North Park union., 1905-12-01

was made safe from enemies. The
temple and Its services were In opera.
ton.
But these things merely meant .op-
portunity. They did not constitute a
great city, nor a true kingdom, nor a
holy nation, nor outward prosperity,
nor people OF God. They only rem
dered these things possible. The great
question now was how TO restore the
nation to Its place in the kingdom OF
God. how to build up pure. righteous,
noble people. who should be deposito-
ries OF the true religion, who should
proclaim 1t by their lives and tongues.
who should hold up the True Light be-
fore the world.
The Lesson to-day describes Nehe-
miahs plans for accomplishing this
purpose.
II. A Great Bible School for Learn.
ing Gods Will.-Vs. II. After day IS
rest from the severe labors OF building
ushered in by the blowing of trumpets
and horns with month-pieces OF gold;
and this memorial blowing" continued
all day from morning till evening. pro-
claiming day Of rejoicing. like our
Christmas bells. II was to proclaim
Gods covenant, to sound victory over
Satan. TO sound call to repentance.
"as it were blast to wake men from
their sleep Of sin
The Teaching Force. Ezra was now
Joined with Nehemiah in this spiritual
work. He stood upon an elevated plat,
form. Beside him on his right hand
were six prominent persons, and on his
left seven, probably the heads OF clans
or of the courses of priests. They
gave dignity to the service and proba.
bly, aided Ezra in the reading OF the
law. 1t would be more than one man
could easily do. to read for six hours
SO loud that many thousands of people
could hear. s. They read dis
tinctly." so that all understood the
reading" tR. W. There were also lie.
vites who gave the sense and taught
the people" ". 81.
The Opening Worship. The people
were attentive ". 81. for they were
anxious to know what the Book OF the
Law said to them. Every one is inter
ested in Bible study who has sincere
desire to use 1t for a guide to right liv-
Ing.
When Ezra opened the roll, all the
people stood up, a respectful form OF
worship. which all earnest souls will
Initiate. 1t is sad to think how many
boys and girls there are who pride
1 Ia,, al act n
ness in society and yet insist on being
profanely impolite and discourteous to-
ward God in the Sunday school.
Then Ezra gave thanks. The people
responded with Amen" Then they
bowed their heads and worshipcd the
Lord with their face1Ato the ground
/ 1T is not meant that the people stood
during the whole reat..Ig. for six
hours, from light to noon: they stood
whenever the Scripture was read and
sat during the explanations. Todd.
Note.-No one can understand the
word of God unless he is in the spirit
pf worship: and that spirit will make
him ready TO obey as well as to know.
The school continued not only
through this morning but into the next
day. and was followed later by an eight
days course during The Feast of Taber.
nacles.
| III. Conviction of Sin and Danger
| V. 3. A large part OF the Old Testa.
ment was then In existence The law
was read. so that the people realized
how far short OF obedience they had
come and how they had forfeited the
promises conditioned on keeping their
part OF the covenant The reading of
Gods word brings conviction OF sin. II
shows us our departures from the true
standard, 1t is a mirror in which we
see our weakness and our sin, II Is n
measuring line by which we learn
show far and wide we stray" The ter
rible denunciations recorded In Deu.
teronomy tchap. 2S) fell upon them as
the law from Sinai amid thunders and
lightnings. and n thick cloud like the
smoke of furnace. and the shaking
of the mount, fell upon their ancestors,
and they knew that they were guilty.
Their present condition. their bitter
experience of exile. the ruins OF their
city-all testified TO the truth OF the
warnings with voice that pierced
their consciences to its depths. so that
''all the people wept when they heard
the words of the law"
w. The Remedy.-Vt. 9-12, % 8.
Mourn not, nor weep" You have
wept long enough; You have fastened
your eyes on your sins too exclusively.
To see only sin and punishment leads
to remorse instead OF repentance. TO
despair instead of reformation; it re-
pels from God as mere avenger, a
hater of sim instead of attracting to
God as loving Father and friend, who
chastises only because he loves the
sinner, and longs for the prodigal's re-
turn to his home. (2) 10. Go your
way, eat the fat and drink the sweet"
These We're expressions of Joy and
aids to joy They had seen the threat
enings, now 1t was time to look at the
glorious promises to the repentant
tDeut I and 2s:1-l4. And send por
tions," etc Another way of expressing
and of increasing true Joy. 1t is Joy In
action. 1t is JOY multiplied by love.
Neither be ye sorry" Sorrow and re-
pentauCe dre never iequiieu ioI tuei
own sake. but for the better things
which grow out OF them. II one has
repented and forsaken his sin, then 1t
is time TO rejoice in the better things.
to see God and the bright heavens
rather than his own past.
A Living Faith.
Keep the sunshine Of living faith