News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-08-23
THE |. S. S. LESSON.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
AUGUST 20.
Lesson Text: "The Pillar of Cloud
and of Fire." Mum. tx, 1922
Golden Text: Ps. xiii, 3-Com-
mentary on the Lesson.

Golden Text: Ps. xiii, 3-COm-
mentary on the Lesson.
This fourth book in the Bible, called tn
Book of Numbers, tells US in the first chap
ter of the numbering of the people after the.
| left Egypt, and in the twenty-Sixth chapte
| of the second numbering, thirty eight year
later AT the first numbering there wer
| COS, $50 men of war d., 46l; at the Secont
numbering there were Col, $50 men of wa
| (xxvL, 81; but in the last numbering Their
was not man of them whom Moses anC
! Aaron had numbered at the first, excep
| Caleb and Joshua (xxvi., "a, 90; all the COS,
| 54S had died in the wilderness because of theil
| sin i'll murmuring against God xiv, 2j-3ll
Exodus tells of the redemption of the IA
ton of Israel from the land of Egypt, thu
house of bondage; Ieviticus tells of then
worship and way of access to God theil
Saviour and King, who had taken up Hi
abode among them in the tabernacle built al
His command and according to Hi
directions; Numbers tells of the or
ganization of the nation as a great
military encampment, and of their journey
ings from Mount Sinai, where they had been
encamped for nearly year (Ex. xiv, 3, and
Mum. K, II, ~ to the borders of the promised
land, and of their thirty eight years oil
wandering in the wilderness because of sin
(Deut. H., l4.
As to the food and clothing of this great
multitude all those years we have concise
statement in Deut viii, Pa. Our lesson to-
day tells us of the cloud which was to them
a covering, light, an oracle, a guide; it
was also shield and an avenger; and it was
all these because God was in it.
By this cloud, also, He fought for Israel
and proved Himself the avenger upon their
enemies lex. xiv, "a 25); and to us He SAYS:
dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves; but
give place unto wrath (R. V. margin, the
wrath Of God; for it is written, Vengeance
is mine; Iwillrepay, saith the Lord" Rom.
xii, 10.
1 V. Is. "On the day that the tabernacle
was reared up" That was on the first day
of the first month of the second year; then
this cloud which had already proved their
guide, their shield and their avenger covered
the tabernacle, and the glory Of the Lord
filed the tabernacle. lex. XII, 17-3l.D So
also, when the temple was completed, the
cloud of glory filed the house I'll. Chron. ",
Is, 14) 1t was a visible manifestation of the
presence of Cod something their eyes could
see, as Adam and Eve and all the antedlluVl-
ans saw the flame of the sword in connection
with the cherubim at the east of the Garden
of Eden. 1t was from that visible presence
of God that Cain went out, for from the in
visible presence he could not go; that visible
presence Moses pleaded for in Elk xxxiii, d.
Ii; and that visible presence shall be again
manifest in the day of lsrael's restoration,
when their sin as a nation shall have been
washed away and the glory of the Lord be
seen upon them. lisa. iv., PC; H, s.
1.-The tent of the testimony" because in it
was the ark of the covenant containing the
two tables of testimony; the law testifying to
the Righteousness which God demands, and
the blood upon the mercy seat testifying to
the salvation from the consequences of
broken law and to the righteousness which
God provides.
Fire, until the morning." To give them
light lex xiii, 2D. He spread a cloud for
covering, and fire to give them light in the
night tPs. cv., 39). Thus they had continual
light, the sun by day and the pillar of fire
by night. Jesus said: Il am the light of the
world; he that followeth Me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall have the light of life"
John viii, 12l. Concerning Israel in days to
come it is written: 1.-THE Lord shall be unto
thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy
glory lisa k, 1g9. The heart of the watch
full is fixed upon the city for which Abraham
waited, where there will be no need of the
sun nor of the moon, for the glory of God
shall light it, and the lamb shall be the light
thereof (Iev. xxi, 81.
