The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-04-07

ANht Ss -'s
Memory Verses, 2, s. Conf
mcntary or the Days Lesson.
The cities of refuge illustrate and
enforce upon our minds the sanctity
of human life. That is their largest
open meaning. BY analogy there
may be found in them a 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 cb-
vious. The second is so only as we
are cognizant Of the part that Jesus
plays in the life Of the nan whose
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.
1t shows us that innocent blood
should not be split, that even a muir
derer is entitled to other considera-
ton than that given him by q 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 a 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
embroiied in an unprecedented 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 a
proper and necessary opportunity TO
escape ill-adyised vengeance. They
gave q man who Was not really bad
at heart a chance for his life. They
impressed upon the mind of the MUIR
deSer 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 i'm
portance Of his own life to society.
They made the blood-avenger to un-
derstand that even a murderer has
rights.
We are charging 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 a whole. We are insist
ent that a 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 me- as IN act of social
vengeance. Some day we shall un-
derstand that national vengeance IS
as s~enseless, in the last analysis, as
private vengeance. And war will
cease.
The lesson also affords US an ana
logy Of the refuge we may find in our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 1t is
to Him that we may fee for comfort
and for a 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 to
escape the unholy wrath of a capri
cious God. For God is not anxious
to engage in the role of a blood ayen-
ger. But sin when we have fallen
into its dominion will utterly con-
found and destroy us if it have its
way. The escape from that death is
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 a: the cities of refuge were
conveniently situated so that the
manslayer might easily find them, SO
Jesus is within easy reach OF every
soul who needs the consolation Of
abiding within Him. He is not far
off 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 so out of His dominion
is to re-enter the dominion Of sin.
Likewise as the manslayer was GER
tain of the reality Of his deliyerance
and his safety while he was in the
CITY SO SnOuiQ We DS sure VI Jul SdlC-
ty while we are in Christ. To doubt
Him is u%ngracious. 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. II sin had its
way we should be annihilated. 1t
could not BE otherwise. Whatsoever
a: man soweth that shall he also reap.
That is law. 1t Is justice. 1t 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 fee to Christ and to abide within
Him.
For when a man is in Christ Jesus
he is a. 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 a guard but a guide.
He is not only a refuge, He is a rock.