The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-11-08

a ITOS HAS SaSc LOOK. WISE 'Ooh,
1t Swells Itself up in an apparent en-
deavor to imSs:ess the beholder. Its
great mouth Well represents its chief
power. used to croak
Applying these symbols. we learn
that an evil spirit. influence. teaching.
will come from the Protestant churches
federated. from the Church Of Rome.
and from the Civil authorities. all In
full agreement. The spirit Of all will
be boastful: an air of superior wisdom
and knowledge will be proudly assum-
ed-all will croak in harmony. All will
Involving the interests Of both the
present and the future life. If their
counsel be not followed. However con.
fiicting the creeds. the differences will
be ignored in the general proposition
that nothing ancient must be disturb
ed. or looked into. or repudiated.
The Divine authority Of the Church.
and the Divine right Of kings. aside
from the Church. will not be allowed
to confiict. Any persons or teachings
In conflict with these boastfui and un-
scripturai claims will be branded as
everything vile. at the months of these
frogs" speaking from pulpits and
platforms and through the religious
and secular press. The nobler senti.
ments of some will be strangled by the
philosophy Of the same evil spirit
which spoke through Caiaphas. the
high priest. respecting Jesus. As Gaia.
phas declared it expedient to commit
a crime i'll violation of justice. human
and Divine. to be rid of Jesus and His
teachings, so this frog spirit will ap..
prove of every violation Of principle
necessary to their self-protection.
The croaking of these frog spirits or
doctrines will gather the kings and
princes. financial. political. religious
and Industrial into one great army.
The spirit OF fear. inspired by the
croakings of these frogs" will scourge
the passions of otherwise good and
reasonable men to fury. desperation.
In their blind following of these evil
spirits. evil doctrines. they will he
ready to sacrifice life and everything
on the altar of what they mistakenly
suppose is justice. truth and righteous
ness, under Divine arrangement.
For a brief time. as we understand
the Scriptures. these combined forces
of Armageddon will triumph Free
speech. free mails. and other liberties
which have come to be the very breath
of the masses in our day. will be ruth
1frr no MI Of
sity. the glory of God. the commands
of the Church. etc. All will seem to be
serene. until the great social explosion
in our context described as the great
Earthquake" An earthquake" in
symbolic language. signifies social
revolution. and the declaration of the
context is that none like unto it ever
before occurred Revelation xvi. Is,
49, Jesus described it as time of
trouble such as never was since there
was nation.-Matthew xiv, 81.
The Lord Will Gather Them.
The false. frog-like teachings will
gather together into one host the great.
the rich. the wise. the learned and the
kings of the earth. to battle. At this
tuncture Divine Power will step for
ward, and our text tells us that he
shall gather the marshaled hosts to
Armageddon-to the Mountain Of De-
struction. The very thing which they
sought to avert by their union. fedora.
ton. etc. will be the very thing they
will hasten. Other Scriptures tell US
that God will be represented By the
Great Messiah. and that He will be on
the side of the masses. Thus we read
In Daniel xii. I: lat that time shall
, Michael the Godlike One-Messiahl
stand up"-assume authority. He will
take possession of His Kingdom III a
! manner little looked for by many OF
those who enormously have been
claiming that they were His Kingdom.
and authorized by Him to reign in His
name and in His stead.
Jesus declared. His servants We are
unto whom ye render service" Some
may be rendering service to Satan and
to error. who claim to be rendering
: service to God and to righteousness:
and some Of these may be serving ig-
norautly. as did Saul of rarsus, who
verify thought that be did God sery-
ice" in prosecuting the Church. The
same principle holds true reverseiy.
As an earthly king does not hold him.
self responsible for the moral character
of each soldier who fights In his bat
ties. so the Lord does not v0ucb for the
moral character of all who will enlist
and fight on His side of any question.
His servants they are to whom they
render service" whatever tie motive
or object prompting them.
The sid ME principles w:ii apply In the
coming Battle of ArmaSeddon. Gods
side or that battle will t,e the peoples
side. and the very n0nCescript host,
the people. will be pitted at the begin.
! ming Of the battle. Anarchists, Social
lists. and hot-headed radicals Of every
school OF reason and unreason. will be
in the forefront or that battle. The
majority Of the poor and the middle
class prefer peace ut almost any price.
! A comparatively small number. Gods
cOnspcrated people. will at heart be
longing for Messiahs Kingdom. These
will bide the Lords time and wait pa
tiently for 1t: they will be Of good
courage. knowing the outcome outlined
| In the more sure word or prophecy"
/ to which they have done we'll to take
lt.l~A "a.