Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-07-14
GODS GREAT PROMISE.
LESSON III. THlDo QUARTER. INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES. JULY is.

AnO xS1b Oh the kscAhOn Is 10 kSo AOQuO
10 Ex. xxxiii. Ia-es--Goiden Text. Matt.
kill. parliamentary by Rev. II. NJ.
Stearns.
CONDENSED from lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission Of II. 5. hoffman, Philadelphia, pub
lishsr.
Moses is now for the sixth time in the
mount with God After tho Levites had
slain about three thousand because of
the sin concerning the golden calf Moses
said: "Ye have sinned great sin, and
now | will so up unto the Lord Per-
adventure | shall make an atonement for
your sin." tEx xxxii, 30l How glorious
to see Jesus Christ, the prophet like unto
Moses, ascending up TO God, having made
atonement for the sins of the whole world
q John ii, ., a sufficient atonement for ell,
but efficient only for those who truly receive
Him. In verse IL it is written, 'Tbe Lord
spalSe unto Moses face to face as man speak
eth unto his friend, not that Moses saw God,
for mo man hath seen God at any time
John i, Isl, and verse 90 of our lesson today,
There shall no man see Ne and i've" but
the intercourse of Moses with God was as a
man with his friend. Since Jesus has died
and risen again, and is at the Fathers right
hand for us who believe in Him, our inter
to be as with friend but how few seem TO
know Him thus intimately. even His own re-
deemed seem more interested in decking these
mortal bodies and in becoming intimate with
sinners like themselves
L. Bring up this neoplen When God
sent Moses unto Pharaoh, and Moses said,
"Who am that | should go unto Pharaoh.
and that should bring forth tho children Of
Israel out of Egyptg" God said unto him,
Certainly | will be with thee tEx iii,
i0-l2 but because of their sin God had now
said that He could not go up in the midst of
them, lest He consume them w. 81, and it is for
this reason that Moses now pleads for q guide
and deliverer. He pleads what God has said:
II know thee by name, and thou hast also
found grace in my sight" This is safe plead
ing, and sure of success. In Isa lxii
marginal reading), We are called ''the Lords
remembrances," and are urged TO plead His
promises; and again, in lisa. xiii, %, He
says; PUT me in remembrance .let us plead
together The promises of God are bank
checks which we are to indorse and present
for payment, sure that they will be honored,
for ''all the promises of God in Jesus Christ
are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory Of
God by u.s." III Cor. i, 2O)
13. ~Sbew me now thy way that may
know thee" 1t seems strange to hear one
with whom God spoke face to face, praying
to know Him; it seems strange to hear Paul
praying 'that / may know Him Phil iii, 1O;
but there is more in knowing Godn than
appears at first sight, and it is only those who
know Him best, as we think, who feel in their
hearts that they know Him so little. Jesus
said; This is life eternal, to know thee,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent" John xviii 81
Not to know about Him, but to know
Him personally, intimately as our own
God and Father, and Jesus as our own
Saviour and Brothe-.
IA. my presence shall 60 with thee, and
will give thee rest" 'The angel of His
presence saved them; in His love and in His
pity He redeemed them" Qsa. xiii, o. am
fully persuaded that if the promise contained
in our Golden Text for today was more
fully understood and appreciated. be-
levers would be filled with power to
serve Christ and would prove true fellow
laborers with God. His presence means full
ness of JOY and perfect peace and rest.
Why, then, have we not this power and joy
and rest9 Simply because Israel's sin is our
sin; they tempted God, they spake against
God, they believed not in God, and trusted
not in His salvation" (Ps lxxyiii, IS, 10,
22)
16. 81 and thy people" Twice in this
verse we have this expression showing how
Moses identified himself with the nation The
Son of God identified Himself with us by be-
coming man, partaker of flesh and blood,
and in all points tempted like as we are, call
ing us His brethren. (Heb ii, 10-1Sl
II. ''Thou hast found grace in nay sight,
and know thee by name This is the fifth
time in this lesson for the first part Of this
sentence, and the second time for tho last
part. The name, in Scripture seciHs to in
dicate character, what the person is, and
that implies conduct, or what the person
does. The name of the Lord in xxxiv,
s, T. confirms this view; also Cen xxzli,
q, 2s, where Jacob lsupplanteri becomes
Israel "a prince of Cod. and many other
passages might be referred to.
10 Gracious to whom VIII be graciousn
he doeth according to His will in the army
of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the
earth. and none can stay His hand, or say
unto Him, What doest thouf' dan. iv. 81
It is not for the clay to find fault with ths
potter: but oh, how we should rejoice that
he is not willing that any should perish
III Pet iii, g., and has said Him that
cometh unto Ne | VIII in no wise cast out.n
John vi, 37.l "IVhosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely" IRev. xxi, III |
know Of nothing to prevent any one receiv-
ing His grace now and His glory by and by
but their own unwillingness
% Thou canst not see NY face. for there
shall no naan see lie and hve." Dwelling
in light unapproachable, whom no man hath
seen or can see" 4 Tim vi, l6, r. VI
blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God" They saw God and did eat and
drink. Afatt. v, 81 Ex. xiv. I'D There
arc some apparent contradictions ia the book,
but no real ones; some things hard to DO I'M
derstood, which many wrcst to their own
destruction. There is milk for babes and
meat for those Of fun age, and abundance Of
light for all. Now re see in a mirror,
darlzIy; but then face to face: now know
in part; bat then shall know fully, evrfI as
also have been known fully Let Us yield
our bodies a living Il Cor xiii, II, r. W
sacrifice, not confor1ned to this world. sepa-