The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-03-09
& TIE CIIILDLIKE SPIRIT.
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 10.


nit to Memory Verses SO. 37-GoIden
Text. Mark K, i5-Commentary by Rev.
ID. III. Stearns.
compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly nv per
mission OF IL 5. Hoffman publisher phjIadej
rhia
The incidents of this lesson are found IN the
other Gospels in Matt XIX 1890; Luke xvi i
1880 In the life of our Lord Jesus MANY
miracles have been wrought, many journeys
made and many eternal words spoken since
our last lesson, and He is soon to start on His
last journey to Jerusalem tNIk K 81 3A
there to accomplish Ills great work of atone
ment, but everywhere and at all times He is
the same meek and lowly Jesus whose one
aim is to glorify God and direct men to the
kingdom, that kingdom which Is mentioned
five times in our lesson today first as to who
may enter 1t, and then the hindrances to en-
tering it.
Il. And they brought young children to
Him, that He should touch them" Matthew
rays ''that lie should put His hands on them
md pray" Israel was taught to give great
heed to the children, and many were their
instructions to teach them concerning the
wonders which God had wrought for their
fathers and the laws which He had given
& 4, IL.
Josh iv, u, %; rs. xviii, 4-SI, and now
that the fuiillment of the law and the very
wonder working God of Israel was in their
midst was it not beautiful To bring the chill
dren to Him.
Ills disciples rebuked those that brought
them" The generation who speak thus have
not died out; they are selfish and cannot be
bothered with the children, they are blind
and know not tho spirit of Christ, though
protesting to be His people. Where the
spirit Of Christ is there will be not only love
for the children, but they will be brought to
Jesus.
/ II. 'WEen Jesus saw it He was much dis
pleased" ! think this is the only time that
it is written that lie was displeased with the
disciples, though they did often grieve Him
by their unbelief and hardness of heart
Ii. wv hosoever shall net receive the king
dom of God as little child he shall not
enter therein" little child such as these
duke calls them Infants has nothing, needs
everything, is entirely helpless and depend
ent, and believes what it is told, and when
we come in this spirit Of utter bel piles 5ness,
emptiness and simple faith, protesting not to
bring anything with Us, bat ready to receive
the salvation which God Is ready to give as
free and ulmerted favor, then shall we be
born again, foretaste of the kingdom come
il our hearts, and in due time we shall enter
the kingdom.
/ Is. He took them up in His arms, put His
hands upon them and blessed them" Oh,
happy children and happy parents! they
would never forget that day. We do net
know who they were, nor anything of the
after life of those children, but surely We
shall meet in the kingdom the children whom
Jesus took in His arms and blessed. 1t is not
/ possible that this uachan yeable Jesus can be
! Indifferent to the welfare of any one of
/ the multitudes of infants which are
constantly passing out from this earth
Let every nlothcr who has lost
babe find comfort here, and also read care
fully Deut. i, 80. If the streets of the re-
stored Jerusalem in Palestine are yet TO be
I full of boys and girls playing in the streets
4 thereof (Zech. viii, y, what must be the pres
ent JOY of the hosts of children in the pres
ence OF the King while they wait for the
greater joys Of the New Jerusalem. But
above all things, let us lay to heart and i'm
I press upon the scholars from this portion Of
cur lesson, that to enter the kingdom OF God
we must be born again, we must be con
/ vcrted and become as little children. John
I iii, 81; Matt. xviii, 81 We must say sin
/ cerely
Nothing in my hands bring,
Simply to Thy cross cling.
II Good Master, what shall | do that |
may inherit eternal life" Here is a young
man, q ruler among the people, and very
rich liIatt- XIX, %; Luke xviii. IS. 23l, and
according to this verse i'll our lesson, he
comes running and kneels right down in the
street before Jesus, and in the presence Of
the people, and u,ters these words.
Is None good but one, that is God" AS
l
do you acknowledge Me rs Godl" "He that
cometh to God must believe that He is, and
( that He is a rewartler Of them that diligently
seel, Him" deb. Il, c..
10 Thou knowest the commandments"
Matthew says; IF thou wilt enter into life
keep the commandments" SO also in reply
to the lawyer who asked similar question
to that of this young ruler, Jesus referred
/ him to the law, saying, This do and thou
shalt liven duke X. Now we know that by
| the deeds Of the law there shall no flesh be
| justified il His sight, and that the law can
not give life but can only make US out sim
ners and shut our mouths Rom. iii, 10, 20;
Gal iii, 81, 22); why, then, did Jesus direct
this man to the lava Surely that he might
be convinced of sin and thus led to receive
eternal life as free gif5 from God.
90. Master, all these have observed from
my youth" He was no sinner i'll his own
eyes, but righteous man, having always
kept the law he thought, and was now
ready to do something more if he could thus
obtain eternal life. He was ignorant of
Gods Righteousness and going about to es-
tablish his own. from. x, Id
81. "Oue thing thou lacAest." But that one
thing was everything.
q "IIe was sad at that saying and went
away grieved" He made his choice, and
preferred present things to things unseen, his
| wealth rather than Christ, his ease rather
| than a cross. How unlike Moses, who
esteemed the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had
respect unto the reconipensc OF the reward;
or Paul, who suffered the loss of all things
that he might win Christ.
23-25 How hard is it for them that trust
il riches to enter into the kingdom of God"
Tho heart can only have one supreme ruler,
and ii that one is wea til, or pleasure, or
| learning, or anything in this world, then tie
only rightful ruler-the Lord Jesus Christ
| is dethroned and a USlrpcr has his place.
&C. o. "They were astonished out of
! measure Gods thoughts and ways are SO
| different from ours that until we are willing
| to lay aside all our thoughts and opinions
and simply believe what He says, we viii
| often be Sorely perpiexet and if any one
prefers their own thoughts and ways to those
| Of God, they Will continue i'll darkness and
| not have that fellowship with the Father and
the Son which is their privilege.
.S-.l AN hundred fold now, with
| prosecutions, and in the world to come eter-
| hal life" We have seen the manner of en-
tcring the kingdom, and the Eindrances to
entering it, from these two object lessons of
the children and the rich young ruler, and
now, in answer To Peters question, we have a
| simple simple statement concerning the pres
eat aud future prospects OF the follower of
Christ. All true believers become blood re-
lations of each other--redeomcd by His
| precious blood all are to HIN mother and
sister and brother, aud should be the same TO