The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-19
HEALING OF THE lEPER.
International Sunday school Lesson tos
January go, 1889.

immediately the cprosy departed from him,
and he was cleansed Mark AZ.
CENTRAL TRuTH-Sin is a terrible evil;
but Jesus will love all who go to Him in
faith.
TIME-Apri TO June, A. ID. 2S. Jesus
"Sweet hour of prayer was early Sunday
morning, the day after HIS Sabbath duties
described in the last lesson. The first mis-
sionary tour Tvs. 81, 39) straightway fol-
lowed, and the lepcr was healed probably
during the latter part of the tour; May or
June.
PLAcE-Capornaum and the region OF
Galilce.
PARALLEL ACCOUNTS Matt. ( ;23-25; S -;
Luke .I2-+4. 5,l2-l5. Jesus between 81
and 81 years old, about the middle of the
second year Of His ministry. John the
Baptist in prison at Castle Macherus since
March.
THE FIRST MISSIONARY Tour IN GALuEE-.
Jesus now begins series of missionary
tours The first one with His disciples con-
tnuod SIX or eight weeks III May and juno,
A. II. 81
INTRoDUCTIoN-JeSus.i in our last lesson,
had preached and healed all ddv long, and
late IN the evening. He slept, but rose very
carly the next morning for a season of
prayer alone.
HELPS OVER HARD PIACEs--35. great
phite bcfUre dag this was Jesus only method
Of beng alone for prayer and communion
with God. Every one needs solitary
seasons OF prayer, And there prayed
like us, Jesus needed communion with
God. Especially as now lie was about to
enter upon new plan ofwoilS, and 20 forth
with His disciples on their first missionary
tour SO, Aud Simon: Peter, as usual TAX
ing the lead. IS. Therefore came 1 torth;
from Heaven and His Father. 40. 4 tepcr:
one afflicted with the lcprosy, foul, de-
forming, incurablc, hereditary, contagious,
painful disease that shut men out from the
Companionship Of the pure. tTnE LEpRosY
This is an endemic, chronic, malignant,
constitutional disease, characterized by al
terations IN the cutaneous, nerve and bono
structures, resulting IN anpsthcsa, necrosis,
general atrophy and dcformity.-1HhW Van
Hdrli, gtOn ". d. "The disease, like the
anthropophagous ghouls OF the Arabs,
leisurely eats up its victims in one long re-
morseless meal" The hair falls from the
head and eyebrows; the nails loosen and
decay, and drop off; joint after joint of
finger and toes shrink up and slowly fall
away; the gums are absorbed and the teeth
disappear; the nose, tho eyes, the tongue
and the palate are slowly conSumed: and
finally the Wretchcd victim sinks INTO the
earth and disappears Land aud BOOh) 40.
If thou tOW, thou cast: this was the first
time a leper had asked to be healed, SO far
as recorded; but the man knew that many
had been healed of terrible and deadly dis
eases by Jesus aud therefore knew lie
could heal him. But he feared that Jesus
would not want to help deformcd, impure
outcast. Al. Touched HIM: To show that the
healing came from Him. 1t expressed Jesus
compassion. II could not dehlc Jesus, for
the curative power was in Him. loiH. men
heal by instrumentalities; Jesus by the act
of His Will. A. Say nothing TO any man: Cd
He must not touch others till he was ccre-
monially clean. C2) Jesus did not wish TO
call attention to His miracles. but TO lay en-
phasis on His teaching (3) 1t would draw
so many to be healed that He would have no
time to preach. oyer for hB cleansing:
Uev. II 40. For u teSti0.O1U he must 20
to Jerusalem, and let the authorized priests
declare the healing perfect. 1t testified
also that Jesus obeycd the law.
COMMENTS, There were many afflicted
people in Palestine, III the time OF our
sympathy SO strongly as did the poor lep-
ars. For, in addition to the terrible disease
that afflicted them, they were ositcasts from
society They were not allowed to come
into the haunts Of men, and when any one
approached them they were obliged to give
the warning cry: "Uncleanl unclcanr"
Leprosy was regarded as special affection,
and as type of sin, and the poor lcpsr was
N object nf tha phhnrrpnip N all
even his nearest friends and relatives. 1t
was man afflicted with this disease who
one day approaches the Master, and, lifting
up his voice. cries for mercy. SO far as we
know, no leper had been healed since the
days of Naaman, the leper, hundreds
of years before, and what reason
this poor man had to believe that Jesus
could heal him we do not know, excepting
that probably he had heard that Jesus had
done many wonderful things in the way Of
healing diseases But the man seems to
have had faith enough to come and make
his appeal and, like all who ventured TO do
that, he received exactly what he asked
for. Instead Of driving him away, the
Master reached out His hand, and, touching
b 'm, said: 81 will; be thou clean" In an
instant his lcprosy left him, and he was as
we. as any of those who moment before
had looked upon him with loathIng. Like
lcprosy, sin is loathsomc spir-
itual disease. That we do not real
ize this does not prove that this
is not true. See, is not the drunkard, as no
staggers home, with his Dlear eyes and his
lcerng glance, u loathsOmG objccti Those
who have had much to do with criminal
classes know what lines are written on
bni- flppu gbntvinn IA, In, I,
self manifest in the countcnancc Of the
criminal. But whether that be SO or not,
there is no doubt that sin makes its marks
on the soul; and if we could see the effects
that are there produced, we should be con-
WINGED at once of the loathsOmc character
of sin in every case. That we are so lcn-
ent towards II is ii sign, not that il is a
lovely thing, but that we are only too much
accustomed TO it, and so have lost that alb
horrence that we ought TO experience, Fa-
has bred Indifference, aud that
perhaps IS one of the worst evils IN the
whole matter; for if we lOathcd sin as we
ought to do, we should quickly make every
effort to rid ourselves Of its chains.-ReU H.
+. SehagNer.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
l. Every one needs seasons Of retirement
and prayer
.. Early morning devotions are blessing
through the day.
,. Sin is like leprosy-incurable, loath-