The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-05-21

manner Of their response to it through
out this Gospel Age determines wheth-
er "They shall be mine, saith the
Lord, in that day when I come to
make up my Jewels"
"Whom He Did Foreknow."
1t is not for us to bubble respecting
the Divine power of foreknowledge-
to question the ability of our Greater,
to have foreknown, had he chosen to
do so, and foretold every member of
the elect class. The Divine is so far
above the human that it is impossible
for the human mind to measure the
infinite or to comprehend his power.
We must merely accept the Divine
statement. However, nothing in the
Word of God tells us that we were
foreknown individually personally.
Rather the intimation is that God pre-
destinated the election of a Church,
predetermined the number of persons
who would be accepted as members Of
that Church, the Body of Christ, pre-
determined what characters they must
have and what tests Of character
would be necessary to demonstrate
their loyalty and to prove the indi-
vidual worthy place in the fore
ordained class. H#
1t is in full harmony with this that
we read that many are called to the
few who will be chosen, and that
again we are exhorted to make our
calling and our election sure" We are
assured that Faithful is he that call
eth you, who also will do lido all
that he has promised-keep his part Of
the contract. This being so, all of the
called ones have the determining of re-
suits in their own cases. God is faith
full. If they are faithful at heart to
the terms and conditions of their Cove
nant they will be of the elect-other-
wise not.
"He Also Did Predestinate."
We come now to the particular
clause Of our text which has seemed
to fOrtify the error. Them he also
did predestinate." All. say many, that
dependent upon it. God predestinated
everything. Not so, we answer. In
the past we have been prone to read
our text disconnectedly and thus doing
we have overlooked its clear teaching.
We thought of it as though it read,
so. The declaration is that God pre-
destinated that all that would be of
the elect class must be copies of his Son.
The predestination of this verse re-
lates not to individuals, but to a GER
tain character which all of the elect
individuals must attain to-otherwise
they will not be of the elect.
How beautifully simple and plain
this makes it all! Nor would we ask
the matter otherwise. Just and true
are thy ways, Lord God Almighty
The great honor, the high distinction
which God proposes to confer upon
the very elect in the First Resur-
rection at the Second Coming Of Christ
is so grand that the very highest pos
sible test of character is appropriate
to those who would be granted such
honors- and Immortality. Our Lord
Jesus said to his disciples, Sit down
first and count the cost of discipleship
and if you determine that it is worth
the price, come, take up your cross
and follow me- AS a reward l prom
Use you that where 1 am there
shall my disciple be- 'To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me
In my throne"
Those who attain the character like
ness Of Christ Jesus will have the
character likeness of the Father, Of
whom the Son is the express image
and character likeness. Hence the ap-
of our Lords words, BE
ye like unto your Father which is in
heaven"
All Things Work Good.
So direct an application as we are
making Of these words may appall
some of the Lords people who have
been thinking carelessly that if they
were once in grace they would always
be in grace-if once elect they would
never fail. I desire to awaken such to
4 realization of the heights of our call
ing and of the necessity of our obedi-
ance to the terms of the calling, If we
would make our calling and our cleo
ton sure-certain. However, it is well
to remark here that the perfection to
which the called ones are exhorted is
not q perfection of the flesh, which
would be an impossibility because Of
It's natural blemishes. it's hereditary
taints and weaknesses. 1t is the heart,
the will, that the Lord is inspecting,
proving, and not the flesh. Blessed
are the pure in heart" said our Saw
Jour. And we may be sure that the
pure in heart, the pure in intention
md endeavor, will make considerable
progress in overcoming the weaknesses
If the flesh. The Lord will expect
them to prove their faith and their
oyalty by such good works as are
1oESihlp RI them in their wpa EOpSS and