Middletown transcript., 1899-01-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
International Sunday school Lesson fol
Tanuarv 18th. I8o3.

believed on m.''-John 2: IL.
There was marriage party in Cana
in Galilee, and the mother Of Jesus was
there. How proud the family must
haYe been to have for guest the one of
whom the Angel Gabriel had said,
BLESSED art thou among women. y
How they must avehonored herl How
Jesus must have loved sheri How she
must have worshipped her Son, know.
ing that He was the Son of Godl
Jesus and His disciples were also at
the wedding party. and when they
wanted wine, His mother, who had full
confidence in Him, told Him "They
have no wine" And now having COM
mitted all thing to Him, she said to the
servants, Whatsoever He saith INTO
you. do it." This is the only precept
which she has left to the world, and
those of us who love her whom Jesus
| loved, may please her by obeying Him.
There were six stone water pots sit
ting there, which the Jews used for
washing; and Jesus said to the servants
'sFill the water pots with water, - and
they filed them up to the brim. Then
He told them to draw out the contents
and hand to the governor of the feast.
And as soon as the governor had tast-
ed the water which had been turned.
into wine, he did not know where it had
come from, and complimented the Eride-
goom OH its excellent quality.
This was the beginning Ct the mir
acles of Jesus among his disciples, and
showed His glory to such an extent
that they believed on Him. We have
great advantage over them in this
respect, having the wonderful account
of many of His great miracles, and
some of US have found out that the
greatest miracle of all has been worked
In our case; and that we have already
passed from death unto life, and shall
never perish; because Jesns has given
unto US eternal life; and that it can
never end or it would not be eternal.
Then what wedding feast we may
look forward to when The Bridegroom
shall come, and we shall not be guests
but the bride for Him to present to His
Father, perhaps not very good tride,
but accepted in Him, and loved for the
sake of the Son; for He is able to keep
US from stumbling and to present Us
faultless before the presence of His
glory with exceeding joy" "Then shall
every man have praise of God"
The beginning of Jesus mirscles will
afford His people never ending theme
when they sit down to the marriage
supper of the Lamb, aud can look for
ward to miracles which shall never end
when "The kingdom of the world is
become the Kingdom of our Lord and
of His Christ and He shall reign for
ever and ever,' for He will then take
unto himself His great power.
tBlessed are all they that put their
trust in Him."
~
International s. s. Lesson for January
22d, 1899.
Jesus and Nicodemus.-JOhn 8: l -16.
Read the whole chapter.
Golden Text.-"For God so loved
the world, that He gave His only be-
gotten Son, that WhosoeVer believeth
in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. John 8: 16.
There must have been great deal
of talk about the wonderful things
that Jesus was doin3: how He had
turned water into wine, and driven the
trader out of the Temple with whip.
He was poor and despised by many
people because He was Iaboring man;
and many hated Him because He was
good and called Himself the Son OF
God.
There was one of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus, who knew that
Jesus came from God because no one
else could do such miracles. Nicode-
mus belonged to the Council that after
ward condemned Jesus to death. but he
was not against Him, 50 he came to
Him by night.
Jesus knew Nicodemus-for He
knows all things and all men-and told
him at once that there is only one way
to gel into Heaven. There must be
complete change wrought in every man
by some one outside, for the sinner is
like dead man with no hope inside;
only going, to corruption and getting
worse every day. This change must be
a new birth, Except a man be born
again, be cannot see the Kingdom of
God.
So the only hope is in the Holy |
Spirit, who cannot be seen any more |
than the wind; but who alone can per-
form this wonderful regeneration or
making over new. Nicodemus could |
not understand such thing, but we
can, for we have the Spirits statement
in His Book, "Whosoever believeth |
that Jesus is the Christ is born of Ged.n
And He also says of Jesus, "As many
as received Him, to them gave He
power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on His name:
which were boruo of God.
And then Jesus told Nicodemus
plainly the way to be saved. He re-
minded him of the time when the Jews
had sinned against God. and He had
sent fiery Serpents into their camp,
which were biting and killing the peo-
pie; and when they | ad no hope they
called on God, and He told Moses to
put brass serpent on a pole so that
every one could see it, and who oeyer
looked on it was saved. And then |