"Until the morning" is an expression that
ALWAYS arrests my attention, since | have
been led to live day by day looking for Him,
loving His appearing. Then shall be the
light of the morning without Clouds when
the upright shall have dominion over the I'M
godly, and when the Joy shall come that ends
arisen III. Sam. xiii, i; Ps. Xix, IA; xxx,
5; Rev. xxi, 49,
l6. $50 it was Away" 90! 1 am with
you Away" 'He hath said: 1 will never
leave thee nor forsake thee, * for He
Is Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to-
dcy and forever. Matt xviii 20. Heb
xiii, 5-S.) They understood not His won.
ders, they remembered not His merces, but
provoked Him by murmuring and unbelief;
nevertheless He saved them for His names
a q might Ea mi
to be known.
II. Israel journeyed. Israel
pitched their tents" Nothing had Moses or
Aaron to say in this matter, the cloud de-
cided all The soul that now waits upon God
sincerely desiring His guidance and His will
IN all things will surely be guided by His
word and His providence plainly as Israel
was by the Cloud; only be sincere and be Just
as willing to stay as to go, or to go as to stay.
Be warned by Jer xiii, xiii: be comforted
and established by Ps. xxi, s; only dissem-
bic not in your heart.
us. AT the commandment of the Lord
Twice in this verse, twice in verse 20 and
three times in verse %, do we find this eX-
preston in our lesson; just seven times, sig
nifying a perfect obedience The same Is
noticeable in Elk. xl, 1882, in connection
with the erection Of the Tabernacle. eff We
loVe me, keep My commandments" ''if We
keep My commandments, We shall abide in
My love" this is My commandment, that
ye love one another" John xiv, Is; XIV, 10,
~; see some of the words of Him who was
in all things the perfectly obedient one If
we would know the JOY and comfort of the
spirit dwelling in us, we must be cheerfullY
willing and obedent; as Jesus said that He
came not to do his own will, nor seek His
0Wn glory John vi, IS; viii, 50), we must
be able in some measure to say the same if
we have His spirit dwelling in us
IL. when the cloud tarried long, If it
nlnaSant nlapa nd moi
Marah lex. XIV, 22-20, we may suppose they
would be content to tarry as long as God
pleased; but if the surroundings were not
agreeable, how trying it must have been to
AIRY long in such place. We often think
We are content with the will of God and even
AXE delight in it, but He who reads the
leart proves to us, by some change of cir
or by asking US to tarry long in
surroundings, that self is still I'm.
ubdued in u.s.
20, 81, -. when the cloud was few days,
from evening unto the morning, =
two days or month or a year" How
Uncertain of the future, how dependent upon
jod, how impossible to make plans for tho
morrow! And yet are not we taught that
we can only go here or there, and do this or
hat IF the Lord willf' JAS. ". I5,. Fancy
| visit to the camp of Israel and an introduc-
ION to Moses, the great leader of the Lords
iosts. We ask him, how long do you propose
'emaining at this encampment? With eyes
IN mug LO"aTd Une plilar or cloud he replies,
know not Which way will you journey
when you do leave here? With eyes still fixed
lpon the cloud come the same reply, / know
lot. Where will your next camping ground
1et and again the same meek reply, 1 know
rot. And yet you, Moses, are a leader of this !
,reat hosti No, not l, but Jehovah, who J
lwelieth among us in the Tabernacle, and /
whose glory you see in the cloud He re- |
leemed this people, He careth for them H. !
Will lead us to the promised Inheritance, al /,
We have only to trust and obey Him.
Rather too tame life for the busy man of /
o-day; but what will you, O busy and self |!
onfident one, do with this command J
Him in AL thy ways, s. = /
can not unto thine own understanding. |,
'rov. iii, ,, 6.
Ask Joseph of Nazareth, down in Egypt
With Mary and the Child Jesus, similar que !
ions to the above. and his only answer coUkI ,
)e: my orders were: Arise, and take The !
,oung child and his mother, and fee in o
Egypt, and be thou there until bring theS
YOrd.n Matt IL, 13. Since God is Love and
owe leadeth, what can we do but stay or go
IS He directs, and joyfully sing: HE leadeth
ne Lesson Helper.
The Indians of Ecuador.
While the Indians are under the rule
Of the priests, and have accepted the
Catholic ro1iriOp 4bYoo 81