The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-01-25
PARDON AND HEALING.
LESSON ", FIRST QUARTER INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 81.

IGo0ON W. VIVOI 0CVV' ~ W
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. ~.
Text Of the Lesson Mark II. l-1@-Commit
Verses iO-Is-Golden Text, Psalms Gill,
g. Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.
stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly, BY per.
mission Of II. s. Hoffman, publisher, Phla'
dephia]
l. sand again He entered into Caper-
uaum." The Joy OF the leper who bad been
healed led him, Notwithstanding the COM
mand of the Saviour, to blaze abroad the fact
of his being healed, and such multitudes
flocked to Jesus that he had to leave the city
and withdraw into the wilderness, where
Luke tells us He prayed luke v, l6). and
Mark says that even there they came to Him
from every quarter. Mark |, 49, But now,
after some days, He returns to Capernaum,
and the news Of His return is soon spread
abroad. When He went at one time into the
borders Of Tyre and Sidon He entered into an
house and would have no man know it, but
He could not he hid. Mark vii, A.) How ia
it that today He seems to be hid in the homes
and lives of SO many who profess to have re-
ceived Hima Why is it not clearly manifest
ones heart reply.
= 2. "And straightway many were gathered
together, insomuch that there was no room
to receive them" In Luke v, II, it is said
that there were Pharisees and doctors of the
the law sitting by, which were come out OF
every town Of Galilee and Judea and Jeru-
salem; and the power of the Lord was pres
emit to heal them. But though there was such
power present, these Pharisees and doctors
were not healed, for they had no idea that
they needed healing.
3. Sand they come unto him, bringing one
sick of the palsy, which was borne Of four"
While these blind, self righteous Pharisees
and doctors, who might be healed if they
only knew their need, are listening to His
wonderful words, here is case for the mani
festation of His wonderful power-a case of
realized and manifest need.
4. ''They could not come nigh,
they uncovered the roof, they let
down the bed wherein the sick Of the palsy
lay" Luke v, 10, says they let him down
through the thing, with his couch, into the
midst before Jesus. Here is zeal and deter
SURE W pAAou Auo CAu - ~ OO ~
all possible to be accomplished.
g. "When Jesus saw their faith" With,
out faith it is impossible to please God Heb.
ri, O., but confidence in Him does always
please Him for 1.-THE eyes Of the Lord run to
and fro throughout the whole earth to show
Himself strong in behalf of them whose
heart is perfect toward Him" III Chr. xvi, 81 /;
and how often we hear Him say, According
to your faith" GAS thou hast believed" APP
making the measure Of blessing we
enjoy to be just in proportion to the meas
ure of our faith in him. When we consider
the record in Heb. XII, and in the history of
the kings of Judah who relied upon God, may
we not with good reason ask ourselves, do
act as if had faith in Gods"
''He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son,
thy sins be forgiven thee" Matt tx, 2, says
that He also added, "Be Of good cheer. :"
What power there is in word of encourage
ment, and how many we might drop by the
way as we journey on if we were not SO self
absorbed, but more filed with the Spirit of
Christ, who went about doing good, SO for
getfpl OF self; and then how kindly He adj
= esI the sick man inc word Of rebukeI
slthsr b HIM OF hIskriehdS berrsasv-~ssTsasssII
ruption of His discourse, but most kindly
and encouraging greeting.
6. 'The scribes sitting there were reason
ing in their hearts," They were His enc
mics, they did not believe in Him, they knew
Him not.
z. "Who can forgive sins but God only?"
III Cor. K. s, margin.) Why, Of course no
one can, but here in this house, and in this
man, was Godmanifest in the flesh. and they
knew it not. There they sit criticising con-
demning, sitting in Judgment upon Him Wild
will one day be their judge, but now desires
to be their Saviour and their King Will
they not say in that day, 'Oh, If we
had only knownl" Well, if they had only
the words and deeds and we'll
known history of this man with the testi-
mony of their prophets they might have been
convinced that this was He of whom the
prophets spake.
8. Jesus perceived in His spirit that they
70 reasoned within themselves" Some one
has called this ''mind reading extraordinary"
and indeed it is. How could He tell what
they were thinking about in their heartsa
Just for the same reason that He could for
give sins, because He was God OF Him it
Is
affair off. There is not word on my tongue,
but 10, o Lord, Thou knowest it altogether"
(Ps. cxxxix, 2, A.; and He Himself has said,
II know the things that come into your
mind, every one of them" Ezek. n, 81
8. "Whether is it easier to say to the sick
Of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to
say, Arise, and take up thy bed and wallkg'
Either would require more than human
power, and either result would prove Him
more than man; and yet physician might
heal by skill and medicine the disease, while
only God could forgive sins; and in this case,
,in being evidently the cause Of the disease,
The cause must be removed if cure would be
sffected. As co the words used, it was as easy
70 say the one as the other, but there must be
me power behind the words.
TO- 1.-THE Son of Man hath power on earth
% forgive SINS" Now if only God can for
give sins, who is this Son of Mang In the
Eighth Psalm He is spoken of as having
dominion, and ali things put under Him. In
,he Holy Spirits commentary upon Ps viii,
IN Heb. ii, we find that this Jesus is the Son of
Man; and in l Cor. XIV, where He is called
,he last Adam, it is said that He must reign
ill He hath put all enemies under His feet,
md that the last enemy to be destroyed is
leath. Then in Dan. vii, 10, we are told
hat it is after the Judgment of the ma
ions, and the destruction of the bias
1heming Antichrist that the Son of
Nan is to receive His kingdom and dominion
over all the earth which shall never be de-
troyed This Son of Man. then. is the man
holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from
80 L