Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-01-31
JESUS IN SIMON'S ARMS.
LESSON V, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 2.
Text OF the Lesson, Luke ii, 2b-35-Com-
NIT Verses 29-32-G olden Text,
Luke ii, 32-Com m en- ary by the
Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.

In this lesson, as in all Scripture, Jesus is
the center-Simeon and Anna, and even
Joseph and Mary, are mentioned only be-
cause of their interest in and relation to
Him whose name is above every name.
25. "And behold there was man in Jeru-
salem whose name was Simeon; and this
man was righteous and devout, looking for
the consolation Of Israel" Or. w, Were
there not many righteous men in Jerusalem
looking for the Messah' 1t does not so APP
pear, or, if there were, here was a choice one
who walked with God
"And the Holy Spirit was upon him"
Here is the secret Of power to please God:
"By My Spirit, saith the Lord Of Hosts"
"Ye shall receive power after the Holy Spirit
is come upon you" "Tarry in Jerusalem I'M
til we be endued with power from on high"
Gee iv, g.; Acts j. 8; Luke xiv, 40. Let us
earnestly seek to be 'filled with the Spirit
again and again, and anew for every service.
26. "And it had been revealed unto him by
the Holy Spirit" 1.-THE things of God none
knoweth save the Spirit of God :" "The Spirit
of Truth will guide you into all truth" II
Cor. ii, IL John xvi, 49,. 1t is impossible for
the natural man to understand spiritual
things; but being born of God, born from
above, and having become partakers of the
Divine nature we have One in us who is per-
feet in knowledge, who Himself wrote all
Scripture, and if we will only be still and
hearken diligently, He will guide us into all
truth.
81. "And he came by the Spirit into the
temple" Notice the three things said of the
Spirit in relation to Simeon: The Holy Spirit
was upon him. He led him into the temple
just at the right time to see the child Jesus;
and so he seems to have led Anna also Tvs. 3S).
%. "Then he received Him into his arms
and blessed Godn Or. W. Simeon has never
forgotten that day when in his arms lay the
Holy Child Jesus, God manifest in the flesh
He had long before received Him by faith
into his heart, but now his hands handled and
his very eyes saw the Deliverer of whom all
the prophets had written-the seed of the
woman, the babe born of virgin.
90. Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant
depart in peace, according to Thy word"
No fear of death here; he had lived with God
on earth, his eyes had now seen the begin
ming of the fulfllnent of that which the
prophets had foretold, and he was ready to
go out and wait with Abraham Isaac and
Jacob for the complete fulfllment of the
mercy promised to them mic vii, 20. There
was peace in his soul because he believed the
Word of God; he was ready to depart.
80. mine eyes have seen Thy salvation"
Jacob said, II have waited for Thy salvation,
o Lord" Isaiah sang, Behold, God is my
salvation" Moses and David sang, "The
Lord is my strength and song, and He is be-
come my salvation" Gen. Xix 49, lisa. xii,
2; Elk. XIV, 2; Ps. cxviii, IA. But Simeon is
privileged to say that he had seen the saliva
ton of Jehovah, for whatever salvation has
been, is, or ever will be manifest on this
earth, is always through Jehovah, God of
Israel, God manifest in the flesh, Jesus Of
Nazareth. Salvation is Of the Lord" and
Salvation is of the Jews" and the time will
come when these words shall be fulfilled,
1.-The Lord hath comforted His people, He
hath redeemed Jerusalem: the Lord hath
made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the
nations, and all the ends of the earth shall
see the salvation of our God" Jonah ii, g.;
John iv, 22 Isa. Lii, 8, TO-.
81. (Which Thou hast prepared before the
face of all people" Whether we look ut the
person Of Jesus or the words or works Of
Jesus all is of God. As to His body it is
written, "A body hast Thou prepared me-"
and as to His words and works hear these
words THE Father who sent me, He gave
me a commandment, what | should say and
what l should speak, The Father that
dwelleth in me- He doeth the works Heb. K,
|
great salvation which He has wrought out for
Israel and for all the people it is written, II
have trodden the wine press alone; and Of
the people there was none with me- lisa. xiii,
81 The salvation Of Jehovah is a fully pre-
pared salvation presented to us for our ac-
ceptance.
81 "a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory Of Thy people Israeli (R. W.
The Spirit through Simeon speaks again Of
that which He had before spoken through the
prophets; that the Messiah should not only
be the glory of Israel but light to tighten
the nations lisa. xiii, g. xix, o. and in lisa.
TX, Is, we have the order of events, where
we are told that darkness shall cover the
earth and gross darkness the people, but the
Lord shall arise upon Israel and His glory
shall be seen upon them, and the Gentiles
shall come to their light and kings to the
brightness of their rising. Let any one read
carefully the whole of lisa. TX without per-
verting Scripture by trying to make Israel
and Zion signify the church, and they will
see how plain it is,
The Lord is now a light to every indvid-
ual, Jew or Gentle, who will receive him,
but when He has become the Glory of Israel
as a nation, then shall all nations flow TO
them and be enlightened with their light.
| Inc glory or the LORD refers to the Visible
manifestation of His presence, as when the
Glory Of tho Lord filed the tabernacle and
temple lex Il, "a, So; HI. viii, III. Jesus
Himself repeatedly referred to His future
coming in power and glory Matt. xvi, 81;
XIX 2S; xiv, 80; XIV, 3D. and in Ps. eli, &c
it is written that, when the Lord shall
build up Zion lie shall appear in His Glory.
Then shall al. the earth be filed with the
Glory Of the Lord, even as He hath sworn
Mum xiv, 2D.
SO. And His Father and His mother were
marveling at the things which were spoken
concerning Him" In our last lesson VS. 10,
We saw Mary keeping and bordering the say
ings Of the shepherds, and Ia our next lesson
We shall see her keeping and evidently pom
dering the sayings Of Jesus Tvs. 81, while
here we sea her marveling at tine sayings OF
Simeon. II the prophets did not fully com
prehend many things which the Spirit caused
them 10 write, as is evident from / Pet. j. TO-
II, 1t is not to be wondered at that neither
Mary nor Joseph should comprehend all
that the shepherds and Simeon said about
the holy child Jesus. We should not think il
strange if we cannot fully comprehend all
that is written concerning the details OF His
coming in glory and the Thousand years, and
the new heavens and earth but whatever il
written we should meekly receive in our
hearts and prayerfully ponder, constantly
avna,tina, 1i0ht and sure Tint IN duo tim.