LESSON VIII.-GENERAL QUESTIONS ON THE EPISTLE.

WHAT more do we know about the Church in Ephesus?

Who was the first Bishop? See end of 2 Tim. At what date does St. Paul write to Ephesus again, and what messages does he send? 2 Tim. iv. 19. His old friends mentioned with affection again; 2 Tim. i. 16-18. From this we gather that Onesiphorus was probably a rich man, as his "household" is spoken of, perhaps a merchant, as he visited Rome ; but at any rate not ashamed to visit a prisoner, willing, whatsoever danger he might encounter by so doing, to seek "diligently" till he had found the prison in which St. Paul was a chained" captive.

As far as we know this 2nd Epistle to Timothy was the last letter St. Paul ever wrote, and he was then looking forward with joy and hope, to the crown of glory that awaited him.

What more is there in the New Testament respecting the Church in Ephesus? See Rev. ii. 1-7.

Thirty years had passed since St. Paul sent his last letter to the Bishop of Ephesus. What changes had taken place since? Long time had St. Paul received the crown of martyrdom, to which he was looking forward, and Timothy the first Bishop, was resting in his grave at Ephesus, when this message was sent. To whom was it given? Where was St. John now? It is supposed that for some years St. John lived at Ephesus, and took care of Mary the mother of Jesus. Now he was in banishment in the Isle of Patmos. Who sent this message? Rev. i. 13, 17, 18. The Lord Jesus Christ.

"The candlesticks." Rev. ii. 1. Why is the Church compared to a candlestick? Holding forth the light. Why to a golden candlestick? See its purity, its preciousness. What is the message itself? It begins with "I know." See how Jesus notices everything done by those who bear His name, even to a cup of cold water. See the things

commended, works, labour, patience, hatred of evil, avoidance of alse doe trine, and all errors, patient perseverance. All these are mentioned first in this message, all showing His love.

Then follows the reproof, v. 4, 5. They had left their "first love." How had that first love been manifested? see Acts xix. 19, their willingness to give all for Christ. How much like ourselves! When we begin any great undertaking, how it fills our thoughts, how earnest we are about it, how often we allow our zeal to grow cold!

"Thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes;" verse 6. We are not told what sect these were, perhaps they were those who would induce Christians to join in heathen feasts and sacrifices. Notice the expression "which thing I hate." All sin is hateful in the sight of God, and should be "hated" by Christians.

What is Ephesus now? The magnificent heathen temple which was there when St. Paul first visited it, has long since crumbled to the dust. The flourishing Christian Church which was planted there has ceased to exist, and travellers tell us that scarcely any ruins even of the town itself remain. The candlestick has been altogether removed. What a warning to Christians now! Yet see the promise with which the message ends, ver. 7. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life," &c.

Let us take this blessed promise to ourselves, and let us pray earnestly that our faith in Him may never become dim, our love to Him never grow cold, our zeal for His service never slacken; then shall our path be liko the shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day; then may we be amongst those to whom the pro mise was made that they shall eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. J. B.

NOTES ON

THE SERIES OF FIFTY-TWO LESSONS FOR SUNDAY SCHOOLS,

EMBRACING THE CHIEF TOPICS OF THE BIBLE,

LESSON XV.-A SAVIOUR, JOHN I. TO VERSE 34.

THE love of God to sinners, which was the subject of our last lesson, led Him to devise a way of saving them from the consequences of the Fall. Had He pardoned them at once, He would have failed to perform His threat to Adam. But God's threatenings, like His promises, must be kept, for He is the God of truth, Num. xxiii. 19; 1 Sam. xv. 29. All His attributes are infinite; His mercy could not be manifested so as to encroach on the province of His justice. The truth of God's word, and the justice of His nature, had both to be satisfied before man could be pardoned. A fulfilment of the threat on some substitute,—a satisfaction of offended justice by some voluntary victim,-was the only way of saving man. No created being could be this victim. The angels themselves were but the servants of the Lord of Hosts, at His disposal, not their own; owing Him, on their own account, all the obedience they could ever render.

