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The Sunday School I
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GOD'S COVENANT DITH NOAH. t(
si
February 9, 1913. Gen. 8:1-9:17.
b
_ . _ . . ii
uoidcn Texts '11 do 6et my bow in
e
the cloud, and it shall he for a token
of a covenant between me and the
earth."?Gen. 9:13. s
Z
HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS. j'
M.?Gen. 9:8-17.
T.?Gen. 8:1-12. P
W.?Gen. 8:13-22. V
Th.-Isa.49:1-13. V
P.?Jer. 31:31-37.
S.?Luke 1:67-79. ?
S.?Heb. 8:1-13.
w
SHORTER CATECHISM. 8
Q. 33. What are the 'benefits which
in this life do accompany or dlow from '
justification, adoption, ami sanctifica- s
tlon? a
A. The benefits which in this 'ife d-> ^
accompany or flow from justification. 1
adoption and sanctlftcation are: as- s
surance of God's love, peace of con- v
science, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase (
of grace, and perserverance therein to 1
the end. *
t
LESSOlt OUTLINE. 1
After the flood, ch. 8.
God's command to Noah and his sons, (
ch. 9:1-17. f
The covenant with Noah, vs. 8-11.
The ibow of promise, vs. 12-17. f
c
LESSON STUDY. 1
The Places The Ark rested some- 1
where in the mountains of Ararat, not *
upon the lofty peak of that name, but <
1n the region of the name lying north t
of the upper Euphrates. Near this was *
undoubtedly the cradle of the human <
race.
God's Covenant: A covenant is usual- i
lv an agreement between two or more j
persons or parties. Here, as often in i
grace, it was not so much an agreement
between two as an engagement or <
pledge on the part of one. God's cov- i
cnant with Noah was God's alone. There
was no other side to it.
Your Seed After Yon: All along the
line of redemption one will see that }
God's promise and pledge embraces the
children of believers with the believers
themselves. "The promise is to you
and to your children. No system o?
theology Or of interpretation of the
Bible and biblical history that leaves
out the children of believers will stand
the test of a reasonable study of that
word.
Nature's Share in the Scheme of
Grace: Tho world of nature shall have
a ahare in the blessings of grace. "The
creation Itself shall also 'he delivered
from the bondage of corruppt'on Into the
glorious Uberr.y of the children of God."
"The whole creation eroaneth and trav
r.llelh in pain . . . -waiting: for the
adoption." "'For the earnest expectation
of the creature -wallcth for the
manifestation of the sons of God." How
glorious tho world will be when it is delivered
from the power and eorrupt'on
of sin!
"VonhN First Act: The fiTst act of
N'oah on coming out of the A-rfc was to
ofTor a sacrifice a flumt offering, to
God. Tie burnt offering signified consecration.
And here we have an explnnati'.n
of 'he fact tl n! the clean
unimilil WPP A tnkpn Itln tho li-lr In
anions rather than tr. < ?. It was In
cr<1er to provide for f.?<T"fce while the
earth was being replen'shed.
The Token or Sign of the Covenant:
God ->et apart the mnbow to be his
sign to mankind that he wcu'.d no more
curse, the earth with a ficod. The bow
THE PEESBYTER1
i .. c cloud was no new thing. But
aw tt had a new meaning. God set it
part. The rainbow came out of the
erv element that had executed the scn?nce
of God. But the rainbow Itself
hows that fhe storm, out of which it
omes is partial, for there can (be no
ow in the cloud if the sun foe not shinig
in the opposite quarter of the heav
ns.
MI ?ill Remember:" God -will forget
in but will remember bis word ofy
race. It was not needful for himself
3 have taken of the covenant to span
tie sky. His memory would not deeDd
upon tliat. The token -was for the
rorld, not for himself. When men
rould look upon it, they would be relinded
of the fact that God was pled?gd
and tba: henceforth they reed not
ear. To say that he would remember
i as simply an accommodation of lannage
to fit men's thought.
