3) and "keep ourselves unspotted from the world?" (Jas, 1:27), IV. MANASSEH THE PENITENT. (1) At last Divine forbearance ceased. Worse t h an Sodom (Ezek. 16:46, 47) J e r u s a- lem's doom was fast approaching, and an earnest of it was in thé captivity of its king. (2) The Assyrians "took him among the thornes ' (rather "with hooks"). Tills was cruel treatment, b ut well deserved. (3) "Wh en he was in affliction he sought the Lord his God." Hooks and chains became more precious than regal ornaments. T r o a- ble is a great preacher. The hand of af- fliction is a skillful healer. It can unstop deaf ears, and open blind eyes, and cure the worst heart disease (Jer. 17:9). (4) The Lord "heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem." Truly the Lord is willing as well as "able to save to the u t t e r mo s t" (Heb. 7:25). A more hell-de- serving character t h an Manasseh history does not know. If God saved him, He will s a v e" wlfosoever shall call on the n ame of the Lord (Rom. 10:13). And this is re- corded, the whole career, with all its most aggravating wickedness, to show the grace of Him who is the s ame yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8), and no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11). (5) The Assyrian records of Manasseh's period mention his name, his subjection to Assyria, and illus- t r a te his captivity and restoration in the case of Tirhakah, king of Egypt. Pivot. He is an example of absolute abandonment to sinful practices. He restored the abomin- able worship of the Canaanites. He re- newed the worship of Baal. He gave rever- ence to Moloch and offered his children for sacrifice, in fire. He revived sorcery and astrology; he raised up the high places. He renounced God and gavé himself to worse idolatry than the heathen themselves. His sin culminated in his captivity. He dragged the nation down with him into the mire and misery of subjection to their enemies. Second: The Great Grace of God. If ever a wretch seemed beyond the pale of mercy it was Manasseh. But when his wicked heart was broken and his foul lips cried for mercy, God was gracious and good to him. He found, as every man mu st find, t h at the old paths are the golden paths. Stupidity and stubborness, charac- terize sin. Men are like mules. ' He re- pented and was restored, but he could never obliterate the phrase, "The sins of Man- asseh"—the seeds of sin he had sown brought forth the fruit in subsequent gen- erations for the laws of God are unchange- able and there mu st be a harvest for all seed time.
uallsm, clairvoyancy, palmistry; by observ- ing lucky and unlucky days, and omens, "13" and "23," etc.! and In playing games of lottery and chance. Meanwhile the Bible In which the Holy Spirit speaks, and Divine revelation is made, and prayer and watch- ing, by which Divine guidance is given, are neglected; and "criticism" is put for faith, "scholarship" for the apostles and pro- phets; wilful Interpretations for docile sub- mission to truth. (7 )He set a carved image, the idol which he had made in the house of God. So Romanism and the Greek church, the bulk of Christendom, have done, with their crucifixes, virgins, saints, and ikons. And so Protestantism, too, often holds up a Christ, the creation of its philosophy, and imagination, for the Christ of the apostles, and the. Messiah of thé prophets. III. MANASSEH THE PERSECUTOR. (1). "Manasseh shed Innocent blood very much." Not all the people followed the king a nd the fashion. There were ma ny "that would not "worship the image hé set up" (Dan.^2:18), and there were t he prophets (2 Kgs. 21:10} who dared to protest; "all these who would not bow, or kiss their hand§ to Baal. Heb. 11:36, 37, perhaps al- ludes to their sufferings; and Isaiah Is said to have been "sawn asunder." (2) We have "hot resisted unto blood" (Heb. 12:4): do we contend earnestly for the faith?" (Jude Pith and Manasseh means one ntio forgets. The young man was well named, He surely for- got the history of his people, the expe- riences o f , h is father and the Word of God. Manasseh was a submissive tool in the hands of designing men. The Princes of ' J u d ah were apostates—"They had left the house of the Lord God of their fathers," 2 Chron. 24:17-18.- Departure from God upon the part of any people can be easily traced to the leaders. The tide of apostacy from the faith t h at threatens our own land can be traced to the teachers in our schools and seminaries. The departure from the s t a n- dards, seems slight at first but the road is steep and the" direction is down grade. The momentum is terrific and ' the end is dis- astrous. The reign of Manasseh was in direct contrast with t h at of his father. There is bad blood in all vèins, and only the blood of thé offering can insure good children. Manasseh outstripped, all the kings of J u d ah iii unrighteousness and coupled his name with t h at of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin. There ai# two significant lessons in this life. First: The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin. Manasseh forcook God and followed Satan.
Lesson for July 23, 1911
he could not right the wrongs he had done. He could not relieve the pains he had in- flicted; or gather up the blood he had spilt; or give back the lives he had taken; or stay the influences he had set in motion. (2) No m a t t er how sincere a. ma n 's repent- ance. may be: no ma t t er how full his par- don. the _ b i t t e r, consciousness of the irre- trievable .injurv he has inflicted must re- main. "The only way. ito right the .wrong Is
THE GODLESS AMON AND GODLY JOSIAH. Lesson IV.—2 Chron. 33:21-34:33. I. THE GODLESS AMON. (1) Manasseh repented, was pardoned, re- stored to his kingdom, and did some right royal acts at the close of his reign.- But
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