The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-04
Tic International Sunday School Lesson.
March 5, iaoo. John VIII IL; $3.50

March ), 1890. John vIII.12; $3.50.
Christ Freeing From Sin.
Jesus was exceedingly skllltul in the
use of passing events for the Illustra-
ton of truth. He seized upon them.
He held them up with the hand o. an
adept. SO when the priest came with
tae rejoicing professional. bearing aloft
the golden urn filled with water from
Sloan, In memory OF the water m!rac-
ulously aupplied in the wilderness, and
was on the point OF pouring It out be-
side the altar, Jesus cried in strong an
tlthesls: III any man thirst, lie, him
come unto mel" So now, after they
have lighted the very last OF the null
titudlnous lamps upon the golden can
delabra In the treasury Of the Temple,
q pretty illumination in memory OF the
pillar OF fire in the wilderness, Jesus
cried. II am the light OF the world!" II
Is IS II He had said. These lights burn
ior little While. They illuminate a
limited area. They will soon go out.
Those who depend upon them Will then
Srope In darkness. But l can iilumi-
| nate the world 10 the end Of time. ]
WIN be fiery pillar to whoever will
follow. He need not walk In darkness"
This glorious announcement fell up
on ears which hearing. heard not.
There was flat refusal on the part o.
the national leaders to accept the claims
OF Jesus based as they were unon
what fhEv Gt ti,aI NJ hi
Ported testimony. To this Jesus re-
sponded that His testimony Instead OF
being personal and unsupported, had
been repeatedly. audlbly and vlsi6lv
corroborated by the Father Himself.
Lofty declarations concerning Els per-
son and office. and distinct intmatlon
concerning His impending death, its
nature and by whom 1t should be eff
fec.ed, followed.
In this language OF terrible severity
there Is one delightful Interludc. 1t is
the word of encouragement. 10 the few
who, In spite Of the almost universal
unbeliet and hate, still believed in Jc-
sus. Their faith might be crude and
erroneous; the substance OF It might
even be the secular hope Of mere ma
t!onal emancipation; but II they would
only continue In the atmosphere OF Je-
sus' teaching. this immature and wrong
faith might be exchanged for the gen.
uine faith OF true discI9leshIp. Obe-
dience will be the organ OF knowledge,
and knowledge Of the truth Will be
emancipation.
The inveterate hopelessncss OF u1be-
lief is Illustrated In the reply of the
Jews. They deprecate what they chose
to esteem an imputation against the
national honor. They ignore the incl
dents of Egypt. Syria and Babylon. and
strut as theT plume themselves. upon an
unbroken national and personal inde-
pendcnce. But they canro. thus parry
the home thrust of the sword which
proceeds from Jesus mouth as the pro-
phet said 1t would. One word reveals
the slavery OF which Jesus spoke. Sin
Is servitudc. The Son OF God Is the sole
and sufficient Emancpator from this
most degrading, pititul and deadly sla-
very.
Like a surgeon. with the keen
scaiDci of His speech. Jesus opens the
very heart Of the nation and shows the
utter fnuiness Of It's sin and unbelief.
How differently Hebrew history would
have TO be written had there been con-
'fession and co7tr!tion on this fateful
occasion. But the national hear, was
oadurate. Had He not withdrawn Je-
sGs' reward for His fidelity would have
been shower Of deadly stones.