Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-06-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON xl, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JUNE II.


Feel. xiii documentary by the Rev. u.
NJ. stcarns.
I. "Rememher now thy Creator in the |
days of thy youth, while the evil days come
not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou
shalt say, | have no pleasure In them" In the
last two verses of the previous chapter the
young man is warned that there is a judg
ment to come in the light of which all
present things should be tested, and now
he is entreated TO think of his Creator in
the days of his youth and strength and to
consider Him who is the giver Of every good
and perfect gift. Let Samuel, David, Joash
and Josiah be studied as examples.
.. while the sun, or the light, or tho
moon, or the stars he not darkened. nor the
clouds return after the rain" This is sug-
gestive of days of Judgment, az in Isa xiii,
10; Math. xiv, 20; Rev viii, L.; Jer. xiii,
lG, for those who persistently refuse the
NERD OF God. But the content seems
rather to indicate the time of old age, when
the senses become dull, and with no light
from heaven in the soul tho condition OF
such one is dark and gloomy indeed.
Listen to old Barzillai when invited by
King David to make his home with the
king in Jerusalem: II am this day four
score years old, and can 1 discern between
good and evilY Can thy servant taste what
| eat or what | drink? Can / hear any
more the voice Of singing men and singing
women? Wherefore, then should thy serv-
ant be vet a burden unto my lord the
king" on Sam xix, 35)? Barzillai was
doubtless a good man, yet he simply de-
scribes the ordinary failures Of the body in
old age.
3. I'm the day when the keepers of the
house shall trcmble, and the strong men
shall bow themselves, and the grinders
cease because they are few, and those that
look ont of the windows be darkened."
This is suggestive of the failure of hands
and arms, feet and legs, teeth and eyes.
The earthly house begins to decay, failure
is evident in every part, and If there is no
light shining from above the sun it is a
dreary picture. But listen to Caleb, the
friend and companion Of Joshua, each of
whom wholly followed the Lord: "Lo,
am this day fourscore and five years old.
As yet ! am rs strong this day as was in
the day that Moses sent me. AS my strength
was then, even SO is my strength now for
war, both to go out and to come in" (Josh.
xiv, 10, ~.
4. "And the doors shall be shut in the
streets when the sound of the grinding is
low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the
bird, and all the daughters of music shall
be brought low" Suggestive Of lips clos
ing in upon toothless gums, inability to
sleep and failure Of the voice. Comment
seems unnecessary; rather consider the pos
sibilities of an old age in the fear of God.
Think of Moses of whom it IS written that
at the age 100 his eye was not dim nor h's
natural force abated. At that age he
walked up the mountain alone and went
out to be with God, and Loo years later
we find him alive and well CDeut. xxxiv, Z;
Math. xvii, 81.
3. Also when they shall he afraid Of
| that which is high, and fears shall be in
the way, and the almond tree shall flourish,
and the gTasshopper shall be burden, and
| desire shall fail, because man goeth TO his
long home and the mourners go about the
| streets" This is probably suggestive Of
| the easily terrified old person to whom
| everything is burden and nothing is salts
! tying. The almond tree may suggest the
white head of old age, and the grave is
| spoken of AZ the long home, Under the
sun" is still the key, for the rejoicing be-
lever anticipates no long home in the
grave but with Christ in paradise" "al-
sent from the body, present with the
Lord" duke xiii, 80; ii Cor. V, S.
6. "Or ever the silver cord be loosed or
the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher
be broken at the fountain, or the wheel
| broken at the cistern." Possibly the refer
euCe here may be to the spinal cord and
whole nervous system, the brain, the heart,
with its veins and arteries. However much
or little the writer may have known about
these things, the Holy Spirit who wrote
| through him was perfect in knowledge
Dob XXxvi, Il.
Z. Then shall the dust return to the
earth as it was, aud the spirit shall re
turn unto God who gave it," God said tc
Adam, Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt
thou return" And the psalmist wrote
concerning vain man, His breath goeth
forth; he retulneth to his earth; in that
very day his thoughts perish" Gen. iii, 10
ps. cXlvi, A.. Through Jesus, the last
Adam, the secord man, we learn of victory
over death and Of the fact that many shall
never die. I'VE shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, fol
the trumpet shall sound, and the deaC
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall
be changed" Il Cor. XIV, As Al, 81, 52) See
also Thess iv, 1918. And in contrast t
this whole dreary picture Of frail old age
with no light from heaven, listen to thi
contrast, Though our outward man per
sh, yet the inward man is renewed day b.
day BY receiving Him who becam,
man and sin Offering for us we may b
sure Of an endless life and eternal youth
13 Let us hear the conclusion of tn,
whole matter Fear God and keep Hi
commandments, for this is the whole dut'
of man" But inasrnuch as no mere man
since Adam fell, ever kept the command
ments of God there is little comfort here
"Whosoeyer shall keep the whole law, anC
yet offend in one point, he is guilty of ALI
(Jas. ii, l0). And it is written that the Law
was given 10 condemn man and prove t,
man his helplessness, that he might be lie,
to receive Him who is the fulfllment Of tn
law and the end Of the law for righteous
hess to every one that believeth (Rom. iii
10, 90 Y, 4; Gal. ii, 81; iii, 81, 22). The Lor,
Jesus Christ is the only man who has eve
done the whole duty of man. He was mad
, sin for us that we might be made the right
eousness of God in Him Oh Cor. V, 2l). Re
ceiving Him, He becomes our life and right
eousness John j, IL; | John v, II; Col. ii. {
Cor. i, SO), and His love constrainins <
we live nenceforth unto Him, rejoicing il
, lone Of the glory of God oil Cor V IA Ii