The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-10-05

H;II
TIME-Thls prophecy OF the Life CIV
ing stream was written B. G. 572, 'ln tho
beginning OF the year" II was near the
middle of the 70 years captivity (D5-53B).
The earlier prophecies OF this second part
OF Ezekiel were written u or 10 years be-
fore In $50. S.
/ PLACE-It was written at Tel-abib on
the river Chebar In Babylonia, to the
| exlles scattered throughout that region.
| PLACE IN HISTORY-lt belongs to the
second part OF Ezekiel's prophecies. the
object OF which was to prepare the people
| for their return. II was like leaven work.
ing during the 80 years before the people
were fitted to begin anew In Palestine.
! Nebuchadnezzar, king OF Babylonla.
Daniel still living as a statesman.
In our last lesson we studied the
warnings by which God, through his
prophet Ezekiel, would persuade Is
rael to so repent and return to God,
that It would not be necessary TO per
init Jerusalem and the Temple to be
destroyed The people refused. The
city was destroyed. The Temple was
burned, and its treasures borne away
by the Chaldeans. The best of the
people, those In which were the great
est possibilities of good, and the larg-
est capacity for being trained, were
sent into far distant exile, for their
schooling; very much as their ances-
tors were disciplined and trained In
the wilderness that they might be en-
abled to take possession OF the Prom'
ised Land.
They were as sheep without shep
herd. Their former rulers, whom God
had placed as shepherds over his peo-
pie in their own land, had proved
false. and instead Of leading them to
the green pastures and still waters OF
obedience and righteousness. bad done
none of the things a ruler-shepherd
ought to do. They killed the aock In
stead of feeding 1t. They peglected
the sick They left the flock to be
torn by wild beasts They let them be
Scattered upon the face OF the earth,
and none did search or seek after
them" Now God promised them a
true shepherd
Ezekiel became one of "the Society
of Encouragers" The new day was
yet nearly 80 years In the future. but
the promise and the hope and the goal
were from this time before their eyes.
The possibility Of redemption, OF a
new life of blessing, of glorious and
perfect heaven, is one of the first es.
sentials for escaping from a life Of sin.
The assurance Of a perfect earth, OF
the transformation of this world into
the kingdom Of heaven, is strength,
courage, success for those laboring for
this object.
In order to attain this hope, aud
realize this promise, II was abso-
lutely necessary that they should
have a change of heart. The heart In
Scripture denotes the center of mans
personal activities. II is the organ Of
thought, the seat of the affections, and
all moral impulses, of choice, and
love. From a right heart flows right
life, from a wrong heart flows a wrong
life.
A home of worship, 3 temple or
church hours OF Bible study and wor-
ship, sacred days, some forms of serv'
ice or ritual persons set apart for re-
ligious teaching-are essential to the
cultivation of religion and the prog
! ress of the truth. These forms and
airs must indeed be filed with the
spirit. They that worship God must
worship him in spirit and in truth"
Hence these visions of Ezekiel And
in fact, there grew up among the ex-
lies. religious organizations, syna-
gogues, schools, Sabbath keeping
which prepared them for their return
. and their restoration as the visible
J people OF God The temple was the
symbol of Gods permanent presence
"The glory of the Lord came into the
house" THE glory Of the Lord filled
, the house" and his voice was like a
noise of many waters; and the earth
, shined with his glory" And he said
r unto me, Son of Man, the place of my
> throne, and the place of the soles OF
> my feet where will dwell in the midst
!. of the children OF Israel for ever, and
= my holy name, shall be the house Of
. Israel no more defiled"
4 One thing only was wanting, the wa
ters of eternal life, the Holy Spirit
:. in each one who receives, well oI
, water springing up into everlasting
/ life. 1t is the stream of salvation
:. widening into the gospel, flowing
y through the centuries.
I On the east side of the Jerusalem
5 temple there is a valley which leads
g 70 the Dead sea. The healing waters
t "a soft flowing stream, regarded as {
d symbol of the silent and unobtrusiv'
n influence of the divine presence in Is
It rael, came from God, through his sane
?, tuary, the source Of all good, all pow
l. er for salvation. So SIX centuries
Q later the powers which have changed
It the world, the widened stream of sal
l, walton, came from the risen Saviour
II 1t cannot be useless to insist upol
8 a clear understanding Of the relativ
L positions of the threshold from be
q low which the waters proceed forth
and the Dead sea which is TO be heal
a ed thereby.
=, The river brings life, wherever It
- waters flow. The Dead sea- wherei
at is impossible for any form of If
4. to flourish, not even saltwater fish,
= it fills with fish as many and grea
as in the Mediterranean itself.
heals the heavy sulphurous water
d and they are filled with living things
le So the new life that God was brint
e. ing to the exiles. would change a