The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-08-23


AS the Jews applied all of God's
promises to themselves and left none
for the Gentiles, until the end of the
Jewish Age. so we Christians have
been inclined to appropriate to our
selves all Of the gracious promises of
and the world in general-until now,
In the ending time Of this Age and the
dawning of the Millennium, we are
coming to see Gods Word in a clearer
and more beautiful and harmonious
light Now we see special promises
Uses for tie Gospel Church. promises
for the Jews in the near future. and
still other promises and blessings for
every creature And the more the light
increases on the pathway the more rea-
sonable the Divine Plan appears to u.s.
people of one religious cult for glory
and make preparations from the very
beginning of creation for the eternal
torture Of all others? Surely we have
been most inconsistent in our interpre-
tations Of the Divine Message. yet just
as surely the allwise One knew Of our
plight and permitted us to remain in
darkness until now; and He is able to
override our measure Of blindness so
that it will be Of no injury to us.
Perhaps. indeed, the beauty of the
Divine Word and Plan Is much more
Of no rly
ness 10 which we all were so recently
involved. and perhaps the same prin-
ciple later On will apply to the whole
world. When all shall emerge out of
the darkness and ignorance and su-
perstition into the glorious sunlight Of
the contrast will make the blessings of
the future all the more precious. and
the more incline every knee to bow.
After Divine favor had first granted
opportunity to the Jews to accept the
Redeemer. shedding upon them first
the special light of the Gospel. then
the Message was sent forth without
restriction gradually through Asia
Minor. into Greece and into Rome,
and then favored chiefly the Germanic
nations-and amongst these | include
the British people and the larger pro-
portion of our American population.
In these peoples, too. the Reformation
Movement found its chief adherents.
The Message Of Christ has made great
In civilization all the nations it has
touched. In proportion as they have
received the Message in simplicity and
purity, and in proportion as they have
lived out their Christian profession as
footstep followers Of Jesus.
Less Favor, Not Less Worthy.
So far as human Judgment can dis
Germ, the Divine records show that these
favored peoples were not superior to
others less favored. The Bible shows
us some noble characters amongst the
Gentle nations before the Redeemer's
day and plainly intimates that God
Intentionally bestowed His favor upon
a stiff-necked race. less tractable than
others of that time. We see the same
thing in respect to the operation OF
Gods grace during this Gospel Age.
Apparently the peoples Of India and
China were more docile and of much
more likely soil for the Gospel Mes.
sage than the fierce Goths and Huns
and Franks to whom the Gospel was
more particularly directed. How un-
likely it would be that the less-favor
ed nations should have no provision In
the Divine Plan!
On the contrary we perceive that a
special election, or selection. of a saint
ly class was made during the Jewish
Age-Abraham. Isaac and Jacob and
all the Prophets and sanity Jews.
Hebrews XII. 3S-40.) And since the Sc
lection of the sanity Jews the calling
Of the Bride class. chiefly from the
nations of Europe. implies that when
this spirit-begotten, Spiritual Israel.
spiritual children Of Abraham. shall be
completed. then all nations will be
alike favored in the distribution Of the
coming blessings declared to be for all
other peoples. kindreds and tongues.
No Prsdestination TO Misery.
While speaking last Sunday in the
great Victoria Hall Of Geneva my mind
naturally went back to the days when
that great and good man John Calvin
cut such a swath In religious sentiment
that 1t still influences about one half Of
all Protestants. l saw the monument
to Calvin. and saw the monument
unveiled this very year by Calvin's fol-
lowers to the honor Of Servetus, whom
Calvin SO horribly burned to death at
the stake. Indeed, | am sure that the
monument, as it declares, was not sc
much Of tribute to Servetus as pro
test against Brother Calvin's atrocity
committed In the name Of Jesus, the
Bible, and the God Of Love.
We must give ohm Calvin credit FOL
emphasizing the doctrine of Election
although we cannot give him credit fol
making that doctrine. for of course II
was Bible doctrine fifteen centuries
before his birth. Had he been con
tented with emphasizing the election
for the Church and had he said, 81
know not what will be the fate of the
non-elect," he would have deserved to
this day our unstinted praise. But
alas! to err is human. Calvin was moi
content to leave the matter thus. He
reasoned out bis theory, and, his head
being imperfect his conclusions were
defective when he surmised that al
of the non-elect, whether infants oil
gray-headed. were predestinated tt
FOR IL