Middletown transcript., 1899-10-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON V, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
y NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 90.

ECopyright 1899, by D. M. Stearns.1
suppose the safe journeyings Of Ezra
and his company in the lesson Of last
week suggested these songs of deliver
ance as a suitable topic before entering
upon the study Of Nehemiah, but why
these two psalms the committee probably
know. As they all speak of Him, how
ever, we shall have profitable medita-
| ton. Spurgeon, in his Treasury of Da-
yid,n suggests the following division OF
Ps. lxxxv: In verses IA the poet sings of
the Lords former mercies and begs Him
to remember His people; from 5-7 he
pleads the cause of afflicted Israel, and
then, having listened to the sacred oracle
in verse s, he publishes joyfuIly the It'd
ings Of future good-9-13. Praise to God
Is always eomely, and we read in Neh.
Xii, 46, I'm the days of David and Asaph
of old there were chief Of the singers and
songs Of praise and thanksgiving unto
God" The sons Of Korah mentioned in
the title had great reason to praise God
and lead the peoples praises, for when
Korah and the others were swallowed up
the children OF Korah died not (Num.
XVI III.
Ia. There is on earth land and a peo-
pie which, above all other lands and peo-
/ pie, are specially the Lords. He calls
them His peculiar people, holy people
unto Himself, a people near unto Him,
the dearly beloved Of His soul and many
other pndearing names (Deut. vii, 6; XVI,
Is; Ps. cxlviii, IA; Jer. xii, y. As to the
land. it is called the holy land, the Lords .
land, a delightsome land, ImmanuePs
land, etc. (Zech. ii, u: Hos. tx, 3; Nal.
I'LL, II; lisa. viii 8. They were naturally
few, stiff necked, fIden with iniquity, re-
bellious. lying lDcut. vii, q: Ex. xxxiii, 3,
S; lisa. i, 4: xxx. ~. but He redeemed
them from Egypt and gave them the good
land, yet they understood not His won
ders nor remembered His merc;cs, they
despised the pleasant Land and believed
not His word, SO that many time He
saved them for His names sake and re-
deemed them from the hand OF the enemy
(Ps. cvi, Z, 8, 10, 24D. He viii yet fe-
deem them from all lands. blot out all
their sins and make them righteous ma
ton forever (SIic. vii. Il. 20: zpph iii.
10 20l. Meantime He VIII accept every
penitent sinner who comes to Him and
will, for Jesus sake, blot out all their sins
and make them righteous in His sight
(John vi. 81; II Cor. Y. 21).
81. Then shall Israel say when He
shall have redeemed them, Thine anger
is turned away, and thoI ca:nforted t me-
Behold God is my salvation Gsa xii, /,
q. Salvation is of the Lord Jonah ii, 81
in its beginning, development and CON
summation. See this in the words, Turn
us, revive us, shew us (verses 4, 6, n.
We would never turn to Him il He did
not draw us by His Spirit. 1t is all His
mercy and His salvation Verse y which
we receive as His gift and gratefully en-
joy, SO that we may well reioi. e in Him.
saying, II will greatly rejoice in tie Lord.
my soul shall be joyful in my God lisa.
Xxi, 10: Hab III, 49,.
8. II we will listen only to the vo.. e OF
God, we shall have naught but pace, for
He is the God of peace. and t. Son Of
God is the prince of peace Heb xiii. 20:
Isa. tx, @. All His thoughts to His D
pie are thoughts of peace. for He l., our
peace, and any one whose imagination. il
staid on Him will have perfe,t rca.e
lJer. xxx, IL; Eph. ii. II: ISa. XIV, 81
1t is all because Of His righteousness
which we by faith receive lisa. xxi, Il:
Rom. V, u. Peace with God is His gift
in Christ Jesus, but the peace of God,
which passcth all understanding, depends
upon our allowing nothing to come be-
tween Him and US. casting every care
and anxiety Upon Him (Phil. iy. q. u. Ii
we know. Him who is our peace. VIC are
bound to make the good news known to
all people tI4uke ii. 10, ~.
0-13. The writer has his heart upoa
what he calls ''0ar la.iF I've SEES 9. l21,
for it Is 10 that land anl to the hoy city
that all nations are yet to go up fon
year to year tier. III. II: Eech. xiv, IL.
There mercy and truth. ri ,!trOusness and
peace, Ecavca and esiftI. met in Hin wh1
was and il tiEe God and true maa. T.ere
He shall yet reign as King Of Israel and
as King of kings and Lord OF lords. and
then when God has blessed HIS pcoDIs
and His land His saving health will lie
known among all nat:ons G's lxyi:1. The
zeal of the Lord of HoS;s W II Id lit. III 81
are not Dayid's thoughts. but God's
thoughts. for he said. =. he spirit of the
Lord speaks by mon, and HIS wo:d was
in my tongue" III Sam. xii. q. The
Lord Himself has said that He win not
rest till Is@uei's redemption Is manifest
before all nations. and He Gals Hpon His
people to give Him no rest till He does
it Qsa. lxii. |. q, q.
Ps. cxxvi. Many time did the Lord de-
liver His people from their 0ppressors In
the days Of the Judeas when He raised
up and used such men as Othniei, Gideon,
Jephthah. Samson aud Samuel After
the time OF David He delivered them
from Babylon, and soon now viii H. de-
liver them from all the nations among
which they are scattered, and their pros
perity and source of blessing to all ma
tions after their restoration is fully de-
scribed in such passages as Tsa. xxxv, 10:
Jer. xxi, II, d.: xiii, 8, O; Ezek. xxxyii.
2I-2S. All these things will He do to
them and for them. not for their sakes,
but for His own names sake.
2, 3. 1t is becoming in us not only to
consider how great things He hath done
for US, but also to talk of all His won
drous works q Sam. xii. "a; Ps. cv, 2l,-
Tor Il we do not tell how great things He
has done for US mark V, 19) Is 1t not, to
say the least. very ungratefuil Israel
shall yet say one to the other, "Praise the
Lord, proclaim His name, declare His do
ings among the people, make mentionl
that His name IL exalted" Qsa. xii, Al.
And every saint should be continually do
Ing this.
4. What He purposes to do He wishes |
ns to ask Him to do. It may seem strange;
but it Is His way. See Ezek. xxxvi, ST..
lisa. lxii, !. q. 4 II il His pleasure that
we should desire Him TO do that which
He proposes to do. and, IL we do not de-
sire II earnestly, where Is the feliowshipt
with Him which Is Cur privilege7 And
ret Indifference t. Him and His affairs
y 2 common characteristic OF 60 many |
who bear His name.
3. 9. There Ii no end Of weenine here.
but there win Ill no end of iov in Hia
kingdom. II Our sorrow shall Be turned 1
INTO ioy iJ0hn xri. 2o1. WeeuiEsg may