River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-07-14

The Church in the present time is
the Kingdom of Heaven in its pre-
paratory or embryotic state, and st.
Peter was privileged to do the open
ing work to the Gospel Church. He
opened the door to the Jews at
Pentecost, when, as the mouthp1ece
of the Lord, he proclaimed the
meaning of the Pentecostal blessing
and the hopes then open to every
Jew coming, individually into mem
bership in Christ. He used the
second key" to open the same
kingdom privileges to the Gentiles,
in that when the due time came for
Cornelius, the first Gentle convert,
to be received, ST. Peter did the
work. By preaching to Cornelius
the Gospel and by baptizing him in
to Christ he threw open the door to
the Gentiles, as our Lord foretold
in the words of this lesson.
St. Peters commission that what
ever things he should bind on earth
should be bound in heaven and what
things he should loose on earth
she aid be loosed in heaven, is the
same that was given to the other
Apostles. (See Matthew 1879
1t does not mean, of course, that
the Lord has turned matters yer to
St. Peter and made him Lord of
heaven and earth, nor that any or
all of the Apostles were so honored.
1t simply means this: God purposes
to use his Apostles and TO so hold
up their hands, in all their affairs,
that the whole Church may have
confidence in them, and may recog-
nize their teachings as of God. If
they declared that certain of the
commandments under the Jewish
law were not binding upon Chris
tians, we must know that their
statements were true, and that,
similarly, in heaven, the release or
change is recognized. And if they
bound certain doctrines and teach
ings, we must know that those are
bound and firmly established in
heaven. In other words, we must
recognize the Apostles as Gods in
herent mouthpieces.
The time for proclaiming Jesus
as the Messiah did not come until
after his death and resurrection.
Indeed his Messiahship properly
dates from his resurrection. He
desired his disciples to recognize
him properly, and he explained to
them about his approaching death
and resurrection, but he did not
wish them to proclaim this to the
world until the due time. St. Peter,
perhaps elated with the Lords COM
mendation of his previous speech,
undertook now the role of teacher to
the one whom he had just acknow-
lodged as the Messiah. In this he
erred. 1t was in sym pathy that he
urged that the Master should not
think of any steps which lead to
suffering and death, but should
rather of prosperity and earthly
favor, yet our Lords reproof was
pointed. He said: You are my ad
versary, Peter, when you thus speak
to me. You will thus endeavor to
dissuade me from doing my Fathers
will, to hinder me from drinking
the cup which my Father has poured
for me; your counsel is that COM
mon to the world and not of God.
Similarly, the followers of Jesus
sometimes need to resist their
friends, who thus offer counsel con-
trary to Divine will and word and
providence. These should not be
encouraged nor their advice fol-
lowed. They need correction from
their fellow disciples, as did ST.
Peter.
The words of Peter furnished the
Master an opportunity for calling
the attention of his followers to the
terms Of discipleship. Not only
must the Master himself suffer, but
all his followers likewise. This
course was provided for every one,
and whoever would flee from it
would lose the eternal life hoped
for. Whoever would take up his
cross and follow the Master to death
would thereby make sure of his
share in eternal life on the heavenly
plane. His disciples had already
pledged their earthly lives, and for
them to withhold them for worldly
advantage, would mean that they
would lose their souls, their lives.
This is not true of the world in gen
eral, but merely of the Church,
called to be of the elect, Royal
Priesthood.
He then assured them of his
second coming, when he would