Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-03-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON xl, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 10.

Missionary Lesson)-MemOry Verses, IL
I9-Golden Text, Gen. xviii. Is-COm-
mentary by the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
II. And the Lord said, Shall hide from
Abraham that thing which doW As we
have choice between temperance and
missionary lesson, unhesitatingly choose
the latter, believing that the greater in
cludes the less, and also firmly believing
that il individual Christians and churches,
societies and Sunday schools would only
yield fully to the Lord that He might
through them accomplish all His pleasure
in preaching the gospel to every creature,
not only would the Lord be greatly re-
oiced, His elect church FASTENED to COM
petiOn, but these same individual be
levers, churches, societies and Sunday
schools would know the blessing of
the Lord as never before. These five
verses of this lesson are in connection
with the visit of the Lord and the an
gels to Abraham under the oaks of Mamre
and the approaching destruction of the
cities of the plain. 1t is a most suggestive
missionary topic, as the same Lord who
said, "Shall | hide from Abraham that
thing which ! dor" said also some 1900
years later. when here on earth in His hui
they did eat, they drank, they bought, they
sold, they planted, they builded, but the
same day that Lot went out of Sodom it
rained fire and birthstone from heaven
and destroyed them all. Even thus shall
it he in the day when the Son of man is re-
vealed" luke xvii, 2S-30), and now over
1900 years still later those who are Abra-
hams seed by faith in Christ Jesus Gal iii,
2g), with this thing not hid from them, are
as indifferent o the impending storm that
is surely coming and the welfare of peo-
pie about them ~ if the Lord had never ut
tered these words Please do read Prov
xiv. II, ~; Eek xXXiii. 20
Is. Seeing that Abraham shall surely
become great and mighty nation, and all
the nations of the earth shall be blessed in
him" AS TO the farreaching blessing, see
chapters xii, 3, and xxi, 49, Although it
was not fully revealed to Abraham Just
how this glorious result was to be accom-
plshed, it is not hidden from us to whom
has been given the New Covenant as well
! a. the Old. The New opens with the state
ment that Jesus Christ is the son of David
the son of Abraham Matt i, D. and goes
Oh to show that He is the one of whom
Moses in the law and the prophets did
write that though he was rejected by
Israel, to whom He specially came, yet He
suffered and died and rose again accord
ing to the Scriptures that while the
kingdom is postponed because of the
rejection of the King He is by the preach
ing of the gospel of His grace gathering
from all nations an elect company who
shall reign with Him us His bride when He
shall bless all nations through His elect,
restored and holy nation, Israel duke xiv,
25-21; xix. II; Acts iii, 1921; XIV, l4-lO. The
national conversion of Israel will be accom-
plished when they look upon Him whom
they have pierced, as He shall return in
power and glory, bringing His bride with
Him, then Shall they be smitten with true
conviction of sin, like Saul on the way to
Damascus, and shall welcome their rejecl ed
Messiah, saying: "This is Jehovah We
have waited for Him; we will be glad and
rejoice in His salvation" Then shall Israel
blossom and bud and fill the face of the
world with fruit. See Zech. xii, 10; xiii, |.
lisa. XIV, 8; xvii, g.
10 For | know him that he will com.
mand his children and his household after
him, and they shall keep the way of the
Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the
Lord may bring upon Abraham that which
He hath spoken of him." The Lord know
eth each of us thoroughly, even to oul
thoughts and imaginations (Ps. cxXxix
IA. Chron. xviii, 81, and He knows what
He can accomplish through us, and wheth
er we will walk in His way or not. By
disobedience we hinder Him from accom-
plishing His pleasure in and through us
II we were only willing and obedient We
would in every true sense eat the good oil
the land and be filled with the fairness OF
His house lisa i, 10; Ps. lxxxi, -, 10
81 - l,.Kt Of h. I III i
above our ways as heaven is above the
earth lisa. Nv, 8, 81, yet vain man clings tC
his own thoughts and ways, and thu.
knows neither the Lords thoughts MOI
counsel mic. iv, ~. Much time anc
strength is thus wasted by individuals ant
churches by not knowing the Lords way
and purpose.
20. And the Lord said, Because the CRY
of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and be
cause their sin is very grievous." All sill
cries unto God, and He hears the cry of al
the oppressed. THE voice of thy brother
blood criest unto Me from the ground
Gen iv, l0). The cries of the oppressed
reapers enter into the ears of the Lord o
Hosts (Jas. V, ~. His eyes and ears ar
open to all things on earth, but because II
is long suffering He tarries TO the utmos
if perchance lie may lead men TO repent
ance and deliver them from eternal los
I'll Pet. iii, 9; Job Xxxiii 20, 3OJ. And Will
judgment is restrained He gives us tn
privilege of interceding for men as Abra
ham did, and of beseeching men to be rec
onciled to God I'll Cor. V, POI
81 Il will 20 down now and see whethe
they have done altogether according TO til
cry of it, which is come unto me, and
not will know" He never Furnishes with
out cause, nor without due and patient in
vestigation. aye shall know that | hav
not done without cause all that have don
in it, saith the Lord Cod (Ezek xiv, %
Before the Lord Jesus shall be revcale
from heaven with His mighty angels i
flaming fire, taking vengeance on then
that know not God and that obey not tn
gospel of our Lord Jesus I'll Thess. i, :, s
there will be judgment of the saints fo
their service from. xiv. To- ii Cor V. 10
and as there is a possibility of much wor
being burned up Il Cor ill., 1879, for on
desire to keep the way of the Lord an
have Him work in me both to will aud [
no of His good pleasure phil. ii, 49,
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