Evening journal., 1910-07-16

lAOm GOus anu tudi IN lnt ltiioiHlihk /
OF miracles, and particularly in his |
teachings. he was the finger of God /
and his mouth-piece John the Baptist |
was sent to be his special fore-runner. |
Il was he that declared that Jesus was /
the Lamb Of God which taketh away |
the sin Of the world" II was he that |
declareth that the Master was so much |
greater than himself that he was not |
worthy to stoop down and loose the !
Masters sandals.
But after John had borne him Wit
ness, testifying, This is he and had
declared that he saw the holy Spirit
descending upon Jesus like a dove, and
that this was a sign given him where
by he might know his Messiahship,
then came the time for the Master to
bring the matter pointedly TO the at
tention of his followers. John had been
cast into prison and later had been be-
headed. Johns prophetic testimony
was fulfilled. when he said of Jesus,
He must increase, but / must de-
crease" The mission of Jesus and his
Apostles became more prominent
every day. and those who had former
ly talked about John we're now asking
/ respecting Jesus, whether he was
prophet sent of God, or whether he
was the Messiah. Do the rulers indeed
know whether this is the Messiah or
not? Surely mo man could do the
miracles which he doeth unless God be
with him" In some special manner.
Our Lord first inquired respecting
the general opinion of the people con-
cerning himself. He did this, not be-
cause of his own ignorance, but that
he might draw out the thoughts Of his
| Hfrrfn1nu -nhar ronlfnn that
thought he was John the Baptist;
others supposed he was one of the
prophets. The ideas of the heather
were gradually making inroads upon
the Jews. The doctrine Of reincarna-
ton. wholly unscriptural is suggested
in these answers. All the answers, Of
course. were wrong. for the prophets
were all dead and could not reappear
until the resurrection. Then our Lord
pOintedly put the question TO his chos-
en- followers Who do ye say that /
ann" The courageous St. Peter
promptly answered as spokesman for
the whole company. Thou art the
Christ (Messiah), the Son Of the living
God" This was the very answer de-
signed to be brought forth. IL was
the truth. but our Lord hesitated to
present II, because IL would better
come from the disciples themselves
and then have his endorsement. His
answer to st. Peter was blessed art
thou Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and
blood hath not revealed IL unto thee
but my Father which is in heaven
~ It was not that ST. Peter had expert.
enced a special vision or revelation
but such a great spiritual fact as wa'
then under consideration, at that tim'
could be appreciated only by thos
who were specially favored Of tn
Father. Indeed. it is evident that tn
same principle still operates, for W
read, mo man can come unto me
except the Father which sent me dra'
: him" Our primary drawing and cal
\ ing is Of the Father up to the tim
d when we accept his grace in Chris
s and make our consecration to do hi
6 will and receive the spirit of adoptio
8 into his family as Gods children; "
: are then put into the school of Chris
to learn Of him Let US learn the les
son that the special blessings alway
come, not only from believing
Christ. but also from confessing
l. and before others.
l. According 10 the Greek. our Lor
n replied 10 Peter. Thou art a ston'
If and upon this rock will ! build m
is Church" The rock upon which tn
g Church is built is this confessio
d which St. Peter made. ST. Peter him
l. self vas not the rock, but he was on
e of the living stones built by faith upo
n the rock of truth II was this sam
Ie Apostle who so beautifully explaine
,e the whole matter. assuring US tha
l. all consecrated believers are livin
stones" i'm the temple of God. who's
e.. u aN4 80
whom we are builded together throug
p the operation of the holy Spirit
If Peter 2:4-7
1t The expression Upon this rock
will build my Church and the gates q
=" hell (hades) shall not prevail agains
n It." is one that is much misunderstood
ir The gates of hell are not gates to som
ie place of torture. nor gates to purgs
q tory They are. in the Greek. gates @
r. hades." and hades signifies a state O
10 condition Of death. The passage Nigh
D. well be translated, The gates of tn
le grave shall not prevail against Il.
70 That is to say, Christ Jesus invites th
Church to die with him, to share
); his sacrifice, in his death and while
g. apparently, the gates1of hades hav
o, prevailed against the Church, agains
" Gods people, for more than eightee
Mt centuries, nevertheless, we have tn
B. assurance that they shall not foreve
r prevail The Masters assurance is ths
." by his death he has become Lord {
n all and has the keys of death an
hades. He has the right to open hade
the tomb and to call forth all VIII
have gone down into it. He assures U
+. that he will do this, as be says, A
he that are I'm their graves shall hea
ce the voice of the Son of man and sha
n come forth"
IS Nevertheless, for all these centuriS
n it has required faith to believe tina
& by dying with Christ, his follower
at shall yet live with him-that sharin
sll with him in his death they shall "
lit share with him in his resurrection
the glory, honor and Immortality
the Divine nature. So. then, our Lord
words mean that there will be resu
ch rection from the grave, and since u
es Church is to be "a kind Of first frui
o. unto God of his creatures (Jam'
Id 1:1S; Revelation 14:4), her resurre
tion means, indirectly, this result u
. uplifting of mankind, the opening
. the grave TO every member of the h
l. man family.
The giving Of the keys" Of Il
Kingdom to St Peter has no feferen
to locks and bars of heaven, ov
which st. Peter is the custodian. I'll
Church in the presnt time is the Kin
dom of Heaven in its preparatory
III en,hrvofic state and ST Peter W