Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-05-21
GREAI WHlTSUNTIDE SERMON
Al ALBERT MEMORIAL
HALL

snip. but none could he received hi,
full SOnship and iOint-helrship witt
Christ, until first their sins had bppl
cancelled Then they could bp accept
ed IN Christ on the terms which tn,
Father has appointed
Those very disciples who received
the blessing in the upper room on Pen
tecoSt, had forSaken sin. had hpcOmt
Jesus disciples. had made fun conSe,
Grafton Of All their earthly hopes and M
leresis. had been accepted 10y the Lord
Jesus, and he had put his Spirit uput
them. enabling them To do mauy mighty
works IN his name However il was
anp thing to do mighty works through
his spirit, or power. and another mat.
ter to possess thar spirit Inherently
to act directly as agents OF Divine fa.
vor instead of indirectly. Il lis in har.
mony with this thought that we read
that after our Lord brputhpd upon
them the holy Spirit. symbolically i'm.
, parting his. Spirit. aud commissioning
them as his representatives to preach
the Gospel, he told them. nevertheless.
to tarry at Jerusalem until they were
endued With power-the holy Spirit
until the Father should recognize them
directly as his ministers and ambassa-
| doris.
From the standpoint of Divine JUS
tice, the Apostles aud believers were
still under the sentence of death as
sinners at the time of our Lords death,
at the time of his resurrection, at the
time of his ascension Then he said
to them. lit is expedient for you that |
go away, for if go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you"
(John xvi, u. After the forty days,
invisibly present with his disciples.
except on few occasions for few
moments each. our Lord aScended. and
after ten days the holy Spirit from
the Father came upon the waiting
household of faith Ii evidenced to
them the fact that their sins had been
forgiven for ChriSts sake. that they
were justified freely from all things
through his sacrifice. and that their
conservation TO sacrifice themselves
mad been accepted of the Father, and
that nenreforth they might count
themselves as "jOinl- -sacriticers with
Christ" members of his Body" men,
berS of 1.-THE Church OF the First-born
whose names are written in heaven"
members OF the "Seed of Abraham"
tGalatianS Iii, 20.
Keys of the Kingdom.
The Master in speaking to st. Peter
assured him that to him were commit
ted the Keys of the Kingdom of Heav-
en-. which signiiipd that the way into
the Kingdom at that time had not yet
been opened. and thar Peter would be
honored by being the Lords servant
to do the opening work. There were
two of these keys" and therefore
there were two opening works to be
accomplished.
The Church. under Christ her Lord,
is Gods kingdom. not yet set up or es-
tabished "in power and great glory
not yet finished or inaugurated. The
work of this Gospel Age is to "call"
or invite such as have hearing ear to
become joint-heirs in this Kingdom.
for which he taught us to pray. Thy
Kingdom come. thy will be done on
earth as II is done in, heaven" SO
many as genuinely accept this heav-
enly calling. this high calling to glo-
ry. honor and immortality. are proba-
tiOnary members of the Kingdom of
Heaven. such are Scripturally ex-
horted to continue faithful to their
vows of conservation. and thus make
their calling and election sure to a
place in this glorious Kingdom. which
will be inaugurated al the second com
ing of Christ. But the Lord instructs
all saying. "Sit down first and count
the cost luke xiv. 2S,; but If any
man draw back. my soul shall have no
pleasure in him" tHpbrews Y. 3Sl.
All who are Ihus spirit-begotte (by
the holy Spirit. John /. 49, during this
age are promised a spirit birth. 70
spirit-being In the resurrection. We
read. 1T Is sOwn in cOrruption: il is
raised in interruption: II is sown In
dishonor: il is raised in glory: 1t is
S0wn IN weakness: IL is raised In pow
er: II is sown an animal body; it is
raised a spiritual body. For this
say. brethren that flesh aud blood
cannot inherit The Kingdom OF God;
neither doIh corruption Inherit incOr
ruption" q Corinthians XIV. 42-44. 50,
The entire prrIud between the first adj
veuI and he SECOND advent of our Re
deempr Is sci apart in the Divine Pro
gram for this great work of selecting
FROM amongst men The little flock.
such as shall he counted worthy OF
these hOnors on the spirit plane. and
the privilege of participating with Mes
siah in his great work Of the next age
To the Jew First.
Only Jews received the PentecosJal
blessing The Gentiles were excluded
for three and half years thereafter
In harmony with a Divine promise
made 10 the Jewish narion. Then came
the time for a similar privilege 10 be
extended TO the Genriles. and the rec
ord informs US hat Cornelius was
the FIRST Gentle 10 be received into
spiritual relationship with God. He
was a good mau and had been "A good
man for years: he prayed often. and
gave much aims 20 the people. bat
until then. the middle wall Of partition