The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-02

MS Is the VIII oil Ood Concerning
You In Christ Jesus" Il Thessalonians |
" l6).
ooO.-s-.-.-s-.--s-.-s-.-
Of God" which will be finished by the
close Of this age, but additionally the
Church herself is Scripturally termed
the mystery of God"-the Mystic
Body of Christ. For God gave Christ
to be the Head over the Church. which
is his Body" "Ye are members In
particular of the Body of Christ"
which is the Church (Ephesians /. ~,
%; Corinthians xii. "a.
During these long centuries required
for the finding Of this sanity class for
whom the Lord has been searching
with the magnet of Truth. various
false theories have sprung up and
found acceptance In the world. Que OF
these Is that God does not love the
world and has never purposed its sal
vation but that, on the contrary. he
fore-ordained and predestinated that
all except the "elect saints" should suf-
fer eternal torture. because he wished
to have 1t so. Another wrong theory
which gained acceptance was that
whilst God wishes to save the world.
he finds himself unable to do so. be-
cause handicapped by human self-will
and by the aggressiveness Of Satan,
who has blinded and deceived the vast
majority and has them completely in
his power through ignorance and su-
perstition. This theory tells us that
God loves the world. including the
heather millions. and that he longs to
have the Gospel taken to them, but
cannot do so, except through human
agency. and is disappointed and baf
fled, because those who profess to be
his people fail to raise sufficient mis-
sionary donations.
To rational minds these theories
which satisfied in the past are no
longer satisfactory; hence maay are
turned to infidelity. AS the Scriptures
say. my. people perish for lack of
knowledge" (Hosea iv. g..
The Hope of the Resurrection.
Leaving these unsatisfactory errors
or the dark ages" and going back to
the Scriptures we find their teachings
consistent; namely. that as soon as
the mystery" the Church, Is COM
pleted. the blessing of God will pro-
coed through The Christ Head and
members) to the world. As it is writ
ten, I'm thy Seed shall all the fami-
Hos Af tho rft In
mystery. be 1t known. is that the spir-
itual Seed OF Abraham" is not the
Lord Jesus only, but includes also his
MEMBERSHIP Church. AS we read,
III We be Christ's. then are ye Abra-
hams Seed. and heirs according to the
promise" Galatians ill. 29,.
According to the Scriptures the bless
ing of God will proceed through Spir-
itual Israel. Royal Priesthood"
after the order Of Melchizedec," to
natural Israel under the terms Of their
New Covenant Jeremiah XXI, 81.
During the Millennial Age under the
spiritual Kingdom of The Christ Top
Grating through the earthly Kingdom
of Israeli all nations will be instruct
ed, enlightened, blessed. Not only so,
but the merit of Christ will then be
applied also on behalf Of the thousands
of millions who have gone down into
the prison-house of death-sheol. hades
the grave. The Church will consti-
tute the First Resurrection" His
resurrection" All sharing in it will
attain life on the spirit plane like unto
the angels, but superior, far above
angels" Later during the Millennium
the world will return from the tomb.
every man In his own order" q Corin-
thians XIV, 23). And the resurrecting
process will continue with them, to the
intent that the willing and obedient
may continue to rise gradually to-
wards perfection and finally attain it;
while at the same time the earth will
be rejuvenated and become the prom
sed Paradise regained" - restored
Acts Ill. 1921.
"Givs Thanks, For He Is Good"
Looking down into the future pro.
phetically the Psalmist exciaims, In
view Of the Kingdom blessings prom.
sed to the world, 20 give thanks unto
he Lord, for he Is good. for his mercy
.ndureth forever" 1t is the mercy of
God toward us and toward all who |
iced bis mercy and who desire it that |
s the ground for thanksgiving True.
praise must come from thankful hearts. |
Ind in order to be properly thankful. |
me must see more than is now visible !
o those who have not the eye of faith |
Ind the ear OF faith and the Divine |
'eyelation respecting things to come |
But it is these very opportunities that
he Lords consecrated ones possess:
Blessed are your eyes, for they see
md your ears. for they hear" Not
'nly so. but to the extent that any
mes eyes see and his ears hear OF
he grace of God he has responsibility.
20 possess the knowledge of God and
o dis'lain 1t Is to receive the grace of
Tod in vain, wnetner mere or less Ia
vi. II.
Gods people not only give thanks
or the blessings of the future which
hey receive by faith. but additionally
hey appreciate blessings granted TO
hem in advance In the present life
nd give thanks for these. The first
+ these is the knowledge. the appre-
iatlon: OF the GOODNESS Of God in