The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-10-06
the Biple lays down as conditions TOE


in mind that all except the Church
would be eternally tormented, we
have all shrunk from making any rea-
sonable application Of the Scriptural
texts regarding saintship. discipleship.
the becoming members Of the Church
of the Firstborn. This was partly be-
cause Of fear for ourselves. lest I'VE
might not come up to the standard Of
saintship. but especially was 1t be
cause Of our realization that the great
mass Of humanity in Christendom. as
well as In heather lands, came far
short Of the terms of discipleshfp laid
down in Gods Word. To-day the mat
ter comes close home to US all. for we
realize that many who were very near
and dear to US hare died outside Of
the nominal church, and far outside
the special line Of conditions which
marked the Church Of the First-born.
Amongst other texts cited by the
Pastor as showing the exclusive and
high standard of the elect Church. we
note the following: "If any man will
be My disciple, let him take up his
cross and follow me; and where l am
there shall My disciple be also:'' ITO
him that overcometh will grant to
cit with Me in My Throne" "Strait
is the gate and narrow is the way
that leadeth unto life, and few there
be that ind it, duke tx. %; Matthew
vii. IA; LET us lay aside every weight
and the sin which doth so easily beset
us. and let us run with patience the
race set before u.s. Hebrews xii. u;
IF these things be in you and abound
1.-THE graces of the Holy Spirit they
will make you that We shall neither
be barren nor unfruitful in the knowl-
edge of our Lord, for so an en-
trance shall be ministered unto You
abundantly into the everlasting King
dom Of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ"'-I1 Peter. /, 8, H..
Leekins Through the Type
st. Paul informs US that all the yari-
Gus features OF the Jewish Law were
types Of still higher, still better
things. In our text the expression.
Church of the First-born,' has ref
erence to a type instituted in the very
beginning Of Israers history, when
God brought that people, by the hand
Of Moses, the Mediator of the Law
Covenant, out of the land Of Egypt.
To this type the Apostle refers in his
expression, '"The Church Of the First
born" The entire nation of Israel,
twelve tribes. God had separated from
the other nations to represent those
who would be blessing to all other
nations, under the Abrahamic Cove
nant Gods oath to Abraham was:
I'm thy Seed shall all the families Of
the earth be blessed"
Pharaoh, King Of Egypt. was hold.
ing back the nation from going into
Palestine, the Land Of Promise. One
chastisement after another failed to
move him to submission until finally
an intense calamity availed. The
tenth plague was the shifting Of the
frst-born Of Egypt, while the Israel
ties were protected, thus showing Di-
vine interest in and care over Israel.
Their flrst-born were miraculously pre-
y
OF the Firstborn. The true Church
Of Christ are not all that will be saved.
in the Divine Program, but merely. as
st. James says, These are kind of
first-fruits unto God Of His creatures
Games i, Is: Revelation xiv. ~. The
afterfruits will come in due time.
under the further development of the
Divine Plan of the Ages-as the result
of Messiah's reign Of a thousand
years.
Some time after their deliverance
from Egypt. by Divine direction. the
first-borns Of all the families and tribes
of Israel were exchanged, person by
person, for the one tribe of Levi. The
Levites thereafter represented the
First-born Of the Church-they alone
represented the frst-borns Of Israel
passed over in that night. Subsequent
ly the tribe Of Levi became the in
structors Of the nation in religious mat
tiers and from them was chosen one
family for the Priesthood-Aaron and
his sons.
The Scripturai picture is plain. In
the antitype we are still in the night OF
passing over. Soon the Morning Of the
New Dispense ton, under Messiah's
reign, will begin, and all DESTROYS of
serving God and having His blessings
will be delivered from the depressing
power Of Satan and his hosts. typifled
by Pharaoh and his army. God in
tends to deliver the whole world from
Satan's power. Satan shall be bound
for thousand years. during Messiah's
reign. and is ultimately to be destroy
ed, and the people of God-all who de-
sire to worship the Lord and to enter
into the glorious Land of Promise
will be led forth. The first-born Of
these is the Church of this Gospel Age,
which will be associated with Christ
in His heavenly Kingdom-'the Church
Of the Ffrst-borns, whose names are
written In heaven"
Priests and levitss AntitypieaI
The entire tribe of Levi was specially
cOnsecrated to the Lord. and specially
separate from the other tribes and was
given no inheritance in the land. Thus
the entire Church Of Christ are begot-
ten of the Holy Spirit to superior.
heavenly nature: they will have no in
horffo N xv,;tb -. So