Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-11-09
ReliaioMs Department.
S. s. LESSON FOR NOV. 18th.

S. S. LESSON FOR NOV. 18th.
EFFECT OF JONAH s PREACHING. Jonah
3, Ito.
GOLDEN TEXT. The men of Min
eveh shall rise up in the Judgment
and shall condemn il; for they re-
pented at the preaching of Jonas,
and beheld greater than Jonas in
him. Luke IL, 81.
The obdurate, fearing and fleeing
Jonah has been pursued, arrested,
condemned, cast into the sea, swal-
lowed by great fish, held in its bel
ly three days and nights, and vomit-
ed on the dry land alive in answer
to his repented prayer. (Chap. 2, 10.
He receives again the message of
God to Nineveh and goes to do the
once rejected work. No man before
him was ever given such an honor.
1t was to proclaim the being, power,
and love of God to the people and
rulers of the greatest city of the
world. 1t was to publish their sin
about to destroy them, to call them
to repentance and give them a chance
to escape impending destruction and
be saved as a people.
Jonah had been too selfish and
short-sighted to see the grandeur of
being Gods messenger to them, and
the mercy Of God to these poor sin
ners. 1t may be he saw it better
when sent the second time. But he
was not fully cured (if at aiD when
God gave them repentance and safe
ty.
In chapter four we hear him whin-
ing and wanting to die because God
saved them on repentance, and did
not destroy them. He was singu-
lar man whose character falls below
the most of his fellow prophets. But
see him perform his work. He went
days journey into the city and
proclaimed Gods purpose thus:
yet forty days and Nineveh shall
be overthrow p He must have
gone into the most public streets to
marts of business, TO the temples of
the gods and to the palace of the
king, uttering in thunder tones his
awful message. His success was
wonderful. His auditors stopped
not to inquire who that man foreign
er was, from whence he came, and
who sent him. His earnestness and
his message overwhelmed all indiffer-
ence and opportunity. The king on
his throne received his call and pro-
claimed fast and commanded that
III oil ttuli DCuol lstols dINi OC SloIiiCo
in sackcloth and cry and sacrifice to
Jehovah, if so be that he would par
don and save them. A whole peo-
pie were thus in an attitude of sup
plication and repentance. In Jere-
miah, chap. 8, we are told of the
uniform purpose of God toward re-
pentant men and nations to save
them who repent. God never did
and he never will destroy the peni-
tent. He lets his lifted thunder
drop and the angels rejoice over
penitent and redeemed nation. Was
Jonah glad? His narrow mind want
ed to see Cain stalk over the wicked
city. Repentance had literally made
his threatening void. He seeks a
position east of the city and waits to
see what will become of the city.
God makes a gourd to grow up over
his booth which makes shade by
day to cool the suns rays and Jonah
is very glad. A worm kills it and
there is nothing to temper the scorch-
ing air and Jonah complains bitterly
at his loss. Then God speaks,
"Dost thou do we'll to be angry?"
II do well to be angry, even to
death" God replies, Thou has
had pity on the gourd on which thou
didst bestow no labor. which came
up in My ht and persisted in night.
And should not | show Nineveh that
great city wherein are more than six
score thousand persons that know
not their right hand from their left,
and also much cattle % There was
no answer to this argument. 1t
showed the amazing comparison of
God in contrast with the petuance
and Impotence of even a prophet,
who was the instrument of the great
est reformation of recorded history.
The Lord appears wondrous and glo-
rious, and the great prophet abject
and mean.
/. We learn that God will do his
work Of mercy and love by coerclng
his unwilling prophet if necessary.
2. That in bearing the greatest
crosses men may accomplish the
greatest good.
3. That the compositions of God
are infinite, and those of the most
honored men small. His compass
sions fail not, and his mercy endur-
eth forever.
r i