The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-08
PULPIT.
Gods Pronlise
Text, THE Blessing Of the
Lord, 1t Maketh Rich; and He
Addeth No Sorrow Herewith"
proverbs x, 22).

Divine favor during this Gospel Age
and lifted from relationship to the
world and transformed into saints.
1t is true enough that the Bible
teaches that God has a special reward
for those who love him Supremacy
more than self, houses, lands or any
other creature. True it is, indeed, that
he has for these exceeding great and
precious blessings; but it is quite un-
! true, as it would be quite ungodly, that
our Creator should either by predes-
tination or through lack of foreknowl-
edge or for any other reason consign
our race as whole, either to centuries
of suffering in Purgatory, as some de-
clare, or still worse, as others affirm,
everlasting sufferings.
The Blessing of the Lord.
Having considered the Divine ex-
PLANTATION Of the curse Of sin and death
upon the world, and having found it
true to all the circumstances and facts,
let us now with confidence turn to the
same record, the Bible, for an explana-
ton of what blessings God has in res
ervation for the saints, and also for
the world in general. "The blessing
of the Lord, it maketh rich"
The blessing of the Lord has, to some
extent, come to the Church, but it is
a blessing receivable only by faith. 1t
is not the real blessing, but, as the
Scriptures declare, a foretaste, "an
earnest of the coming Inheritance or
blessing. This foretaste is very pre-
cious to all Of the Lords saints, CIV
ing them feast and joy and comfort
under the most trying circumstances
of the present life. 1t is indeed 1.-THE
peace Of God, which passeth all under
standing" which rules in their hearts,
as st. Paul said to the "little flock" Of
144,0OO, who are named in the Scrip
lures as the very elect" the Ecclesia.
"the Church Of Christ, which is his
Body" These believers in Gods prom
ises and arrangements for the bless
ing of humanity through the merit Of
Christ's death and by the power of the
Millennial Kingdom may rejoice there
in in advance. 1t is not the intima-
ton, however, that the Church shall
keep the restitution privileges. They
are credited to them so that they may
have something to ''offer," something
to sacrifice" By faith they receive
earthly rights and restitution blessings
and privileges, as Gods gift through
the Lord Jesus. By faith they make a
sacrifice or surrender of those rights
to the divine nature and to joint-heir-
ship with Christ their Lord and Re-
deemer in his Millennial Kingdom. BY
ting Of the holy Spirit. They are con-
tent, not satisfied. They rejoice, though
oft it be in tribulation. Their assur-
ance is that present tribulations are
working patience, experience, hope,
and preparing them for the actual
"glories which God hath in reserva-
ton for those that love him." Like
the Apostle, they hope for the actual
salvation or deliverance, "the blessing
of the Lord which maketh rich" at
the coming of our Lord when the
saints shall be united to him most pre-
ciously, as represented by the Scrip
tural figure of a Bride united to a
Bridegroom The marriage of the
Lamb will come, for his wife will have
made herself ready Revelation xix, 2.
Let us glance backward and note
the earliest reference Of the Scriptures
the earliest God-given intimations Of
coming blessings.
Q) Shortly after the fall the Lord de-
clared that ultimately the seed Of the
woman cher posterity) would bruise
the serpent's head-would utterly de-
stroy sin, would triumph over sin and
Satan.
(2) Later on Enoch prophesied that
Messiah would come, and grant the
world a fresh trial for life or death
Jude 14. The original trial or judg
ment, for life or death, was through
the one man Adam; and his failure
and its penalty affected the condemna-
ton Of his entire race, because all are
imperfect and hence sinners. The
promise of a Messiah, and that he
would grant the world a. fresh trial
was indeed rainbow Of hope to those
who could receive it.
81 1t was not until Abraham'S time
that God really definitely outlined the
channel Of the blessing which he pro-
posed ultimately to give to the race,
"the blessing Of the Lord, which
maketh rich" Let us examine this
prophetic outline Of coming blessing.
The promise made to Abraham was
this, 'In thee and in thy seed shall all
the families of the earth be blessed"
Here we have something definite,
something tangible. This promise was
renewed to Isaac. also to Jacob and,
later on at Jacobs death, it passed to
all Of his posterity, the nation of Is
rael. In due time, in fulfillment OF
this promise, Moses, as it's mediator,
instituted the Law Covenant between
God and Israel Under that Covenant
1t was stipulated that In order to In
herit eternal life and all the blessing
which Adam possessed and lost, and
In order to inherit the promise made
to Abraham of the privilege Of bless
Ing all the families Of the earth, the
Divine Law must be kept inviolate.
God must be loved with all the heart,
mind, soul, strength, and the neighbor
must be loved as ones self. Moses as
mediator Of that Covenant might rem
Ter every assistance he was capable of