But a way was found. God Himself, in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, became the offering, 1 John iii. 16. He who had been from eternity with God (verses 1, 2; chap. viii. 58; xvii. 5), by whom the worlds were made (Col. i. 16; Heb. i. 2), came to earth, lived the life of hardship, and died the death of shame to which we were sentenced (2 Cor. v. 21), that in Him the curse of Adam might be borne (Gal. iii. 13), the broken law to which justice pointed might be fulfilled (Rom. v. 19; vi. 14), and justice herself enlisted in the cause of man's salvation (Rom. iii. 20; viii. 33). In Him, then, the way to eternal life is reopened (John xiv. 6), the fiery sword which guarded it removed (John x. 28 ; Rom. v. 21; vi. 23; 2 Tim. i. 10). And thus it was that, in announcing "a Saviour's" birth, the angels were announcing “pence" between earth and heaven, "good-will" from God to man (Matt. i. 21; Luke ii. 14.)

EXPLANATORY NOTES.-Verses 1-2 declare Christ's glory from eternity; verses 3-5, His glory in time; and this is exhibited in the work of creation (verse 3), and of redemption, verses 4, 5.

Verses 4, 5.-The life, spiritual and everlasting, brought into the world by Christ, may well be compared to rays of light piercing the thick gloom produced by the Fall. Man's blindness is the only reason why that light ever shines in vain, verse 5.

Verse 7.-For instances of the witness John bare to Christ, see verses 15, 27, 29.

Verse 9.-Every man. Christ's light was to shine for Gentiles as well as Jews. All need a Saviour, and to all He came.

Verses 10, 11.-A sad proof of man's darkness; Christ came, and was rejected, not only by the world He had made, but by the people He had chosen.

Verses 12, 13.-As many. Adoption was henceforth to be the power, or right, or privilege (marg.) not of the Jewish people exclusively, but of all who should believe on Christ. Observe, too, that God Himself effects this change. We cannot convert ourselves, John xv. 16; Ephes. ii. 8.

Verse 14.-Christ's Divine and human nature are clearly shown and described in this verse.

L

Verse 15.-Cometh after me; in order of human birth. Was before me;
by eternal existence.

Verse 16.-Grace for (or upon) grace; abundance of grace.

Verse 17.-The law was indeed given by Moses, but its types were fulfilled, and
grace to obey its precepts bestowed by Christ.

Verse 18.-Declared Him. No previous dispensation revealed so fully and
clearly the nature and purposes of God as that of His Son, 1 John ii. 22, 23.

Verse 21.-Elias or Elijah. In the literal sense which they intended John
was not Elias. That prophet, perhaps referring to the great prophet, predicted
in Deut. xviii. 15, 18.

Verses 24, 25.-The Pharisees were very tenacious of rites and eeremonies.
Baptism had only been used when receiving proselytes from heathenism.

Verse 29.-The Lamb of God. See the points of resemblance between Christ
and the Paschal Lamb, Ex. xii.; Isa. liii. 7; 1 Peter i. 19; Rev. xiii. 8.
Verses 33, 34.-This was the testimony, not only of John, but of God Him-
self, to Christ's Divine mission, Matt. iii. 17.

APPLICATION.-God has given us the only Saviour. All need His salvation.
Do we know Him as our Saviour?

LESSON XVI.-THE LOVE OF CHRIST, JOпx X. 1-28.

The path to heaven, closed by Adam's sin and our transgressions, could never
have been re-opened, had not Christ suffered the penalty due to our guilt, and
thus, by the sacrifice of Himself, opened up a new and living way, by which fallen
man might yet be justified, Heb. x. 19, 20. It was the great love which Christ
bore to sinners, which led Him to devise the method by which God could be
just, not passing over transgression, and yet the justifier of them who believe,
Eph. v. 2. It was this love which led Him to leave His Father's throne, and
come to live on earth in low estate, despised and rejected of men, and which
caused Him to endure the bitter pain of a cruel death, and the still more bitter
agony of His Father's wrath. Sinful man in no way deserved such an amazing
exhibition of love. Enemies through wicked works, we could only look for wrath
and punishment, and hence the greatness of the Saviour's love. He died volun-
tarily out of pure pity for mankind. His love was free and undeserved, Rom. v.
7,8; and having its beginning before the foundation of the world (Eph. i. 4;
1 Pet. i. 19, 20; Rev. xiii. 8), it shall endure even unto the end, John xiii. 1;
1. Cor. i. 8. Christ's love is perfect (John xv. 13), and passes our knowledge, Eph.
iii. 19. It is still as great as it ever was. Time and place make no change with
Him. We all may be saved through it, for such is His gracious will, John xvii.
24. Christ is more ready to hear than we to pray. He waits to be gracious.
His love led Him to die for all, 1 Tim. ii. 6; Heb. ii. 9; 1 John ii. 2; iii. 16,
17. All therefore may be saved.

