Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-09-14

SAYING There was a time when God
gpake TO men face TO face as with Adam,
Abraham. Moses and Joshua He after
ward spoke through the prophets, but He
last spoke through His Son. our Lord
Jesus Christ (Hcb |. /. - Even Hiscom-
manications TO Abraham and the Others
were through the Son, for, ''No man hath
seen God at any time. the only Begotten
Son who is In the bosom OF the Father, He
hath declared Him" (Johni, IS). Whether
through the prophets or His Son twas al
ways by the Spirit, and the same Holy
Spirit now speaks TO US in His word q
Pet. l. IL; III Pet. i, 81; John xvi, ID;
John Ii. 27D
2. Speak TO the children OF Israel, say
ing. Appoint out for you cities Of refuge,
whereof | spake unto you by the hand OF
Moses. The commands concerning the
cities OF refuge" are found in Tx. xxi,
10: Mum xxxv. 1915. and Deut. xix,
go Our lesson is the fourth reference 20
them, and the number four Is suggestive
OF completeness concerning Gods dealings
with the earth The four gospels the
four faces Of the cherubim the four cor
ners OF the earth--all suggest Gods pur-
poses Of grace in Christ Jesus for the whole
earth.
3 THAT the slayer that killeth any per
son unawares and unwittingly may flee
thither. and they shall be your refuge from
the avenger Of blood. The word smiglat'
here translated refuge" is word which
Is used only OF the cities OF refuge. 1t Is
from root which signifies Ito receive"
and makes us think OF Him OF whom II Is
said This man receiveth sinners. The
cities of refuge were only for the innocent
who had killed accidentally and without
malice; the Lord Jesus Is a Saviour and a
refuge for the guilty, and yet the cities of
refuge were Gods way Of saving those who
otherwise would have persisted.
4 They shall take him into the city
unto them and give him place that he
may dwell among them. His dwelling
among them calls To mind another word
which is translated "rofuge' only once.
1t is In the passage, The eternal God Is
thy refuge" (Deut. xxxiii, 27), and is in
the Ninetieth and Ninety-first Psalms and
elsewhere translated dwelling place" and
"habitation Whom we have fed to Je-
sus, our refuge, He becomes our dwelling
place and we may 'abide in Him.
g. "And II the avenger of blood pursue
after him. then they shall not deliver the
SLAYER up into his hand I" The way 10 the
city was prepared (Deut. xix 3D. and ey-
erything made as plain and easy for the
unwilling slayer as possible, but he had TO
Zee to tho city and flee for his life lest the
avenger should overtake him. There Is al
WAYS a danger of the sinners being cut off
In his sins Then there is no possibility OF
redemption, for it is written: Because
there Is wrath, beware lest He take thee
away with His stroke. Then great ran
som cannot deliver thee" dob xxxyi 49,
God is not willing that any should per
ish. and He has made every possible provi-
sion for every sinner who will come, so
that the guilt is either upon the sinner
who has heard and will not como, or upon
those who, knowing of the refuge, have
not informed those who know 1t.
9. And he shall dwell in that city un-
til he stand before the congregation for
Judgment, and until the death of the high
priest that shall be In those days. :" His
liberty depended upon the death OF the
high priest. Our High Priest has died and
risen from the death and Is alive forever
more. Because He ever liveth He is able
to save evermore all who come unto God
by Him. None who ever como to Him VIII
be cast out, and because He lives all who
come to Him shall live also (John vi, 81;
xiv, 19) We have only to abide In Him,
live uutO anu ANJOASo ~ @AAAH VIZ
has made us free.
z. "And they appointed Kedesh In Cali
lee In Mount Naphtali, and Sheehein In
Mount Ephraim and Kirjath-nrba, which
I Is Hebron in the mountain OF Judah.
| There were three cities on each side OF
! Jordan. Three is suggestive OF tho Trini-
| ty and of resurrection, and these names
| are all suggestive Of Him who reveals the
Father by tho Spirit, and by His death and
resurrection becomes refuge for as. kc-
desh means holiness, and Naphtaii means
| wrestling. He becomes our holiness when
we yield to His wrestlings and are willing
to acknowledge no good thing in us. She
chem is shoulder, and Ephraim Is fruitful
! 1t is only when we cease from our wres-
things against Him and rest quiet on His
shoulder that He can make us fruitful.
| Kiriath-arba is the city Of Arba, or OF
] four. Hebron is company, or Fellowship,
| and Judah Is praise. Resting from our
wrestling In Him who Is our holiness we
| become fruitful through fellowship with
the Father and tho Son by tho Spirit and
are thus n praise unto God. It all comes
/ through coming unto and abiding In Him
| who Is our only refuge.
! 8 sBezer. out Of the trihe OF Reuben;
Ramoth, out Of tho tribe OF Cad, and Go
Ian, out of the tribe Of Mnnasseh. These
| were the three on the cast of Jordan and
are also very suggestive OF Him. Bezer
signifies strong, and also gold or silver,
I something precious Reuben Is sec a
son" There is no real strength or wealth
| or preoiousness apart from the Son in
whom dwelleth all the fullness OF the God
| head bodily (See Prov. iii, IA, Is; l Pet.
ii. q; lisa. xii, 2; xl. 29). Ramoth is height
or exaltation and Cad is a troop or COM
pany. This makes us think OF the host OF
| exalted ones who have fed for refuge to
lay hold upon the hope set before them.
| Redeemed by His precious blood they are
now by faith scaled with Him in the heav-
enlies--in due time shall be actually with
( Him, spirit. soul and body, and shall come
4 with Him among the armies OF heaven.
/ Golan is a circle, or JOY or rejoicing, and
| Mannsseh Is forgetting. When the circle Is
| completed and we become manifestly a
part Of Him from whom our new life be-
| gan, then will our JOY be full and we shall
forget all our miseries and remember them
| as waters that pass away (Job H, 100.
| Then shall we SEQ that all the sufferings OF
| this present time are not worthy to be
| compared with the glory that shall be re-
vealod from viii, 49,.
3. "Theso were the cities appointed for
| ali the children OF Israel and for the stran-
- sha4 sn;o,4rnssfh Among them - The