The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-10-03

AltltNblOitt WIN lilF AdA1N NuOhShb
In mind that all except the Church
would be eternally tormented, we
have all shrunk from making any rea-
sOnable application of the Scifptural
texts regarding saintship, disciplcship,
the becoming members of the Church
of the First-born. This was partly be-
cause of fear for ourselves, lest we
might not come up to the standard Of
saintship, but especially was it be-
cause of our realization that the great
mass of humanity In Christendom, az
well as in heather lands, came far
short of the terms of discipleship laid
down in Gods Word. Today the mat
ter comes close home to us all, for we
realize that many who were very near
and dear to us have died outside of
the nominal church, and far outside
the special line OF conditions which
marked the Church OF the girst-bo
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
he My disciple, let him take up his
cross and follow me; and where ] am
there shall My disciple be also" ITO
him that overcOmeth will / grant to
sit with Me in My Throne;" "Strait
is the gate and narrow is the way
that leadeth unto life, and few there
be that find 1t" duke tx, %; Matthew
vii, 14); Let us lay aside every weight
and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let lis run with patience the
race set before us" (Hebrews xii, ~;
"If these things be in you and abound
1.-THE graces OF the Holy Spirit they
will make you that ye 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."-II Peter |, 8, IL.
Looking Through the Type
st. Paul informs us chat all the vari.
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 type instituted In the very
beginning of Isrnel's 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, 'Sl'he 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 II blessing to all other
nations, under the Abrahamic Cove.
nant Gods oath To Abraham was:
''In 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
drst-born Of Egypt, while the Israel.
ties were protected, thus showing Di.
vine interest in and care over Israel
Their first-born were miraculously pre-.
seryed-t0 represent in type the Church
OF the Flrst-born. The true Church
Of Christ are not all that will be saved,
In the Divine Program, but merely, as
st James says, "rhese are n kind of
flrat-frults unto God of His creatures
Games !, 13; Revelation xiv, ~. The
after-frults Will come in due time,
under the further development OF the
Divine Plan OF the Ages--as the result
OF Messinh's reign OF thousand
years.
Some time after their deliyerance
from Egypt, by Divine direction. the
first bOrns of all the families and tribes
Of Israel We're exchanged, person by
person, for the one tribe of Levi. The
Levites thereafter represented the
rirst-born Of the Church-they alone
represented the iirst-borns of Israel
passed over in that night Subsequent
ly the tribe OF Levi became the in
structors Of the nation In religious mat
ters and from them was chosen one
family for the Priesthood-Aaron and
his sons.
The Scripturnl picture is plain. In
the antitypc we are still in the night of
passing over. Soon the Morning of the
New Dispensation, under Messiah's
reign, will begin, and all desirous OF
serving God and having His blessings
will be delivered from the expressing
power of Satan and his hosts. typitied
by Pharaoh and his army. God in
tends 10 deliver the whole world from
Satan's power. Satan shall be bound
for n thousand years, during Messlah's
relgn. and IL 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 Hrst,born OF
these Is the Church OF this Gospel Age,
which VIII be associated with Christ
In His heavenly Kipgdom--"the Church
of the First-borns, whose names are
written In heaven"
Priests and LeVitos Antitypicai
The entire tribe OF Levi was specially
consecrated 20 tho Lord, aud specially
separate from the other tribes and was
given no inheritance in the land. Thus
the entire Church of Christ are begot.