The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-09-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON xl, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. 10.


pared by Rev. ID. NJ. Ste1r.rr.
copyright, 1905, by American Press AssscistioA..
We have in this lesson the record Oh
river Of living water issuing 1oflll
from the temple OF Jerusalem ana
flowing eastward 10 the Dead sea
bringing life and health everywhere
On either side Of the river ars See2 trees
of unfading foliage. fruit bearing, the
fruit being for meat and the leaf 1ol
medicine. or, as In the margin, for
bruises and sores. Referring to the
same time to which Ezekiel reSers, TIC
Spirit says in Joel iii, II, is, so shall
We know that am the Lord your God
dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain,
- and fountain shall come forth
Of the house Of the Lord and shall wa
ter the valley OF Shittim.' Again IL
Zech. xiv, S, He says: And it shall be
in that day that living waters shall SO
out from Jerusalem, half Of them TO-
ward the eastern sea and half Of them
toward the hinder sea. In summer and
in winter shall it be-" In verse 8 OF
our lesson we read of rivers and IN
the margin Two rivers doubtless the
same as those Of Zechariah.
Our lesson is in 4 portion OF Scrip
ture which tells Of the future glory OF
Jerusalem, with its literal temple re
stored, the name Of the city from that
day being Jehovah-shammah (the Lord
is there. The context in Zechariah tells
of a change in the coniguration OF the
earth in and about Jerusalem, and
there is no reason why we should not
expect literal fulfllment of every
prophecy concerning the land and the
people, but every reason why we
should expect it, for the mouth of the
Lord hath spoken it.
Now, while the principle literal, If
possible" stands for all Scripture, we
must remember that as in the story OF
Abraham and IShmael and Isaac these
things had also another meaning, sc
here we must seek the lesson for our
hearts which will work out In US more
Of the life Of Christ, for to that end al
our study Of the Scripture must tend
God, who commanded the light to shine
out Of darkness "a literal event, not
only hath shone in our hearts Gf we
have truly received Christi. but Will
increasingly shine there as we meekly
receive His word in our hearts III Cor
iy, 6: Ps. cXiX, 130). \ literal rock IN
the wilderness gave forth literal water
with which literal men and women
ouenched their literal thirst lex. xviii
s., but the other meaning is seen in
Cor. Y, 4,>where we read, That rock
was Christ"
In Jer. Il, l3, the Lord speaks OF
himself as the fountain Of living Wa
ters and complains that His people had
forsaken Him for water from their
own broken cisterns. In John iv, 13,
Il, the same Lord told the woman OF
Samaria Of water that did not satisfy
and also Of water that would satisfy
and become IN the believer we'll of
water springing up unto everlasting
life. The line Of truth suggested by
water" in the first seven chapters of
Johns gospel is most refreshing and
inspiring, but the complete story takes
US back to Gen. i, G-S, and on to Rev.
xii, and the cry is ever sounding
forth: '.Ho, every one that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters 'Nhosoever
will, let him take the water Of life free
ly;;" IF any man thirst let him come
unto me and drink" Csa. ", l; Rev.
xxi, II: John vi, 30
The four times measured river OF
our lesson may suggest to some the
river that went out Of Eden and was
parted into four, or the fourfold story
in the gospels Of Him who is the foun-
tain Of living waters. But it certainly
suggests the ever increasing revelation
of God in His wonderful word and the
breadth and length and depth and
height Of His love, which a little child
can grasp in some measure, but which
Is also too deep for even the most spir-
itual to understand.
Our range Of vision must take in not
only the present blessings Of the gos.
pei while the church is being gathered
out, but the greater blessing to all ne
tions when Israel shall blossom and
bud and fill the face Of the earth with
fruit" when ''the earth shall be full Of
the knowledge Of the Lord, as the Wa
ters cover the sea-" when 1.-The nations
Of them which are saved shall walk in
the light Of the new Jerusalem and
they shall bring the glory and honor of
the nations into it Qsa. xvii, s; xi. Q;
Rev. xxi, "a, 26).
Who shall see and share all this !?
Whosoever chooses now to take the
water Of life freely. But how can they
take it who have never heard Of it:
There is our responsibility as stewards
Of the grace Of God. Let him that
heareth say come. What are you do.
ing about it? If we really know what
it IS to drink Of the pure river Of the
water Of life, clear as crystal. proceed
ing out Of the throne Of God and Of the
Lamb Rev. xii, u we cannot but
want to have others drink also. And
if we do not most earnestly desire that
others may know and drink it IS a
question whether we ourselves have
tasted.
There are many worshipers who do not
worship in spirit and in truth because
they have only form Of godliness with
out the power thereof QI Tim. lii, 5; lisa.
xxx, 13; xxxiii, 81, 32). Some Of them
make much of turning to the east when
they worship, possibly not knowing that
facing the east meant turning the backto
the temple See verse ! Of our lesson
and Eek. viii, 16. In the first verse OF
the lesson there are two very sugges-
tive phrases-"the door Of the house"
and 1.-The altar''-each Of which points
to Him who Is the only sacrifice for sin
ap6 tho only ar7tranca into the DrpS.