The Washington times., 1915-04-19

EkA2IS(s= kO2oILLla"ay o'i
Usaiah AID He said
in part:
Many of the Old Testament prophe-
cies are highly figurative. Doubtless
they had some measure OF application AT
! the time when they were written, but
VIC have Apostolic authority Tor con-
cuding that they were intended for
Spiritual Israel. q Peter 1:l2) Our
Lord and the Apostles quoted continu-
ally from the prophecies and invariaply
applied the lesson to the Gospel age.
Hence we are abundantly JUSTIFIED IN as as
suming that our text Is appl. cable to the
present. Its peculiar expression, IN
that Day is usual throughout scrip rip
tnre in referring to the ne6e close snG Of cone one
fusion incident to the Inauguration OF
the Millennium.
Throughout the Scriptures woman Is
a symbol Of the Church, pure woman
Of pure church. a corrupt woman OF
false Church. Our Lord compared the
true Church in the end of this Age to a
company OF virgins-part wise ana part
come at the end of the Age to receive
His espoused Church to Himself IN
glory. John the Baptist used the same
figure. saying. 'He that hath the br,de
plfes the thought. declaring. Il have
espoused you 1.-THE consecrated Church,
as a chaste virgin unto one huspano
Christ" John 3:2s; Corinthians II W: -
gins the Jewish marriage is set forth as
typical Of the union between Christ ana
the Church.
betrothal took place, legal and binding
documents were signed by OF for the
contracting parties, but no actual mar
Tiage occurred for about year. Dur
ing that period 1t was required that the
espoused be as faithful to her espousal
AS is now expected OF any true wire.
We see the harmony between the
Jewish marriage custom and the Loro 3
dealing with the Church. NO one ls
esroused to our Lord who has not
entered into definite contract with
Him. ON our Lords part the contract
is the assurance of the great and preci-
Gus promises that II the espoused Is
faithful. she shall be joint-heir with her
Lord in His Millennial Kingdom. on
the Churchs part the contract, Is our
covenant of conservation. iaithtuiness
! to our Redaemer even unto death.
The interim between our personal ac-
ceptance Of the Lords gracious prom
ises and our death corresponds IN a
measure to the betrothal period OF tho
Jewish maiden: but the more exact ful-
, tiImrnt OF the figure is found in the
, history of the Church as whole. AT
q Pentecost our Lord $ virgin Church was
espousel to Him, ana has since been
awaiting the coming OF the lirlCeSrooni
and her resurrection change to glory.
honor and immortality-the marriage,
= the union.-for nearly nineteen centuries
The Bride in Kingdom Glory.
In His last Message to the Church our
r Lord continues to picture the Church
. as a betrothed virgin. under strictest
d obligations to purity and faithtulness
= down to the end of this Gospel Age
$ where she Is represented as making
herself ready for the Bridegrooms com
r ing and for the marriage. TO be ready
t she must have on the Weddins garment
hr 'Nt-ttl
+ wrinkle or any such thing" (Ephesi
;, | ans 5:2;J That robe represents the I'M
n puted righteousness OF CHRIST, coNerlht
e her every unintentional blelnsh and I'm
: | perfection; and any spot or Wrinkle
;, upon this robe would cause such grie
s to the betrothed one that the statr
would be removed and the wrinkle
IS pressed out by the gracious arrange
y bridegroom; for He presented the robe
d and gave directions by which it nigh
n be kept "unspotted from the world
d with her resurrection change in tht
i end of this Age the "espoused virgin
Church will be no more. She vii
u have passed into the more exalted
o state of the Bride-unted to her Lore
and bridegroom. Note the symbolica
the New Jerusalem, coming dowI
from God out of Heaven" That is
the Heavenly Kingdom, the new ruler
= ship of the world, Is then pictured al
i
Church in glogy is also pictured "a
= the work of the Bride-'The Spirit anC
the Bride say. Come. And whosoeve
will. let him take of the Water of Lift
freely. ."-Revelation 2l:2, Q, 10; 22:T.
: Not only is the Church not tn
Bride now. but she Is not privileged t,
II say, Come, to whosoever Will; for will
the calling of this Age there is a meas
NO man can come unto Nc except tn
Father which sent Me draw him.
CJohn CAD Moreover. there is m
River of Wn.er OF Life now Tha
during the Miilennial Age. Now, "A
our Lord explained. those who becom
His conseCrated followers have wfthii
themselves "a we'll of water springinl
up unto everlasting lifc."-John 4:l4.
Many Churches of Christ.
The heather and children in Chris
tian lands when they begin to stud
= the Bible are pcrplexed and inquire
Whic. is the Church of Christ? The
see churches Of various names claim
ing to he branches of the Church; an
they ask, Which did Jesus establ sh
The answer implies confusion and re
,. proach. All claim genuineness an
is cvi 'ence of its present organizatio
! earlier than the Third Century. Whe
10 we contrast their elaborate and for
:, ! ma! services with the simplicity @
N the early I nuICn, AS ueSCllDeu IN III
n New Testament, we are sure tina
l., they cannot be the same. When W
compare their doctrines with those q
hrist and the APOSTLES. as set forth
the New Testament. Their claims IA
t. the ground for lack of support.
To illustrate: The Scriptures teaC
that there IS but one God the Fathe
end one Lord Jesus christ Il Corir
thians $50: that the Father. who
above all. sent His Son to he our RI
- 6eener; that when the Son had faitl
fully aC"om"liahod that work Il
Father raised Him from the dead an
/ exalted Him to Ills own r'ght hand.
place Of favor next to Himself. o.
Lord Himself said My Father
greater than l." John li:2SD Rut Il
various churches. each claiming 10
- the original, unite In telling US tn