The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-28


 ing a humble man, nor God-fearing man, but merely proud man with man. fearing spirit, he felt himself bound to comply with his oath. Was he not King? Was it not his birthday? Had he not freely promised, even though under the influence of intoxicating liquor. and should he now draw back and snow the white feather, and imply that he had some confidence in this peculiar Prophet? Nol The execution was accomplished; the head was delivered to Herodias; the Kings honor CD was maintained
 Alas, poor world How many are its srares of pride in the wrong things, and in fear of the wrong person, How many are it's attempts to preserve and increase it's pleasures and honors!
 In a previous study we heard Jesus words that no greater prophet than John had ever arisen. We fully agree that he was a great man, holy man; prophet of the Lord was he. We fully agree that he will have great reward in the future with all the holy prophets, and Abra- ham, Isaac and Jacob, he will come from the death state perfect as man, be- cause he was found faithful, even unto death He will be one of the class men toned by the Lord through the Prophet David-"Instead of Thy fathers shall be Thy children, whom Thou (Messiah) shalt
  xiv 16) John will be one of those glorious princes on the earthly plane. one of the representatives of Messiah and the church who will be on the heavenly and invisible plane, like unto the angels, partakers of the divine nature.
 Those who selected our lesson text evidently overlook ed the fact that John the Baptist is not one of the church class referred to in the Lords words, Be thou faithful unto death and l will give thee crown of life" tRevela- tion ii 10) John will indeed get life everlasting as glorious portion, but he will not be member of the bride class, as we have shown. This honor belongs to us who have received Jesus and become His disciples and been be- gotten of the holy spirit since Pente- cost. We again quote St. Paufs words concerning the ancient worthies; All these died in faith. not having re- ceived the things promised them that they, without us, should not be made perfect" (Hebrews Ri, 13, 3S-40.) We. the church, the bride class, the little flock, called to be joint heirs with Jesus in His kingdom, must get our share of the blessing first. The bride and the bridegroom must be perfected in the first resurrection before the kingdom can be established; and it must be es- tablished before the blessing can go to any others--even to the ancient worth ies.
 Wherein Is the Difference? If John the Baptist was faithful unto death, Just as faithful as those will be who have lived since Pentecost. wherein is the difference, and why should he re- ceive an earthly reward and the Bride 1 class receive the heavenly reward? There are several reasons for this. In the mat ter of justice God could not properly show 1 any preference to one person. or 10 one class; but in matters of grace, favor as the Scriptures declare. He may do what | He will with His own.
 | If A owed s5 each to and C, he could not justly give the entire s10 to one of l them and repudate the debt to the other l But if he wished to make presents, gifts, he may give E s1 and c 8. or give the entire s10 to B and nothing to c. l So far as the world was concerned, | God was under no obligation whatever to do anything to help Adam and his | race: hence the entire matter of re- demption Is of grace. But since Jehovah l entered into covenant with His Son that the latter should pay the redemp- tion price for the world. and then be- come It's restorer. Jesus, having laid down His life. the matter has passed | from being purely of grace, and has connected with it a certain measure of justice between God and Christ. So far as man Is concerned there is a measure of obligation. because God had already stated what the results of the redemption work shall be-"all the families of the earth shall be blessed:' = there shall be restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets" God l Is therefore bound to humanity by prin- cipies of justice. because He has made l these promises. Yea. He has given Hts | oath that all the families of the earth l shall be blessed. St. Paul's argument on : this subject Is that God has thus bound