The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-12-13

(RASI0R RUSSElDJ Our forefathers
had much less op-
portunity for study than have we.
Not only is education general today.
but the facilities for study are COM
mon. Every home has at least one
Bible and good light wherewith to
study. Moreover, the curse of toll is
lifting: less sweat Of face is required
10 earn our daily bread; consequently
we have more time ar our disposal
wherein To ascertain the things freely
given unto us of God through His
Word. And what beautiful and con
venient Bibles we possess. with clear
print marginal references. concor-
dances. helps. ETC.. God be praised
for such privileges
Bible students are learning to use
these mercies and are being blessed
in their use. The Bible is being
studied as never before. and being al
lowed to interpret itself, one passage
throwing light upon another This,
evidently. was the Divine design. But
i'll addition to all this, We have the
thought that now is Gods due time"
to grant blessings and enlightenment
10 the world along secular lines. All
this enlightenment is coming, we be-
lieve. because we are in the dawning
of a New Dispensation. which shortly
is 10 bring more wonderful things.
However. we are still in what St Pc
ter terms the dark place" waiting
for that day dawn" TO grow more
clear: and we do well to take close
heed la the light upon our path. which
falls from our Lamp. the Bible.
Christ Not the Church's Father.
Item after item of Divine Truth be-
coming clear. sheds 4 radiance on other
precious truths. Old. familiar Scrip
lures have a ten-foId Significance. Our
text is one of these No one will dis
pute that il refers to our Lord Jesus
Christ lie shall be called Wonderful.
Counselor. the Mighty God. the Ever
lasting Father or the Father who
gives everlasting lifcl. the Prince OF
Peace" These titles are still prophet
ic Our great Eedeemer has not yet
become the Prince Of Peace: for peace
the reign OF sin aud death Our Re
deemer has not vet become the Ever
lasting Father -.
Only the Church has yet been dealt
with. and Jesus is not the Father of
the Church. He is our Elder Brother:
or under another figure. He is our be-
trothed. and ut His Second Coming is
to he our Heavenly Bridegroom. The
Scriptures distinctly tell us that Jesus
is not the Church's Father. or Life
givcr st. Peter says. The God and
Father of orr Lord Jesus Christ
hath begotten us" q Peter |. g.,
Jesus testifies to the same effect Aft
Mary. lie said. Il ascend unto My Ia
Their. and Your Father: to Ny God, and
your God" (John Xxx. ID The Scrip
lures never mix figures after such Il
manner as To speak Of Jesus as the
Church's Father. and then to intimate
that lie would become Bridegroom to
His own child.
Jehovah, Father of the New Creation.
We must remember that the Church
ceases to be human. earthly. She be-
comes Gods New Creation She is he
gotten Of the Holy Spirit now. and vii.
be born from the dead by the Holy
Spirit power i'm the First Resurrection.
to the Divine nature She will be like
her Lord. Ills Bride Revelation xxi.
8. 10: Romans viii. III To her. odd
things pass away: all things become
new" Under the beSetting Of the Holy
Spirit she becomes in the present life
transformed by the renewing of her
mind and sets her affections on things
above. Her perfecting in the resurrec-
ton is clearly stated by ST. Paul. whn
says that in the resurrection each seed
will have its own kind Of body.
The human. or Adamic seed will
have human bodies: but those begotten
again of the Holy Spirit during this
Gospel Age become the new Seed. To
whom will he given new spirit bodies.
Thus they shall he made like their glo-
rified Savior or bridegroom. and be
like Him. see Him as He is
spirit being. Describing the Spiritual
Seed and its resurrection. st. Paul says.
1T is sown in weakness: il is raised in
power: it Is sown in dishonOr: it is
raised in glory: il is sown I'm animal
body: it is raised 81 spiritual body.
There is an animal body hltmanl: and
there is n spiritual body"-celestiai.
heavenly Corinthians Nv. 43. A.
Jesus the Second Adam.
After the exaltation of the Church by