The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-12

veil, that Is to say, through HIS hesh- through His sacrifice.
 While about 500 brethren became His consecrated followers during Jesus earth ly ministry, they were not accepted of the Father, and not begotten of the Holy
 Spirit until Pentecost. God would mol recognize any as sons until Jesus had finished His sacrifice and, as the grea' Advocate, appeared in the presence oi God for us"-as our Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous John did not belong to this class, just as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets did not belong to it. In Gods providence their reward will be different from that of the church--theirs will be an earthly reward. They will be resurrected to hu- man perfection. They will have to do with the human phase of the Kingdom, which amongst men will represent Mes siah and the church. who will b spirit be- ings but invisible to men, and whose dealings with mankind will be through
 those noble characters, the Ancient Worthies.
 Some Better Thing for Us'
 We are not to infer that those glorious characters mentioned in the Scriptures who lived before Christs time were igno- ble or les faithful than the gospel church. but merely that God has prom ised them the earthly perfection, while He has promised the Bride of Christ the heavenly perfection. They will not, hke the remainder of mankind. come forth to imperfeetion, to attain perfection grad ually during the thousands years of Mes siahs reign; the record is that they will come forth as perfect human beings That will be the reward of their faithful ness St Paul explains the entire mat ter in Hebrews 1lth chapter. He tells ot the faith and heroism of those Ancient Worthies and that they had this testi- mony, that they pleased God mere will be no necessity for testing them In the future Their acceptance with God E already proven and declared.
 Nevertheless in God 8 order the earthly Kingdom and restitution blessings for the world cannot begin until the Kingdom class, Christ and the church. shall first be completed. Thus the apostle declares, "All these died in faith not having re- ceived the (earthy) things promised to them. God having provided some better thing for us (the chureh), that they, with out us should not be made perfect. The glorification of the church. her resurree- ton to perfection. must first be accom- plished before the blessings through them can proceed 10 the natural seed of Abra- ham, and then through Israel to all na- tions.-Hebrews xi:3s-p
 Not the Bride But the Friend
 John the Baptist seemed 10 either com prehend the situation. or else he spoke the truth by prophecy when he declared, "He that hath the bride is the bride groom, but the friend of the bridegroom hearing His voice. repoiceth greatly. This my ioy therefore is fulfilled" He per ceived that in Gods providence he mad very honorab ble and blessed station and 4f,a aar4ofnt1ltel1 he neither n be the bridegroom nor member of the bride class.
 This does not imply that John was dis appointed at the time nor that he and the other Ancient Worthies will be dis- appointed when they come forth in the resnrrection to find A bride class selected to a higher place than theirs On the com trary. their cup of blessing being full, and never having been begotten of the Holy Spirit to a spiirt nature. they will not be able to comprehend or appreciate any blessings highe rtban their own. Just. for instance as a fish in the water. seeing a bird fving fin the air. would not be jealous of the bird and it's greater free dom. but. on the contrary. would be bet ter satisfed in the water, its natural ele- ment SD all natural men, not begotten of the Holy Spirit. will appreciate more the earthly blessings which divine providence has provided for them.
 In this very lesson Jesus intimates all the above. saying. "The law and the prophets were until John" He was the last of the prophets. He introduced Je- sus. the head of the kinedom class. Je- sus further declared 'rf ve are willing to receive it. this is Elias which was to come That Is to say. those of you who are ahle to appreciate the matter raav that John the Baptist di1 wori. which vas in full accord with the rrophecv which declared that Elijah must first come and do reformatory work before Messiah would come.
 All who received Johns message were such as were in heart condition to receive Jesus; and the same spirit of indifference