The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-12-27

critics regard the word as title of an
anonymous prophet who was Gods
messenger TO the people. But it Isl
better to consider Malachi to be the
prophets name.
The People and the Times to whicn
the Prophet brought the Message from
Sod IT we read the later chapters Of
Nehemiah and compare the sins and
evils which Nehemiah labored to re-
form with the sins and evils which
Malachi denounces, it will be seen that
both are laboring for the same ends,
and realize the same necessity OF re-
form.
The Promise of Better Times.-V. l.
See VS.. 10, IL, 16, IL; Nal. Al BE.
hold I'-i. e., Goodwill send my mes
senger," one coming in Gods name and
bearing divine message, whose work
shall be to prepare the way before
nee, the coming Of God himself This
messenger, according to Nal. AS, in
terpreted by our Lord himself on two
sccasions (Ndatt 11:1A Mark 9:12, 13)
was one who should come in the spirit
and power Of Elijah, doing the same
work, rebuking sin, denouncing all
wrongs, calling men to repentance,
awakening the conscience.
Who Is Meant by the Messenger? l..
The prophet was preaching to the peo-
Pile of his own time, and must have
first referred to what was coming soon
to them. Nehemiah himself was away,
but he was to return soon and sudden
ly So that, in the words Of Prof.
Dods, i'If we suppose that the prophet
appeared slightly before Nehemiah's
return. then the practical measures of
the governor would seem to be the nat
ural fulfillment and execution of the
threats of the prophet Nehemiah
came suddenly to the temple and
cleansed it (Neh. .13:S): he was a
swift witness (Neh. 13:25) against all
wrongdoersf (Mal. 3,5); he appeared in
the spirit of Elijah (Mal. 4:5), enforc
ing the law of Moses. 5' iiis
2. But this. cannot exhaust the mean
ing even to them. The same need
would come again and again, and cul-
inmate in John the Baptist, who pre-
pared the way for the great Messen-
ger of the Covenant. Jesus Christ t
Who Is the Lord Whom Ye Seek?
1.-THE Lord whom ye seek" whose pres
ence and power and protection We de-
sire. "The messenger of the cove
nantY the one who brings from God
his covenant Of promise, including all
the blessings foretold to Israel from
the beginning, who shall make real to
them all the visions of glory and pros
perity the prophets had revealed
Whom ye delight in whom you are
| eagerly looking for to bring you your
desires. Shall suddenly come" The
times look dark, but there is no. doubt
about his coming; and it will be in
some unexpected manner. This prom
ise was meant for the people Of that
| time F%
Note.-We cannot understand these
prophecies Of the Jews. of that day,
with long centuries of trial and trou-
BILE before them, and realize that the
prophecies were really fulfilled, unless
we see that they promise an era or
epoch, the beginning of which came to
them. The summer with its flowers
and autumn with its fruits was put be-
fore them in vision. But they had
only the beginning of spring days. A
man promises me an oak and sends me
a small shoot, but | have the oak. /
have just received a few little stems
from man who promised me some
glorious flowers. I paid for them, for !
had received the flower plants. One of
the great company that held the Sun
day school convention at Jerusalem
writes about the desolations of Pales-
tine: "A curse has settled upon the
country. Ichabod' is the exclamation
that rises to the lips as one looks upon
the desolation and degradation and
superstition that mark the places
where once the Light of men revealed
the Father. Yet so fair land must
surely have a destiny. Two gen.
erations Of English farmers would turn
northern Palestine into the fairest spot
in the world" This is also symbolic
Of the spiritual redemption Of the land
The First Condition of Having These
Better Times Was Cleansing from Sin
Tvs. 2-6. 2. But who may abide the
Gay Of his coming?" Who imagines
what it means? Who realizes the
moral changes necessary, and is will
ing to give up his sins in order to re
ceiye the blessing? SO many now
think they want holiness and heaven
ana all It's glories, who do not realize
what changes must bo made in theil
life, in business. in daily conduct, be
fore heaven can be possible for them
Do they really desire Gods heaven
For he is like refiner's fire." Sc
John the Baptist said, Ellis fan is in
bis hand; 'he shall baptize you with
! Ere" In the refiner's fire is placed the
ore, a mixture of good metal with rocl
and other materials. and the fire (1l
separates the metal from the dross ant
(2l thus purifies the metal, but doe.
not destroy It; but (3) it consumes tht
dross, or so separates it that it is cas-
one side ns refuse. And like fullers
sope.' Rather, soap of the washers.
3. "And he shall sit as a refiner ant
| onriilpr Of silver The nurifier sit,