The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-06-06

the effect th;lt all of their forefathers
had gone to Il hell of torture, simply
because they never heard of Jesus.
They declared that they could not be-
lieve in such IL God. even though they
respected the intelligence of the mis-
sionaries on other subjects
They said, ''Onr gods do not allow
ny To torture even brutes or insects
ana hence would not themselves do
light in torture How can we receive
the Christians God, with sentiments
less noble than our own The Pas
tors reply WAS. Dear Friends. we have
all made mistakes. more or less In the
past. Gods Word is now opening up
to us more and more We are learning
wherein We misunderstood Him and
His gracious purposes. Begin prop
III study of the Bible. You will find
it souI-satiSfying beyond all else.
The Pastor tells that in India scores
of Bible Student classes are springing
up: and native teachers in India. Chi
nj. Japan and Korea are hearing of
v
better and clearer understanding of
the Bible. with rejoicing hearts. The
Gospel of the Eingdom-that Messiah
Is soon to become the great Is ling. to es-
tabliSh righteousness. to overthrow sin
and to uplft humanity-he says APP
peals to the simple minds of the
Orient: especially to those attracted to
Christianity. but una BILE to enter heart
fly into its service because of the dark
ness. mysticism and unreaSona blenesS
attaching to its exposition
The prayer Of our Methodist friends,
Send out Thy Light and Truth. o
Lord" is surely being answered. said
the Pastor even though some cody
Methodists are slow to perceive the
answer. The Message of the Love of
God which passeth all understanding
is the Message which was forceful
with our own hearts us Christians. and
is the only Message which has power:
hence our Masters prayer. :.Sanctify
them through Thy Truth: Thy Word
is Truth. John 1T:l7.
Fear may be the beginning of Wis
dom but Love is surely its goal. Per
feet love casteth out all fear. and
brings us near to the great Fountain
of Grace and Truth. Mercy and Love.
In His Divine presence and fellowship
we find Il transforming work progress
ing In our hearts-and more and more
such become copies of Gods dear Son
and prepared for share with Him in
the giorieS of His Kingdom.
Ignorance and Fear Oppose.
Only ignorance and fear can oppose
the Message of Gods Grace, and pre-
fer the doctrines of demons. Only the
narrow minded can pray. God bless
me and my wife. my son John and his
wife, us four and no more" All of
our breadth of heart and head must
concede that God wise and powerful
enough to be mans Creator must also
be just and loving; for injustice Is I'M
wise, and lOvelessness is devilish. God
declares that His work is perfect, and
that He made man a moral image Of
Himself. Our fallen condition is a
part of the penalty of sin, as the tomb
is the companion Of it. -
No complaint could have been made
by our race if God had left us thus to
perish like brute beasts. But the Bible
declares that He is rich in mercy. and
unwilling that any should perish. but
DESTROYS that all might be recovered
to everlasting life. Again. we read
that God so loved the world that He
gave His Only Begotten Son that who
soever believeth on Him might not
perish, but, on the contrary. instead OF
perishing like the brute beast, might
attain through Christ to everlasting
life.-John 3:1G.
The world has not yet had the prom
Used blessing of God; for the Divine
Plan is that Jesus must first select
from amongst the world company of
His own disposition of loyalty to the
Divine will. Not until those shall be
fully selected and glorified will the
great Messiah, Head and members, be
Thea Bridegroom and Bride
enthroned in glory. the work of bless
ing will begin.
And that work will be the overthrow
of sin, and thus the overthrow of the
penalty of sin death. 1t will mean
the recovery Of mankind from bondage
to sin and death 1t will mean the up
lifting of the partially dead mental.
moral and physical powers to perfec-
ton. More than this. it will mean for
those who have died without the
knowledge of the Truth an awakening
from the tomb. that they also may be
brought to this knowledge of God and
to privilege of sharing in the great
Redeemer's work and merit. No won
der the angels sang GLORY to God in
the highest at the birth of the Re
deemer! No wonder they declared.
I'VE bring you good tidings of great
joy. which shall be unto all people!
Gods glory has not yet appeared to
man. False doctrines. ignorance, SUI
perstition. still becloud the vision of
humanity st. Paul's words still APP
ply: THE god of this world hath blind
ed the minds of all them that believe
not. lest the glorious light of Gods
goodness should shine into their
hearts. 20 Corinthians 4:4.
The good tidings of great joy for all
people are as much for those who died
before Jesus as for those who have
lived since. They have gone to the great
prison-house of death. Sheol. Hades.
the tomb. They are prisoners there
They await tho rnlaaSn tO no accom-,