The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-10-31
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTs FOR NOV. 8 BY THE
REV. I. w. HENDERSON.
Subject: The Cities Of Refuge, Joshua
20;f-9--GoIden Text, Ps. 02;7
Memory Verses, 2, a. Com
nentarv on the Dav'e Ieseou

Memory Verses, 2, a. Com
mentary on the Days Lesson.
The cities of refuge illustrate ana
enforce upon our minds the sanctity
of human life. That is their largest
open meaning. BY analogy there
may be found In them type of the
safety that is to be found In the
Lord Jesus Christ for the soul OF the
sinner. The first lesson is quite OBJ
vious. The second is so only es we
are cognizant of the part that Jesus
J plays In the life of the man whose
1 soul is released from the bondage OF
sin unto death and vitalized by that
Spirit to possess whom is eternal life.
The lesson illustrates the value
and the importance OF human life.
It shows us that innocent blood
should not be split, that even a MUIR
derer is entitled to other considera-
tlon than that given him by a blood
avenger. 1t emphasizes the truth
that even the life of a murderer is
| precious in the eyes of God.
There was need of the cities of
refuge in the days of which the les-
son treats. The blood-avenger, the
nearest OF kin to slain man, went
hot on the trail of any man who,
however unwittingly, had taken the
life Of his relative. A man who had
been unfortunate enough to become
embroiled in an unpremeditated at.
tack upon another and had done him
fatal injury could always count upon
the immediate revenge of the blood
avenger Vengeance was the first
thing which he might expect. Avenge
and then investigate. But avenge
first
The cities OF refuge afforded q
proper and necessary opportunity to
escape ill-advised vengeance. They
gave man who was not really bad
at heart a chance for his life. They
I impressed upon the mind of the MUIR
derer that he had taken life and
thereby had forfeited to some extent
his full rights in society. They i'm
pressed upon the murderer the inn
portance of his own life to society.
They made the blood-avenger to un-
derstand that even a murderer has
rights.
We are enlarging the rights of men
In our time We no longer have the
blood-avenger except in isolated in
stances. We are denying to individ-
uals the right to execute the laws
that properly belongs to the province
of society as whole. We are insist
ent that man shall have a trial for
his life whether he be guilty or not.
And we are gradually beginning to
question the good sense of taking the
life OF any man as an act of social
vengeance. Some day we shall un-
derstand that national vengeance ia
as senseless, in the last analysis, as
private vengeance. And war wis
cease
The lesson also affords lis an ana.
1ogy of the refuge we may find in ouk
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 1t ia
to Him that we may fee for comfort
and for chance to live nobler and
more beautiful lives when we have
fallen into sin. OF course we know
that we do not have to flee to Him tc
escape the unholy wrath of a capri
eious God For God is not anxious
to engage in the role of blood aven.
ger. But sin when we have falIer
into its dominion will utterly con
found and destroy us If it have its
way. The escape from that death IL
to be found in Jesus Christ. He Is
our city of refuge. Gods providence
gives us the benefit OF every doubt
and counsels us to flee to Him.
Within Him we may find safety and
security.
Even as the cities of refuge were
conveniently situated so that the
manslayer might easily find them, Sc
Jesus is within easy reach of every
soul who needs the consolation OF
abiding within Him. He is not far
of from every. one of us. Any man,
regardless of his previous condition
OF servitude to sin, may enter into
Him and find in Him salvation. Like
wise even as the murderer had to
stay in the city of refuge in order to
receive the benefits of the deliverance
that the city offered, so must we abide
in Christ. To go out OF His dominion
is to re-enter the dominion of sin.
Likewise as the manslayer was GER
tain of the reality of his deliverance
and his safety while he was in the
city so should we be sure of our safe
ty while we are in Christ. To doubt
Him is ungracious. 1t is reasonable.
To have fears while under His pro-
lection is to doubt the goodness and
the word of God.
Every man needs Christ as his ref
uge. The greatest consciousness that
man possesses next to his conscious
ness of his divine lineage is the con-
seriousness of his sin. If sin had its
way we should be annihilated. 1t
could not be otherwise. Whatsoever
man soweth that shall he also reap.
That Is law. 1t is justice II is the
law of God. The fruit of sin is death.
And the ultimate way for a man to
secure release from the dominion of
the death that Is the result of sin Is
to flee to Christ and to abide within
Him.
For when man is in Christ Jesus
he is saved man. There can be no
question about It, The fact is abso-
lutte. 1t is the will of God. There is
no experience so satisfying as the ex-
perience of abiding within Christ.
And Christ not only affords us ref
uge. He also ministers comfort and
grants us the peace that is heavenly.
He is not only guard but guide.
He is not only refuge, He is rock.