Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-03-28

u
greater Prophet than John the Bap-
fist. but the least in the Kingdom of
Heaven is greater than he" duke vii
2S). Large and interested audience
attended. He leaves tonight for c,
penhagen and Stockholm. Crowds
Jews are reported to have heard h
during the last three days In Vienn
Budapest. Lemberg and Krakow.
There can be no better Illustration
of the sharp line of distinction between
the earthly and the heavenly classes
and their calling than is shown by our
text, said Pastor Russell. The great
Teacher freely attested to the loyalty
and courage and saintliness of His
cousin John, as evidenced by the word,
of our text. But if so great and hon
orable Prophet, why could not JONI
be a member of the Bride class? Why
could ne not be numbered with the
disciples of Jesus and be an Apostle
or at least a footstep follower? The
answer is that be was not called tc
the heavenly plane, but to the earthly
He was honored of God in being made
one of the Prophets of the Jewish Age
the last of them. Although a differ
ent honor from that conferred upon the
Apostles. Johns was great honor and
we have reason to believe that. under
Divine providence when perfected in
the resurrection. he will appreciate the
earthly blessings and privileges which
will be his, more than the sniIit1al and
heavenly privileges bestowed uIon the
Apostles and the less prominent mem
bers of the Church.
The Lord Twill choose our inner
itance fer u.s." we read psalm Xvii. A..
Happy are those who repose implicit
confidence in Divine goodness and who
seek to obtain whatever may be Gods
choice for them If we have been
called with the heavenly calling. let us
not shrink back and declare ourselves
unworthy and decline to accept the ia
vors of God and to choose an inferior
position. Let us, rather, be glad to
say, Thy will be done in my heart. in
my life. in all my future. Order Thou
my steps in Thy Word"
A Friend of the Bridegroom.
Jesus had a two-fold mission
a. He came that the world through
Him might be saved" that He might
give Himself "a ransom for all. to be
testified in due time" q Timothy Ii, g..
C2) Incidentally His mission was to
proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord-the time in which God is willing
to accept the sacrifices of such as desire
to walk in the Redeemer's footsteps,
and to constitute these the Bride and
Joint-heir of Messiah.
John the Baptist referred to the lat
ter feature of our Lords work, saying,
He that hath the Bride is the Bride
groom, but the friend of the Bride
groom heareth His voice and rejoiceth
greatly. This. my joy. therefore, is
fulfilled John iii, 29,. 1t was not for
him to be member of the Bride, but
he rejoiced to be a friend of the Bride
groom. AS our Lords forerunner be
announced the Bridegroom; he called
upon the nation of Israel to turn from
sin, to purify their hearts. to come
back into harmony with God and thus
to be prepared to receive the Bride
groom and to become the Bride. So
far as the nation was concerned Johns
mission was failure, as God had fore
known and foretold. But so far as
the Bride class was concerned Johns
mission was a success, for, as the
Scriptures intimate, those who believ-
ed Johns testimony accepted Jesus
and He accepted them
Greatest In the Kingdom.
We must remember that the Church
is the Kingdom of God-now in a
formative or embryotic state. but in
the end. by "the resurrection" to be
spirit beings and partakers with Je
sus, their Bridegroom. in His wonder
full glory, honor, Immortality and
Kingdom work. This Kingdom class
is not reigning now. but merely form
ing. 1t is joined ION probation" after
the Methodist style. If the probation
airy period of the present life be faith
fully used. the full induction into the
Kingdom. its glories, honors and i'm
mortality, win surely follow-by par
ticipation in the First Resurrection.
Amongst the faithful followers of
the Master there will be differences.
as St Paul explains. las one star
differeth from another star In glory"
II Corinthians XIV, All. We cannot
know, and II Is not necessary for
us to guess. who shall occupy the
chief places in the Kingdom. These
shall be given to those whom the Fa-
Their prefers. as the Redeemer explain
ed TO the woman who asked that her
two sons might sit. one on His right
hand and the ether on His left hand
In the Kingdom Matthew XXX. 2n.
II we were to guess who shall be