The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-11
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught by Study or the I'M
national Sunday school Lesson Appointed

three parts-the historical, the epistolary and
the prophetic. The historical part includes
the books of SITS. Matthew Mark Luke John
aud the Acts of the Apostles; the epistOlary
embraces all the books between the Acts of the
Apostles and the Revelations of st. John. One
Apostle was represented in authorship in each
of the three departments, viz, st. John the
Greater. He wrote the historical book known
as the Gospel of st. John, the one general and
the two particular Tor personally epistles bearing
his name, and the prophetic book titled THE
Revelation of st. John the Divine"
IL is thought the author wrote all his books
quite toward the end of the first century, say
not far from the year 80 A. ID. He was the last
of the II Apostles to die, and hence he lived to
advanced age, not being far from a centenarian
at death. He was the only one Of the IL to die
a natural death. 1t is believed he wrote his
three epistles from Ephesus, in Asia Minor.
The epistle from which our lesson is taken is a
general one, addressed hence to no particular
church or person, but to Christian bodies of all
times and places. We feel a special interest,
since in fact the epistle is practically as much
for US as for any one else. A feature about the
epistle is its eminent practicalness. 1t treats
of Christianity in action. 1t is not so theolOgi
cal as ethical. Its doctrines are developed for
the purpose of enforcing correlative duties. A
Christian of the type pictured in the first epis-
tie of ST. John will be luminous in his deeds
a light in dark places; defender of the truth !;
a commentary on Gods word; himself an eps-
tie known aud read a representative of Christ
among men; a statue with torch, fixed but
light, warning and guiding. showing travellers
in life the way to the New Jerusalem.
A valuable feature of st. Johns writings is
that they were composed by one knowing all
the facts relating to the origin, development
and spread of Christianity. Verses Ia, just
before the lesson, prove how familiar the author
was with the life of Christ. ave" (V. 81 might
be like the editorial, but the pronoun probably
stands for the Apostles and Disciples in general,
and in special those who had formerly written
parts of the New Testament, as Sts Matthew,
Mark, Luke, etc. We find Christ acted openly I;
was a Light; could be seen, heard, looked upon,
handled. (See VS.. 49,
Why did st. John write his epistle? Y. A
explains to readers his objeet-"tha your Joy
may be full" We see what effect our study should
have on us. We should find our joy enhanced
as we dwell around these verses. May it be so
in every Sunday school Nov. 81! The lesson is
message" to Us. (Y. 81 When the Presi-
dent of the United States sends a message to
Congress there is special and universal interest
and attention. Whenever we receive a message
we attach importance to it in proportion to its
subject-matter and the rank or character of the
sender. What shall we say when we have a
| message from God, handed to US by his worthy
servant and special friend st. John? The dig
word declare mot tell, say We hear in
order to dispense our information. Having
| heard, st. John wanted to announce (V. 81
Knowing facts useful to humanity, the gener-
Gus man cannot retain them, but is anxious to
make them known to others.
One admission is forced from us-we are sim
ners. God declares we are such. FIVE say we
are not, we charge God with falsehood. (V. 10.)
| To Affirm our innocence is a self-deceptiOn.
We cannot make ourselves believe the asser-
tion-our associates will deny it, and God will
never admit it. This fact of our SHINING is
| true not only of the impenitent and uncon-
verted, but even of those known as Christians.
| None are sinless 1t is sin not to own or adj
nit our sin. Not only sinners need Christ, but
saints, too, must have his daily aid. Sin is
| darkness. The Sun of Righteousness (see
righteous, V. of Chap. q shines on no one
without a particle of shade, cloud. mist or
darkness. No saint can dispense for a moment
with the Advocate. (Y. ~ None can become
so advanced Christians" as to find no use for
the Lords Prayer.
We then are sinners. Something must be
done. Sin is not only darkness, but it is de-
| Element and guilt. We need cleansing. Tvs.
7,9.) Studying of Gethsemane and Calvary,
we gain conception of the baseness and harm
fulness of sin. 1t was no small thing to save
men from sin. lt required the interest and
cooperation of Christ, resulting in his suffering
| and death. Nothing less than innocence in
| agony and death could attract men from their
embrace of sin. We see what q hold evil has
| upon humanity-such hold il could not shake
| it of unassisted. We see how important it is
we should be holy when we find the Son OF
God willing. in order to bring about our holt
ness. TO bear the insults of human life and the
| crGelties of an ignoble death. All such DEM
| onstrations of Christ so convince men of sin
that they learn to hate it, to east it off, to seek
its opposite, and so leads to ultimate abandon
| ment of il /; and all this means cleansing. The
blood of Christ serves as danger signal to keep
us from sin. But sin is an offense 10 Deity, a
violation of his laws, and SO the sinner is
| guilty, and guilt calls for punishment. The
| principle of intercessiOn, substitution and me-
diation plays part in all human governments,
civil and domestic-and why not religious L?
We benefit through Christ's interest. We be-
| come so affected by our Savior's love that we
loathe sin. 1t is now easy for Jesus to effect
right relations between God and US. He does
not ask us to be accepted of God as rebels but
as reformed and repentant persons. His cross
| has changed US into lovers of holiness The
result is that God forgives the past and helps
US in the future. God does not compromise
truth, piety, purity, justice in treating peni-
tent sinners-snners made repentant not
through fear of perdition, but through love
| from Christ and for Christ-in treating them
as one does who from being offended becomes
| prOpitious. The one who brings about such
results may well be styled propitiator, and
the process is not unity called Precipitation.
| w. p Forgiveness is an instantaneous act,
but holiness is a culture. Used to sin from
| birth up, 1t would be no wonder if one should
on the start of a pure life stumble now and
| then. The aim should be entire holiness, and
so st. John says" Sin not" Happily he adds i'm
mediately afterward, knowing the general facts
OF life, the natural development Christian cul-
ture, " III any man sin, ii one chance to make
a mistake and stumble, we have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ" Our Savior
did not tire on the cross in his efforts to save
humanity, but watches continually the effects
OF bis suferings, death and intercessiOnS on
mankind.
Conditional to forgiveness is confession which
when genuine is always accompanied by refor-
nation. Sin that Is stubborn and that dis
claims TO be sin is deplorable and objectionable.
| Consciousness of ones sinfulness must be the
basis OF confession. If we be- not sinners God
| Is either mistaken or deceptive or false He
declares we are all sinners. He knows all things
and persons and never errs. He does not assert
| our outlines as u bugbear or scarecroW He
| is true, yea, The Truth. We are sinners then.
/ Not to confess Is TO deny. We do not know
| what TO call a man who practically charges God
with falsehOOd, unless we say he is a sinner.
/ We must confess our sins. First we must do so
| to.God. Secondly, we must confess to each other
| wherein we have been wanting in kindness or
| fairness or otherwise in our mutual relations.
| Thirdly, it is well to hold confidential CONVEX
sations with those experienced in religious con-
Germs. A commitment of any parish should,
G. o., feel such confidence in his pastor his re-