re-
specting his Kingdom and of your pros
poets of becoming kings and priests in
that Kingdom, ii is because you do not
! believe the message because your
| faith does not properly grasp the "eX-
ceeding great and precious promises"
, of Gods Word Gil Peter i, Il. | am
aware that this whole message by
| Jesus and his apostles has been so
| long covered by the rubbish of 1.-The
| dark ages" that it was lost to our
sight for long while. and sadly we
! missed its encouragement to faithful
ness. | am glad. however, that now
the eyes of understanding are opening
| to see the length and breadth and
| Plan of the Ages.
The Value of Earthly Crowns.
Consider for a moment what fabu-
lous prices have been paid for earthly
| crowns! Thousands of lives have been
sacrificed and millions of money. to
| gain an earthly crown. And thousands
who paid this price knew well that
uneasy rests the head which wears
the crown" They knew well. too, that
its tenure would be precarious and
| that the attainment of it would bring
| them lasting hatred from others who
aspired to the same position and who
considered that their right to it was
as good or better.
What comparison should we institute
| as between the value of such crown
and the crown of glory" honor and
immortality which God has promised
| to his elect-to such OF them as make
their calling and their election sure.
Has God placed too high valuation
upon the heavenly crown. in demand.
ing that those who would share it
with the Redeemer must prove their
loyalty to him and to the principles
of righteousness, and to the spirit Of
love, to the extent Of laying down
their lives in his service and in doing
good unto all men as they have op-
portunity, especially to the household
Of faith?"
Our Lord asked wherein would be
the profit to any man If he were to
gain the whole world and lose his
own Soul-loSe his future life. For
the purpose Of our present topic we
might ask modified question. name
ly. IL one should gain the empire of
the whole earth and all of it's riches.
and II another should gain this heav-
emily ele ion to the heavenly King
dom of one thousand years and TO
subsequent eternal blessings with the
Lord, which of these would choose
the better part-which would show
the real wisdom. and which would be
The foolish one? But the contrast in
creases when we note that the domin-
Ion OF earth cannot be secured by our
sailing through bloody seas, and that
a mere competency of earthly wealth
IL attained by only one OF Il thousand
who strive for it day and Il. Sure
~ from the standpoint OF t.e FATHERS
Word all earthly honors are vanities,
in comparison with the heavenly glo-
ries and blessings which may be sure
ly attained by the called" OF this
Gospel Age-if they will but follow
the Divine directions.
Terms and Conditions of Election.
In our context st. Peter tells us upon
what terms the called and accepted
may make their election sure After
calling our attention to Gods exceed
ing great and precious promises he
tells us that they were given us to
the intent that they should operate in
our minds so as to influence our lives,
In harmony with the Divine will; and
that thus we may become partakers
or the Divine nature after having es-
capped the corruption that Is In the
world through desire" - seltishness.
lust Verse Il. He proceeds to aIlt,li
~, and Urges that Suph AZ haya this