Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-01
The Field of Holy Writ
Save for my daily range
Among the pleasant fields of Holy
Writ
l might despair.
-Tcnnyson.
international Sunday school
LcSsOnS.)
First Quartcr-Lcsson X. iona

FIRST (suartcr-l.cSSOn y Jonah
ILL.,. iv. 4. March .. 1879.
Golden Text-Lct the wicked
man forsakc his way and the un-
righteous his thoughts. and let
him return unto Jehovah and lie
Will have mercy upon him and TO
our God and lie Will abundantly
pardon-isaiah ~. I.
LchoNnh's Mercy t0 Heather city.
The Book OF Jonah is Il ring OF gold
curiuUSiy craven with mystic, device
of ship and city. fish and rourd Eut
what gives 1t greatest value is the
Soiitairc with which it blaZcs. That
~ IN. jewel which the ring clasps
and displays TO greatest advantage
rour centuries bef"r" st John said
II catcg"rically. Jonah said IL in a
pictorial waN-"God is Lave!
That lie should send Ills prophet
out Of Palestine I" "a heather city
WiucnrSs or inds mercy. that lie
cared AZ all 10 have AN allen city re-
peht; that lie could compassionate a
condition Of irn"rnnc" 50 great aud
pltiiul that IL could not discern he
tween right hand ana loft. that Ills
lender ps,y descended Ia Gwen the
dumb brutcS Within the walls none
~ Ihc Great historic rcliri"us Of am
'iuuitN flash *" mach lirht up"n the
Lh "aiI g, ., '.i;N. Securely any
us much. That Is what makes this
hookl"t nf four schnt chapters total
,nI only forty -"isht short verses. one
"i IN" iniEhtlCSt things ever dome
Win a r"n. making u AL mems book
rs 'arlNic once called the Book Of
; ,' Tha' such u pi"c" "f litora-
turc could eyer bn tho butt ~ ConrSc
wit IL - marvel. Yet no other hook
IN "a" lIihl" has been So rIdiculod
II has been considered III" vulncr-
chhin. reducing the whole sacred vol
umc I" ron" of sand. II tho
average inan could only have discrin,-
mated between IN" writing itself ana
th" theological framework which.
WIN IN" host intent. has boon erect
rn hh"ui it, results would not have
been 50 diSa SirolIS Men who could
may" been better employed have boon
tithinG mint aud "ummim, measuring
n" size of whales Jaws ANA "s'imut-
lug tn" power OF TIA" human cuti"lc
l" resist ia" rastri" juice OF n fish
ana have ncG!"r,"d The wcighti"r
matter ~" splendid message "f IA"
nook Itself Its protest against racial
jealousy which would limit the Di-
vine pity Ia u Sinrl" favored race.
The hight of Jonah illustrates tn" in
yr,"rai" and narrow hearted pr"iu-
hicr from which even It holy prophet
could not ire" himself What nap
80 T." him shows i'm n most Ora
l" 40 contrary ia th" biviu" purpose.
US well hurl ones self against nil
inrI Of llrrcnl"S' iI"athcu sailor
iirh; than orthodox seer III" sail
ors ar" not 50 pr"iudiccd that ,h"y
VII not lrav I" TIA" cod OF Israel
when called 10 Tia" 'mOurucr's bench &c
~, l"nHh'S prejudice, carries him 10
sun d""r'r d"p'hs Niucvoh's uuick
r"penian"" actually disuppu.uis him
"" would rather di" than 500 tn"
alien city saved Another object les
son must h" given. IN" prophet is
revealed To- himself as NOR" Tcgrctfui
over TIA" whitening "f q guUrd than
~" rum OF n city--a roUrd Of one
mishLsS Hr"w,h than a great me
human beings. men. women and chill
dr"n Tho abrupt clos" oC tho
| hook is It's most impressive feature.
1t has been ar,lv said III" Isracii,is,i
prophecy uUit tho field ~ victor in
its Scv"rcst strugrlc---its struggle
with itself
Under the study Lamp.
In this instarr" spiritual truth is
! NOR" raiuahi" ,Ian historical fact. II
is better 20 Know that the love OF
God !" all-cmbrncing than TO know
That man can lie ia a whales belly
seventy eight hours ANA live TO tell
~ To stake the crcdibility Of
IN" Who'll" Bible upon the historicity
OF ON" incident in its smallest hook
70 say il TINS IL not literally tru. then
The liihlc as "a whole cannot he he
!!crcd that would seem I" bc OK
trcm"lE unwis"; such method would
not b" adopted in tho criticism ~
any other literature. II is only pos
S Snisc to use IT H. MS INSTANCE be
now happily discarded The
graphic style Is well Illustrated i'm
the cry OF the shipmastcr. What
mcamcst thou. . sleeper! Arise and
s"iiors showed less prejudice ,S" 'hsm
the prophet himself They actually
when is also Il psalm. deserves Il
piac" In every ritual ana psaltcr.
:" incr illustration of ~" condi-
ml"unccm"nt is TO be found When
Nin"v"h rcp"nt"d God rcpcntcd
hna,nc hEat ,:"n, sailors lkc The
question. "Wha, advantage hath the
Jew Anh then. as his custom was.
h" answered his own question: Much
every way. for TO him Is committed
the Oracics Of God" But Jewry only
held this sacred deposit OF heavenly
as nc incident of Jonah and Nin"vch
teaches Tn" TOOK of Jonah is
an argument for so-callcd foreign
miss i"ns. All tho missionary socie-
tics might well prin, the book as a
tract without motto or comment.
on" linGuist declares the Book Of
greatest in III" Hihlc. while another
says he has read IL "a hundred times.
hut can never TAX" il up without
ttcmrs coming to his eyes. The
Fourth chapter is the climax. All tho
rest was written for it. Nothing
could snrpass it's effective abrupt,
ness. IilEh- water mark ~ prophecy
/ IS certainly reached. Tho question,
| Sh"hld not | have pity?" ends the
rtorN, Paternity within Creator
/ snip. What could hc added?
Analysis mud key.
| E"nk "f Jonah: Craven Ring
| solitaire. Gods Love.
| liz Concern FOR Nlicn CITY.
| Wilderness of Gods PITY Illustrated
| i;"st i:ihjcuIcd Book
| work
Absurd Literal Interpretation.
| Nh"i" i'ihlc Stakcd on Jonah's
| liist"ri"ity.
whales Mouth Measured: Gastric
| .Iuic" Analyzcd
! Eook's MESSAGE" Overlooked
| :, It's Protest Against Racial Prciu-
! dice.
Pr"srnt-Dny AppIirntionx.
The Book OF Jonah is an arEurncn.
| Tor foreign missions: all the more
| Impr"SSiN" because Of its ngnratiyc
| FORM II proves the substance of
religion universally applicants: the
| very possession Of IL by one nation
! ~ IN" warrant for its conveyance 10
| another. This does not impiv cccIc
| sihstical institution and ceremony
! hnt IhSiru"ting men III the lnV. of
| God Ills pity ana mercy Jonah Is,
| Nv" nli!"nniumS ana - half ahead of
| IN" washington Conference for Linn
| ltIilpn or AripIuEptG'' rnur,lg,,,