Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-03-16
IA MISSIONARY IrssoN.l

w. 'lney that make Il craven image are
oil of them vanity. and their delcctable
things shall not profit Jehovah will yet
be known in all the world and in so far as
we by word and deed make known that
Jesus is Jehovah, the only true God and
only Saviour, we have the missionary
spirit Israel was Gods chosen people to
he His witnesses, but idols were witnesses
unto themselves that they were vanity.
Compare verse S with this verse. Those
who know not God may worship vanity,
but the people of God are to worship Him
in spirit and in truth.
10. "Who hath formed n god or molten
craven image that j. profitable for moth
ingf' Surely only those who are blind
and foolish, and God has pronounced woe
upon all such QIab. ii, IS 19). Israel,
Ills own people lie commanded not to
worship craven images Gen. Xxx, 4, -, and
yet they forsooll Him and did the very
thing He commanded them not to do. lie
has commanded us to be His witnesses in
the power Of His Holy Spirit tActs i, 81,
telling us of old that His work cannot be
done by might or wisdom of man, but only
10y His Spirit (Zech. iv. G) yet we, like
Israel turn from Him and think more Of
men and money than of Him.
II. "Behod, all his fellows shall he
aSlaIncu' anu the NoIhihcH, IHe9 are vi
men, Nothing but shame and confusion
can attend those who turn from God to
men, for without God nothing can be done
John Ky. 81 Real work that will stand
must be God working in us to will and to
do of His good pleasure; all else will come
to naught. THE loftiness of man shall be
bowed down. and the haughtiness of men
shall be made low and the Lord alone
shall he exalted ~
- "lle is hungry and his strength fail
eth; he drinketh no water and is faint"
This Is the smith who with fire and ham
mcr and tongs fashioned the metal of the
image to be worshiped, but his god
which has hands make cannot strengthen
him nor give him drink. Contrast the
true God, who 0lveth power TO the FAINT
and to them that have 10 might. lie in
creaseth strength. lie pours water upon
him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry
ground Qsa. X, %; Xiv b.
II. The carpenter maketh it after the
figure of man, according to the beauty
of man, that 1t may remain in the house"
A wooden man. made by man, and yet
worshlped as a god-and there are lots OF
them in the world still. We profess 10
know man, who was also carpenter,
and at the same time true God-God mani
fest in the flesh, who died for us and rose
again from the dead and IS now at the
right hand of God, truly God and truly
man, having all power. If we do really
know Him as our own Saviour and God,
then lie lives IN our bodies az His abode,
and being in the house lie cannot be hid;
but how is 1t lie Is so little seem
"a. He heweth him down cedars; he
planteth an ash, and the rain doth nouriSh
~ xEh hn frfra .nI
makes to grow, and which are nourished
by rain from heaven, but knows nothing
Of trees of righteousness, the planting Of
he Lord, that He might be glorified Qsa
lXi, -. And whyy because the men who
ought to be ike trees planted by the rivers
OF water, bringing forth fruit in season,
are forsaklng the only fountain and turn
ing away from God (Ps. /, 3; Jer. ii, 13).
-. He maketh 1t gravep imagei and
faleth down thereto" The same wood
with which he warns himself and bakes
his bread he wOrships as his god. He does
not know who gives him life and breath
and all things, and seems not 10 have heard
of the God who fed Israel for forty years
with bread from heaven. Jesus says to US
that He is the Bread of Life which came
down from heaven, and that He gives Him
self for the life of the world John vi, b.
10. 'IIe eateth flesh, he roasteth roast
and is satisfied" Meat and drink and the
nourishment of his animal life are all he
cares for He lives like the brute beasts,
like those today who say they have nc
time for church and religion; they must
earn n living, and think that things OF
heaven are only for those who are sick and
dying or aged people and little children.
II. And the residue thereof lie maketh
1 IL l.