The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-01-13
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JANUARY ~.
Lesson Text. "Overcome With Wine"
Isaiah xviii, 1-1s Golden
Te1S: >Rroverbs XXX, 1
documentary.

As most of the verses in this lesson are too
long to quote in full in these brief notes l
must beg the reader to peruse with Bible In
hand, as should always be done, otherwise
lesson helps may become a snare and him.
drance.
/. WOE to the crown of pride. to the
d%runkards Of Ephraim, " 3" overcome
with VINE" This is a lesson of warning to
the sensuous, self %indulgent unbelievers in
Israel-a curse pronounced upon them in
stead of the blessing which might have been
theirs had they only been willing and obed-
lent lisa. j., ! 1920. Observe how this and
the next three chapters begins with Woe"
then behold q righteous king. (xxxii., u:
another woe, q Judgment, and then the king
dom comes lIxxv., 1-1Cl.
{. ."Behold the Lord hath a mighty and
strong one, who shall cast down to the earth
with the hand" Read verses IL, II and see
what the mighty and strong one might
nave been to them had they built upon
Him, but what he will be because OF their
sin.
3. .The crown Of pride, the drunkards OF
Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet"
Nations and individuals choose their "
destiny IT willing now to find the JOY in
God and in His will, proving that His love
is better than wine Cant. J., p then all the
lows of His kingdom shall be theirs; but II
they prefer the joys of the vine Of the earth,
they must expect to suffer the wrath OF God.
Rev. xiv, IL, l9.
4. "And the glorious beauty which is on
the head Of the fat valley shall be q fading
flower" . r. = The terraced and luru.
riantly fruitful hills Of Samaria are sym;
boil Of excessive worldly lu1uriance n
pleasure. Israel was placed in q Land flow
ng with milk and honey that she might
glorify God as the author and giver OF every
gif. she enjoyed. but when she enjoyed her
luxuries and forgot God she only wrought.
sorrow for herself, discarding an eternity
for a present joy which proved only a
S. I'm that day shall the Lord of Hosts be
for a crown of glory, and for q diadem or
beauty, unto the residue Of His people"
Unto the remnant who shall be left after the
judgments have fallen God shall be an eter-
nal e%xceIiency. They are spoken Of as but a
third part Of the nation, but they shall be
His people and He will be their God, Nch.
Kill, 8, g.. Not only shall he be their crown
Of glory, but they shall be his crown OF
glory, and a royal diadem in His hand
lisa. xii, 81.
6. "And for a spirit of Judgment to Him
that sitteth In Judgment, and for strength
to them that turn the battle to the gate"
He will be wisdom to the rulers who rule for
Him, and he will be the strength of all who
fight for Him and drive the enemy from
their gates. The Lord is God.ot Judgment
Tor discernment) chapter Xxx, 18, and all
who rely upon Him will have wisdom given
them to decide rightly.
Z "But thew also have erred through
wine, and through strong drink are out Of
the way. They err in vision, they stumble
in judgment" And these were the priests
and prophets who should have led the peo-
pie in the right way. There is q wisdom of
this world which intoxicates and blinds pao-
pie to the truth of God; many teachers and
preachers thus err and stumble nowadays
and multitudes are led astray by them. Test
all by lisa. viii, 20, R. V.
8. 'tFor all tables are full Of vomit and
flthiness, so that there is no place cleah."
As disgusting and abominable as such re.
suits Of drunkenness are, 80 Is all spiritual
uncleanness and unholiness In the sight Of
God. As a refined and temperate person
abhors the company Of the drunken and pro-
fame, we may in some small measure imagine
how loathsome to God must be the worldly
and pleasur, loving who bear His name. He
says BE will sew them out OF His mouth
REV. iii, l6). =.
9. "Whom shall he teach knowledge! and
whom shall He make to understand doctrinei
them that are weaned from the milk and
drawn from the breasts" This may be the
sheer of the drunkards at the prophet, whom
they think talks to them as II they were
children. Or it may be the Spirit Of the
Lord seeking such as He may guide into the
truth. II the latter, we cannot help think.
tsee I Cor. Ill, /, 2; Heb. v, 12-14), and
praying that we may not be babes like them,
but able TO eat some strong meat.
10. "For precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept, line upon line, line
upon line; here a little and there q lutte"
So blind are we to spiritual things, and so
slow to learn that we must have the same
truths repeated over and over again. Thus
the Saviour taught, and so we must teach
also, with patience and perseverance, and
loving kindness, relying upon the Spirit to
make us APT to teach" III Tim. IL, ~.
II. "For with stammering lips and another
tongue will He speak to this people, As
thew stammer in their drunkenness, So He
will speak to them by those who in their c.
timation are stammerers. Paul was consid-
cred by some to be, as to his bodily pres.
enca weak, and ~ to his speech contempt-
BILE III Cor. Z, 10Y. So also were the prophets
despised and hated because Of the message
they carried lJer. xi., 10; xx., 8.
Is. 'To whom BE said, This is the rest
wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest;
and this is the refreshing. Yet they would
not hear" He would give them rest and
fullness Of joy, but His word was to them q
WEAKNESS, q series of trivial commands and
thew would not hear. In quietness n con-
hdencs might they live IL they would only
RETURN to and rest in Him; but they would
not lisa. XXX, 49, So also did Jesus COM
plain of them.
them precept upon precept = - that
they might 20. and fall backward n oe
broken and shared and taken" The same
Gospel gives life and causes death, gives
blessing or cursing, joy or sorrow-the drst
If received, the last II rejected III Cor. IL,
Is, 16: Math. xiii, IA. IS, Isa- vi, 9. 10y.
Let all who live only for the present, and are
thus Incorporate, whether given to wine or
not. take heed to this warning, hear the
word Of the Lord and learn to delight In
Him.
But we might also ask. Is it not as
plainly written that Except a man be born
from above he cannot see the ktdgdom OF
OF God" John Ill, 3, and yet multitudes OF
church goers and church members VINO
know nothing Of the birth are vainiy dream.
ing Of safety and Of peace. 1t Is written
that without shedding Of blood there Is no
remission, for it is the blood that maketh
atonement for the soul Heb. tx, %; Lev.
xviii, III, and yet many will me- hear of the
blood Of atonement, but vainly think to
reach heaven without it. Let all such re-
member that the coming storm will sweep
awayt the refuse OF lies.-Lesson Helper.
BURGLARY long ago attained the
d;ppitu If an art. but IT, has rarely