ceivable t h at all its wonders may have been but "special providences." " V. ' 'THE 'TYPOLOGY OF JONAH proves the veracity of, it. (1) Israel's call, like Jonah's, was to witness to the Gehtilès (Isa. 42:10); (2) like him," It refused the call (1 Thess. ;2:16); (3) like him was cast into the sea (Ezëk. 12:15; Dan. 7:2, 3; ' R e v. 13:1; 17:16)) (of nations); (4) Is-as dead to be raised (Rom. 11:15, 16); (o) to be commis- sioned a second time (Isa. 66:19); (6) and with success (Rom. 15:9). (7) The rescue of Jonah typified the rising of Christ (Matt. 12:40); the poet-rescue preaching of Jonah; the post-resurrection evangelism, the fruit amo ng the Gentiles the repentance o'f Nin- èv.èh (Act 11:18) ; the present missions .to thé heathen continue, the post-resurrection àpostolic evangelism. VI. INSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS. (1) Jehovah is God of Gentile as well -as Jew (Jon. 1:2; Rom. 3:29), ; (2) Mercy is for Gentiles as. for J e ws (4:10; Rom. 4:11). (3) Missions were .anticipated in the Old Testament. (4) It' is impossible to flee from God (2:4.; Oba.. 1:4). (6) He is Judge of all t he earth (1:2; Gen. 18:25). (7) Cities as well as citizens are held to account t3:4). (8) Wh at of our modern Ninevehs? (9) God is not willing t h at any : should .perish (2 Pet. 3:9). (10) He gives fair warning (3:4; Heb. 2:3). (11) The innocent are imperilled with the guilty (4:11). (12) God is tenderly considerate: of men, little - ones, and. .even beasts (4:11). (13) He is pitiful toward petulant saints (4:5, -6). (14) More pitiful to men t h an are their fellow men (4:1, 2). (14, Men cry to.God in their troubles (1:5). (16). God's providence extends to all things, sailing ships, winds, waves, fish, lots, worms, plants (2:3, 4, 7, 15. 17; 4:5, 6, 7). .(17; God hears prayfe'r (2:10). (18) We can pray anyv.hero (2:1). (19)-We must preach wh at He bids us (3:2; Gal. 1:7-9). D PIVOT. sibilitv for results r.est not with the one who delivers • it', but upon the one who re- ceives iti'i The message is one which levels all dis- tinctions and is applicable alike to kings, princes and people. This is the God ordained me a ns -of -bringing out of the . world those who will be Saved. To fail to go is to be a Joash. To fail to go is to be recreant to a great trust. To fail to go is to sin against God and ' a , dying world. The one who goes must- go in humility, to preach, not himself, 2 Cor. 4:5. Must be loyal to the Word of God; there is na--new. doctrine, no evolution of the Word. 'Must be full of sympathy, l.The^s. 2:7, .8. Must, b,e anoint- ed, so t h at with a pulsing heart and deep conviction " he may be able to drive home the heart-searching truth—knowing the ter- rors. of the L o rd we persuade men.
aS instantaneously as a drowning man could review the p a n o r ama of his life. (10) Mer- chants, officials, "woflct-trotters," were ' eon* tinually streaming f i om 'Mesopotamia to the west coast. a n d. thence to Mediterranean ports. Doubtless men of Nineveh were among Jonah's fellow passengers, wh en he was cast into the sea some of these r e- turned f r om their jourciey; some were at Nineveh to identify him on his arrival, for (10) nothing is said of the length of time between Jonah's return to his place and the Lord's second call (3:1). We infer a period to meet the conditions. (12) The Ninevite tradition of their fish-god Dagon made him t h e fbunder of the city and instructor of the fathers; and his r e t u rn was expected. (13) That Jonah's preaching was limited to the words, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed," is nowhere stated nor, by the very context, is it probable. (14) These facts ("I0"-"13") account for the imprest sion tlie words of Jonah had on an Oriental community. (15) The Hebrew does not say, of the gourd, with our version, "it came up in a n i g h t , W i t perished in a night;" b u t ,. "a son of a night,—a son of a night it perished." ' T h at is the plant—a ricinusC?) —springs up rapidly and perishes as quickly. We speak of the ephemera (the daylings), but do hot mean t h at those insects live only one day. Man is called "the son of an hour." (16) "The Lord prepared a great fisih" does not necessarily imply a miracle. Nor does "prepared a gourd" necessarily imply it. The coincidences were special providences (miracles?). (1?) These notes are not de- signed to explain or to explain away any possible or probable miracle in the case. The writer heartily believes the miracles; and the Jonah miracles if they are here. But since Jopah. is made ,the. special bugbear of those who reject the miraculous we wish to show t h at the book of Jonah is "easy" among i h e " b o o ks of revelation. It is con- pfTH AN . The meaning of „the lesson for today is but an interpretation of the whole Word of God. A lost world, a loving hearted God, a message of warning and grace. Thi,s is the picture in Gen. 3, when the' shadows'. Of sin first fell upon a beautiful worija—this is the picture when the. lips of the Christ uttered the "God so loved the world. This is -the picture when He stretched upon the cross and cried, "It is finished." Nineveh was a . wicked city, b ut God loved Ni'neveh. The Jews were God's representatives, the de- pository of God's truth. To t h em was com- mitted the oracles, of God; they proved faith- less to their trust. J o n ah is a figure - of the Church. The message of salvation has been given to her (or the whole world. The range and scope lias been fixed by God; it -has its limitations and bounds. , Respon- T imely Topics for
Young People's Meetings By T. C. Horton
: T." I am not worthy to bear ,Ijlie shoes as a . servant. He will-.ba-Ptize you.,with, the H o l y G h o s t a nd fire, -Matt. 3:11,. H e l nd also asserted t h at -He .was to be the judge, of man, Matt. .3:12. He .testifies t h at Jesus w i s ; before -Him -although.. John .Was the .elder, sjno. 1530. He gave Him the title of " L a mb - of God," Jno.. 1:29, a,nd. Son of God, Jno. 1:34, and asserts t h at the Christ w i s attested to H im by the descent of 'til's Holy Spirit and the voice of God Himself t h at Jesus was the promised Messiah, Jnq,
Lesson XIII—April 2, 1911. FOURFOLD WITNESS. Jno. 5:33-47.
The Lord is .continuing His discourse in defense oi the healings of. the impotent m an on the Sabbath, Jno.' 5:1-16, and- adduces four proofe : cf His deity. H e had . already ^sSprted His own power over death. Verse 28:32, (1) The Witness of John Baptist (33:35). John hore witness to the deity of the Christ. John had said, " He is mightier t h an
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