Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-06-29
international gessoa.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON /, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 7.

Text of the Lesson, Gen. 4, 1 to ILL., d
Memory Verses. 20. 27-Golden Text,
Gen. 1. documentary Prepared by
the Rev. ID. Nj. Stenrns.
copyright, 1901, by American Press Association.l
1t is very refreshing to turn after so
long a time in our studies to the begin
ming of this heavenly book, Gods own
beginning Of His own book, but how to
say just little of what ought to be said
on so large and important portion III so
brief space is difficult. The Bible be-
gins and ends with a perfect condition OF
things on earth Gen. and ii; Rev. xxi
and xxii), no sin. no curse, no sorrow, no
suffering, no devil visible. Gen. iii in
PRODUCES us TO the adversary, and Rev.
Xxx tells of his final destiny.
1. A sublime and simple statement Of
how the world was made. Compare rs.
xXxiii, 8, Q; Jer. xXXii, II. AS to the
one by whom God did it all see John i,
1-3; Col. i, 14-16. The word here trans.
lated God is a plural word, and we may
see here the Trinity. Not only find COM
fort in the power Of our Lord and Saw
Jour, but what you cannot begin with
God do not begin at all. whether book
or letter or transaction.
@ Waste and void and darkness (see
R. W are not suggestive Of God, and
Isa. xiv, Is, Il. w., says that God did not
make the earth q waste. The first verse
is a dateless verse and tells us of what
God did perhaps tens or hundreds OF
thousands Of years ago. The second
verse tells us of how things were some
5000 years ago when God began to bring
order and beauty and fruitfulness out OF
the chaos and darkness. The interval be-
tween the first and second verses gives
room for all the geological periods which
may be desired.
3-5. The words 'and God said," used
ten times in this chapter, tell us of the
word of God by which or by whom all
things were made. The Spirit Of God is
the great worker and the word Of God Is
the great instrument by which God ac-
complishes all things. So the two
phrases, 1.-The Spirit of God moved" and
"God said" tell how God does oil His
work in nature or in grace. AS to light
coming by the word, see II Cor. iv. 6;
Ps. cxiX, 13O. and ON the division between
light and darkness see ii Cor. vi. H..
6-S. The second days work is tirma-
ment or expanse, not something solid, but
something thin or rare, dividing waters
above from waters below. l am willing
to believe that these six days were six
ordinary days, as any simple person
would suppose from Ex. Xxx, II, and that
God did on each day just what He says
lie did. The simplest way Of reading
Scripture Is the best (Math. Il, 25). The
practical lessons for the heart and life
all through this portion are very simple
and helpful. Verse describes the heart
and life Of every unsaved person. and the
first days work is suggestive Of the new
birth and the division that at once begins
to be made manifest in the life. The Sec
ond days work suggests how the life is
to be nourished not by waters below. but
BY waters above, and is illustrated by
Jer. ii, 13; John iv. 13. IA; Rev. xxi, q:
xxi, II.
9-13. On the third day the dry land Is
made to appear, and He covers it with
grass, herbs aud trees. The suggestion
for the believer Is that of a resurrection
life and fruitfulness and is set forth in
such passages as Col. iii, IA; Phil. i, IL;
Iii, 10; John XIV. Ill. The seed and fruit
after his kind whose seed is in itself re-
minds us that flesh produces only that
which is feshly. aad the spiritual can
only come by the Spirit. Grapes do not
grow on thorns, nor figs on thistles John
Iii, 6; Math. vii. 16). The association of
the third day and resurrection is seen in
the stories Of Isaac and Jonah and the
marriage in Cana (Gen. xii, 4; Math.
xii, 40; John ii, ~, also in Hos. vi, 2.
14-19. On the fourth day the sun, moon
and stars are appointed for signs. sea-
sons, days and years, to be lights in the
armament and to rule over the day and
night. We think Of them in correction
with seasons, days and years, but are
not apt to consider that they are signs,
and when attention Is called to Jer. XXI,
35. 36: xxxiii, 20. 21, and that Israel Is
always a nation before God some people
are greatly astonished. The sun turns
our attention to the Lord God as our sun
and shield and to the time when the
righteous shall shine forth as the sun
FPS. lxxxiv, II; Math. xiii, 49,. The
moon, which is said to be a ruin Of ma
ture and reflects upon US the light of the
sun, tells us how we are to let our light
shine that God may be glorifed. by living
in His light and abiding In His love, by
seeing Jesus only.
20-23. The fifth day shows us the wa
ters and the air, with abundance Of fishes
and fowl, and command given them to be
fruitful and multiply and fill the waters
and multiply in the earth. The fifth day
Is associated with blessing and abundant
multiplication, for here the words are
first used, and we cannot but think OF
Prov. K, %. r. ", '"The blessing Of the
Lord maketh rich, and toll addeth moth
ing thereto" of His blessing which gave
Israel three years crop in the sixth
year and fed abundantly 5000 men with
FIVE loaves.
24-31. On the sixth day cattle and
creeping things and beasts Of the earth
are made, and man in the image Of God
male and female, to have dominion over
all; man made Of the dust Of the earth,
a full grown, perfect man. and woman
made of part of mans body aid given
to him to be a helpmeet for him; and He
called their name Adam Chapters ii and
v, 1, p. The Spirit tells US by Paul in
Eph. v. 30-32. that Adam and Eve are
typical of Christ and the church, and the
Spirit elsewhere teaches US that as Eve
was builded out of Adam by his SLEEP
(Gen. il. q, %, margin), so by virtue OF
the death and resurrection of Christ, the
true Eve, the church Is now being build
ed out of Him. and. when completed
shall be brought to Him, and there shall
be marriage and then the kingdom
(Rev. xix. I: Dan. vii. %.
II. 1-3. This portion tells us that on the
seventh day God ended and rested from
His work and blessed the seventh day
and sanctified it. We have the practica
teaching in Heb. iv. where we learn thai
we can only enter into rest when We
cease from our own works rs God die