The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-04

siloam in memory of the water ,mirac- ulously supplied in the wilderness, and was just on the point of boring it out beside the altar, Jesus diverted atten- tion from the joyous spectacle. He cried inNstrong antithesiG If any man thirst. let him come to. Me" Limitlsss the invitationi The "whosoever's of the Apocalypse 10 an echo to this. If that spiritual Rock that followed the fathers in the wilderness and of which they drank It 10 evidence of the in- vincible deprsvity of the human heart that even Jesus could not convince His hearers- There was division At l the close of the service. The Prince of Peace had brought . sword The gos- pei still causes . tumult in the heart
 of the individual creates . variance.
 and makes even those of the same household foes. Yet its ultimate effect The trend of the Christion centuries is steadily out of sin and strife and to- ward universal millenniAl rightenous- ness, peace. and joy. 1
 The TeeeAeRs Lanteru.
 Tabernacles was pre-emine9tly joy ous feast. The rabbis say. ''f36 has not seen joy who has not seen the joy of the drawing of the water" But Pen- tecost eclipses Tabernacles. 1t was
 '.joy unspeakable and full of 6lory.e
 Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" Peters sermon was . torrent of salvation at which three
 thousand drank.
 The booths of the Tabernacle Feast commemorated those in which the Jews
 lodged for the last time before enter
 ing the wilderness. This feast was
 also harvest home. and celebrated the, ingathering of the fruits of the field. It ended the annual reading of the Pentateuch. for on the last day of
 the feast the last section of the law
 was read. These eight days were es- pecially commemorative of Jehovah's
 fatherly care of Israel in the wilder
 ness.
 Religion is not In the blood; 1t is not a matter of herehity, or elese Je- sus' own brothers would not have been skeptics. Devout parents, even minis
 ters, have wayward sons This Is no
 more an argument against religion was a reflection upon him or a dis count of his doctrine.
 The marvelling of the Jews Is that of the ages. Jesus words are mira cles of speech. They are "spirit' and life" The framers of the Racovian
 Catechism. attempting to account for the preternatural wisdom of Jesus. af- firmed that he attained 1t by ascend- ing into heaven. supposedly after the
 manner of Moses in the mount It is AAw kA [. . ha original source of the doctrine he
 taught, as he himself affirmed. T
 speak truth; am truth" Prejudice, deference for authority.
 and that better mood, teachableness. produced a contrariety of ouinions and Corresponding attitudes. Some pro-
 nounced him a good man (faint praise) others a deceiver, some marveled. oth-
 CTS said he was possessed; some. after the manner of Thomas Hughes, ad-
 mired his manliness; others wanted lne opinion of tn rulers. Some would have done him violence; others thought him
 a prophet. and happily many believed.
 There is still the surf of human | thought about this great historic char | acter. He is set for the fall and rise | of many He is savor of life or death. Mosaic from Commentaries.
 Last day. The octave of the feast.--
 Edersheim. That great day: On the seven days sacrifices were offered for the seventy nations of the earth; on the
 eighth day sacrifice was made for Is-
 raef, so 1t was more highly esteemed
 than the others-Clarke. Jesus stood:
 Probably first in the treasury of the
 temple, but later in one of the poFches,
 where there would be greater freedom. | for the porches were not considered
 as forming a part of the temple in a
 strict sense. There the people might generally propound questions. answer,
 or assent; stones could be picked up
 there. Thence Jesus could easily pass
 out.-Edersheim. If any man thirst:
 The ceremony of pouring out the wa
 ter pointed to the gracious influence of
 the Holy Spirit. The Lord, who was
 the Fountain whence 1t was to proceed,
 called the people to himself.-Ciark.
 There is an inner thirst as there is an
 inner man, deeper and stronger than
 thirst of the body.--Schaff. Likeness
 of Spirit to water. Scriptures abound
 in this metaphor.--Clark. As the
 Scripture said: Reference not to any
 isolated passage, but to the general
 tenor of such passages as Isa. lviii. II. l-Westcott. Out of his belly: From WItHiH HiHi--HiS nedrC anu bOut. ttlV- CTS: Type of abundance. Not yet giv- en: Disposition of the Spirit was not
 yet.-Alford. Jesus not yet glorified:
 First reference to the Lords glorifi- cation: conception characteristic of
 Johns Gospel. John regarded Christ's death as His victory. following the words of the Lord. who identified the
 hour of His death with the hour of His glorification,-Westc Said: Kept
 aying, considerable discussion. The Prophet: The promise might relate to no particular prophet, nor directly and exclusively to the Messiah, but might treat of the sending of prophets gen. orally; nevertheless, the comparison in- stituted between the promised prophet and Moses inclines us to regard the
 words as referring to the Messiah Delftzsch. Improperly distinguished by the Jews--from the eMessiah.-Clark.