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( 1 ) T h e excelsior o f faith ; ( 2 ) th e clim ax o f o b ed ien c e ; ( 3 ) th e fact th a t w e shou ld give o u r b e st to G o d ; ( 4 ) th e te n d e r g race o f th e L o rd w ho sp a red n o t H is own Son, b u t sp a red A b ra h am ’s; ( 5 ) th e jo y o f th e L o rd in H is believing an d o b e d i e n t se rv a n t; ( 6 ) th e ty p e o f resur- LESSON XII. March 23. thy paths.”— Prov. 3:6. I. The Inspired Book. 1. The Bible is like no other book. It is, p ro p e rly speaking, n e ith e r science, history, n a rra tiv e , b iog raphy , n o r even a m oral, o r re ligious treatise, y e t it is o f m o re v alu e a n d b e a u ty an d tru th th a n an y an d all which m ay b e so d escrib ed . In few b rie f sentences it sketches th e w o rk o f creation , b u t gives no hin t o f th e n a tu re o r con stitu tion o f m a t ter, o f forces an d th e ir ap p lic a tion to th e uses o f m an. It touches on th e beginnings, b u t do e s n o t un fo ld th e course o f hum an h isto ry ; it a f fo rd s glimpses o f p ro fo u n d m y s teries. T h is reserve is really ta n ta lizing to th e curiosity of n a tu ra l m en, especially as such larg e space is given to seem ingly triv ial m atters, o ften concern ing m ere dom estic incidents, fam ily, fortunes, q u arrels a n d re co n ciliations. T h e fa c t th a t such n a r rativ es a re exquisite a n d in im itab le lite ra ry gems, do e s n o t seem to ju s tify th e ir occupancy o f precious space which cou ld h av e b e e n m a d e b y sup e rn a tu ra l rev e la tio n inv alu ab le to th e interests o f hum an society. Y et th e Book claim s to b e D ivinely inspired, th e m o st serious o f books, which has, strangely, ex e rted th e g re a te st influence on th e c h a ra c te r an d p rog ress o f h isto ry a n d m en in all th e m o st im p o rta n t ph ases o f life. 2, What the Bible is. T h e B ible is a rev e la tion o f G o d an d o f m an in relation to G o d ’s m an ife sta tion
rection an d reun ion ; ( 7 ) th e ty p e o f sub stitu tion— n o t Isaac, b u t a lam b, n o t I b u t Jesus, b le e d s; ( 8 ) th e re w a rd o f obedience, a crow n o f glory, a n d th e con firm ation o f th e prom ise ; ( 9 ) an d th e risen one re tu rn ed ag ain ^(v erse 19) acco rd in g to p rom ise. “ Isaac,” “L au g h te r!” Isaac and Rebekah.— Gen. 24. of H is glorious a ttrib u te s in th e re d em p tio n an d ex a lta tio n o f sinful m en th ro u g h th e m ed ia tio n o f th e Son o f G od . H ow ev e r stultifying to th e w isdom o f m an th e Bible, as it is, accom plishes th is end . It te sti fies o f C h rist (J o h n 5 :3 9 ; Luke 2 4 :2 5 -2 7 , 4 4 ) : an d sp iritual exp e ri ence p ro v e s th a t “A ll S crip tu re is given b v in sp iration o f G od , an d is p ro fitab le fo r do c trin e ” (2 T im . 3 :1 6 ) . II. Buying a Burying Ground. 1. Sarah’s death. S a rah lived 12 7 years, a n d she d ied . It w as a long tim e. But it d id n o t seem long to her. T h e longest life is sh o rt to m an, fo r G o d h as “ se t e te rn ity ” in his h e a rt (Ecc. 3 :1 1 ) , a lthough d e a th is as sure as life is short. Even th e saints die. 2. Abraham’s grief. “A b ra h am cam e to m o u rn fo r S arah, a n d to w e ep .” T h e y h a d m ig ra ted to g e th er, so jo u rn ed tog e th e r, suffered to g e th e r th e fam ines, th e fears, th e perils; a n d “ lau g h ed ” to g e th e r a t th e b irth , an d th e p ra ttlin g s o f Isaac. Now A b ra h am m ou rn s alone. Even th e sain ts sorrow . But n o t “w ithou t h o p e .” (2 Thess. 4 :1 3 -1 8 .) 3. Abraham’s hope. Now w e m ay see w hy a w ho le c h a p te r is given to so comm onp la c e a th ing as th e pu rch a se o f a grave, “T h a t we th ro u g h com fo rt o f th e S crip tu re m igh t h av e ..hope” (R om . 1 5 :4 ).
(F or alternate E aster Lesson see page 138) Golden Text— “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct
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