The Other Half: Spurgeon has beau
nully raid that while here we never
ce more than a little under the half of
. circle. In the largest and most splenHd
bow over hung in the clouds; but
he Revelation tells us that' a rainbow
mrrounds the throne, in the other
vorld. The lower unseen half of God's
lealings with us may not be understood
lere. but when after all shall he made
lain and shall 'be seen to be glorious,
he whole circle shall stand out in its
>eauty and perfection.
Power Over Life: For the first time
5od now gave man leave to eat flesh
ood, and the right, under certain conlitions,
to take even human life. The
un dam entail principle of organized so ietv
lies in this latter provision. If
ire may ue maae jorieu ior violation or
aw, then property and liberty as well.
Phe underlying principle of penalty for
5vil doing was here set forth. God is
he author of organized government,
rhe powers that be are ordained of
3od.
The Itlood and the Life: "The life of
the flesh is in the blood." The deepest
significance of this is that "without
shedding of blood there is no remission."
The whole Old Testament economy
pointed to Christ, "the Lamb ol
Rod that taketh away the sin of the
world."
The World-Wideness of Grace: The
bow is to be seen everywhere. There it
o part of the world in which it does noi
appear. Ilf it is not in rain it is in thr
lndst and in the water-fall. Mystical
beautiful, it seems to span the earth, at
wide as the storm, reaching to heaven
touching at both ends the troubled
world. There is better than a pot ol
gold at each end of it, as our little onet
have been led to fancy. There is s
precious gift of God's assured and urn
ending love.
THE AJIVIL.
Last eve I paused beside a blacksmith'*
door,
And beard the anvil sing the vespe:
chime;
Then, looking in, I saw upon the floe
Old hammers, worn with beatins
years of time.
"How many anvils have you had?" sale
I.
"To wear and batter all those ham
mere so?"
"Just one," he said; then, with a twink
ling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out
you know."
And 30 I thought, the anvil of God'i
Word
For ages skeptic (blows have bea
upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blow
was heard,
The anvil is unharmed?the hammer
gone. ?John Clifford, D. D.,
AN OF THE SOUTH
[Young People's Societies)
CHRISTIAN ZEAL.
Topic for Sunday, Fehruarj 9: The
Ideal Christian. II. His Zeal. 2 Cor.
inthians 6:1*10.
DAILY READINGS.
Monday: Zeal without knowledge. I
Kings 18:25-29.
Tuesday: Zeal for souls. 1 Cor. 9:
18-23.
Wednesday: For improvement. 1 Cor.
9:24-27.
Thursday: For righteousness. Isaiah
C.2:1-6.
Friday: For service. 2 Cor. 11:18-25.
^nvuiun; i rur me vuurca 1 uioss.
3:1-7.
"It is good to be zealously affeoted
always In a good thing."
It is well to note the words, "in a
good thing." Sometimes we may be
"zealously affected not well."
Zeal is derived from a Greek word
meaning "boiling." We usually think
of it, however, as something glowing.
The two ideas are not far apart.
That which underlies them is common.
Warmth above the normal is suggested.
Zeal it from lire kindled within us by
intense interest and devotion. IIn the
Christian's case it is the work of the
Spirit who gives spiritual interest
Zeal is not necessarily noisy. The
hottest fire does not sputter or crackle,
but burns with a steady glow, almost
silent White heat is not apt to be
heard.
Zeal overcomes obstacles. It carried
Paul over everything that stood in bis
way, afllictions, necessities, distresses,
strifes, imprisonments, tumults, labors,
everything.
Zeal may characterize tbe evil-minded
as well as the good. Baal's pro
pheta were very zealous on Mount Carmel.
Paul wa3 all zeal while he was
, persecuting the church. One should be
careful to see that it is with knowledge.
, It is whole-heartedness. It is the
s going into a thing with all one's 30ul.
, The /cry nature of Christian sel'f-sur?
render and consecration, then, calls for
its exercise "by all who have given themj
selves to Christ, There should (be no
such thing as half-surrender.
I It must be combined with discretion,
f "So light I not as one that beateth the
j air; hut I keep under my body, and
t bring It into subjection, lest that bv
any meaHB, wnen l nave preacnea to
others, I myself should be a castaway."
