Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-07-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY
CONSIDERED.
q Scholarly Exposition of tho Lssso,,-
thoughts Worthy OF Cam Reflection
Half an Hours Study of Tho Scriptures
-Timo Vol Spent.

INTRODUCTORY.
This is enc of the incidents OF Christ |
lie for whose narration we are Indebted to |
John. Coming asst with his account of the |
Christ life. he brought in many things
omitted by the synoptlsts, and this is one
Oh lhem. 1t is such an uddcndum us we
might woll expect from Tie beloved dis
c'ple. His theme is the more 81 ritual
aspects of Chris,'s ministry, and In the
conversation with Ncodemus, one of the |
profoundest of the doctrines of the new
kingdom is uttered and enforced. May 1t
nave as rcvercnt hearing in ourschools
to-day us II had on that night In old Judeu.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
VI the Pharisces. Or from the Pharisecs
minimizing his connection with the Phar-
'salc party, but not that he IL presented
hem in this interview.-A ruler of the
'ews. Or member OF the Sanhcdrim. us we
learn from John 4: 80
To Jesus, Greek, to him. (Revision.) BY
night. Not necessarily symptom of weak
ness though it may Indicate caution.-
habDl, Itself large concession. The rabbits
were the acknowledged and accredited
teachers.-We know. limiting at the gem
erai. though it may be, withheld conviction
OF his class.--Come from God, t. G.. a pro-
phet.-The>e Miracles We see here the
immediate utility Of the miraculous.
Except God be with him. There were
other kinds OF miracles. betrayiny the pit:
~" shC9S, performed Dy CHRIST, spoke or
God The word with (metal has forts first
meanings, with, together with. on the same
side or party with. in aid of. etc.
verify, verify. frequently Introducing
great and solemn declaration. Matt. s: 10:
10: 10. etc.--l say unto thee. Ncodcmus
up the same word just now somewhat
lightly dropped by Nicodemus.
again. First meaning, from above. Christ,
as true teacher goes right to the core OF
matter. 1t Is changed heart that is
needed.-He cannot see. Another appar-
| ent balancing of phrases more manifest in
the Greek. Nicodclnus had Just said "no
man can dcn Jesus says. no man can see;
and the condition is essentially the same.
]. e.. the divine life in the ore that sees and
the one that does.
How! The natural question Of the car
nal mind, and as such Christ treats IT,
| When he IS old. The word (geron) fro
| quently applied to elders or senators. inn
plying possibly some degree Of age on
the part of NicoGemus. Can he enter?
Reduct:o ad absurdunl
Born of water. Either baptism or u SYM
no! OF purity; perhaps both. We have in
Peloubet the strange spectacle of P;edo-
baptist CDR. Abbott) defending the former
view. and a Baptist Or. Broadus) advo-
eating the latter In either case there is a
quite discernible Baptistic implcation.-
The Spirit, i. e., from above. from God
Flesh is flesh. Like producing like
or the Spirit is spirit. Flesh cannot u.s.
cend to spirit; but Spirit can descend to
flesh.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES
The same came to Jesus by night. l am
glad he came. even though it was at night.
That night visit was the provocation of one
of the greatest sermons the world ever
heard, and it has given to the church one OF
Its strongest texts OF appeal. How bereft
we should feel without it. "God SO loved
the world!' There are other coed verses
but this seems sweetest OF all, and to how
many has 1t swung open the very gates OF
heaven! And so Ncodemus has been in
directly the means of the conversion OF
vast multitudes OF souls Very we'll, let me
come to Jesus, too There is something like
electric power in the contact. Not only
ones own soul but all the world is helped
when We draw nigh to the Redeemer OF
men. The world is the better to-day fo
that midnight colloquy. The more o
: Christian experience, individual though i
be, the more the world is drawn toward
, God
Except man be born again. This was
Christ's "except," and 1t slew Nicodemus
The ruler Of Israel had come with his "ex.
cept.n and it was Il pleasant, complimentary
, one: Except God be with him. But Jesu:
wants no honeyed words, he needs none
and he here lets fly an arrow that gets be-
tween the joints Of the harness and fintshe:
all of the felicitous discourse Of the lordly
jew. "Ye must be born again. Nicode.
mus has been called a representative q
those churchmen who know The writer
creed without knowing the work of grace il
the heart. Whether this be so or not, Nico.
GENUS hears at this time some new ane
wholesome truth, truth we believe tina,
renovates and reconstructs, Mayor How.
land of Toronto. uses strong language re.
J garding this Incident from Johns gospel.
81 believe in doctrine, but an unsaved sou
built up and fenced in with doctrine l.
, nearer hell than the most miserable drunk
ard. Doctrine is safe food for the sons o
God only"
: We receive not our witness. What is fattl
but this: We take Christ at his word .Nt
man hath assembled up to heaven but he
that came down from heaven,n Then onl,
Christ can testify from sight OF the heaven
" mystery He sneaks of that which h.
l knows and testities of that which he ha.
, seen. There are mauv yuesses ut trutl
abroad. many clever coniectures and sur.
misses. Only One can tell us with assuranc,
of the things of God, Who is it but ht
LORD Jesus, may we receive Wy witness
.