The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-03-26
THE SONG OF THE ELECT
NEW SONG INTO NY MOUTH EVEN PRAISE UNTO

shall hear the voice of the Ion Z. man
and shall come forth"-the Church to
life resurrection, perfect and COM
plete; the world to a Judgment resur-
rection, gradual raising up under dis
ciplnes and Establishments, out OF SIN
and death to perfection and everlast-
ing life, during the Millennium; or,
refusing this favor, to be remanded 10
the Second Death everlasting de-
struction."
LEARNING TO SING THE SONG.
This song is not given in miracu-
lous manner, but must be learned, as
is intimated by the statement, NO
man could learn that Song except the
hundred and forty and four thousand.
Many indeed have learned bar or
two; some perhaps a stanza; but abil-
ity to sing the song to finish implies
such a faithfulness to God, such a
study of his Word, such relationship
| with Christ, as none can attain ex-
cept the very elect" those filled with
the spirit" All this implies patience
and perseverance. And can we Won
der that the Lord should make such
stringent regulations when we remem-
Der the high glory and honor and i'm
mortality promised to this faithful
"little flock? If we look about us we
find many willing to spend consider
able sums of money considerable time
and thought and energy to acquire the
secrets of Free Masonry, Odd Fellow
ship or other earthly institutions. or
how much more worth are 1.-The Sc
crets of the Lord" which are to go
only to those who reverence him and
who love the Lord with all their heart,
mind. soul. strength. Although the
Gospel is free in one sense OF the
word the Lord has evidently found a
! way to make it cost US something in
order to prove our love, our devotion,
our zeal.
If we have learned some of the Song
let us sing that portion; let us tell it
out to our neighbOrs and friends, as
soon as we have made sure that what
we have learned is not traditions OF
the ancients from the dark ages, but
the true Song of Moses and the Lamb,
as foretold by the apostles and the
prophets. AS we faithfully proclaim
what we have already learned and be-
come more and more imbued with the
Truth it will enable us to appreciate
to a greater extent 1.-The deep things
of God" which the natural eye hath
not seen nor ear heard, neither hath
entered into the heart of man the
things which God hath in reservation,
and hath revealed unto us by the
Spirit of his Word. Il Cor. 2:9, 100
The learning of the Song is thus a
! progressive work which belongs to
this, our day. Let us. therefore. go ON
from grace to grace and from knOwl-
edge to knowledge!
"LOVE THE PRINCIPAL THING"
We have intimated that knowledge
will be mark of Divine favor in this
time, and so various Scriptures de-
clare, "Ye, brethren, are not i'm dark
ness, that that day should overtake
you as thief" Il Thess. 5:4) Again
speaking of the present time the Lord
declares, None of the wicked shall un-
derstand, but the wise shall under
stand"-not the wise of this world S
wisdom, but the foolish in the world s
estimation, who are wise toward God.
! seeking first, chiefly. q share in the
| King dom of Gods dear Son.
In, identally, however, let us remem-
| Der that if our knowledge Outstrip our
love we will be in danger The Spirit
| of the Lord, Love, is the principal
! thing. Those who love the Lord SUI
premely, more than they love houses
| or lands, parents or children, sisters
| or brothers, or self, will find them
selves in that attitude of heart in
| which every item of knowledge will be
! a blessing and an aid; but those with
out this degree of love will find them
selves caring mainly for the things OF
| this present life, rather than for the
| will of God, and will thus be left with
out this Song of the Morning and its
| evidence of their faithfulness to the
| great KiLs and to his Word.
| Not so much are great intellectual
| powers necessary to the learning OF
| this Song, but chiefly the character OF
love, meekness, teachableness, faith,
by which the soul is enabled to come
| into close fellowship with the Lord
and to drink into the spirit, as well as
! the letter, of his Word. Nor are great
talents and pulpit opportunities neces-
sary to the singing of this Song OF
! Moses and the Lamb. 1t can be sung
with melody in the heart and can be
brought to the attention of others
through the printed page. Hence, to
| know the Song and not to sing it, to
understand the good tidingS and not to
| proclaim them, would mean fear or
shame or lack of zeal, any of which
would be quite sufficient reasons for
losing knowledge of the Song. The
Lord is seeking for ''overcomers," fol
those who are not ashamed of him and
of his Word. He declares that those
who are ashamed of him, he will be
ashamed of and not confess them be-
fore the Father and the holy angels,
! UnsI~ss SaIaa -nn aann Grs4,.4