The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-05-13

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| meaning as eyer. but nave lost FhSle
ways They reject the Bible because
, they believe it to be the f0unda f0a.ot
| the various Inconsistencies in their
creeds: they are stumbling for lack of
knowledge: they cannot believe that
mans hereafter is one of centuries OF
suffering. or of eternal suffering.
Seeking the Old Paths.
The Lord, through the Prophet Jere,
miah. tells his people to Inquire for
the old paths" and this is the appro-
pirate lesson for each of us. We do,
indeed. need to discard the creeds of
the past, not because they contain
nothing Of truth, but because error
commingles in them to such a degree
as to make them perversions of truth
as a whole We need to take off the
creedal spectaces with which we have
hitherto been studying Gods Word,
and come to the Bible afresh. to hear
its message. Thus coming. many of
us have been surprised as we have
found its purity and consistency and
harmony with itself We have already
; intimated the Bible view Of mans
death sentence. and the Bible presen-
tation that Christ died for our redemp-
ton. and the Bible assurance that as
consequence, in due time 'the
knowledge Of the glory Of God shall
! fill the whole earth" We have also
! the Bible assurance that not merely
/ the living will profit by the provision
of Gods grace. but that ''all that. are
! in their graves shall come forth to
+, share in and to be blessed by the IA
vorable conditions which God viii by
and by inaugurate. '-i'.s
| The Bible declares that the penalty
! for sin is being experienced by hu-
mainly at the present time-the death
Of Christ's death is sufficient for the
sins of the whole world. 1t declares
that on account of this redemption,
ultimately the resurrection of the dead
shall take place-"all that are in their
graves shall hear the voice Of the Son
of Man and come forth 1t is be-
cause of the Divine intention that
there shall be reSurrectiona of the
dead that the Bible everywhere, both
in the Old and New Testaments speaks
of those who have died. both good and
bad. as being asleep" and the prom.
Use is that They that sleep in the
dust of the earth shall awake" ~
Nor will they come forth to similar
conditions of sorrow that now sur,
round us all. On the contrary the
First Resurrection is to be composed
of the holy. the sanity. and they are
to be associated with their Redeemer
as his Bride and Consort. to assist III
delivering and restoring mankind,
Later the imperfect. who have not had
their full trial. the great mass Of man,
kind. will be brought forth that they
may learn the ways of righteousness,
that they may learn to know God. and
Jesus Christ. and in due time be up
lifted out of the conditions Of sin, and
death. Then will come the time men
toned in our text. The Herea fter for
the world. How joyful is the mes
sage. There shall be no more death,
neither sorrow. nor crying. nor dying;
for the former things have passed
away" All. how different is Gods
proposition of a general uplift Of the
worthy and their assistance back TO
perfection--to all that was lost in
Adam. How different is this from the
doctrines of demons" which have
perpleXed us, which have divided
the Church of Christ into numberless
sects and parties, and which have al
most driven us from Christ and the
Bible. iii
Life, Not Immortality. 4Iaa
Thus we see that Gods provision iIr
Christ for mankind is that each inds
vidual member of our race may yet. if
he will, attain to everlasting life
through the merit of Christ's sacrifice,
and through the operation of his King
dom. Each may attain to all that was
lost in Adam and redeemed at Cali
vary: namely, human perfection and
Edenic bleSsedness. But additionally!
note the blessings which God has pro-
vided for the Church--a spiritual bless
ing. change of nature. These are
called out now from amongst 'men:
that they might be a kind of first
fruits unto God of his creatures
Games j. 49,. These are to be a royal
priesthood associated with Christ;
now in the priestly work of sacrificing.
presenting their bodies living sacri-
fees, holy and acceptable to Cod,
which is their reasonable service And
when the sacrificing shall be finished.
they are to be joined with Christ in
the glories of his Kingdom. and share
with him in the work of blessing man
kind. These are the ''elect" who. in
Gods providence. shall by and by up
lift and bless the non-elect. These are
the ones to whom will come the prom
ised ''glory. honor and immortality"
Our Redeemer brought to light life
eternal for the world. and he also
brought TO light Immortality zfor9the
Church. Gs.4
Let us then be glad and rejoice in
the Thereafter" that God has provid-
ed. and let us search his Word more
diligently and more carefully thar
ever. that we may know the things
which God has freely given to us.
Thus we may avail ourselves; of our
present privileges and opportunities
and by and nv hear the Masters ..Well