Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-06-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY
CONSIDERED.

CONSlDEHEAe
| a Scholarly Exposition OF tho Lesson
Thoughts Worthy of Calm Reflection
Half an Hours Study of tho Scriptures
limo We'll Spent.
| The lesson for Sunday, June A. may be
| found in H. Chron. "a: 14-2S.
| INTRODUCTORY.
| Every Sunday-school teacher will rejoice
over this lesson regarding the Book. What
| an opportunity it gives for urging the
blessedness of Bible-study! 1t is to be
feared that with our modern convenience
| for lesson study, we are neglecting not a
| little the simple perusal of the sacred vol
ume itself. In some classes the presence OF
| Bible would seem almost us startling as
| Hilkiahs finding of the law. Is 1t not a
good time to reinstate "the good book" US
| it is Called in it's place in the claSs-roomI
| There is a quite pertinent application also
| in this lesson rs respects character III is
to be noticed that right attention to the
money qnestion-as we regard it, the burn
| ing question of to-day-lcd to this fortunate
discovery OF Gods law for the people.
s'When they brought out the money that
was brought into the house of the Lord,
Hililiah the priest, found the book of the
law of the Lord"
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
| When they brought. Hebrew: In the
bringing out. In the course of the work of
repairing the temple, instituted by King
Josiah e Chron. "a: s)-Money. Properly,
silver. So the Douay. See Variations.
The word literally means white, the color of
| sought for and found. The first meaning
of the word is to come upon.-A book.
Better, the book as in Revision. ga booll'
is ambiguous. 1t rather means what we
signify by a volume. Or, by the Hebrew
custom, a roll.-Given by Noses Or, by
tn1 ,pv, Il 20
Mosaic authorship is here distinctly stated.
Some of the critics have it still to find.
Answered. A frequent use of language
in the Hebrew and Greek, where it is cir
cumstances rather than any spoken query
that provokes response. Spake would be
more in accordance with the English idea.
This same word SO rendered at Job 3: 3
To Shaphan. AS the proper custodian,
being scribe, or secretary or possibly, as we
might say, librarian.
Huldah. An intimation that will doubt
less be dwelt upon in Methodist circles just
Her position higher than that of her hus-
band.-Collegc. Hebrew, the second part
Probably the newer part of the city.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Found Il book. This is the best of eurekas.
He that finds the book of the law of the
that is daily being made. The Bible is ac-
cessible to us all to-day but it is book to
be found to be enjoyed. and there are many
who have not yet laid hands on the hid
treasure. The "Cambridge Biblen suggests
that "the finding mentioned in this verse
was not discovery of something unknown
before. but the rescuing of the temple copy
OF the law from the hiding place in which it
had long lain.n 1t is a genuine item of
Christian experience, and some of US wait
very long for it, The writer of this para
graph is free to confess that it was some
| lny lie. 90 1S,,;s n
had been entered and passed that this in
etfable discovery was made and the JOY of
the finding still fingers. We can wish our
readers, Sunday-school scholars, teachers.
and we venture to say, pastors, all, no
higher fortune than the finding of the book
of the law.
Up to the highest; that is where the book
belongs. This is. in very truth. a kings
book. 1t is the law for the goverance of all
| leaders:-lt embodies the common law of all
peoples. Fit to lie upon the rude tables of
| peasantry, it is also the chiefest adornment
of the purple and the velvet Let shaphan
carry the book to the king. Alas, that the
kings and mobiles of the land should have
ever ignored the book Of the law Of God!
Alas, too, that the subject peoples have
ever forgotten its mandates. The good Of
ruler and ruled together, the perpetuation
| or all right government is in this sacred
volume, held i'll reverence by all. The
king that ignores the Bible ignores his SUBJ
| 1ects, save as creatures to be trampled on.
The people that know no book of the law
know no magistrate ordained of Cod No
wonder the anarchist fights the book; it is
the chief hindrance to the pandemonium he
would bring. No wonder the tyrant hates
it, for it thwarts his fell designs. Keep this
safeguard of liberty and progress ever at
| the front.
And Shaphan read it before the king. A
| true court preacher. lie lets the law have
|
in royal halls that said: Gall men must die y
and then, catching the eye OF the king and
| cringlng, stammered, "Almost alp? No
matter; it was not shaphan "Thou art
the mani" is his swift, arrowy, Nathan-like
| utterance. He was reading the book before
the king-and to the king. We should like
to know his selections Collect for the king I!
What was it? Well, it was something sharp
and searching. 1t made the king uneasy
on his throne, uneasy in his sins There is
q sort OF reading in the state church litur-
| GIGS of to-day that has no such effect an
easy-going, fashionable sort of informing of
words, under which the king yawns ard his
| mobiles go to sleep. o, to see the chief mag
1strate walked up. Is there no Savonarola
or John Knox hereabouts? May heaven
| send the king another Shaphan.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me- PRAYER
supplication follows Scripture-reading as
/ naturally as the flower follows the bud.
Our ordinary procession of devotions in the
| Sabbath service has normal genesis.
Scripture provokes prayer. The Bible
reading man is q praying man. 1t is a
happy thing when the presentation Of the
law of God has such effect as here-a happy
thing, and yet the natural thing, when the
| word finds lodgment. First, there is re-
pentance, ntimated in the rending of gar
ments. Then follows as suggested here,
supplication. After all is not the true re-
vival to be brought about by whole souled
return to that book which God has placed
IN our midst? And, thank God, such a
blessed awakening is coming in the land
we see Its signs appearing. A century of
sunday school study has not been in vain,
the enlarged interest in the Bible, in the
pulpit and without, is having its effect.
PRESENTLY shall we not hear the anxious crv
from all about, "Go, inquire of the Lord
| for me?n
| have heard thee also, saith the Lord.
God has his general judgments but at the
same time he treats with us as individuals.
| Wherever there is earnest prayer, God is
at hand. AS many as lift sincere supplica-
ton to the throne of grace have all Gods
mercy and love enlisted in their behalf,
The nation may be under Judgment for ma
tional sin. but the members of that nation.
each and all, may know Gods special in
I PREVENTION In their behalf. 1t is SO to-day.
All the world lies in wickedness and under
the condemnation of the law of God. Yet
| OF each who 70 a