Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-11-02
S. S. LESSON FOR NOV. sth.

THE STORY OF JONAH. JONAH |, LII.
GOLDEN TExT-Arise, 90 to MIN
eveh, that great city and cry against
it. Jonah |, 2.
This prophet lived and prophesied
IN the days of Jeroboam, second king
of Israel, and predicted the victories
over Syria that restored the lands of
Israel, taken by Hazael. In this
lesson he is said to be commanded
by God to go and preach repentance
to the great city of Nineveh. Un-
willing to go he sought to escape the
work by fleeing to Tarshish, suppos-
ed to have been located in what is
now Spain. He went to Joppa, the
seaport of Jerusalem, and took shin
for his purpose. He tried to escape
but God followed him. Presently
mighty tempest came and threatened
destruction to ship and crew. The
mariners with the instinct that ever
makes men pray in great danger, ,called
on their gods for help and safety,
and cast out the cargo, but all in
vain. In all this danger and effort
for safety Jonah lay asleep in the
hold. The commander sought him
In his rest and thundered in his ears
his Indignation at his careless and
unnatural state. "What meanest
thou, oh sleeper? Arise and call on
thy God, if so be, that he may think
upon us that we perish not.' They
imagined that the storm was the pur-
suer of great criminal and cast lots
after the ancient manner to find the
culprit. 1t fell on Jonah. ssWhat
have you to say for yourself, SIR
said the shipmaster. Whence COM
est thou? What is thy country? thine
occupation and thy people? He told
his name, his duty, and his flight.
and assured them that the tempest
was Gods minister of vengeance for
him. They were greatly afraid
about the matter. 'sWhat shall we do
to you that the sea may be calm to
us?" Cast me into the sea-" said
Jonah. They felt anguished and
tried hard to make the shore and
failing they cried to the God of Isra-
ell who was thus manifesting himself,
and said, go Lord, let us not perish
for this mans sin, and lay not upon
US innocent blood, for thou hast done
as it has pleased thee Then they
cast him INTO the sea and the sea
ceased to rage. Then they feared
the Lord exceedingly, and offered
sacrifices and made vows. 1t was
not for death that God had pursued,
but to dem onstrate himself to Jonah
and the heathens. He was to fgura-
lively die and rise again, and thus
typify Christ. He was yet to preach
to the Ninevites, and produce by
that preaching the greatest effects
that were ever produced by the
preaching of any one man. He did
not drown in the raging waves. God
had prepared fish to swallow him
and to be for three days living
grave and to vomit him on dry land.
This is story almost unparalleled
and shows us one of the ways of
the mighty God whose thoughts and
ways are so infinitely above ours. 1t
was wonder in our childhood, and
is no less a wonder still.
l. We are here shown that God
sent to heather and idoatrous and
very wicked people prophet to call
them to repentance. He would not
destroy them without giving them a
chance to repent and live.
2. That when his prophet fed he
found means to punish him and make
him 60 ON his mission.
3. That it is very hard TO fight
against God, and lastly that God
loved wicked Nlneveh enough to bury
and raise his reluctant prophet to
carry his message of mercy to its
people.