The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-03-03

Satan for a thousand years that he
might deceive the people no more. the
glorious Savior. Messiah. will cause
general enlightenment Of mankind and
a fun opportunity for all. rich and
poor. great and small. To rise mp from
dust and ashes and the grave 10 the
full perfection Of human nature.
The sun of Righteousness will arise
with healing in his beams, blessing
mankind. healing their diseases. men
tai, moral and physical. and causing
! the knowledge of the Lord To fill the
whole earth. No longer will any need
| to say 10 his neighbor or his broth
en- Know thou the Lord, for all
shall know Him, from the least to the
greatest" And only tue wilfully wick
ed and disobedieDt will be cut off
from life in the Second Death-not
torture: but. as st. Paul declares,
They shall be punished with everlast-
ing distinctions"
We sec, then. that our Lords reason
for not praying for the world was that
He knew the Fathers Plan that The
this Age, but during the next. the
Kingdom Age. The Master prayed for
His own. for the class which He has
been selecting during the past nine
, teen hundred years. These are vari-
! ously called 1.-The elect" the dis
ciplcs,' His followers" members
, of His. Body" q Royal Priesthood"
the Bride" The Lambs Wife, the
''Gttle hock,' TO whom it is the Fa-
Tiers good pleasure to give the King
; dom.
Elect to Bless Nom elect.
Seeing, then, that there is a differ
ence between Gods provision for the
world, TO be dispensed in the next Age,
aud his provision for the Church to be
! given now. NE ask, What is the diff
ference between these? The answer
is that the worlds salvation is to be to
worldwide; while the elect class is a
special one called of God, chosen in
Christ and faithful in adversely and,
by the Lords grace, is to have heav.
! enly nature, like unto that of the an
gels, but superior. Theirs is ''hear-
emily calling high calling" They.
are 10 be like their Lord and Redeem
Ell and Head and Bridegroom. Jesus,
in His glorified state, FAR above an
gels and municipalities aud powers, and
every name that is named
Is this an arbitrary election? Does
God arbitrarily draw and call one
above another? Yes He thus select
ed the Jewish nation TO be His pecu-
liar nation--nOt, however, to the detri-
ment or injury of other nations. He
thus called Isaac instead of Ishmaei,
and Jacob instead Of Esau TO be the
/ prOgenitors Of His chosen nation Is
rael. whom He fOreknew as people
and predestinated to a certain service.
But this selection worked no injury to
either lshmael or Esau. Similarly
during this Gospel Age God chooses
from the world certain class and
grants them the hearing ear and the
seeing eye, and He passes by others
and gives them not this special favor.
This, however. is not TO be TO the dis
unchosen, uncalied.
! According to His Purpose.
st. Paul speaks Of the Church as
called according to His purpose" He
even tells us what the purpose is,
namely, that in Ages to come He
might show forth the exceeding riches
Of His grace in His loving kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus (Bphesians
il, -. Toward this specially called
class God will to all eternity manifest
special favor. But we are not 10 sup
pose that there is no reason for this
selection aud favor. There is reason.
1t is because Of certain intrinsic quail
ties or characteristics possessed by
this class which God is now selecting
They will all be saints" They will
all love the Lord more than they love
houses OF lands, parents or children.
self or any creature. They will all
possess the fruits and graces Of the
Holy Spirit.
Indeed, this is Gods particular pre-
destinations. st. Paul tells us that He
foreknew that He would provide His
only-begotten Son TO be the Savior Of
mankind and the Head over the
Church, and He foreknew that He
would have Church, q Royal Priest
hood under the great High Priest, IS
members of His Body. God foreknew
also the kind of Message He would
send forth and that it would be at
tractiye only 10 certain class pos
sessed OF q love for righteousness.
These only would hear His call. These
only would have the eyes of their I'M
derstanding specially opened, because
these alone would accept of His assur-
ances and make full conservation TO
His service. Such He would beget Of
His Holy Spirit, and such, in due time.
would be born of the Spirit in the res
direction and enter into the fellowship
and companionship and kingly joys of
their Master.
1t is of this special class that the
Apostle declares. Whom God did
foreknOw, these He also did predesti-
nate to be confOrmed to the likeness
! Gmagc) of His Son. Romans viii, 29,.
! That is to say. Gods predestinatioD
i was not only that He would have a
Church. but. additionally, that the
terms or conditions Of fellowship in