The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-06-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON XII, SECOND QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, JUNE 1e.

Text o: the Lesson. Rev. xxi. LII.
Memory Verses. 3-5 - Golden Text.
Rev. Iii, 2i-Commcntary Prepared
by Rev. D. ". StcarnH.
IC:cyrisht. 1895. b. American Tess Association
In the outline OF last week we saw
that chapters xxi and xxi bring before
us the new heaven and GARTH so what
ever there may be in this lesson con-
cnrning our heavenly home, as the title
indicates, it is heaven in connection
with earth, and part OF it is heaven Oil
earth, for the no death nor sorrow nor
crying nor pain" Of xxi, i. and the mo
more curse" Of Xxii 3, must be earth
and not heaven, for these things never
were in heaven, and there would be no
sense in saying no more where there
never was any. Then in xxi, 3, GOD
comes down to dwell with men, but in
heaven we so to dwell with God.
As to the throne of God and the
Lamb We know that, although His
throne is in heaven, He is also to
have a throne on earth at Jerusa-
lem Ger. iii, ID. Concerning the new
Jerusalem Of which chapter xxi speaks
so fully, which is to come down out OF
heaven from God and in the light Of
which the nations Of the earth are to
walk, we read that the Lord God Al
mighty and the Lamb are the temple
of it and the glory aud the light Of it
xxi, 1920.
The new earth Of which these chap
ters tell us will be this planet purified
by fire as the earth before the deluSe
was purified by water III Pet. iii. 81,
u, 49,, an earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness filed With the glory Of
the Lord, and His will done here as in
heaven (Num. xiv, 81: Hab. ii, Il; Matt.
Vi, 8, 10); rest on every side, neither
adversary nor evil occurrent Il Kings V,
A.. because He who made all things IN
the beginning shall have made all
things new xxi, 81. It is our privilege,
while we wait FOR this kingdom and
live to hasten it, to antedate it in our
individual experience. By nature we
are dead in sins and under the curse
because Of our transgresSions. but rs
soon as we receive the Lord Jesus
Christ as our Saviour then we can. say,
Christ hath redeemed me from the
curse Of the law being made a curse
for me" (Gal. iii. 13).
So in our life there comes 4 time
when there Is no more curse. and IN
stead Of SELF Ue,us oc the throne OF
our hearts Christ is on the throne, and
we are new creatures, old things are
passed away, all things are become
new II Cor. Y, 10. The thirst for the
waters Of this world ceases, and we
drink from God Himself, the Fountain
Of Living Water Jer. ii, 13; xvii, 13).
By faith we eat Of the tree Of life, for
both the tree and the river suggest
Christ Himself, the Bread Of Life and
the Water Of Life.
If Christ is enthroned in our hearts
we will worship and serve Him only;
we will desire above all things the
smile Of His approval, and even our
faces will manifest that we are His,
Bis name written on our foreheads
(verses 8, 4. There no darkness comes,
for there shall be no night, but even
here we may walk in the light and
have continual fellowship and ever re-
joice in the blood that cleanseth. We
can hardly anticipate the relgninS with
Christ according to verse S and Rev.
', 8, 10, yet see Rom. Y, II, where
through abundance Of grace and
righteousness TGe are said to reign in
life by Jesus Christ more than con-
querors through Him who loved US.
By comparing verse 16 with verse 6
we have, to my mind, very clear
proof that Jesus is the Lord God Of the
holy prophets, a truth that is abun-
dainty proved elsewhere and made
manifest in all Scripture. Jesus is
God. Three times in this chapter we
have His Behold, OF surely I come
quickly" (verses Z, II, 2W, and the last
Of these three is the very last word we
have ever heard from Him. How ear
nestly we should be watching for Him
! and our hearts ever crying, even so,
come, Lord Jesus" The only right at
titude Of the soul Of the believer to-
ward God is waiting for His.Son from
heaven" q Thess. l, 10; Tit. Il, 13; Heb.
il, 2S).
Verse { takes US back to and en-
phasizes chapter /, 8. Let US therefore
not simply read, but memorize and eat,
this book and thus obtain this great
blessing. This is not the first time that
John fell at the fec. Of his heavenly
visitor to worship (see chapter XIX, 10y,
but he is again lovingly reproved, and
this time he is told that his friend from
heaven is one Of the prophets and that
in heaven they keep the sayings Of this
book, and he is again admonished to
worship God" reminding us Of our
Lords words, ''Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou
serve" Matt ", 10).
In Dan. xii, i, 9, the words were to be
closed up and sealed till the time ot
the end, but here it IS just the contrary,
''Seal not, for the time is at hand
(verse 1O). When the end comes peo-
! pie will continue as the end finds them.
unjust or filthy or righteous. do not
know in all Scripture any authority for
believing that there may possibly be
any repentance after death for those
who have heard the gospel In this life.
Verse l2 noIntS US to the Judgment