Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-01-13
ENCOURAGEMENTS.
LESSON NJ. FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. is.

ory Verses, 4, 0-Golden Text, Pa
cxxvii, documentary by the Rev
N \, s,
The prophecies of IIaggai and Techariah
should he read in connection with the his
torical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, for
these prophets were specially commits
stoned to encourage the people to rebuild
the temple and the city. After the four
dation of the temple was laid, ~
learned III last lesson, enemies hinder
the work, aud it ceased until the secol
year OF Darius, where our present lesson
begins tEz. iv. 24).
|. I'm the second year Of Darius the
king, in the sixth month, in the first day OF
the month, came the word of the Lord by
Haggai the prophet" Haggai like every
true prophet, was simply the Lords mes
senger with the Lords message Verse l3)
=. Thus speaketh the Lord OF Hosts
saying rms people say, Inc time Is not
come-the time that the Lords house
shouiu oe Drllt; ms phrase Speaketh
or saltn the Lord OF Hosts' is found thir
Teen tlmes IN TINS snort prophecy ana
SATIN the Loru is iouhu seven tlhles
whlle the name LORD Ill capltais (whlch
Is Always JehoVah) Is lounu aloogeCher III
.he unir.yeigh1 verses Oh Cnls prophecy al
ieas. Onirty TOUR H'heS' DO we are not 10
see magyar, whose name IL "ehUioneu nut
nine uiIlies tahu InaC Is an unusuai mum
Der ior SO SNORT prophecyh put only 'e
noV"h' anu magyar as MS SPokeS'i'Hn
NoUice ChaV ohe i-oru oHserVes Wn"t peopie
say anu aiso "haC tney VhlhK Nh"ek' XII D
AAAiii, To' 'er' N'' TO- ~
D. lhen came the WORD OF the LORD by
haggal the prophet saying me words
VI 'he peopie were wrong WoruS' tney III
qIcaueu iacK Oh sympathy WIN "ou Ill
ms PURPOSES, me Rouse OF tne i'oru now
oelnS pulV ~ Vhe Cnurcn, "nIcn Is ms
Douy !iiep' lil'o' ret H. d Oor. M
rpm H. io-E%| ana uhere Is ny much lhdlI
ierence ~ IL Oil lne part Oh Vne i'ora = peo
nc aS Vnere WAS 10 oIe Tempe III Uhe "ays
Vi haSS"i' ihe Noru Vi Ihe l'oru was
SEM 10 correct Ine people ana orlhg ohem
InVo sSilpachy WIN uou ana his purposes
pee isa' VII, ~, ~ " margin
4. is 1t time for yon' y ye. to dwell III
your celIed houses ana TINS mousse lie
wasteF lhey were neglectlng the temple
the house OF Jehovah, and attending to
thelr own houses. Inc church Is spirit
ual building to he gathered out OF all ma
tlons ana presented TO christ as his BRIDE
IN order That lie may return with her to
the earth with His glory; but the Lord
might well say to the various denomina
lions, which make up the visible church
us 1t time for you to be so occupied with
your own little company instead of work
ing earnestly 10 complete my bodyY rs 1t
Tune Tor you TO be spending hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars upon church build
lngs instead OF sending the Gospel TO the
heathenY
D. Now therefore, thus saith the Lord
of hosts, Consider your ways" Because
of the neglected condition of His house He
would have them stop and consider. He
would have them look at things from His
standpoint-like jeremiah when he said,
us it nothing to you all ye that pass Ivy?
Behold and see if there be any sorrow like
unto my sorrow which is done unto me,
wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in
the day of His fierce anger" Q4am /, l2).
When we think of Jesus waiting and long
ing for the completion of His church, that
He may come again for the conversion of
His people Israel and of the world, may
we not hear Him saying, us it nothing to
you" Consider your ways" and see that
as the heavens are higher than the EARTH
SO are my ways than your ways lisa. lv, 81.
q. "1e have sown much, and bring in
|
Count the sevenfod disappointment in
this and the ninth verse, and compare lisa
lv, 2, Wherefore do we spend money for
that which is not bread and your labor for
that which satisfieth not?" Nc labor in
vain and spend their strength for naught
Qsa Xix ~ when they are out of harmony
with God; but when God is working in us
though 1t may sometimes seem that our
labor is in vain, it is never really So His
word may not accomplish what we please
but it will accomplish what He pleases
| Qsa lv, ~, and our work is not in vain in
the Lord Il Cor. XIV, 5S) Wages in bag
with holes make us think of the treasures
on earth which the Saviour contrasted
with the treasure in heaven duke xii, 33)
T. THUS saith the Lord of Hosts, Con
slider your ways" The Holy Spirit never
repeats needlessly The fifth verse was in
connection with the desolaton and neglect
of the Lords house, but this is in connec
ton with their own desolation or frutess
toll. In this and the next verse, with
verses and of the next chapter, there is