Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-07-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
LESSON H. THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NA-iONA- SEE.-C, JULY 8.

25. "And, behold, there was a man in
Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and
the same man was Just and devout, wait
ing for the consolation of Israel. And the
Holy Ghost was upon him." Even in
the darkest days God has always His faith
full ones, even though they he few, such
as Abel, Enoch and Noah before the del
uge: in later days a Caleb and Joshua,
Gideon, and Samuel, and an Elijah; in
the time of our lesson, his Simeons and
Annas. See in Simeon, whose name sig
niies clearing" or "obedient," an illus
tration of our threefold salvation. He was
just, Or righteous. as to his standing; de
vout as to his life, ana waiting or look
ing for the hope of Israel. Compare Titus
ii, lib; Rom. V, /, ..
90. "And it was revealed unto him by
the Holy Ghost that he should not see
death before he had seen the Lords
Christ" The Holy Spirit is the great and
only teacher, and He is given unto us that
we may know the things that are freely
given to us of God Il Cor. ii, II, 12). Je-
sus said that He would guide us into all
truth and show us things to come (John
xvi, 49,
q. "And he came by the Spirit into the
temple. And when the parents brought
in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the
custom of the law" In these three sue
ccssive verses we see Simeon, with the
Spirit upon him. taught by the Spirit. and
led by the Spirit and the child of God can
desire nothing greater than to be always
filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Thus we would always speak right, act
right and be in the right place at the right
time. The child Jesus would now be
about weeks old. and the special law they
were fulfilling at this time is found in
Lev. xii.
2S. "Then took he Him up in his arms
and blessed God and said. - He believed
the Scriptures that God would raise up
prophet like unto Noses that the prophet
would lie born of a virgin, and that he
would be born in Bethlehem (Deut. xviii,
10, Is; lsa. vii, Ii; Mic. V, y. Being
taught by the Spirit, he would also he IA
miliar with Gabriel : word to Daniel con
corning the time of Messiah's coming
dan. ix. 25) and was doubtless thinking
he might possibly see it, when the Spirit
told him that be surely would, and now
he actually holds in his arms the seed of
the woman, the Delverer promised 1000
years before
20. "Lord. now lettest Thou Thy servant
depart in peace, according to Thy word. J"
Only waiting to be called, ready at any
time to 90, glad to wait to welcome the
Saviour, and now longing to be at rest
No fear nor doubt concerning the future,
for he knew whom he believed III Tim. i,
l2). and b. knew that ''absent from the
body" meant present with the Lord GI
Cor. V, s., and that "to die would be
gain" Phil. i 2D.
30. "For mine eyes have seen Thy saliva
il. hnt eolu
even as the Spirit, through Isaiah, said,
Behold, God is my salvation" lisa. xii,
~ "Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah ii,
81, for He alone is its author. God so loved
the world that He gave His Only begotten
Son. "Salvation is of the Jews John
iv, 22), for of them came Jesus as the seed
of David, and as a nation they are destin-
ed under Jesus their King, to fill the earth
with His glory. Jacob said by the Spirit,
II have waited for Thy salvation, o
Lord" Gen. Xix, lS), but he still waits
to see it.
81. (Which Thou hast prepared before
the face of all people" When there was
none to help and none to uphold, His own
arm brought salvation lisa. xiii, 81. He
says, 81, even -, am the Lord, and beside
Me there is no Saviour" (Isa. xiii, IL.
Just as in the garden OF Eden, He, without
any help from Adam or Eve, prepared the
coats of skins which clothed them and
taught them tie way of redemption Gen.
iii, 21), so in al things, from first to last,
He is the authT and finisher.
80. "a light to tighten the gentiles,
and the glory of Thy people Israel. "
First as the glory of Israel, for He SAYS, 81
will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my
glory lisa. XVI, 13). Then the gentiles
-I,l - b.r Ii 4,
brightness of hr rising lisa. lX, ~. Thus
He shall in due time prove to be for Il coy
enant of the people and for light of the
gentiles.
33. "And joseph and his mother mar
veled at those things which were spoken
of Him." In -erse 10 we are told that
Mary kept the words of the shepherds ant
pondered then in her heart. See alsC
verse 81 as to His own words at the az,
of ,. We may well marvel at the wonder
full things said of us who believe in Him
but let us firmly believe them and ponder
them daily in our hearts. For example
= eat and medit,te upon John X, 25, 90
XIV, o; xvii, is, 1924.
"a "Behold his child is set for the fal
and rising agiin of many in Israel, anC
for a sign whicn shall be spoken against ,
Thus spake Simeon to Mary as he blessed
her and JOSEPH. He was only repeating
by the Spirit tie words of Isa viii, II, l.
xviii, IS, bou of which passages Pete
quotes in / Pet ii, 6-S Those who reiec
Him stumble ever Him, while those VIII,
accept Him build upon Him as their sur
foundation.
35. "Yea, word shall pierce through
thy own soul also, that the thoughts o
many hearts may be revealed. The las
clause taken with the previous verse make
Him the reveaer of hearts, for He is in
deed the wore of God, discerning tn
thoughts and ntents of the hearts Heb
iv, 12).
SO. "And thTe was one Anna, proph
etess." Think of Miriam and DEBORAH
and Huldah and Philips daughters, anC
the promise " to be fulfilled lex. XIV, 20
Judg. iv, 4; Hebron. NXXiv, 22; Acts xxi
o; Joel ii, PSI. A prophet is one who speak
for God, the lords spokesman. Compar
Tx. vii, /, anliv, 10, 10.
20 81. "She dqarted not from the temple
but served God with HASTINGS and prayer
night aud day" Like Eli and Samuel sh
made the houie of God her dwelling place
We cannot aldo that, but we can all max
God Himself Glr dwelling place (l's &c, u
3s. "And 4e coming in that instant