Zealous people are not saved by their
zeal, but by Christ.
? Zeal must especially lay hold upon
the matter of the extending of Christ's
r kingdom. "For ZIon's sake will I not
held mv peaee, and for Jerusalem's sake
r I wilt] not rest, until the righteousness
; (hereof go forth as brightness, and the
salvation thereof as a lamp that burnetii."
I Zeal will not halt at the difficulties or
requirements of service. It will re_
veal in duty, no matter what duty
brings. A splendid example of this may
. be seen in Paul's sitmtmary of Ms own
life and experience. Go read.lt In the
;f iatter part of the eighth chapter of his
Second Rpistle to the Corinthians.
Zeal is not always applauded iby the
r world, and especially If It be in the religious
life. There it is likely to be
t ponouneed madness, folly, fanaticism.
This Is because of two reasons: First,
s the world docs not understand the
cause of it, and next, the world does
s not like It. "The carnal mind is enmity
against God."
>
[ January 29, 1913
| The Prayer Meeting |
THE CI.EA\SI>G BLOOD.
1 John 1:7. Week of February 2.
Our moral nature is not only the
most sacred part of ourselves, "but Is
at the basis of all that makes life valuable.
It is the most exalted endowment
and therefore the most exalting
in its capacities. By our senses -we deal
with material things. By our reason
we deal with truth. By our social nature
we deal with fellow-beings. But
through our moral nature especially we
are related to God.
Through our moral nature, therefore,
we are capable of the greatest happb
nes, or liable to the lowest degradation
and mcst extreme suffering. It has
beon justly said that every man car
rle9 within him the elements of felicity
or despair. His moral character determines,
more than all else with -which
he Is endowed, his place in the scale
of 'being. In his moral being the principle
ol evil resides and all depends on
its .being subdued and finally destroyed.
Getting rid of this principle of evil
which wo commonly call sin in the soul,
becomes, therefore, of vital consequence.
The fact of sin includes also
the fact of guilt and pollution and the
power of an evil principle over tts victim.
The question of deliverance bepnmoa
u vital nno Thlia /inlivnronno
cannot toe secured 'by our will power.
Resolution cannot remove guilt, or its
consequent Buffering. A guilty conscience
will still accuse and the demoalization
will remain, however we
may resolve. Our reasoning power will
not avail for our deliverance. We cannot
reason ourselves out of guilt. No
amount of knowledge will >be of any
avail. The most learned, if they remain
separated from divine grace are
the most guilty. No ceremonial, or penance,
or personal sacrifice will take
away sin. "Will the Lord be pleased
with thousands of rams or with ten
thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give
my first-born for my transgression, the
fruit of my bodiy for the sin of my
soul?" The Church with its ordinances.
Its ceremonial of whatever kind, is impotent
to take away guilt
But tbat which is impossible with
man is possible with God. "What the
law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending his own.
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and
for sin. condemned Bin in the flesh."
Several fhlnsrs are made rlaar .Hw thla
statement. The insufficiency of the law
to provide pardon; that this insufficiency
is caused by the carnal mind; that
the Son of God became a Mediator'by the
union of his Deity with a true humanity;
that as such he satisfied the de- ,
mands of law; that he did this by assuming
and bearing the penalty which
the law prescribed; that the sin which
was thereby condemned was ours.
The effect upon those who accept his
sacrifice is that they are freed from
guilt. There is no condemnation to
them that are In Qhrrist Jesus. Divine
Justice is satisfied. As an effect of this
the guilty conscience no longer accuses.
When our Master said, "Thy
sins -which are many are all forgiven"
the effect was peace to the soul to
i whom he spoke. All guilt is removed,
no matter how great or how manifold
are the transgressions. Wo have all
sinned and there is no difference as to
the fact of condemnation; so there is
i none as to the fact of absolute oardon
to the soul that accepts Christ as
Saviour. The consequence of this part
don is newness of life, communion with
i the Father, union with Christ, cleansing
from pollution, transformation of character
and final perfection in glory.