Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-11-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNA1lCNaL C-Gl-5, NV. "a.

DRY Verses, lib - Golden Text, lisa.
v, 11-Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
Stearns.
ii. "Woc unto them that riso up early in
the morning that they may follow strong
drink" This is given to us as temper
ance lesson, but the six woes of this chap
ter include good deal more than the
strong drink question. The whole chapter
tells of Isracl's sin and the coming judg-
mcnts and is suggestive of the sins of to-
day which are found in the church every
where The house of Israel was the Lords
vineyard and the men of Judah His pleas
ant plant. He did everything possible for
them and expected from them the fruits of
righteousness, but found only oppression
and covctousness and self indulgence
oversees T, 81.
~. "Thcy regard not the work of the
Lord neither consider the operations OF
His hands" There is such thing as be-
ing drunken, but not with wine lisa.
xxx, 9; Ii, 2D. All kinds of living unto
self and for self make us blind and deaf
to the things OF God. AS strong drink
tends to produce Il false and transient eX-
hilaration, making one forget sorrow for
the time being, so whatever blinds us to
the realities of our relations to God and
man is IA kind of intemperance and drunk
enncss.
ID. "Thercforo my people are gone into
captivity because they have no knowl-
edge" The leaders who in those days
should have taught the people the knowl-
edge and fear of the Lord were living unto
themselves. and telling the people smooth
things and lies (Elek. XXXiv, ?; .Jer. " 30,
81; vi, 13). just as strong drink is de-
ceitful thing and makes II mans vision
and mind to be all wrong so the world
and the flesh controlled by the devil blind
and harden men and they believe lies and
consider them truths. The knowledge of
the Lord is the remedy.
H. "Thcreforc hell hath enlarged her
self and opened her mouth without meas
ure s" The place of the lost (not the lake
of fire which is the final abode of the lost
but the place of departed spirits where the
lost in torment await the resurrection of
the body becomes rapidly filled by the lit
eral and hgurative drunkards who will
not receive the knowledge of God; so that
it looks rs if the lace might have to be
enlarged to receive all who come, so great
is the multitude.
10. And :hc mean man shall be brought
down. and the mighty man shall be hum
bled - Compare chapter ii, II, II, II, and
see how all t.at is lofty and naughty and
proud and lifted up shall be brought down,
and the Lord alone exalted in that day.
Even Nebuchadnezzar testified that chose
that walk in pride He is able to abase,
for he, when hardened in pride, was made
to come down (Dan. iv, 81; Y, 20, margin).
Jeremiah tcstifies that Jerusalem came
down wonderfully Clam. i, 81
Is. but The Lord of Hosts shall be eX-
allied in judgment, and God that is holy
shall be sanctificd in righteousness. 1t is
the purpose of God to set His King upon
| His holy hill of Zion ops. ii, o. and He
| has sworn, saying, surely as | have
thought 50 shall it come to pass, and rs l
have purpOscd 80 shall it stand lisa. xiv,
| pa. Behold, IL king shall reign in right
cousncss, and princes shall rule in judg-
mcnt' lisa. XXXii y, then shall Jesus
have the pre-eminence.
/ II. "Thcn shall the lambs feed after
| their manner, 80 "Thcy shall feed in the
ways, and their pastures shall be in all
/ high places lisa. xix, -. David my
servant shall he king over them, and they
all shall have one shepherd" (Ezck.
xxxvii, 2D. Then shall the upright have
dominion over the ungodly, and the drunk
ards shall see their folly when it is too
late.
Is. Woe unto them that draw iniquity
with cords of vanity. and sin rs it were,
with Il cart rope" one in certain place
suggested that if the man they sought was
in Il city they would bring ropes and draw
the whole city into the river 50 we have
in this verse that prevailing iniquity that
seems to carry everything and every one
along with it Oil sam. xvii, 13).
~. That say. Let Him make speed and
hasten His work that we may see it, They
scoff and blasphcme and dare the Almighty
to His face. We think of all that was
hcapcd on our Lord in the days of His hu-
initiation and how He kept quiet and an
swered not word. God is still keeping
silence and were it not that we under
stand somewhat of His ways we might
think that there was no God But SET
Ps. |.
20 "Woe unto them that call evil good
and good evil that put darkness for light
and light for darkness" There is IL fear
full amount of mscallingof things becaus,
people are not subject TO the Word OF God
All men are called children of God, anC
.here is spark of the divine nature in
svery one and there are no hell and no devi
and we are In the millennium now. Al
this is drunken talk and lack of subsection
20 such words as John viii "A; iii, IS
Rom. viii, Z.
u. "Woe unto them that are wise il
their own eyes and prudent in their owl
sight" From all such the things of Goo
are hidden and revealed unto babes (Math
xi, 25). At best we only know in par
now Il Cor. xiii, l2) and IF any MAJ
think that he knoweth anything, he know
eth nothing yet as he ought to know {
Cor. viii, p. God resisteth the proud, bu
giveth grace to the humble; if, therefore
we will humble ourselves to know nothing
apart from the Book, we shall be wise.
%. Woe unto them that are mighty Il
drink wine, and men of strength TO min
gle strong drink These are the mighty
on their own behalf, for their own pleas
ure and bcnclt-mighty to enjoy self. Tn
Christian ambition is to glorify God ant
enjoy Him; To he mighty for God and no
for self. The secret is to receive and yielt
To Him of whom it is said 1.-The Lord tn,
God in the niL>t of thee is mighty (Zeph
iii. 10 As To the world mighty ones i
L. written that Not many mighty ar