Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-06-15
rHE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JUNE 10.

Golden Text, Nal. iii, documentary
by the Rev. u. NJ. stearns.
/. "Bchold, | will send my messenger,
and he shall prepare the way before me,
and the Lord whom we seek shall suddenly
come to His temple, even the messenger of
the covenant whom ye delight in. Behold,
He shall come saith the Lord of Hosts"
Some 400 years before Christ came, and
more than 100 years after the restoration
from Babylon, this servant Of the Lord ut
tered his message. 1t is the word Of the
Lord to Israel chapter /, y, and about
IS times we find "Saith the Lord or
Saith the Lord of Hosts" 1t has been
called miniature of the times before the
day of the Lord, when uugodliness shall
prevail and the Lord shall come. The last
words are suggestive Of Him who was made
n curse for us John the Baptist was the
messenger preparing the way of the Lord
at His first coming duke i, 1G), but Elijah
will be the messenger at His second coming
chapter iv, 81. John came in the spirit
and power of Elijah, but he was not Elijah
duke i, II; John i, 2D. Had John and
Jesus been received the kingdom would
have come, but both having been rejected
the kingdom is postponed. Jesus himself
said that Elijah shall come (Math xvii,
10-13)
.. But who may abide the day Of His com
ingf" THIS is not the birth in Bethlehem
but the coming in power and glory. He did
not come Judging and overturning, but in
great grace and love and humility, calling
men unto Him, and instead of exerting His
power against His enemies He suffered Jul
| das to betray Him, His disciples to forsake
| Him and the Roman soldiers at the insti-
| cation of the Jews, to take Him and cruelty
| Him. He had power to keep His life or lay
it down, and He chose to lay it down John
x, 1s). But when He comes rs refiner He
will be Judge and other lives will be laid
| down.
3. AND He shall sit as refner and puri-
| fer of silver" 1t will be the time of Is
rael's redemption, the restoration of all
things of which the prophets have spoken,
when the nation shall be all righteous
duke xxi, q, %; Acts iii, 21; Isa. TX, 2D.
| The manner of it is given in lisa. i, 1921, Il
will turn Ny hand upon thee, and purely
purge away thy dross, and take away all
thy tin; afterward thou shalt be called the
| city of righteousness, the faithful city. -
See also Zech. Xiii, 8, Q. Two parts are to
be slain or perish, and it is the third part
| that is 10 be refined.
4. Then shall the offering of Judah and
Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in
the days of old and as in former years. -
When He came the first time, they crucified
Him; then their city was destroyed, and to
| this day they are a people scattered and
peeled, a byword and reproach. But when
they shall see Him coming in power and
glory they shall be as Il nation converted
in day (Zech. iii, 9; xii, TO- xiii, u. Then
shall righteous nation glorify God, and
all that see them shall acknowledge them
as the seed which the Lord hath blessed
Qsa. TX, 2l; lXi, %.
3. And | will come near to you to judy
! ment, and | will be a swift witness against
those that fear not Me saith the Lord of
Hosts" In connection with the forgiveness
OF the pentcnt, there must be judgment on
the ungodly. 1t will be 1.-THE day of the
Lords vengeance and the year of recon-
penses for the controversy of Zion" "thc
day of the vengeance and the year of His
redeemed" lisa. XXAiv, S; xiii, A.. When
He comes to be Glorifed in His saints il
will be to yield vengeance on them that
know not God and obey not the gospel I'll
Thess. i, 1-l0).
6, For | am tie Lord; change not
therefore yc sons of Jacob are not con
sumed" Long suffering and abundant in
goodness and truth is His name from the
beginning of their history ltX. XXXiv, g.
and because of His covenant lie will have
mercy notwithstanding all that they have
done (Jcr. Xxi IS, 80. He, being full OF
compassion, forgave their iniquity and de
stroyed them not-yea many a time turned
lie His anger away and did not stir up al
His wrath' FPS. lXxviii, $50.
Z. Return unto Me, and | will return
unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But yC
said, Wherein shall we return" He re
minds them of the iniquty of their fathers
Even Moses testified in these words, "Yt
have been rebelliOus against the Lord from
the day that | knew you' (Deut. tx, 24)
Yet He is ever pleading with them to re
turn, because Heis love and has loved then
with an everlasting love der. xxi, ~.
S will "a man rob God? Yet We have
robbed me. But we say, Wherein have We
robbed thee? In tithes and offerings" II
Nehemiah's day the Levites and singer
were so neglected that they had to leav,
their work in the house of God and go Il
the fields for living, because the tithe
were not brought in (Neh. xiii, l0-12).
9. "Ye are cursed with a curse, for We hav
robbed me, even this whole nation" Curse
is every one that continueth not in nj
things which are written in the book of tn
law to do them Gal. iii, l0). Whosoeve
shall keep the whole law and yet offend il
one point is guilty of all (Jas. ii, l0D
Ananias and Sapphira died because the,
pretended to give all, but kept back part o
the price How many sudden deaths Their
would be today if all the liars and de
ceivers and robbeSs of God in time an'
money were dealt with like Ananias anC
Sapphire!
10. Bring ye all the tithes into the store
house that there may be meat in min
house, and prove me now herewith, saitl
the Lord of Hosts" Here is n challeng
from the Lord of Hosts in which He say
that if we obey Him in this matter of 1.-THE
, lie will give such blessing that there will
be lack of room to receive it, 1t is the ties
timony of thousands Of believers that sine
they began to give to God a tenth of ever
dollar they have prospered beyond all prece
: dent even in temporal things, and niue
more in spiritual things
: II. And | will rebuke the devourcr 70
your sakes, and he shall not destroy tn
} fruits of your ground" The 1.-THE woul
: recognize all as the Lords, and He woul
| see To il because they acknowledged it a