The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1908-10-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Iv.-Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. Is, 1903.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, Ps. xxkii-Mem-
DRY Verses, 1, 2-Golden Text, Ps.
scxxii, documentary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. Stearns-
copyright, 1908, by American Press Association
We turn today to this psalm for a
lesson on the Joy of forgiveness, and
the fact that there is. so little joy on
the part Of those who profess to be
forgiven may indicate that there has
never been a realization of what sin
is or possibly no assurance Of forgive
ness, for when such a word as Qsa
Kilt, 90 81, even /, am he that blot
teth out thy transgressions for mine
own sake and will not remember thy
sins" fails to produce great gratitude
and gladness 1t indicates sad indif-
ference to ones guilt or to the great
cost of the redemption which takes it
away. Our lesson begins with 'Oh,
the happiness OF him whose transgres-
sion and sin and iniquity has been put
away" In Elk. XXI. 4 7. the Lord pro-
claims Himself as the one who for
gives iniQuity, transgression and sin.
and in Lev. xvii, IL; Heb. TX. %. Il Is
very clearly taught that this forgive
ness can only be by the shedding Of
blood, and what or whose blood Is
stated In Eph. i. I, and many parallel
passages-"In whom we have re-
demption through. His blood. the for
giveness Of sins. according to the
riches Of His grace In verse 5 Of our
psalm we see that in order to obtain
forgiveness there must be an acknowl-
edgment, an uneovering. a confession OF
sin, iniquity and transgression, for he
that covereth his sins shall not pros
per, but he that confesseth and for
saketh them shall have mercy prov.
xviii, 49,, or, as In Ps. xxxyiii, Is,
II will declare mine iniquity; will be
sorry for my sin"
God Is ever ready to forgive II only
the sinner will confess his guilt. He
says, "Only acknowledge thine iniqui-
ty, that thou hast transgressed against
the Lord thy God Ger. iii, 49,. Again.
It is written, IF we confess our
sins He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse
US from all unrighteousness'' q John
(, %. The result Of attempting to
cover our sins from God is seen
in verses 8 and Of our lesson. That
men should be so deluded as to think
1t possible to hide anything from Him
70 nj
and to whom darkness and light are
all alike seem hardly conceivable, but
as soon as Adam and Eve sinned we
see them attempting to hide from God
(Gen. iii, 81, so blind and so foolish
does sin make people. In one place
the psalmist says. $50 foolish was
and ignorant was as a beast before
thee" ops. lxxiii, 22).
In verses 6, z, the safety Of the for
given is spoken Of as a hiding in God
and thus preserved from trouble and
comprised about with songs of deliv-
erance, reminding US Of the gracious
words Of lisa. Kill, 1, 2, Fear not, for
I have redeemed thee; l have called
thee by thy name; thou art mine,"
and then the assurance that neither
flood nor fire can really harm those
who are truly His. "Our life is hid
with Christ in God" preserved in
Jesus Christ Col lii, 5; Jude D-we
know that these things are written in
the book. but how few comparatively
seem to SO appropriate them as to
cause them to be filed with joy and
peace! There seems to be a great fail
ure to possess our possessions (Obad.
ID, a slowness to believe that God
means what He says and that He
means you or me or any one who
humbly and persistently comes to Him.
We should be like the man in John iv
who believed the word which Jesus
had spoken and went his way expect
Ing to find his son we'll. Being for
given by His great work without any
Of ours ROm. Nv, 8; Tit lii, 81 and
safely hidden in Himself, we are now
free to serve Him, to live unto Him
and to walk in the good works He has
prepared for us Gph. ii, 10; Tit iii, 8,
but this also must be His working il
us, and for every step we need His
sure guidance, which is vOuchsafed to
us in verse 8 of our lesson. The mar
gin is very helpful, II will counsel
thee; mine eyes shall be upon thee"
or will tell you how to go and watch
you to see that you get there This,
however, implies nearnesS and init
macy, for we can only tell anything by
a look to those who are near to us and
know us. See this sure guidance clear
ly and fully promised in lisa. xxx, 81;
Elk. xiii, 20, and illustrated in Israel.
If Israel had wanted to stay when
the cloud said go or to go when the
cloud said stay, ii would have made
it very hard for them. 1t is only when
there is perfect submission that all is
at rest. The exhortation in verse 8
not to be as the horse or the mule
must be taken In the light Of the last
clause of the verse, for -aere are
horses and mules. too, which put to
shame many who drive them. In Isa.
]. 8, God says that the OK and the ass
had more intelligence than His people
Israel Even from the birds and the
flowers He would have us learn les
sons Of trust in Him who has assured
us that we are of more value than