The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-02-28

set up His Kingdom in power and
great glory; after He shall have bound
Satan for n thousand years that he
might deceive the people no more, the
glorious Savior. Messi4h, will cause a
general enlightenment of mankind and
full opportunity for all, rich and
poor, great and small, to rise up from
dust and ashes and the grave to 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 to his neighbor or his BROTH
er. "Know thou the Lord, for all
shall know Him. from the least to the
greatest" And only the wifully wick
ed and dlsobedient will be cut Off
from life in the Second Death--not
torture; but, as st. Paul declares,
'They shall be punished with everlast.
ing destruction"
We see. then, that our Lords reason
for not praying for the world was that
He knew the Fathers Plan that the
world was not to be dealt with during
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 "the elect" the dis
ciples.' "His followers" members
Of His Body" "Royal Priesthood,
the Bride" "the Lambs WIFE," the
"little flock" to whom 1t Is the Fa-
TIERS good pleasure to give the King
dom.
Elect to Bless Non elect.
Seeing, then. that there is a differ
ence between Gods provision for the
world, to be dispensed In the next Age,
! and his provision for the Church to be
given now. We ask. What is the diff
ference between these? The answer
Is that the worlds salvation Is to be to
human nature and an earthly Paradise
world wide: 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 haze heav.
| enly nature. like unto that Of the an
gels. but superior. Theirs Is 'heav-
enly calling" high calling" They
are to be like their Lord and Redeem
er and Head and Bridegroom. Jesus.
In His gl0riiied state. "far above an
gels and prlncipalities and 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 Ishmael,
and jacob instead of Esau to be the
prOgentors of His chosen nation Is
rael, whom He foreknew as n people
and predestinated to a certain service.
But this selection worked no injury to
either Ishmael 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
advantage of the others-non- elect,
unchosen. uncalled.
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 (Ephesians
IL, y. Toward this specially called
class God viii to all eternity manifest
special favor But we are not to sup
pose that there Is no reason for this
selection and favor. There Is reason.
II 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 or lands. parents or children,
self or any creature They will all
possess the fruits and graccs Of the
Holy Spirit
Indeed, this IL Gods particular pre-
destination. st. Paul tells us that He
foreknew that He would provide His
ly-begotten Son TO be the Savior Of
mankind and the Head over the
Church. and He foreknew that He
would have n Church, Royal Priest
hood under the great High Priest, us
members of His Body. God foreknew
also the kind OF Message He would
send forth and that II would be at
tractive only TO n certain class pos
scssed of love for righteousness.
These only would hear His call. These
only would have the eyes of their un-
derstandlng specially opened, because
these alone would accept of His assur-
ances and make full consecration to
His service Such He would beEot of
His Holy Spirit, and such, In due time,
would he born of the Spirit in the res
direction ana enter into the fellowship
aud conpanionship and kingly joys of
their Master.
II Is of this special class that the
Apostle declares, Whom God did
foreinow, these He also did predesti