Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-15
TIE TIMID BELIEVER.
LESSON VII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES. FEB. ~.

Text of the Lesson Mark iv, e5-34-Com-
nit Verses 33, 34-Golden Text Mark v,
36-Commentary by the Rav. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission of IL S. Hoffman, publisher. Philade
phia
After healing the man or men Of Gadara
who were so afflicted by the demons He, at
the urgent request of the people, left them
and recrossed the sea to His own city, Caper-
naum Matt. tx, ~, where Luke viii, 40, SAYS
that the people gladly received Him, for they
were all waiting for Him. Let all Christian
workers learn from this that whether teach
ers or preachers, If they speak the truth faith
fully, and in some quarters 1t is not received
there are other places where they are waiting
for it. The field is the world, and our orders
are to preach the gospel to every creature,
but we are not told that all will receive it:
rather are we taught that some will believe
and some will believe not (Acts xviii, 2A.
and that perhaps only fourth of the seed
will bear fruit, and tares spring up even
among that Matt. xiii,) but all that the
Father giveth unto Him tout of this present
evil world shall come to Him, and Him that
cometh shall not be cast out John vi, 81 /;
the elect body, the church, shall be COM
pleted, the bride shall be gathered, the we'd
ding shall be furnished with guests, the mar
riage of the Lamb shall come, and after that
shall Israel be comforted and all the earth
be filed with His glory. Halelujahl But
what is the connection of all this with the
lesson of today9 Why, just this: If you
would be there and see and share His glory,
you must not simply hear of Him and know
about Him, but you must SO touch Him that
virtue tR. ", power shall flow from Him to
you and know that you are healed.
25. "a certain woman had an issue of
blood twelve years" Jesus was at this time
on the way to the house of Jairus, ruler of
the synagogue, to bring back to life his
daughter, little girl IL years of age, who
was dying when the father left home Uu
viii, 40; as He and his disciples went with
Jairus great crowd followed and thronged
Him, and this poor afflicted woman among
the rest. 1t mattered not whether, as in the
case of this woman, the life for the life Of the
flesh is in the blood, Lev xvii, 11) was slowly
but surely ebbing away; or whether, as in
the case of the little girl, the life had clean
gone; whether it had just gone or been gone
a few hours luke vii, ~, or some days
John xi, 30; it mattered not to the Prince of
Life, for i'll Him is life, and a word from Him
is sufficient in either case. 1t mattered not
whether the affection had lasted twelve,
or eighteen, or thirty eight, or forty years.
luke xiii, IL; John V, 5; Acts iv, 22.) His
power was more than sufficient in either
case. Now as to life and health that amounts
to anything, we have it not until we receive
Jesus Christ; let every teacher and scholar
ponder carefully that marvellous verse COM
l,f L.. ,f 1.
any little child can read and remember: "He
that hath the Son hath the life he that hath
not the Son of God hath not the life.n
Il John V, H. R. W
26 Had suffered many things, =
mad spent all, twas nothing bettered,
but rather grew worse" Many physicians.
much suffering, money all gone, given up by
all, all the time growing worse, no hope,
utterly helpless, unclean, undone; what a
ptiable case and yet just the one for Jesus,
for HE giveth power to the faint and to
them that have no might He increaseth
strength" Qsa xl, 90. If she had been i'm
proving ever SO little under some one of
these many physicians, the probability is
that she might not have come to Jesus, but
her complete failure to find help anywhere
else led her to Jesus. The least reliance upon
Jesus for salvation, or being saved, may him
der Him from working in us to will and to
do of His good pleasure. To be saved, we
must come to Him without one rag Of our
own filthy Righteousness.
q. when she had heard Of Jesus" Some
body's testimony had reached her, perhaps
the testimony of several had been necessary
to convince her; many had been healed Of
divers diseases in this city, among others
Peters wife's mother, the man in the syna-
gogue with the uncean spirit, the nobleman's
son, the sick of the palsy Mark i, ii John
w, and the testimony Of some of these
healed ones or their friends had reached this
woman and convinced her that He could heal
her too.
2S. "lf may touch but his clothes, shall
be whole" This was her firm persuas on
and on this belief she acted
~. And straightway the fountain OF her
blood was dried up, = she was healed"
Over twenty times have We already met in
this Gospel the word "straightway," or
FORTHWITH" or "immediately,n which in
each case is the same word in the Greek and
1t should lncite us as servants Of Christ to do
very quickly whatever our hands find to do
Tor HIM, expecting quick results and yet pa
tiently continuing, leaving resu Is to Him.
Quick as the lightning flash, but with health
and not death, came the fullness of physical
life back TO her body; she had not felt like
this for twelve long years, she is young again,
she is well, and lie did it just as she believed
80. Jesus immediately knowing
said, Who touched my clothesi" Even be-
fore she came near He saw her coming, His
spirit wrought the faith in her and brought
her to Him; and yet she might have resisted
the Spirit us so many did, have done and are
doing, but, blessed be God, she did not resist
81. Thou seest the multitude thronging
Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Mep
This was what the disciples said to Him
when all the people denied, and the woman
herself sought TO be hid luke viii, As, Az,
for they did not seem to understand the diff
ference between touching Him us the crowd
did and the touch of faith that drew from
Him the healing power They were like
many today who frequent the house of God,
but wonder at any one who finds the utmost
delight in so doing.
81. HE looked round about to SEQ her that
had done this thing" Not in grief or anger,
but kindly, lovingly He looked upon her and
she could not withstand His look.
33. The woman, fearing and trembling,
knowing what was done in her, came and
fell down hafora Hin, and toIl H., IN a..