The discourse of our Lord, recorded in our lesson, is a continuation of that
in chapter ix. The Pharisees contended that they were the pastors of the Church,
and that Jesus ought to have obtained authority from them, Matt. xxi. 23. Our
Lord, therefore, here describes who were the false shepherds, and who the true,
showing that from Himself all who exercise the pastoral office must derive their
authority. To them the "porter openeth ;" i.e., God, by His Providence and

His Spirit, makes way for them to exercise their ministry, and they go before" their flock, teaching them by their example (1 Peter v. 3), and the people follow them with confidence, as they know and experience that their doctrine is good. There is no entrance into the true Church of Christ, either for the shepherds, i.e., ministers and teachers, or for the sheep (verse 7), i.e., the people amongst whom they minister, but by faith in Him, and by embracing His doctrine.

EXPLANATORY NOTES.-Verse 3.-By name; in eastern countries the shepherd not only knows every sheep, (for that they do in this country), but has a distinctive name for each, to which it answers when called, just as with dogs amongst ourselves.

Verse 4.—Another peculiarity must here be noticed. In the east the shepherds do not follow the sheep, driving them before them, as we see them do in England, but they walk first and the sheep follow.

Verse 8.-All that ever came before me; not the prophets who came by His authority, but all that came under pretence of being the Messiah, as Theudas, Acts v. 36, or who were unfaithful shepherds, Jer. xxiii. 1.

Verse 12.-An hireling, one that works for hire or wages, meaning here an intruder who seeks not the good of the flock, but his own profit. Beasts of prey were common in Judæa, and none but those who owned the sheep would encounter them to save the flock.

Verse 14.-Know, or love, 1 Cor. viii. 3. Am known, or am beloved.

Verse 16.-Other sheep; this passage refers to the calling of the Gentiles. Verse 22.-The feast of the dedication was instituted by Judas Maccabæus, B.C. 164, in imitation of those by Solomon and Ezra, as a grateful memorial of the cleansing of the second temple and altar, after they had been profaned by Antiochus Epiphanes. It lasted eight days, and took place in the month corresponding with our December.

Verse 23.-Solomon's porch; the porch rebuilt on the place where Solomon's formerly stood.

Verse 24.-Make us to doubt; in the Greek, hold us in suspense.

APPLICATION.-Does the good Shepherd's love to us excite love to Him in our own hearts? And do we listen to His voice, and follow His guidance in all things?

LESSON XVII.-THE CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST, JOHN XIII. 1-30.

We shall never obtain anything like an idea of Christ's condescension till we get to heaven, and see what His glory is. For what it is now, that it was before the foundation of the world. He was the "image of God," 2 Cor. iv. 4; John xvii. 5; Col. i. 15; the brightness of His glory, John i. 14; Heb. i. 3; His equal from eternity, John i. 1, 2; the Sovereign of all created beings, Heb. i. 6, 8, 13. The ruin of our world, or of ten thousand such worlds, would have made no difference to the stability of His throne. He was to reign for ever and ever. Yet all this glory was laid aside for our sakes, 2 Cor. viii. 9. The steps of His "He made Himself of no abasement are beautifully traced in Phil. ii. 5-8.

reputation," gave up all His Divine honours and royal state, Matt. xxvi. 53. More than this,-He "took upon Him the form of a servant"-not that of angels, God's noblest servants, but of men, His weakest and least worthy servants, Heb.