The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-07-30
superstition. sin. weaknesses-mental
moral and physical.

superstition. sin. weaknesses-men
moral and physical.
| Not Luck, but Character.
The attaining of eternal life will not
| be matter of luck, but matter of
character. 1t is true at the present
time that chance, or luck. would seem
| to be associated with many of our af-
| fairs. except as we are able to view
them in the light of Divine revelation.
| Some Of us were fortunate to be bet
| ter born than others-born of religious
parents. Some are fortunate in being
born in religious communities. and in
q land of liberty and enlightenment.
Some are unfortunate in being born in
etc. But the Scripture shows that dur
Ing this present time God is exercising
his sovereign power in electing a spe-
cial class of special characters, and
assures us that majority of these are
being called from amongst the mixed
peoples of Europe and America, and
that proportionately few are being
gathered from other nationalities.
If all of the non-elect were consigned
to eternal torment, or even to Purga-
tory. a grave injustice would be
chargeable against the Almighty Elect
or. But this is not the case. The
Lord rs no respecter of persons, but
is taking out from the world Of man.
kind. from every nation, those with
suitable characters, those upon whom
his Truth and Grace exercise q trans
forming influence. The non-elect. not
worthy of a blessing amongst the
faithful of the first class now being
selected. pass at death to the tomb. to
the prison-house of sheol, hades, where
there is no wisdom, knowledge nor de-
vice, as the Scriptures declare (Ecclesi-
asteS il. 10). Although unworthy of
a share in the blessings now being dis
pensed, Gods love and mercy pursue
after these through Christ, and in
their interest the Millennial Kingdom
will be established. Under it's domina-
ton Satan will be bound, every in
fluence of evil will be restrained, and
every good influence will be brought
into captivity, to the intent that all
those at present non-elect, and I'M
worthy of the present salvation. may
be brought to a savable condition
through the rewards and punishments
Judgments of the Millennial Age.
The result of the purifying influences
of that time upon the willing and
obedient will be fulI human perfection
and the reward of everlasting life in
Paradise restored-world-wi wide. under
the whole heaven. The result to the
unwilling who will resist Gods grace
and merciful provisions will be eternal
-extinction-the Second Death
Gehenna Revelation Xxx, IA. 15).
Character a Prerequisite.
The Bible. in harmony with sancti-
fed common sense. teaches that char
acter is prerequisite of Divine favor
and eternal life. Whoever is called
during this Gospel Age and fails to de-
velop character. will fail to attain the
reward of life eternal. Similarly, in
the worlds trial time. or Day of Judg-
ment. the Millennial Age, character will
be the test All the influences of the
great Kingdom of Messiah will be eX-
erciSed with view to the develop
ment of character. and only those prop
erly exercised thereby will get the re-
ward of earthly life eternal
The question properly arises here.
What kind of character will meet
with the Divine approval and be grant
ed the reward of life everlasting? We
answer that God has but one standard
which is fully set forth in the Scrip
lures. The Law of God is the stand
ard That Law standard is. Thou
shalt love the Lord. thy God. with all
thy heart. with all thy mind. with all
thy being. with all thy strength, and
thy neighbor as myself" AS our Re-
deemer testified. on these two COM
mandments hang all the Law and the
prophets; all the divine blessings and
develop the character here described.
World Actually Attsins.
The Scriptures show difference rs
between Gods dealings with tia
Church in this age and the world in
the next age, even though there be
but the one Law or standard of clar-
acter for both. During the Millennium.
d Dust wins do your