The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-03-28


again. to await rhe glorious Day O
Messiah's Kingdom. 10 which Adam,
race will not only be awakened. but b,
gwen every opportunity OF gradually
rising to full perfection.
The First lchisf) Resurrection.
Further along n his discourse the
Pastor demonstrated that the Chnfcf
OF this Gospel Age is everywhere sepa
rate and distiRct from all Others oil
mankind: they are neither Gentiles mol
Jews. He made clear however, that he
did not refer m the 4O0O0O0O0 pro
feSsed Christians or to any particu
lar sect. or denomination. as the Church
OF Christ. He gave Scriptures in proof
or his contention that the Church oil
Christ is composed of all sanity be
levers IN Jesus. seeking to walk in
His footSteps-not after the flesh. but
after the Spirit. He called attention fo
the fact that no denomination could
claim monopoly OF this sanity class
and that none could claim TO be free
from tares.
In the Pastors opinion. apparently.
the vast majority Of the 900 0O0. 00O
OF processing Christians are merely
tares or worse. He cited numerous
Scriptures 10 the effect that the heirs
of God. joint-heirs with, Jesus Christ
are little aock," 3 '.Reyal Priest
hood a holy nation peculiar
people," who .show forth the praises
OF Him who hath called them out OF
darkness into His marvellous light
The Pastor then declared that the
True Church is to be found in all the
different denominations, and some of
them outside all denominatiopaI fences.
He showed that the denominations
fences are contrary to the nible. After
making clear who constitute 1.-The
Church OF the First-borns whose
names are written in Heaven" the
Pastor declared that these are to have a
share with Jesus in His Resurrection.
He quoted St. Pauls words, 'That I
might know Him and the power Of His
resurrection. being made conformable
unto His death" Philippians $40.
The Pastor seemed to give the
thought that in the Divine Purpose a
forenrdained number Of the Church
class must suffer with Christ before
the Millennium could begin. Their suf-
ferings wonld not be vicariOus, as were
Jesus sufferings. nor necessary to the
redemption OF the world. as were His;
bnt The suiferings would be necessary
IN order to demonstrate their loyalty TO
God and to ,rishteonsness-to prove
them worthy OF the high honor of
joint-heirship with Jesus. and sharers
with Him in His Kingdom.
Tie Church's suffering with, Jesus,
the Pastor said, is their dying to earth
~ conditions and ambitions, as He did.
All who thus die with Jesus, willingly
sacrificing earthly hopes, aims. ambi-.
tions.. are counted as sharing in His
DEATH" Such are assured in the Scrip
lures that they will also in Gods due
time share in. His Resurrection
His Resurrection" was not only the
First Resurrection, but. also the CHIEF.
the best. resnrrection--to the very
highest plane Of spirit perfection--the
Divine nature. Hence the promise to
the Church to share in, His Resurrec-
ton means that His faithful followers
Will experience similarly glorious
resurrection. to a higher nature. the Di.
re <ytn hnn "A iYf1yr
tally. This Jesus also AYERS. saying,
Blessed and holy is he that hath part
in the First Resurrection. They
shall be priests Of God and OF Christ
and shall reign with Him a thousand
years. "-ReveIation 20G.
Easter and the Passover.
The Pastor says that the word EAST
Err occurs once in our Common YER
sion Bible and is mistranslation--it
should be Passover. Easter was fes.
tiyal hOnoring the heather goddess Of
Spring. The name was transferred to
the Passover celebration OF the early
Church in honor of the Lords Fesur-
rection. Doubtless the attempt was to
divert the heather toward Christianity,
keeping the festival. but altering it's
Whatever the word meant
then, it stands now to the Christian as
the synonym for the glorious resurrec-
ion Of the worlds Redeemer from
Heath and, the human nature to glory,
honor, Immortality, the Divine nature.
On hn Da Stn 10
If Jesus is the guarantee Of the res,Ir-
'eCtion of 1.-The Church, which IS His
Body" Tt also assures us OF the
resurrection-that an opportu-
lity through Messiah's Kingdom is to
come to all mankind. TO be recovered
rom the tomb and from all their inn
erfections-mental. moral and phys
cal. Only the willingly, intelligently
lisObedient will ultimately die the Sec
md Death, which st. Peter describes
Il perishing like natural brute beasts.
Resurrection of the Soul.
Many Bible students have failed to
tote that the Bible nowhere speaks Of
he resurrection of the body Their er-
or has given color to the arguments Of
lgnoStics and others who point out the
Of such a PROPOSE
ion. Thus the Resurrection doctrine
3 made to appear absurd, whereas the
Bible presentation is most logical.
According to Science. our bodies are
slonghing off materials and
hrOu1h fond popIa ci,sp, thnSa. en- that a
complete change is effected every sew
m years; and thus a person fifty years
I'D has had practically seven different