The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-09-05
Pastor RuSsell's Sermon

during the period of Messiahs Reign.
and as result of His sacrifice. De-
llverin@, or freeing. from the bondage
of corruption means restoration resti-
tuition. resurrection The bondage of
corruption includes all sicknesses.
pains, weaknesses mental, moral.
physical. Hence the Apostles state
ment speaks to us of the complete
rolling away of the curse and the full
establishment of all the willing and
obedient III Gods favor and rnder~His
blessing, which maketh rich; and He
addeth no sorrow herewith.
Haste the Glad Day.
Can we wonder. in view of the fore
going Plan of God, that the Apostles
and the Prophets prayed, Come.
Lord Jesus eome quickly? that the
poets have sung Haste the glad day
when Christ apoears'? that st. Paul
urged us to preparation for the King
dom of Gods dear Son, and that the
Master Himself taught us to pray.
Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be
done on earth as it Is in Heaven?
The difficulty with us and with other
Christian people is that during the
Dark Ages the inspiration of these glo-
riouS truths was to considerable de-
gree lost to our view-oyershadowe
by what st. Paul prophetically describ-
ed as doctrines of devils" He declar-
ed that before the coming Of Messiah's
Kingdom many would depart from
the faith once delivered to the saints"
and give heed to seducing spirits-s.
ducing doctrines inculcated by the fall
ell spirits, fallen angels. Thus the
Church came under grievous false doc
trines. doctrines of demons" which,
combining with the doctrines of Truth,
produ, I'd SO confusing and Supplying
a potion as justified our Savior in
speaking of US in our condition as be-
ing drunk with the wine" of false
doctrine. g
Amongst the false doctrines which
have blinded us to the Truth of the
Divine Plan are the false theories of
Hell and of Purgatory, and of God
foreOrdaining all except the Elect to
eternal torture. Another of the de-
ceiving doctrines is the one which led
us to believe that the Church In the
present life is to reign over the world,
to conquer it for Christ and to bring
all the blessings promised. Under
these decisions, so contrary to the BIZ
BILE, we have tried to make ourselves
believe that we were converting the
world; while instead. we were neglect
ing the principal work given us by the
Lord; namely, that Of building our
selves UP in the Most Holy Faith
in the character-likeness of our Re-
deemer..
Now we see more clearly the alb
surdity of such a position. We per-
ceive that there are twice as many
heather as there were century ago,
and that any work of civilization
amongst the heather nations is not
making saints of them, nor making
them more happy or more contented.
Now we perceive that If the entire
heather world were brought to the civ
ilized condition enjoyed by the most
favored nations of earth, there would
still be as much need as ever for the
Prayer, '"Thy Kingdom come; Thy will
be done on earth, as it is in Heaven"
Why the Long Delay?
The reason for Gods delay in estab-
fishing His Kingdom in the earth,
binding Satan for a thousand years.
and overthrowing the powers of dark
ness in the earth, is now clear to us.
We perceive that it is because God
purposes first of all to gather from
amongst the redeemed world of man
kind sanity company, Little Flock,
who in heart, at least, will have the
characteristics of the Savior Himself
AS the Redeemer so loved righteous
ness and hated iniquity as to be will
righteousness, so it will be with the
class styled in the Scriptures, 1.-The
very Elect" These called, drawn,
sanctiied, are introduced now into the
School of Christ, that they may learn
Of Him-that they may develop His
Observation-Disclosures
Willing, Obedient, Worthy.
We have shown the wide distinction
between the reward of the Church in
Heavenly glory and the reward of the
obedient of mankind in earthly glory
in Paradise restored. God is just; and
hence we are not surprised to find that
the pathway which leads to the Heav-
emily glory is distinctly different from
the one which leads to earthly glory
and Restitution. The latter was rep
resented by the Law. the sum and sub
stance of which is the Golden Rule
righteousness. obedience to God. loyal
ty to Him in every respect.
These glorious standards assure US
that the perfect man will be glorious
being and every way reflect the char
acter of his Creator, as Adam did at
the first. AS was the earthly one in
his perfection. such will also be the
earthly ones in their restored, regener-
ated. re-created condition. Their adj
vantage over our first parents will be
that. in the meantime, they will have
come to fully appreciate the difference
between right and wrong, good and
evil. obedience and diSobedience. and
the difference between the rewards OF
these-life and death.
The Church. on the contrary. will
have a much severer test than the
Golden Rule. Hers will be the test of
loyalty to the extent of the Redeem
er's loyalty. AS He laid down His life
in obedience to the Fathers will and