The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-02
International SundaySchool
 Lesson
Second Quarter. Lesson V. John xiv 1-14. May 3, 1908.
 Our Heavenly Home.

Second Quarter. Lesson V. n John XIV 1-I4. May 3, 1908.
 Our Heavenly Home.
 The circumstances were suficient to greatly agitate. The apostles had left all to follow Jesus. He was now about to leave them. Denial, betrayal, ignominious death were impending. The much-vaunted "kingdom" seemed on the edge of a vortex. But candor' sympathy, courage beamed. out or Je- sus upon his troubled followers. His self oblivion is divine. Under shadow of His cross His whole thought is of others; is of the men who had been given him" He wants the bud or faith to blow Into the flower of trust. This will be their safeguard. So he cries: Trust God! Trust Me" He lifts their thoughts above the mater ial city with its house of God so near its dissolution to the invisible city with its house of God so near It's dls- solution to the invisible city whose foundations are secure and in whose countless dwelling places there is room for all There is no illusion here He appeals to the candor which has maln- tained between them. If the case had been otherwise. he would have ih-
 formed them. His very going out IS one of the events which will prepare the way for their reunion. He has a
 
 of teaching they knew his destination and inc way he must take to arrive at if. Thomas, for himself and the rest, discounts Jesus declaration and coli- fesses. spite of their phenomenal op- portunities, their practical ignorance We can afford to condone Thomas in- terruption, for, like Martha's at her brothers tomb. 1t brings out an adol- tional and forceful declaration. Jesus is thA Way. The stream not only lndt- cates the direction of the ocean, but ha who commits himself to. Its bosom If will convey, him thitheS So Jesus not only. indicates the way to the Fa- +her. but carries us to Him. He Is the Truth by means of which one -contin- uas in the course to God. He Is tho TIfe--source of immortal and blissful existence The life begins immediate Iv-as the stream to which the travel CT commits himself Is the same els- ment as the ocean for which he has set ont The difference Is in degree.
 And Jesus Is the only way. There Ia no other name or foundation. He says emphatically: "I and l only am the way" And now Jesus identifies him self with. the Father, affirming that seeing Him is equivalent to seeing the Father. Again ignorance and misap- ornbansion obtrude themselves. Philip cro,,es a theopany. He wants to get to God lat a bound" How he misses the markl God speaks and shows him seIf in His son more perfectly than S,ban seen bv Moses in Sinai, or Isaiah in the temple. A revelation In moral sttrlbutes-such a revelation as Je- sus made In Ills person IS always r~aater and more desirable than a
 snectsculsr manifestation, however gIorious and overpowering. The ex- csIIarce and perfection of Jesus reve- ystion of the Father consists in this: He spoke and acted as God would speak and act in human nature re Sd Jesus spoke mot from himself" not from thoughts originating in his human mind. but he spoke God
 manifest in the flesh ni's .Ss .1lo- suo iaetive repess. a. sueesss'N' sSSNFe