The Globe-republican., 1893-06-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.


lie, and evidently during the efforts OF Niche
miah to reform the nation See lessons VII
<. OF the first quarter, especially lesson x,
which belongs to the same time IS Malachi
| PLAcR-Jerusalem and vicinity.
PLACE IN BIBLE HIsToRY.-Malachi CORE
spends With the last chapter OF Nehemiah.
The last chapter of the Bible history and the
last chapter Of Bible prophecy belong to the
Same period Of time
LESSON NOTES.
The Great Need of Saviour.-After
Nehemiah had carried on his reforms
for twelve years, he returned to Persia.
But no sooner had he left than it was
seen that q reformation enforced by
the civil power, rather than the fruit
Of individual conviction, had no per-
manent vitality. The tithes. due to the
temple, the Levites and the priests
were not delivered, and the greatest
distress was thus caused to all who de-
pended on them for maintenance. Pub
lie worship was thus interrupted, and
the temple, forsalzen by its minister's
was neglected by the people. The Sab
bath was profaned, both in town and
country; wine presses were busy in its
sacred hours, and the roads and fields
dotted with the workers taking sheaves
to the barn on their heavily laden
asses. Jerusalem itself was disturbed
by Sabbath fair, to which loads of
wine, grapes. figs, and much else were
carried in during the sacred hours.
Phenician fishermen exposed for sale
their catch of the coasts, and traders
from Tyre displayed their countless
wares. After all the professed zeal to
put an end to mixed marriages, things
were rapidly drifting to almost a worse
condition than of old. Not few hus-
bands had deserted their Jewish wives
for Philistine, Ammonite, or Moabite
women.
Thus we realize the deep and per.
vasive moral need of Redeemer from
sin for the Jews. We see their need of
a king, a great ruler whose laws should
be righteous and should be obeyed,
and who would deliver them from the
power Of their enemies, who were
many and powerful and oppressive on
every side. They did not need tenn
poral king, for even in the Old Tesla
ment the ideal government was re-
public, with God in Heaven as the SUI
preme ruler, and His commandments
for their constitution and laws. But
they needed exactly such king as
Jesus, the Messiah, and such king
dom as He came to establish.
Missionary Alphabetically the
church needs, and the world needs,
just such King, Saviour, Teacher as
the Jews needed then, and in large
measure for the same reasons.
The Messenger Preparing the Way.
The most ample proof of Gods
of His promise to send
is John the Baptist, of
whom our Lord bore witness luke
7:2O. Messengers sent before the
eastern kings prepared the way for the
and armies of their mOnarchs.
A "king's highway" had to be carried
the open land of the wilder
ness, valleys filed up and hills leveled
(the words used are, of course, poetical
in their greatness), winding by-paths
for the march of the
great army. Interpreted in its spir-
itual application, the wilderness was
the world lying in evil.
Missionary Application.-John the
Baptist still goes before the coming
Saviour not only in the experience of
the individual, but also in the expert
ence of the church, preparing the way
for Christ's coming in the fullness of
His kingdom. There is ever a process
Of preparation, in which U The val
eys are filed up, the sins of omission
defects of prayer, of love, of work.
~ The mountains of pride, sin, sell
ishness, unbelief, worldliness are
eveled. (3) The crooked places
crooked ways of sin, worldly and sell
ish living, the sending of rum, idols
md firearms to the heather, the wick
I'd actions of many travellers, the OPP
oressions by stronger governments
ire made straight. az The rough
places are made PLAINTIFF frictiOns
Christian people, and differ
mt denominations, all temper or
larshness that mar the beauty of holt
less. All the fruits of Christianity,
he prosperity and development it pro-
ng the way; but most of all the
christian graces, the love, and earnest
less, and devotion.
Coming of the Saviour. Like the
PRIEST whose duty it was to superin-
end the temple arrangements, and
Who might at any moment knock and
lemand admittance. He came sudden
y and unexpectedly, no one knew
When. The rabbis say: Sometimes |
lie came at the cock-crowing, some
lines little earlier, sometimes lit
lie later He came and knocked, and
hey opened to Him. Then said He
INTO them: All We who have washed,
ONE and cast lots, i. e., for the priv
lege of ministering in the daily serv-
&c. The actual coming of the Messiah
vas unexpected to the Jews; they did