The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-04-01

He then asked them. who say ye that
| amT So Peter answered. Thou art
the Christ. the Son Of the living God"
This was the first public declaration
Of Jesus Messlahship. Even the dis
ciples had only now come h recognize
their Teacher as the long promised
Messiah Jesus answered. Blessed
art thou. simon. son Of Jonas; for flesh
and blood hath not revealed this unto
thee. bur My Father IN Heaven. Thou
art Peter la stone, ready for the spir'
itual Temple. the FIRST one TO publicly
acknowledge Jesusl, and upon this
rock 1.-THE Truth just declared. that !
am Messiahl will build My Church"
In the Greek the word Peter signi.
fees stone OF moderate size, while the
word here rendered rock signifies a
mass OF stone--a foundation. our
Lord Jesus Christ evidently meant
that 81. Peters statement was rec
IGNITION of Himself as the great Foun.
dation OF the Divine Plan Messiah.
Upon that foundation truth. that Jesus
il Christ, the Church would be built;
and st. Peter was the first living stone
to build himself upon that foundation
by believing and confessing Christ.
st. Peter himself gives us the same
thought--that he and all Others OF the
Church are living stones, being build
ed together as holy Temple of God.
This entire Gospel Age has been de-
voted to the building OF these stones
upon that great Foundation Rock,
Christ Jesus. As soon as the great
Temple OF God shall be completed, this
Gospel Age will end and the New Dis
pensation be inaugurated.
"The Keys Of the Kingdom"
To st. Peter our Lord said. Il will
give thee the keys Of the Kingdom of
Heaven" What did He mean? We
shall not suppose that any who hear
my voice or are sufficiently intelligent
to read this discourse In the newspa-
pers are stupid enough to think Jesus
meant that Heaven is locked up, and
that nobody could get In except as St
Peter would open the door or gate.
True, some have voiced such fantastic
notions. But we refuse to believe that
intelligent people could be In earnest
In any such view.
What the Lord meant is very sim
pie, very beautiful; and we see exactly
how 1t was fulfilled. He indicated that
st. Peter, the first to confess Him, was
to have special honor In connection
with the Inauguration OF the Church
on earth. BY the expression, King
dom of Heaven" Is meant the Church,
a class being called out OF the world
to become with Christ the ruling pow
err Of the world during the Millen-
mum, through the great resurrection
change" See Corinthians l5:42, 54.
Jesus meant that St Peter would be
honored In being permitted TO do an
opening work in connection with the
Church. The Bible shows us two diff
ferent opening works and two different
keys. The key Is symbol or power
or authority or an initiative St Peter
used his first key of privilege on the
day of Penteeost. When the Holy
Spirit came upon the early waiting
Church, it was st. Peter that used this
key. Standing up with the eleven, he
lifted up his voice, explained the sit
uation and opened the door to the
Church of Christ for the Jews, admon-
ishing them Of their opportunity to en-
ter. He told Of the merit of Christs
death and how He had risen and had
assembled on High, and how forgiveness |
of sins was. therefore, preached in His
2:14-3G.
The second key to the Kingdom Of !