The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-02-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON CONSIDERED.

AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON CONsIDERED.
Reflections of an Elevating Character
Wholesome Food for Thought Study
ing the scriptural Lessons Intelligent1y
and Probably.
The lesson for Sunday, Feb. 16. may be
found In Luke ILL. 7-22.
INTRODUCTORY.
1t was the fifteenth year Of Tiberius
Caesar; the period in the reign OF the Sec
ond Caesar. when tina flower OF the Roman
civilization went aside. q self-exiled yolup-
tuary. to plunge into luxury and wanton-
ness at Caprea. Just at this time of no.
torious wickedness in high places came the
%rebuking voice at the Jordan. Rebuking.
and yet. ut the same time. reussuring. For
while it laid bare mems sins 1t also ointed
lorward-the "refiner's fire" become u
b~eacon-to an escape from the sins and the
downing Of a better day. In any case, it
etokened the utter weakness. of human
strength and the total worthlessness Of hu-
man greatness or goodness. The only hope
prophe message. brought by this man OF
the will ness. And the notification is at
hand.
WHAT THE LESSON SAY
The axe is l,il. Is lying. As If ready
for instant work.-unto the root. Rather,
OF tue root. 1t has not yet been applied to
cut.--Brinzeth not forth. Same word as
above in ". s. Do. A trees doing is in its
fruitage.-The fire. More accurately. in
to lire. No particular fire. except the anal
o2y..
Asked. Or were asking. kept asking.
This. like the then said he" OF v. 7 the was
sayine). is in the imperfect tense, implying
ireluentative action.-What shall we do
word as John employed in vs.. 8, .. but
translated bring forth. What shall we
bring forth.
He answereth and saith unto them. A
them.-Two coats. One Of these gar
ments was sufficient In that cline. It was
equivalent to saying he that hath an extra
Meat. rood.-Likewise. i. g.. share
with the needy out of his abundance.
Publicans. Tax : gatherers under the
Romans; much despised by the people,
Master. Teacher.
Unto them. Exceedingly personal preach
ing. III Greek represents him as speak
ing straight at them (pros autous).-Ex-
act. NO mere searching word could have
been spoken to the tax.gatherer.-Ap-
pointed you. Prescribed. The publicans
were accustomed to extort amounts largely
beyond the legal requirement. The same
word is used by Paul, 1 Cor. 16: 1. Con
corning the collection for the saints. as I
have given ORDER" etc.
Soldiers. Probably Jewish or nalt-Jewish
militia who CHANGED to be in that vicinity.
do violence. To shake violently, to in
timidate. Soldiers were not indisposed. as
with the prRtorian cohort at Rome. to use
their power beyond their legitimate prov
ince and to their personal advantage
Accuse any falsely. To take money by
false information. Literal blackmail. The
word itself is transferred into our language,
Irregularities in the Athenian fig industry
first occasioning the expression.-Wagcs.
Originally, provender or provisions. Evil
IDENTIFY john believed a man could be a good
soldier. He does not %denounce the calling,
per Sc.
And as. Either in the sense of time OF
reason why. the indecisive participial form
being used.-ln expectation. Waiting to
another. in mental indecision.-Christ OR
not. The later translations (see Varia-
lions! are better: May not he himself be
the Christ?
Answered. Replying to the questions in
10: 81, CT. Matt. 20: 3D.-0ne mightier
thanI.-Worthy.- Not the same word as
in V. 8 ~(aXios). but here dkpnos> meaning
fit or competent w wa Unloose; A most
gift. See Pentecost acts 9.-Fire. This
has been taken by Il recent writer 10 ap-
ply to Gods consuming fire." i. e., judg-
ment.
Nh pio pCoPiC, l. s vi WHO WOULD
Jesus also. Probably along with the rest,
at the time of the baptism of all.-Pray-
ing. Christ's example at the baptismuI
waters.--Hcayen was opened. Gods hon
orlng OF the ordinance.
WHAT II LESSON TEACHES.
Brlug forth therefore fruits worthy Of re-
pentance. John was the truth tie llins
prophet. We might suppose that such an
outspoken destination as generation OF
vipers" would offend and turn the people
from the preacher. 1t did offend. but it did
not drive his congregation away. Why:
Because it was the truth. Like a very nest
OF serpents they were. slipping out Of their
dens, warned" as it were. stirred up by
some molesting instrument. This sudden
apprehension. or fright, John says, is not
enough. Do something. he says; Lesin to
live as II you had really repented Of the
straightforward preaching they responded
with eagerness. May it not always be SO
You have grievously offended my nus
band said the Christian sister to our
neishbor pastor. 4 an glad Of it." said
self called: You hurt my feelings. last
night" Yes, but it was the truth. was il
not! Then ollowed an earnest personal
conversation and the man went forth d
themselves. 1t will do them good.
These stones. Sermons in stones" in
deed. II a multitude OF helps to the
preacher OF righteousness are lying about
~ LIZ ~ Aio Ntiy IcSl, ItLute mutGly
waiting to be used for driving home the
truth. These stones are used to shatter the
dogma OF traditional righteousness.
"Children OF Abraham" the men about
John were calling themselves. as if that
were any exoneration for ill-doing or any
plea for acceptance. Look at these stones
said John: God is SO far from being de-
pendent upon you or under obligations to
you that he can, rs at the first, take these
and raise up from the earth Il new chosen
generation. There is just an intimation
here of the new dispensation. Dull. life
less. hopelsss-very stones the Gentiles
seemed to be. in the eyes OF the self-right-
eous Jcw. Such indeed, in 4 sense, thew
We're. But out of these very stones. quoth
John. God is able, by renewing grace, to
raise up children unto Abraham. And
truly. what hope for these Jews, them-
selves, were this not 50?
What shall we do then? They are not
asking, as did the three thousand ut Pente-
cost. or the iailer at Philippi. What shall
do to be saved?" 1t is doubtful whether
John could have answered such nquestion
certainly not as Peter answered it with the
power OF the resurrection and the mighty
demonstration of the Spirit. The question
here is what shall We DO to repent? how
shall we Prove our sincerity? Aquery it is.
carefully, and -truthfully answered as by
John. In fact. it is included in the
apostles doctrine" Mt Pentecost as a
sort OF subsidiary inquiry. Repent and be
puDtlAcu oulu IcleT. Ii DuDClSm De the
Immediate token OF such repentance, then
the life outlined by John here is the per-
petual declaration of tho change within.
Let Us take The EtS.c as our lamp ard Light.
Step by step it guides us on our way, an
swerinS. one by one, every sincere question
of the soul.
He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
Christs coming meant, not q new Spirit
but Il new importation of the Spirit. The
Holy Ghost wa in the world from the be-
ginning. else how should the prophets o
Old have looked forward to Jesus? John
himself was speaking by that Spirit. Ever
since the foundation Of the world it has
been his office to testify of the Son. first, as
he that was to come; now, with power, as
he that is come and is raised up to sit upon
the right hand OF the Majesty on high.
Hence Christ is said to baptize with the
Holy Spirit. and just here We place the ac-
cent. Christ pours out the Spirit with such
strength and lullness as to overwhelm and
engulf; the whole being lost. as it were, in
the new bestowment. Is it not to this that
Paul refers in the thrilling language Of Eph.
=: 49, that ye might be filled with the full