The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-21
Great Whitsuntide sermon at AL
bert Memorial Hall.

John and others of the prophets pre-
ceding him. enter in and enjoy this
gospel favor? We answer in the Ian
guage of st. Paul, "God having provid-
| ed some better things for us, that they
without US should not be made per
feet" (Hebrews Xi, 40) Our Creator
has great gifts to dispense to our race
through the Redeemer, and it is for
him to determine the times and the
! seasons for the dispensing of these
| blessings, and to whom they shall go.
| According to the divine arrangement,
| the Redeemer had first to die as mans
Ransom-Price, before any of the race
| could come back into full relationship
with the Creator. 1t is true that
by faith Abraham and others of
| the past did enjoy certain of Gods
favors, and much of his fellow
ship, but none could be received into
full sonship and joint heirship with
Christ, until first their sins had been
Cancelled. Then they could be accepted
in Christ on the terms which the
Father has appointed.
Those very disciples who received
| the blessings in the upper room on Pen
tecost, had forsaken sin, had become
Jesus disciples, had made full conse-
Grafton of all their earthly hopes and
interests, and been accepted by the
Lord Jesus. and he had put his spirit
upon them, enabling them to do many
mighty works in his name. However,
| it was one thing to do mighty works
through his spirit or power, and an
other matter to possess that spirit in
herently-to act directly as agents of
divine favor instead of indirectly. 1t
| is in harmony with this thought that
we read that after our Lord breathed
upon them the holy spirit. symbolical-
| ly imparting his spirit and commits
| sioning them as his representatives to
preach the gospel. he told them new
ertheless, to tarry at Jerusalem until
they were endued with power-the
holy spirit-until the Father should
recognize them directly as his minis
| tiers and ambassadors.
From the standpoint of divine JUS
tice, the apostles and 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, 1T is expedient for you that I
go away, for if L go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you"
| (John xvi, -. After the forty days,
| invisibly present with his disciples,
except on a few occasions for few
moments each, our Lord assembled, and
after ten days the holy spirit from
the Father came upon the waiting
| household of faith. 1t evidenced to
| them the fact that their sins had been
| forgiven for Christ's sake that they
| were justified freely from all things
through his sacrifice, and that their
conservation to sacrifice themselves
| had been accepted of the Father, and
that henceforth they might count
| themselves as Joint sacrificers with
| Christ" members of his Body" mem
bers of ''the Church of the First-born,
whose names are written in heaven"
members of the "Seed of Abraham
| Galatians 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 signified that the way into
| the kingdom at that time had not yet
been opened, and that 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 vet set up OF es-
| tablished ''in power and great glory
not yet finished or inaugurated. The
work of this gospel age is to "call"
or invite such as have a 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 it is done in heaven" So
many as genuinely accept this heav-
| emily calling. this thigh calling to glo-
nv honor and Immortality. are proba-
| tionary members of the kingdom of
horted to continue faithful to their
vows of conservation, and thus make
| their calling and election sure to a
place in that glorious Kingdom. which
| will be inaugurated at the second com
| ing of Christ But the Lord instrpcts
ali 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" (Hebrews X. $50.
All who are thus spirit begotten (by