The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-31


gathered. Their test is their willing
ness to lay down their lives in the
Lords service-in the service of the
Truth and in the service of the breth-
rem. In doing this they are sacrificing
with Jesus; as the Apostle suggests, Il
beseech you, therefore, brethren. by
the mercies of God, that We present
your bodies living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service Romans xii. II.
This sacrifice of Christ's members" is
counted in as part and parcel of the
sacrifice of Christ. When this slcrilic-
ing shall be finished it will mean that
the merit of Christ's sacrifice at Cal
vary appropriated to the Church will
have been laid down again-returned
10 the credit of the Redeemer. Then.
at the conclusion of this Age. when the
last member of the Body" has suf-
fered with him and been glorified. the
great High Priest will apply the blood
afresh-not again for his members and
the household of faith. however, but
for the world, as the type clearly
shows.
1.-THE Riches of His Grace"
Glance backward now, and see the
unfoldings of the Divine Plan: The
Babe Of Bethlehem; the Man of Sor.
High Priest and Advocate; the appro-
priation of his merit to the Church;
the joy of forgiveness of sins and rec
onciliation to God experienced by all
believers; their instruction in the
School Of Christ; their testing and
proving by trials and difficulties; and
finally. their gloritcation with their
Lord in the Millennial Kingdom. In
turn, the glorious Prophet. Priest. Me-
diator. King, Head and members"
complete. will institute the Millennial
Kingdom reign of righteousness for
the blessing of the world. Applying
his merit for the world and using il
also to seal the New Covenant. he
opens up the way whereby all then
living may become reconciled to God
may be blessed with restitution to full
perfection of mind and morals and
physique-and have back again the
Paradise. lost by sin but redeemed at
Calvary.
The Savior purposes. in harmony
with the Divine Program. that not
merely the members Of the race liv-
ing at the time of his Second Com
ing and the establishment Of his
Kingdom shall be blessed by Gods
great Christmas Gift, but additionally.
every member Of Adams race. Hence
the arrangement is. as the Master tells
us, "All that are in their graves shall
hear the voice of the Son of man and
come FORTH
The "OvercomerS'' Of this time of
evil, having passed their trial. will
come forth perfected in life-the
Church on the Spirit plane, being the
''first fruits" The remainder of man
kind, unapproved of God, shall come
forth unto resurrection of crisis
trial. judgment. testing. They will come
forth that it may be testified to them
in that, their due time-that Christ
died for their sins and that redemption
through his blood has been provided
for them and for all Of Adams race.
During that thousand years of trial
they must either accept Gods grace
and cooperate in their advance to per-
lection or be destroyed in the Second
Death as unworthy Of any further Di-
vine favor and blessing.
"Great Joy Unto All People,"
Truly, dear friends. we are begin
ming to understand the message sent
us through the angel when our Savior
was born. The message is not, Fear
greatly; | bring you bad tidings of
eternal torment and misery for all peo-
pie. 1t is the very reverse of this,
namely, Fear not; bring you good
tidings Of great joy which shall be
unto all people," The joy has not
been to all people as yet Even the
only about one in ten of earths popu-
lation thus far And what did reach
them was generally a very unsatisfac-
tory, unreasonable message of damna.
ton and great misery. AS we have
just seen, however, the great Plan Of
the Ages is rolling onward towards
completion. and it's progress at every
stage makes for fresh blessings and
fresh revelations of the glorious things
which God purposed in himself from
before the foundation Of the world
Truly the Scriptures say, AS the heav-
ems are higher than the earth. so are
Gods ways higher than mans ways
and his thoughts higher than mans
thoughts isaiah ". o..
Thankful and faithful we should be,
for the further knowledge Of Gods
great Plan, which now is streaming
forth from his Word for the blessing
of all whose eyes of understanding
and ears of faith are open. We are
truly thankful that our friends and
neighbors are not in everlasting tor
ture, but, ON the contrary, waiting for
the glorious Millennial morning and
its blood-bought opportunity of resti-
tuition (Acts iii. 1920. We are thank
full, too, that in Gods providence we
have been called to be members" of
the Body of Christ, to share in his
sufferings and in his glorious reign
and work of the future. 1t is possible
for those who thus see the real value
Of Christmas Day to be a thousand
fold more happy and more grateful to
God than others could be. In turn