The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-12-21
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENT;
FOR DECEMBER a..

Subject; Chrlst's Coming Fofetoid, Iaa,
ix., 2-s-Golden Text; Luke IT,, IL
Memory Verses; Isa. ix., q, S-Com
mentary ON the Days Lesson.
2. "The people that walked in darkness
The people of Judah. They we're M this
time under two-fold darkness: Q) The
darkness OF outward trouble. See 3 Kings
1871; 104.S, II; Chron. 2S:j.S. (2) They
were in moral darkness They were Mt.
tackled by the king OF Israel aud by the
King OF Damascus, and afterward by the
king OF Assyra. ureat multitudes we're
carried captives, or were slain. In this
deep afflictlon OF the Jewish nation her old
Toes rose up against her. Tho Edomites,
on the southeast, and the Phllstines, on
the southwest, poured In their troops upon
tue devoted land and added to its calaml.
ties. The Philstlnes took permanent pos.
session OF the territory which they had
overrun. occupying 1t and adding 1t to their
dominion. Judah was indeed "brought low
and made naked" 9 Chron. 2S:1s. Her
country was desolate, her cities we're burned
with lire; her land-strangers devoured IL
In her presence, lisa. III. The territory that
remained TO her was truly but very
small remnant, aud even that was threat
ened. To escape from these troubles king
Ahaz appealed to Tlglath-Pleser H., OF
Assyrla, for help. He came, aud the result
was that Ahaz had to rob the temple and
his palace OF their treasures In order to pay
tho REQUIRED tribute; and, still more. he
sacrificed tho Independence aud honor of
tue realm itself. --Peloubet
.. Thou hast multiplied the nation"
The prophet shows them the Messiah and
His times. He would move them to hone.
awaken faith, arouse to Righteousness, by
the vision OF good times coming The only
way to such u blessed consummation was
by the path OF holiness. obedience and
faith. They JOY before Thee" The pro-
phet notes 1t to be a religious 10y because
1t is said to be before God-that is, In His
presence and with grateful acknowledge
ment OF His benefits. This seems to denote
that the events predicted would be the
source OF greater JOY to all true Israelltes
than any OF their former daliverances;
though, at the samo time, the unbelleviug
Jews who constituted tho bulk OF the ma
tlon would be driven into darkness, as they
were, both MS to their outward mlserles and
their dark and blirdod state In respect OF
spiritual concerns.
4. "Thou hast broken tho yoke" Tho
Jews were succsssively delivered from the
burdensome aud calling yoke OF the Assy-
rlans, Chaldeans. Persiaus and Macedon-
ians; but these deliverauces werc only a
shadow of redemption from tho yoke OF
Satan; and that redemption seems here
especially predicted as IL already accom-
pllshed. "As in tho day OF Midian." As
Gideon with handful OF men conquered
the hosts OF Midlan, so Messiah, the
"chiid" ". 81, shall provo to bs the prince
OF peace, and tho small company under
Him shall overcome the mighty hosts o.
Antlchrist. SEQ the same contrast In Mie.
s: 2.5.
8. For every battle" It was tho Gus
tom OF antiquity to pile the arms OF pros
trate enemies, the spoils OF less value, and
their spotted garments, into heap and
then burn them. All that belongs to war
shall be swept away; tho war itself shall
die Tho MRggiuh nhOliahaa all l,nt
not until His foes are either swept away by
His Judgments or melted into penitence and
won over to submission by His love. These
promises were great comfort, not only
for the promise OF victory over the then
threatening enemy, but from the assur-
ance of final triumph and success The
tide from the ocean OF future blessings
flowed back upon the present. The light
from Jesus Christ shone buck on Judah all
through the seven hundred years that lay
between. Tho best things In life are bat
dimly seen and partly known
q. Unto us" The prophet spake OF tho
predicted blessings rs IL already communi-
Gated. Angels say, "Unto you." but this
child was born for the benefit OF US mon.
OF us sinners, OF al believers, to tho end OF
The world. In tuo far distance tho prophe.
toresaw the Hcdremer OF tho world. Il Is
interesting to notice how this promise
gradually dawned upon tho world throu gh
the rouhets. A little later came the
vision OF the suffering Saviour elsa. 53);
then the town where Ho should be born
(Mtcah 5:2); n more pleto revelation
came through Daniel. These prophecies
wero so spread abroad that at tho time OF
His coming there prevailed throughout
the entire East an intense conviction that
ere long powerful monarch would arise
in 1udea and gain domlnlon over the
world. Virgil, who lived II little before
this, owns that child from heaven was
lAN NA. IL. 4
age and take away sin. "a son is glvon."
Gods gratultous gift. upon which man
had no clalm. John 2.l6. A glft OF love,
OF joy, OF universal fitness to our needs,
OF eternal enrichment, OF forever increas-
ing value; and this gift insures all other
gifts; Rom; S;S2 Az Son OF man Jesus
was "a child born;" as Soa OF God he was
"Son given" Government" The on
sign OF government, tho sccptre, the
sword. or key, was borne upon or hung
from the shoulder. All government shall
be vested in him. "His name" A namo
stands for all that Is In tho man-his
eharacter, his principles and his property.
Wonderful" BecaIse HIS nature was
both human and divine. Whoever refuses
to believe in the supernatural must pause
At the manger. He cnn go no farther.
How Godhood and manhood could be knit
together In the person OF Christ is beyond
as. But things incomprehenslble are not
Incredible. All divine works are wonder
tul. There are mnrvels enough In u drop
of water to bewilder the wisest. Counsel
Tor" Ono who has wisdom to guide himself
and Others. Jesus was tho embodiment OF
bheWisdom OF God. "Mighty God. :" God tho
mighty One. As He has wisdom, 50 He has
strength; He Is able to save to tha utter.
most; and such is tho work OF the Mediator
that no less u power than that OF the
mighty God could accomplish It.. He has
'ontrol OF all forces for the salvation OF
men; He can conquer all enemies, make
His kingdom triumphant over all obstacles,
san always stand before and above His
people, leading them ON to higher and
higher developments. "EyerlaHting
Father" Expressing the divine love and
pity for men, n love that can never fail, for
It Is everlasting. The Father pitieth His
shildren that are weak in knowledge, and
instructs them; ptties them when they are
iroward, and bears with them; pities them
when they ara siok. and comforts them;
when they are fallen, aud helps them up
again. prince of Peace" AS King He
preserves, commands, creates peace. His
pence both keeps the hearts OF His people
md rules in them, H8 Is the author o all
that peace which Is tho present and future
bliss Of His subjects. Peace is used to ex-
press all the blessings that come to q
kingdom where there Is peace from out
ward enemies, peace between rulers and
ruled, peace between tho different mem
bers OF the kingdom; no disorders, no idle
ness, no criminals.