The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-04-15
PULPIT.
MOUNTAINS
SWEPT INTO
THE SEA
I'VE VIII Not Fear Though the
Mountains Be Carried Into the Midst
Of the Sea" psalm XVI, y.

J HleHl Oh tue majority OF our race. IL
/ is the lash which the Adversary fire.
! quently uses TO drive away from God
! those who need his sympathy and love
and Succor To such the Lord speaks
I tenderly saying, Come unto me, all
We that labor and are heavy laden, and
! | will give you rest And again, God
declares his name to be Love and says,
"Their fear toward me Is taught by
, the precepts of men'-not by his
| Word isaiah xxx, 49,. He would
| have us trust him as great, loving,
generous Father, saying, Like as a
! father pitieth his children. so the Lord
compassionate those who reverence
him. psalm CHI, 49,. AS love, more
! love, perfect love, comes into our
hearts it more and more casts out the
fear which the Adversary would in-
culcate and which has burned into
/ mems minds and consciences the
doctrines of devils" TO which the
Apostle refers Il Timothy iv, u.
Fear not their fear, neither be
afraid" says the Lord to those who
are his people. Let the peace of God
which pasSeth all understanding rule
in your heartsr' Be faithful! Be
trustful! Accept the assurance that
"All things shall work together for
good to those who love God-to the
called ones according to his purpose"
Romans viii. 2S). This class will not
fear when the earth shall be removed
and when the mountains shall be car
ried into the midst of the sea. They
might indeed be astonished and in
trepidation if these were literal noun
tains: but they are symbolical. The
people of the Lord, under his inStruc
ton, will not be in darkness that that
day shall overtake them as a thief, al
though it will come as thief and as
a snare upon the whole world duke
xxi. 35). In the symbology of the BIZ
bic the term earth is used TO represent
the social structure, as the mountains
which constitute the backboneS of the
earth symbolic the Kingdoms of the
world supported by the social order.
As the earth represents the fiXity of
the social order, the sea represents
the restless. turbulent. dissatisfied
classes which lash against the earth
and continually seek to swallow it up.
The removal of the earth symbOlizeS
the disturbance of the social order.
The swallowing up of the mountains
in the seas represents the overwhem-
ing of some of the great kingdoms Of
the earth by the uprising of the people
in auarchistic rebellion against social
order.
1.-THE Powers That Be Ordained of
God"
The fact that the Scriptures prophet
ically describe the overwhelming of
the social order and the great govern
mentS of the earth must not be under
stood to signify that the Bible coun-
sells revolution or anarchy. On the
contrary, all of Gods people through
out the Scriptures are counseled to
live peaceably with all men. so far as
possible. They are counseled not to
use carnal weapons, not to take to the
sword for the settlement of disputes,
but rather to suffer injury. They are
ttu1lSCitu tlliI tIOI Is tic great ONeI-
Lord. and that although he is not now
ruling directly amongst men he is fully
the Master of the situation in that he
could at any time overthrow all OPP
ponents. He does not acknowledge
that his will is now done in the earth,
but tells us that it will be done by and
by and encourages us to pray and to
hope and to wait for it. He tells us
that Satan is now the Prince of this
world" by virtue of the fact that he
deceives the minds and hearts of the
majority. God would have his peo-
pie understand something of his great
Program, but he would keep this hid
den from all others; hence the impos-
sibilty Of explaining spiritual things
TO carnal mind Q Corinthians ii, 40.
"None of the wicked shall understand"
Daniel xii. 1O).
The great Creator has cOntented him
self with such supervision of human
affairs as leaves much responsibility
in human hands. He merely inter-
fereS TO raise up or to cast down on
occasions when the interest of his
Cause and Program may demand. For
, instance the case of the Pharaoh.
raised TO the throne of Egypt, in
Moses day God there raised to the
Throne q man of great determination.
and hindered from reaching the throne
other men not so favorable to the car
rying out of the Divine Purposes.
Thus. without interfering with the
free moral agency of the king. God
, used the wrath of man to praise him
and the remainder he restrained. Sim
, ilarly. God previously raised Joseph
to the Governorship Of Egypt for his
/ own purposes.
The Prophet describes the tumult Of
that day Of overwhelming trouble.
when Gods Kingdom will be estab-
! llshed. saying of the sea that will
swallow up the mountains. THE wa
ters roar and be troubled; the noun
tains shake with the swelling thereof
psalm XVI, 81. 1t is probably true
that such socialistic and anarchistic
roarings have many times i'll the past
caused the Kingdoms of earth and
their rulers to tremble. But some day.
according to the Scriptures. the final
catastrophe will occur How near that
day may be who can tell? Quite a
good many earnest Bible students con-
cur in the thought that such climax
is indicated in the prophecies, for the
year 1915. But be the date as it may.
the fact remains. The prophecy we