Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-06-28

Sunday School Lesson Notes.
BY REV. ]. o. sHERBURN.


considerable number Of miracles and
teachings are usually placed between the
events of the TRANSPORTATION and those
here recorded. He is now coming toward
Judea, from the eastward, in land known
in Bible history as Perea. lie seems to
have been in retirement for n season, but,
as soon as he is seen abroad, the multi
tudes throng him, and, as was his custom
everywhere, he taught them. Here. as
almost everywhere else where he taught,
the Pharsees or their agents were present
to catch him in his words.
It has been generally thought that the
incident of the woman taken in adultery,
whose accusers-evidently of the Phari-
sees party-were so effectually silenced
by the Master, came in not long before
the events of this lesson. The position
Christ took upon that matter had doubtless
been subject OF debate among the
enemies of Jesus. Now they come to him
with Il kindred subject, and seek to draw
him into snare by securing an expires.
sion from him which they can uso against
him. They have this chance to ensnare
him; if he shall say divorce is proper for
variety of causes, they will accuse him
of looseness respecting marriage and the
relations of the sexes, as they doubtless
had an account of his position concerning
tho adulterous woman. II, on the other
hand, he shall declare against divorce,
then they will accuse him Of speaking
against Moses. Jesus saw their craftiness,
and at once puts to them the question,
What did Moses command you" He
evidently took this course that he might
begin on some basis of agreement with
the Pharsecs. When they answer that
Moses allowed divorce, Christ readily
agrees with them. He says, in substance,
there can be no dispute about this matter,
Moses did make provision for the putting
away of ones wife. But Jesus goes
further and shows them why such a pro-
vision was entered in their law. 1t was
simply as yielding to the exegenccs of
the times on the part of their law giver,
case where the law is adapted to the
morals of the people rather than have the
law what it should be, and have it utterly
disregarded on tho part Of the people.
Beware Of the hardness Of your hearts,"
Jesus says.
The stubborn adherence of the Jews to
old practices. both in their early history,
when the law was given, and on TO the
time of Christ, rendered it necessary to
legislate concerning many matters which |
were wholly wrong and which were ex-
pccted to be done away as the people i'm
proved. Hence the Mosaic law had reg
uIations concerning slavery and concern
ing varions social crimes, which were by
no means sanctioned because they were
not at once and utterly prohibited. They
were treated as great wrongs, but as
wrongs which could hardly be reached |
and rectifod by legislation, at least in the
time when the law was given. So of the |
provisions for divorce. From the begin |
ming, Christ says, 1t was not so; the |
primal design was that the union should |
be perpetual. The divine plan was that
at proper age the son should leave his
childhood's home, the daughter hers, and
the two joined in matrimony set up
another homo of which they are the Joint |
head, and henceforth they are no more |
twain, or two, but one perpetually by |
virtue of this new relation which they |
have entered into. Then the Master pro. |
cccds to give, in the most positive and |
solemn manner, the sanction which God |
puts upon this very important relation OF
man and wife. There is no provision for !
polygamy; only two, twain, are spoken OF
in tho statement. These two entering |
matrimony are joined together by God,
the Maker Of all, and Jesus says, let not |
man put asunder those who are thus |
united. In this statement Of the matter
we get at the true answer concerning legal |
divorce. Man cannot make void what |
God has sanctioned. Matrimony, being a
state entered according to a divine plan
and with divine sanction, cannot be |
nulllied by man. either the individual |
man or men collected as law makers or
as rulers in tho churches. So far as
civil law is concerned, at least English
law, it is only few years since any pro.
vision was made for granting divorces
through the courts. A blight rest upon
the day when such thing was first
assumed. The practice Of things in this
matter is all wrong and contrary to the
Slvior's law as given here. No court on
earth no council or consistory, not even |
the pope has, or ever had, any power to |
dissolve the marriage state when once en-
tered The sooner we get back to the
divine plan in these things the better for
church and state, for society and for every |
individual.
The disciples were hardly made sure by
the answer Jesns gave, so in the house
they ask him again Of the matter. Now
if We are TO ground an argument against
divorce on the Scripture we do we'll to
notice that the answer Jesus gave 10 his |
disciples is, in every sense, of the highest
Importance. They desired the truth; they
asked after it. lie was most solcmnly |
bound to put the matter in the olearest |
light before them; to say just what he
meant and no more. His answer is un-
mistakable; the union is perpetual, and
any breaking from it on the side of either
contracting party for the purpose of be-
coming frco to marry again is of the same
nature as adultery. Tho best and only
relief for unhappy marriages is in the
parties remaining asunder, but unmarried.
The bringing in of the children is very
hitting in this lesson on the home. They
a,e bound up in their interests with this
law of u stable home. They also sustain
vnru intir,nto raIot;oy 10 Dk.:z.