Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-04
Law OF THE SABBATH.
LESSON !, THIRD QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, JULY 6.

12-Commentary by Rev. ID. M. stearDs.
ICompiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per-
mission Of II. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
phia.l
After encouraging them with the fact that
1t was their Fathers good pleasure to give
them the Kingdom, and that therefore He
would surely see to their present need in the
small matters Of food and raiment, He com
manded them to be watchful and diligent,
expecting persecution while they improved
the present time of grace. He then turned
to the people with an admonition TO repent,
and by the parable of the fruitless fig tree
taught them that they were spared as q nation
only because of intercession, and through the
long suffering of God.
10. "And He was teaching In one of the
synagogues on the Sabbath" In His early
ministry we read Of Him that "As His Gus
tom was, He went into the synagogue on the
Sabbath day;n and although He knew SO
well the hypocrisy of those who taught in the
synagogues, yet He docs not depart from His
usual custom. Because there are false teach
ers, and many calling themselves Christians
who are only hypocrtes, this is no reason why
others should forsake the house of God; but
simply strong reason why those who know
and love the Truth should be always in their
place and stand boldly for the Truth, both in
public and in private.
IL. "And, behold, there was woman
which had spirit Of infirmity eighteen
years" Not so bad as the man at the pool
of Bethesda who had an infirmity thirty eight
years John V, 81, but bad enough surely In
Luke v, 10; vii, 81; viii, 2, we read of many
who had been healed by Him of their infirmi-
ties, and it may be that this woman had
heard through some of them of His wonderful
power and love, or she may have been, not
withstanding her infirmity, a regular attend
ant at the synagogue and a true worshiper
OF the One God. The word translated ''infirm
ityn signifies also without strength" or weak
ness, sickness, disease--and it Is the word used
in reference to our Saviour in Matt viii, II,
where 1t is written Himself took our In
firmities and bare our sicknesses" In Him Is
health Of body and soul for all the world.
12. "And when Jesus saw her, He called
her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, thou
art loosed from thine infrmity." When He
called, she evidently came; He is still calling
"Come unto Me all ye that labor and are
heavy laden and will give you rest !" but how
few seem to come. This woman was con-
scious Of her helplessness and earnestly de-
sired release, therefore she came readily.
Sinners, though bowed down and unable to
lift themselves up, are too often unconscious
of it, do not think they are sick, and there
fore heed not the physician. Oh for deep
conviction of sin and a realization of our utter
helplessness Lazarus stood at the graves
mouth alive and well, but he was bound hand
and foot with grave clothes SO that Jesus
said unto them, "Loose him and let him 60"
John XII, 40. Many Christians are bound
hand nd foot by some besetting sin, some
earthward tendencies, from which in vain
they seek to free themselves, but Jesus Is
able, and il they only knew the meaning Of
"Thine IS the power" they would look to Him
and be set free for service.
IS. "And He laid His hands on her: and
Immediately she was made straight, and
glorided God.n His word was sufficient, for
HE cast out the spirit with His word;" and
''By the word of the Lord were the Heavens
maden Matt. viii, 10; Ps. xxxiii, O.. His
word without His actual presence, was suf-
ficent, as in the case of the centurion's servant
and the nobleman's son Matt. viii; John Ivy.
Yet He often used His hands in giving forth
His power, as in Luke ", 40; v, Is; viii, "a,
etc. After His resurrection and ascension we
find Him in Patmos laying his right hand
upon John and saying, Fear not.n To every
true believer He Is saying, 81 the Lord thy
God will hold thy right hand, saying unto
thee, Fear not, will help thee" Concerning
the ungodly He says, "All day long have
stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient
and gainsaying people" ltev. i, II; lisa. xii,
10; Rom. X. 2n.
"And Immediately she was made straight"
How quickly the eighteen years inhrmity
fees, and just rs quickly was the man healed
who was thirty-eight years sick. Neither in
trinity, nor disease, nor death itself can abide
in His presence, for He is The Life. That
which neither skill, nor money, nor human
effort can accomplish, He instantly does with
a word or touch lie is the same Jesus still
and there Is no necessity for any Of His re-
deemed to be under the power of the devil
(Lnke X, 10.
"And glorillod God" She either believed
that Jesus was God or that God had given
Him this power, and she gloriied God in
Him Paul writes to the Galatians at
pleased God to reveal His Son in me; and
they glorihed God in me" Gal. j. Is, lGy 81.
If we glorhcd God because OF all He has done
for us, our lives would be n continued thanks
giving.
Ia. "And the ruler of the synagogue an
swered with indignation" Here Is a man
more sick spiritually than this woman was
physically. He is truly bowed down, and
cannot lift himself up, but he does not know
it, He is like the tree in the parable a fruit
less cumberer of the ground spared by the
mercy of God Satan in him grows indig-
nant because some of his goods have been
spoiled. A piece of work that Satan has had
in hand eighteen years has been suddenly
scattered to the winds, and this child Of the
devil grows angry.
'Becausc that Jesus had healed on the
Sabbath day" This holy man lin his own es-
timationl was SO jealous for the sanctity Of
the Sabbath day that he would not on any
account have sufferer relieved, but it was
all right for him to get angry. once saw
an officer on fcrrybont rebuke man for
whistling on the Lords day, while he himself
was running his boat for ordinary traffic and
collecting fares rs on any other day. There
is much straining out gnats and swallowing
camels in religious matters
Is 1.-THE Lord then answered him, and
said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one OF
YOU on the Sabbath loose his OK or his asa
from tho stall, and lead him away to water
ingl" A hypocrite is one who conceals his
real motives and processes TO be what he is
not. This man professed to have a great
reverence for the Sabbath, while his real mo-
tive was his hatred Of Christ. He little
thought that Christ read his Utmost thoughts
and knew we'll his real motive.
10. "And ought not this woman, being a
daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath
bound, 10, these eighteen years, be loosed
from this bond ON the Sabbath day" The
first verse in the New Testament calls Jesus
the Son of Abraham; and Gal iii, 10, says
that "To Abraham and his seed that Is,
Christ were the promises made Here stood
the seed of Abraham the Christ, but unac-