The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-03-12
THE MY sTERY OF THE CROSS.

Comparatively few of the hundreds of
thousands of those who have named the
name of Christ, and who have come under
various denominational yokes, have any
knowledge of the Mystery of the Cross of
Christ, the Mystery of the Gospel, 1.-The
Mystery which hath been hid from ages
and generations, but now is made mani
fest to his saints" Col :26) Alas, the
majority seem content to have merely
a name" to live and to wish merely to
be called Christians and to wear jeweled
cross. 1t is but the few of those who have
tasted that the Lord is gracious and have
felt an earnest desire to know and to do
the Fathers will atthe cost ofself-sacrifce.
With the majority the intimation that a
certain course in life is the marrow
way" the way of the Cross, is sufficient
to turn them in an opposite direction;
for while they would like to share the
heavenly glorieS and honors of the Lord,
they are unwilling to be sharers in his
ignominy, sufferings and death. These,
without relinquishing their desire for
righteousness, are disinclined to go to
such lengths as the Master and the
apostles taught and exemplifed. Hence,
they are not interested in the "deep
things" of Gods Word, but merely in
the more superficial. in the language OF
the Scriptures, they are willing to say,
ave will eat our own bread, and wear
our own apparel; only let us be called
by thy name, to take away our reproach."
lisa. Al
However, inside and outside of all
denominations we may expect to find
the Lords "little flock" following in his
footsteps through evil report and through
good report, singing anC making melody
in their hearts unto the Lord for the
privilege granted them of having fell
lowship with Christ in his sufferings, in
prospect of the fellowship in his glory
which will soon be theirs So far from the
preaching of the Cross being failure it
is great success in this particular work
which the Lord intends 1t has served to
attract the loyal-hearted and to repel all
others. 1t is of this Gospel of the Cross of
Christ that the Apostle says, at is a
SAVIOUR of life unto life, or of death unto
death. - Cor. 2:l6.
The Mystery of the Cross, then, is
that it is the Divine purpose that the
Lord Jesus should be the Head or Chief
Priest and that during this Gospel Age
God would draw out from amongst this
world and sanity to himself through the
merits of Jesus sacrifice an Under
Priesthood. who as members of the
Body of Christ" would delight "to fill
up that which is behind of the Affections
of Christ. Col. | "a
So. then, be it understood, the great
Christ, foreknown of the Father and
ordained to be the Worlds Deliverer
during the Millennial Age, is primarily
our Lord Jesus the Head, and secondarily
the members of the Body, the saint" "
of the Gospel Age, Members in particu-
lar of the Body of Christ" Thus seen
there is good reason, very particular
reason, why the Millennial Restitution
work for the world did not begin i'm
mediately after our Lords resurrection.
The interim of time was set apart for the
selection of the members of his Body,
elsewhere spoken of as the betrothed
Church, which at our Lords Second
Coming, will become "the Bride"
"the Lambs Wife," and Joint
in the Kingdom with the heavenly
Bridegroom