Connecticut western news., 1890-07-16
TAKING UP THE CROSS.
LESSON lll THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
 NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 20.


 Luke xiv, a7-Commentary by Rev. D.
 M. Stearns.
 Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per mission of H. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel- phia-l
 25. "And there went great multitudes with Him. Such a teacher and worker of mira cles would naturally have great following; some from curiosity, some because of the loaves and fishes, some because of His mira cles of healing, some because they really enjoyed His teaching even if they did not put it in practice; but O how few followed Him as true disciples, accepting Him as Israers Messiah and joining themselves to Him for life or death till the Kingdom come. Even of those who professed to be His disciples we read that after certain discourse many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. John vi, 66). And of the twelve chosen out of all the rest, one possessed by the devil sold Him for thirty pieces of silver, and ill the time of His sore trial all forsook Him and fed CMatt- xvi, 15, 5S. Knowing the hearts of all men, and reading easily the in ward purpose of every one of this great mul titude, He turned and said unto them:
 26. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and chil- dren, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his
  It was written in the law that if any one hated his neighbor unto death the cities of refuge were to give no refuge to him Deut. xix, 11-19; and the Spirit through John writes that ''Whosoevershateth his brother Is a murderer;n and that s'If a man say. love God, and hateth his brother, he is liar' q John iii, 15; iv, 20. Yet here are the Lords own words to the effect that we cannot be His disciples unless we hate even father and mother, wife and children. The explanation is found in the fact that the word ''hate" is sometimes used to signify Blowing less" It is written that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah tGen. xix, 30, and in the very next verse this is called hating Leah.
 27. "And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my dis ciple.n The cross of Christ was that cruel instrument of death on which He died when he bore our sins and made peace for us q Pet. ii, 24; Col i, 20. Paul said that by it the world was crucified to him and he to the world Gal vi, 11. And on the four differ ent occasions on which Jesus gave utterance to this saying (Matt. \, 3S; xvi, 24; Mark ', 21; Luke xiv, 20, He seems to mean nothing less than death to all that is against Him. 'sWe who live G. e., true believers) are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh" QI Cor. iv, 1D. We are 90 selfish and unchristlike that we are apt to think every little trial cross, and too often complain about our crosses.
 28-S0. s'This man began to build, and was not able to finish" Such might be said of one who having laid the foundation was not able to complete the building, and therefore he might be made sport of for not counting the cost beforehand. Christ is not of this world, and His Kingdom is not of this world, therefore those who identify themselves with Him should consider we'll beforehand what 1t may possibly mean to be ''not of the world" John xviii, S6; xvii, IA, 16. A Christian is one who is given to Christ tout of the world" and then sent back into the world" to stand In Christ's name against the world while seeking to rescue as many as possible from it John xvii, 6, 10. If one confesses Christ be- fore men as his Saviour, and identifies him. self with body of Christians, then continues just as much mixed up with the world and worldly ways as before such an one has evil dently not counted the cost, nor understands what it is to be disciple of Christ. The Christian life consists of self renunciation, separateness from world lying in the wicked one, patient endurance of trial, patient con- tinuance in we'll doing, and determination to know nothing but Jesus Christ crucified, risen, ascended and returning.
 31, 32 "Or what king going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able" ;" etc. In the previous illustration the disciple was looked tt as a builder and his life building; here he is compared to a warrior and his life awarfare. Jesus Himself is the great builder, He is the true Zerubbabel whose hands both laid the foundation of the house and shall also finish it tZech. iv, 9. He is also man of war, captain of the host of the Lord Ex. xv, 3; Josh. V, IA, and He has considered well the cost and the ability necessary to build His kingdom on this earth ard overcome and cast out the enemy. He saw the consummation and the way to it before He ever left the Glory which He had with the Father before the world was; and for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. xii, 2, where He ever hveth to make intercession for us Heb. vii, 25l. while we continue the daily warfare waiting with Him for the time when the kingdom shall be His and ours. We do we'll to remember that we have great adversary, and that to contend successfully with him we need to put on the whole armor of God Eph. vi, ID. If we would receive the crown of righteousness, we must war good warfare and fight the good fight of faith, and the great inspiration is the joy before us at His appearing q Tim i, 1S vi, 12-16; II Tim. iv, T, 8. It is interesting to notice that the service of the Levites in connection with the Tabernacle, taking ii down, setting it up, transferring it from place to place, not when and where they pleased but only as God pleased and directed, is called .sthe warfare of the service of the taberna cle" Num. viii, 24, p, margin9
 & sSo likewise, whosoever he be of you IL Atx, l~0 not be my disciple" All that has i summed up in the relations mentioned 1T verse 26; the nearest and dearest earthly friends, and then our own selves, our very life How can one possibly forsake, or as II the R. " renounce, all these so to holt and love them not as our chief good, but onl, as minor things ill comparison of Him who's disciples we profess to bes How can we learl to say with Paul: II count all things but los for the excellency of the knowledge of Chris Jesus my Lord" In Paurs case it wa brought about by a sight of the risen and as cended Jesus his own personal Saviour and as Israel's true Messiah to sit on David throne and restore the kingdom to Israel a His Glorious appearing This made Paul t live on earth as a citizen of Heaven, willing to bear anything in his body of humili ation while he waited for the gloriou immortal body like unto Christ's (Phil iii, : 1U, 2l)- Ea0i was a master DuuueT, duu
 master warrior; but in reference to bis Tiff and service, he says: II live, yet not 1, bu Christ liveth in me-" and eI labored nor abundantly than they all, yet not l, but tn grace of God which was with me" Gal. ii, 20
 Cor. xv, 10). Truly, he, like his grea Master, renounced all that he had that b might glorify God. By the same grace c God we may do likewise if we will. A Ittl light concerning the resurrection of the just the marriage supper, and the Kingdom c God tvs. 14d6, will wonderfully draw us.
 Removing Warts with Electricity.
 Now that electricity is so generally en ployed for the removal of warts and facii