Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-05-11
CHRISTIAN EN0eAvoR.
Prayer Aasstins Topic Fer the Week
DSeinniro Mar IS, 1910.

Beginning Msy rs. 1910.
roplc. -Christ's .'verilies"-John vi. ..
q. 6, 81 Comment by Rev. Sherman H
poxls. d. d.
The word verify" has been defined
BY high authority as "A formula Of as
ssveration or corroboration." The He
brew word for Il Is simply amen"
The English being a transliteration Of
the Hebrew letters. The definition
anove refers to its uses. but the word
amen" In itself simply means true. I"
d, as generally understood. be IL so"
or "iet It be So" The word was used
IN two senses-frst. to add impressive
ness to a doctrine and, second. as a
liturgical response to the prayers In
the synagogues. which custom still
prevails In some Christian churches.
But "amen" and verify are the same
words. though in its use for emphasis
or impressiveness II Is translated
..verfly," and as q liturgical response
IN prayer fl consists simply OF the
words transliterated. II IL unfortu-
nate that the same word IL not used
on all occasions and preferably the
translation verify" rather than the
mere transliteration amen" There Il
one popularity Of Johns gospel as dis
tinguished from the others. and that Ia
that be repeats the verify. using "veri-
ly, verify" while the others use the
word but cnce-"verily." John. being
% intensely attached 10 Christ. may
have "seen" the double emphasis that
was not expressed and manifested II
BY two "verilies." In Christ's use Of II
~ a preface 1t was for the purpose Of
emphasis and impressiveness.
. In the verses selected from the sixth
chapter Of John we have four Illus
trations Of Christ's "verilies." In each
case the words Is epeated-"veriiy.
vert3ys say unto you" This use Of
It was to emphasize that what He was
70 say was true. and we can well. there
fore, study the principles or truths ut
tered with this double emphasis before
them The occasion upon which He
uttered them was the feeding Of the
5000, or rather the result following
that supreme miracle. The people still
crowded about Him the next day, and
their presence called forth the dis
course In which these various ''veri.
lies" are found.
The first "verilies" prefaced the dec.
laration that they sought Hin for a
false reason and, Of course, would not
be profited by it. Verify, verify. say
unto you, We seek Me not because ye
saw the miracles. but because We did
eat the loaves and were filed" They
had not become His true disciples, rec
ognizing in Him the Messiah because
of His miracle, but only for their
personal gain. He had fed them, and
they supposed that He would continue
to do so by the use of His miraculous
power. But they were sadly mistaken
and have many successors today.
Many still seek Christ for the "loaves
and fishes" They look upon Chris
tianity as means of personal gain
1t is not spiritual life that they want
but the body to be fed or through the
church to obtain some temporal bene
fit which they desire. But, alas, such
processing Christians viii some day
find their mistake. The church will
not always be a cloak TO a scoundrel,
nor should it be criticised, but con-
graduated, when one such has shown
his true colors. In the second ''veri-
lies Christ sets forth His superiority
as the bread Of life. The mamma was
given by God and not my Moses, and
He Himself was the true bread OF
heaven The meaning is spiritual, of
course. As bread is necessary to the
physical life, so Christ Is necessary to
the spiritual life. Further on He en-
phasizes the same truths practically
by the declarations that He that be-
neveth on me hath everlasting life'
and Except We eat Of the flesh Of the
Son Of Man and drink Of His blood
(partake Of the benefits Of His broken
body and shed blood on Calvary ye
have no life in you These facts ATE
true, and we as well as Christ should
emphasize them.
BIBLE HEADINGS.
Gen. xiii, IA, 21: Ps. Twill, 10, II;
Marx X, 40; Cor. XIX, %; Marx n
=; John iii. Is; Kill 80; xvi. =. -:
John <. 10; Luke xiii, 3343.