The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-09-09
PULPIT.
MeSSiah'S
Coming Kingdom
Spiritual
Behold, a King shall reign in
righteousness, and princes shall rule
in judgment" Isaiah xxxii y.
der than those of their Creator.

Even the heatnen are getting awake
the inconsistency of what has been
given them under the Gospel label.
They are finding out that the word
Gospel signifies good tidings." and that
what has been preached to them is the
most awful message conceivable-that
all of the heather and the majority
of their civilized neighbors and friends
and relatives have been decreed. SEN
fenced. foreordained. to eternal tor
ture because of ignorance. because of
misbelief in respect to which they
were thoroughly honest. Perplexed,
the missionaries ask. What shall we
preach? The message of damnation
does not sound good to the heather,
and they do not run after it nor feast
their souls upon it. The question
comes to the ministers and professors
of colleges throughout Christendom
and they are perplexed what answer
to give. The majority Of them have
become higher critics" and no longer
accept the Bible as the Word of God;
they are EvolutiOnists and no longer
believe the Gospel which the Mission
airy Societies were organized to pro-
claim. They are in perplexity. And
many of them are prepared to aban-
don the former theory of missions and
to continue their work henceforth
merely along humanitarian lines. In
deed. within the last twenty-five years
missionary effort has turned gradual
ly to secular education and medical
practice in the interests of the heath
en-. with little religious doctrine-and
so much the better.
Everybody is agreed that the King
dom of Messiah cannot be brought
about by the wholesale conversion of
the world. And logical people see
that larger numbers have been lost to
Christianity in civilized lands during
the last twenty-five years than were
ever claimed TO be converted amongst
the heather. We say lost to Christian
ity, because why should anyone be
called a Christian who has lost all
faith in the Bible-in the Law. the
Prophets and the teachings of Jesus
and his Apostles? The great cloud
of bewilderment which encompasses
Christendom is realized by all earnest
Professionalism and others. And
no wonder there is a certain dread
associated with the dark cloud. What
kind of storm will result? And what
will be the effect upon the great re-
ligious systems of civilization? 1t is
to join hands against these ominous
conditions that the clergy of all de-
nominations are arousing themselves
in favor of Church Union or Fedora
ton of some sort. But the people
the people feel comparatively little
interest in the proposition. which they
will not oppose. however.
1.-THE Hour of Temptation"
REV. 8: To-
The difficulty with the present situa-
ton is that we have stupidity and blum.
deringly misread the Bible We have
twisted what we did read and picked
out certain portions which pleased
best our fancies and supported best
our various creeds. We have neglect
ed the honest. truthful study which we
should have given to our Heavenly Fa-
theirs message. The confusion of
Christendom is the result. That con-
fusion and perplexity the Scriptures
portray. assuring us that we are in the
midst of great falling away from
faith in God and in his Revelation.
We see fulfilled all about us the Won
derful prophetic and symbolic picture
of Psalm 81. A thousand fall at our
side and ten thousand at our right
hand-Only the "Israelites indeed" in
whom there is no guile. will be kept
from stumbling in this evil day. The
chaos which we already see every.
where in evidence is only beginning.
Gods Great Remedy at Hand.
The fault of Christendom has been
the rejection of the Divine Plan and
the acceptance instead Of a human
plan. The Church was going to con-
vert the world-golng to conquer the
world for Jesus and present it to him
as trophy. Alas. we have not been
able to convert ourselves, which is
the particular work the Master gave us
to do. Greater humility would have
shown us our folly long ago.
Bible Students do not need to be re-
minded that all through the Old Tes-
lament Scriptures Gods promises
abound, telling Israel and all who have
ears to hear of the glorious reign of
Messiah and Of the success of his
Kingdom and how the result will be
that every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess to the glory of God:"
of how ''all the blind eyes shall be
opened and all the deaf ears shall be
unstopped:" Of how the blessing Of the
Lord will be with Israel restored to
his favor and operate through Israel
to the blessing of all peoples. We re-
member the prophecies which picture
earthly governments and show us their
termination and the establishment Of
the Kingdom Of Heaven on their ruins
We remember the Jubilee picture re-
Deated by the Israelites every fiftieth
year, proclalmNg liberty for the peo.
pie and restitution of all that has been
lost through sin. and which is to be re-
stored through Messiah's Kingdom.
Bible Students know also how the
New Testament abounds with refer
ences to the Kingdom. the Kingdom.
the Kingdom. Nearly all the parallels
that our Lord gave were in illustration
of something connected with the King
dom or the class called out Of the
world to inherit the spiritual Kingdom.