The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-12-18
THE GREAT INVITATION.
NOTES ON THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON BY DR.. JOHN HALL.
Lesson XII of the International Series
for Sunday, Dec. 10-Goldcn Text,
Revelations xii, FL - Lesson Text,
Revelations xii, S-2l.

| In formal address it is common to put
number of explanatory or Introductory state
mentS at the commencement, and often there
Is reference TO them at the close recalling
attention to the point from which the speaker
set out The lesson We are now to study is
the closing part of the Revelation, and CORE
spends in some degree to the opening in Rev.
!, 10. In both there is rapid and informal
passing from one point to another. V. 10 in
our lesson is repetition of Rev. i, s. Other
correspondence will be pointed out as we
proceed The teacher does not need so much
to lnger over connections that are obscure as
to set out clearly the great and abiding
| truths about the meaning OF which there is
no room for discussion.
VS.. SO, In Rev. xxi, 0, zone Of the seven
angels" said "Come hther, will show thee
the bride, the Lambs wife" At the end of
this vision the apostle was so overpowered
that he was ready to give worship to the
angel. This is not the only time when men
made the same mistake. See the case of
Cornelius in Acts X, 1926, and the people of
Lystra, Acts xiv, ll-l5 In the corrupt days
OF Christendom the worship of angels became
well established usage, contrary to the
word spoken here to John. Yet it might
have been thought that he was in no danger
Of giving Gods glory to another. Fellow
servants are never TO get the honor due only
to God.
V. TO- The apostle is directed to keep the
messages now given him in such way that
men may know them The divine will was
II sealed book" in Gods hand till Jesus came
and opened it, as in Rev. V, 81 But this is
to be an unsealad, open book. The reason
given is that 1.-The time is at hand.' The
things IN the book W, re not remote, specua-
tive, bat ale ting the thoughts and life of
protesting Christian, then and ever after
Whatever prophecies might need time TO eX-
plain them by their fulilmcnt, there are
very many statements Of plain, practical
truth for everyday life, and which all are to
read. The epistles to the seven churches, for
example, were appropriate for Christian
study from the beginning
'. II. There are two ''advents' of the Son
of Man in the Bible, the first in humiliation
to suffer, the second in glory to Judge But
in addition to these and without interfering
with them, God is often said to come when
He intlicts judgments. And the day of death
is practically to every nan the day of judg-
ment, for that day viii not reverse any de
cisiOns made at death See in illustration
Matt XIV, Is, 46 See in Prov. i, 2l2S, the
severity of Gods sentence This passage
teaches that III life we are setting the seal of
character, that death will not alter it, that if
we be unlust then we shall be so forever See
Ps xii, II. No greater snare has ever been
laid before men than the hope of another
"chance," which the heart deludes itself into
thinking it will then accept. "NOw," says
God. "At a convenient season." says the
human soul ACTS xXiv, 25
V. T.. The "quiclly' refers probably not
so much to nearness in time as to unexpected
ness, Men are so approached one by one; so
the world will be "at the last day" For the
Judgment is then universal-"every man
and also just-"according as his work shall
be-" See Rom. ii, 6, and xiv 70.
V. is, How important it is to remember
the divine nature and the infinite authority
of the Judge appears from the repetition here
of the words in the beginning Qtev. i, 9. So
it is in John i, l. Jesus is one with the
Father, and He is "the author and finisher of
our faith Heb. xii, y.
" II. The language of the 1lth, 18th and
18th verses naturally leads to this, in which
the way of getting right to the tree of life
is set forth. 1t is doing His command
mcnts." Man was in the Garden of Eden and
in innocence. He ate the forbidden fruit
SO he was expelled He disobeyed Gods com
mands. See Gen. iii, "a 1t is by revers-
ing all this and obcying that he can get the
right to the tree of life. (See Rev. ii, ~
The figure of city is here added in reference
to Rev. xxi, 10. The obcying is more than
mere saying or protesting See in llustra-
: rf,,,t ,-iisD otl- L.,
mands are we to obey" the answer is in such
passages AS john iii, %; Acts xvi, 81. This
is the obedience of faith. (.See the revised
version of " AZ
" Is. Outside the Oriental city dogs live
on the filth of the place. Hence we can UNI
G"g>fWa i've opening words, which have their
L."1....!. u.tiH,lyd in the black list that fol-
lows. Ihr climax i, loving and making
lie" See for other statements of this awful
truth Phil. iii, -; Gal. V, 1921.
V. IL. Again the authority of this book is
set forth, as in Rev. i, /, and with the figure
of Rev. V, |, which in turn comes from Isa
XII, /, 10. The "star" is from Mum. xiv, H.
Then follows the glorious recital Of the invi-
tation
(V. ~, in explaining which the teacher
may begin with the water of life" What is
it! The figure comes probably from the other
familiar language, MS Of Ps. xiii, IL: My
soul thirsteth for God;' i. e., desires Him, as
the thirsty man desires water, and this is
water of life The soul that has this desire
satisfied has life See John iv, l3-14D But
how can we get it! Simply, come to the
fountain and take of it. Believe in, come to,
receive Christ. What encouragement have
we to do this' The Spirit bids us come John
xvi, 13-1i) All gospel invitations come under
this head The bride" tsee Rev xxi, - is the
church of Christ Her testimony in preach
ing, writing and living is to Christ Us the
Saviour. The individual member-"et him
that hearethr-is exhorted 10 repeat it, as
converted, faithful Sabbath school teachers
do And, finally, it is renewed again in this
divine word: "Whosoever WILL etc One
might say: Il do not know the Bible nor the
church, nor have | Christian friend to teach
me, but my soul thirsts for God" Then let
such a one come. Jesus will not cast him
out, but will receive him and put him in the
way of learning See Matt. ri, 2S30)
VS. 1919 contain a solemn statement of
the completeness and perfectncss of the revela-
ton made, whether in this book itself for its
own purposes, or in the entire Scriptures, of
which this was meant to be the close, IS not
certain. No man can add to it without being
plagued Of God as this book threatens (See
PROV q. Dent rii -. Cor iii