Mower County transcript., 1891-12-23
TIL THE DEAD D
LESSON XIII, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, DEC. q.


TERNATloNAL SERIES, DEC. q.
Review Of the Quarter-From tho Raising
Of lazarus to the Last Appearances to
tho Disciples tho Great Theme e I'm
mortality Through Christ.
Said not unto thee that II thou
wocldst believe thou shouldst see the glory
OF God" Such is the sublime declaration
OF Jesus in the first lesson Of the quarter
now closing. It was spoken to Martha, the
sister of Lazarus. It was a promise that
Gods power should be manifested in rails
ing her brother when he had been dead
four days, and it was followed Immediately
by the gracious miracle The Jews that
stood by had asked of each other whether
this man which opened the eyes Of the blind
could not have prevented this death. It is
plain that neither they nor the sorrowing
sisters had indulged any hope that the dead
Lazarus might be raised.
They were soon and wonderfnllv en-
ightened. The dead was raised in their
sight. Thereafter to the end of the quar-
ter's lessons the truth that life and i'm
mortality are brought to life in Christ's
Gospel is increasingly enforced and illus
trated to the glorious confirmation by the
rising of Christ Himself Incidentally we
note in the opening lesson that the Jews
OF that time already had very clear idea
of the Immortality of the soul. for when
Jesus told Martha that her brother should
rise, she answered as plainly and simply as
any Christian would now answer, 'sI know
that he shall rise again at the last day."
In the next lesson Jesus foretells his
death, but adds to it an Immediate promise
of eternal life. St. John passes rapidly
over the events of the last week, assumiug ?
them to lie knows to the Christians. but
dwells on each act demonstrating the divin-
lty OF Christ and his promise of eternal
life. In the next lesson is related the sub
lime act of humiliation by which Jesus
showed that he loved his disciples to the
end,and all OF the next two lessons is devot.
ed to the glorious doctrine of the Comforter.
AS one reads this account in John he feels
an intense conviction that he is reading q
verbal report by al actual witness. It
carries conviction as modern ''interview''
is sometimes said to do-by the force of in
ternal evidence.
Then follows Christ's sublime prayer for
his disciples. his betrayal, arrest and ar
raignment before Annas and Caiapbas, and
then the curious play between priests and
politicians by which he was sent back and
forward, and the extraordinary episode of
Pilates relenting and his wife's famous
plea. The student of Bible history should
pause at this point and study all the de-
tails carefully, for right here is an inter
lock of politics and popular hatred. Roman
10 low ich
mysterious providence furnishes some of
the strongest evidence of the truth of the
Gospel narrative.
1t is singular and most momentous
fact that of the principal persons here men
toned and of the general state of feeling in
Jerusalem at that time, we have history
from sources outside of the Bible as com
plete and authentic as we have of any
great era in modern times. We know al
most as much of the Herods as we do of
the Hanoverian monarchs of Great Britain.
The quarrel between this Herod and plate
and their reconciliation and the reasons
why the chief priests prevailed are all
made known to US by unquestioned pro.
fame history. Now observe how completely
every little phrase that St. John uses fits
in with that history, and note especially
that he tells his story precisely as an eye.
witness would tell it. In the profane his
tory of this era the Bible student may find
material for many hours of profitable en-
joyment. -
On one important point, however, there
is great disparity of opinion. PLATE seemed
very anxious to exculpate Jesus, ,sor at any
rate so pretended. Yet when the Jews
cried out that the prisoner had violated
their law and ought to die, "when PLATE
heard that saying he was sore afraid ~
Afraid of what? He had declared Jesus
innocent of any offense against the Roman
law, and as to religion it is highly prob
able that he was, like most Roman officials
of the time, an atheist; yet he was in fear,
and again questioned Jesus. Note the
statement of the Saviour in one reply:
''Thou couldst have no power at all
against me except it were given thee from
above"
That is, God is the sovereign and earthly
rulers are his ministers, however they may
abuse their power or neglect their duties.
The Jews prevailed. The crucifixion fol.
lowed at once. Christ was laid in the
tomb, and then came the crowning proof
of Immortality. That Jesus Christ was
cruci1ied no one, not even his bitterest enc
mics, have denied. That he rose from the
dead was SHOWN by so "many infallible
proofs" (Acts i, s., that thousands were
convinced within few months. Before
any account of it was put in writing the
fact was preached in Galatia, Macedonia
Corinth, Rome, Alexandria and scores o1
minor places, and converts multiplied
The proofs must indeed have been many
and infallible to produce such widespread
conviction.
Seven appearances of Christ are spe
cifcally recorded, and then follows the gen
eral statement of his forty days of instruc
tion. And all that time there was but one
topic-'The things pertaining to the king
dom of God" The affairs of this vorlG
and the duties of this life were first taught
and then his divine mission, immortal
ity was now demonstrated and the truths
of a higher life were to be set forth. The
Christian church was planted, and we mus,
now turn to its earthly trials and vicissi
tudes
Every Little Counts.
If you will notice the face of a peanu,