The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-03-27

A Friend Of the BRIDEGROOM.
Jesus had II two.fold mission:-
a. lie came "tlll the world through
| Him might he saved that He might
| give Himself ~ ransom for all. To be-
testified in due time" Il Timothy II. o..
(2I incidentally His mission was tU
proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord-lhe time i'm which God Is willing
TO accept the SuTiHces OF such MS desire
10 walk in the Redeemer's footsteps.
and to constitute these the Bride aud
Joint heir of Messiah
John the Haptisl referred To the lat.
ter feature OF Our Lords work. SAYING.
He that hath The Bride is the Bride
groom but the ftieH OF the Bride.
groom hearrth His voice and rcjoiccth
greatly. 1Iis. my joy. therefore, Is
fulfilled Llolin Ill., ~ II was not for
him 10 be member Of the Bride. hu,
lie reIOiced 10 he II friend Of the Bride
groom. AS our Lords forerunner he
announced the Bridegroom; he called
upon the nation OF Israel to turn from
sin. to purify their hearts. 10 come
back Into harmony with God and thus
to be prepared 10 receive the Bride
groom and to become the Bride. So
far az the nation was concerned Johns
mission was n failure rs God had fore
known aud foretold But so far az
the Bride class was concerned Johns
mission was a success. for. as the
Scriptures intimate. those who beley
ed JOhu's testimony accepted Jesus
and He accepted them
Greatest In the Kingdom.
We must remember that the Church
Is the Kingdom OF God now 10 "A
formative or embryOtir stare. but In
the end. by "ihe resurrection" To be
spirit beings and partakers with Je-
sns, their Bridegroom, IN His wonder
flll glory, honor. Immortality aud
Kingdom work ThlJ Kingdom class
IL not reiguing now. hut merely form
ing II Is Joined "on probation.' after
The Methodist style. lr the probation
AIRY period of the present life he faith
fully used. the fun induction Into The
Kingdom, It's puries. honUrs aud iui,
mortality. VIII surely follow by par.
licipation IN the First Resurrection
Amongst the faithful followers Of
tbe Master there win he differences
rs 81 Paul explains, "as one star
dirrereth from another star IN glory"
u Corinthians XIV, Al. We cannot
know. and II ls not necessary fh
as 10 guess. who shall occupy III,
chief places IN the Kingdom. ,TleS'
shall he given To those whom the Fn
ther prefers. rs the Redeemer explain
ed 10 the woman who asked that he
hand aud the other on His left hlnc
In the Kingdom Matthew Xxx. 2D.
III we were 10 guess who shall b,
closest In position to the Master we
would suppose that ST. Paul would he
first, with ST. John, st. Peter and ST.
James near by In glorious excellence
And yet we know not how nearly up
to the Apostolic standard some may
be who have lived very humble and
obscure lives. have fought good
fight and finished their course with
Joy. Indeed. the twelve Apostles seem
to occupy. by Divine decision in ad-
vance. the very highest stations In the
Kingdom. next to that of the Redeem
er. who said of them. "Ye who have
followed Me. IN ne regeneration
shall SH HpOR hCelre thrones judging
the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew
xix. 2Sl. Again. they are pictured TO
us as the "crown of twelve stars" 10
the Church GteveatiOn. xii. u. and yet
again they are pictured to us as the
twelve precious foundation stones OF
the Church in her future glory. as the
New Jerusalem Revelation xxi. l4l.
Those called OF God to this high sal.
vatiOn. as members OF the spiritual
Kingdom which shall bless natural Is
rael ana through her all the nations,
are required to demonstrate their 10y.
atty To God by JdHhfHlHsss cpeH unto
deGih-in the narrow way OF selfsac-
Hhce As there Is no other Name than
that Of Jesus whereby any may tie
saved 10 eternal life. so. likewise. there
Is no other path whereby any may
reach the Kingdom except the mar
row way and few there be that ind
u. Al Nlo hlhln lo Tue hluBuOu
must be overcomers or the world to
the extent Ut self sacrifice. The grada.
lions of glory viii be because of spe.
cial manifestations az zeal for the
Lord hnd His cause of righteousness
nud lsnlh against sin and error.
A Lesser Spiritual Salvation.
The Scriptures clearly show another
class ia rroress or salvation during
this Gospel Age. quite separate and
distinct from the Bride class. These
are referred 10 Ia various parts OF the
Scriptures They will all be loyal. TO
the extent that they would not deaD
the Lord nor wilrully practise sin
Their failure TO reach the status of the