The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-12-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON x, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, DEC. 8.

the Rev. ID. Nj. stearns.
F[Copyright, 1899, by D. M. Stearns.l
1t would seem that Nehemiah, after
being II years at Jerusalem compare
chapters ii, 1, and xiii, %, returned to
Babylon, and during his absence from
the holy city much evil was wrought by
the enemies of the Lord. The rulers for
sock the house of God, Toblah was per-
mitted to occupy chamber therein, the
Jews intermarried with Ashdod, Ammon
and Moab and the Sabbath day became
greatly desecrated oversees 4, D, IL, 20.
Our lesson today has special reference to
the last of these.
Is, 16. The ordinary work of farm and
vineyard and the buying and selling of
fish and other victuals and all manner of
ware were common events in Jerusalem
on Gods holy day, notwithstanding that
Jehovah had said eye shall keep my
Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary;
am the Lord" Lev. xix, 80; XVI, p, and
those who read the law knew that one
reason for the long captivity through
which they had Just passed was their dis
obedience in the matter of the Sabbath
tLey. XVI, 43; II Chron. xxxvi %.
w HHu NJOQ SdNG Liz lCh
from Mount Sinai from the midst of the
fire, the people answered, "All that the
Lord hath said will we do and be ODE
dent eek. xiv, 8, q, but Moses had
not been absent six weeks from them be-
fore they are seen worshiping golden
calf Q1x. xxi, 4, 81. See proof upon
proof that the carnal mind is enmity
against God, that it is not subject to the
n. - GoJ i,AoaJ oar hn from
viii, n. In the lesson record both people
of Judah and men of Tyre took part in
the Sabbath breaking, and today both
Jews and Gentiles seem to vie with each
other in committing this same sin. Ev-
cry year sees an increasing amount of
business and amusement on the Sabbath
day, and it has actually come to this
There are ministers in so called evangel
ical pulpits who think it no harm to in
dulge in recreation on the Sabbath after
noon and teach the people so. The men
of Tyre would not have continued to
bring their wares to Jerusalem on the
Sabbath if the men of Judah, Gods pro-
fessed people, had refused to buy on that
day. How much sin the professed people
of God are responsible for in this world
today God only knows There is one
do, and that is see that ones own life is
right before God in this matter of keep
ing holy Gods Sabbath day, for every
life made right viii help to right others
IL, 1S. "Then l contended with the
mobiles of Judah" He contended with
them about forsaking the house of God
(verse III and about breaking the Sab
bath, reminding them of the evils that
hoH fitu nd nnOnln hpp1I1cn
of former sins. When it came to the
matter of strange wives, he not only con
tended with them, but cursed them and
smote them and made them take an oath
before God that they would stop this sin
(verse 25). When he found Tobiah occu-
pying a chamber in the house of God, he
simply cast forth his household stuff and
cleansed the chambers, and when he
dealt with the son-in-law of Sanballat he
chased him from him, and thus he cleans
ed the people from all strangers verses
8, 8, %, 3d. He was Gods witness,
comfort to Jehovah, and he dealt with
sin with firm hand. Some Nehemiahs
are needed today.
10. 81 commanded that the gates
should be shut and charged that they
should not be opened till after the Sab
n
decided action and appointed some of his
own servants to see that his orders were
carried out. l do not know any better,
more full or more simple instructions as
to Sabbath keeping than those set forth
in Isa lviii, 10, IA, which give no permits
sion for our own words or ways or pleas
ure, but require the day to be wholly Civ
en- up to God, assuring us that if we do
this then we shall delight ourselves in
the Lord. In Ps. xxxvii, A, it is written,
delight thyse!f in the Lord and He
shall give thee the desire of thine heart.
20. $50 the merchants and sellers of all
kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem
once or twice" If the servants of Christ
were always as persevering as the serv-
ants of the devil, there might be more
accomplished for our blessed Lord. If
believers were fully yielded to Christ and
jealous only for His glory, He might ac-
complish more through them When in
Calcutta two years ago, l heard of an
old lady who once lived there who always
saw something good in every one. Some
children one day asked her if she ever
saw anything good in the devil. She re-
piled, well, children. he is very perse-
vering If we were as persevering for
the good as he is for the evil, it would be
well.
n. "From that time forth came they
no more on the Sabbath He testified
against them and threatened to lay hands
on them if they came again, and that
stopped them. If wrong thing comes
under our notice that we have the power
to stop or at least testify against it, and
we do nothing or say nothing, our silence
may make us partaker of the evil. The
Spirit through John says that if any one
comes bringing not the doctrine of Christ
and another should give him greeting
that one becomes partaker of the evil
doctrine III John tx, ID Nehemiah was
not partner in Sabbath breaking.
%. ''And | commanded the Levites
that they should cleanse themselves and
that they should come and keep the gates
to sanctify the Sabbath day" Only the
clean can help to make clean. Those
who bear the vessels of the Lord must
be clean. In the ordinance of the red
heifer it required clean person both to
gather up the ashes and to use them in
sprinkling the unclean. In ii Cor. vi,
IA, to vii, l, if we would know what it
means to be sons and daughters of the
Lord Almighty and to have God as our
Father we are told that we must cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh
and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear
of God. Nehemiah looks to God alone
for his reward and says, Remember me.
. my God See also verses IA, 81. I'm,