Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-04-04
CHRISl'S LAW OF LOVE.
LESSON I, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 8.


Text Of the lesson, Luke vi. z7-3s-COm-
init Verses 35-37-GoIden Text, Luke
vi, si-CommeBtary by the Rev. ID. N.
stsarns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission Of II Hoffman. publisher Philade
phial
After the healing OF the palsied man, as
recorded In our last lesson, Jesus called Mat
thew 30 BIO one OF His disciples. and was en-
tertained by him at Capernaum. He then
visited Jerusalem, healed the man at the pool
Of Bethesdn, and uttered the discourse re-
corded In John We next find Him heal
ing man with withered hand in the syna-
gogue at Capernaum on a Sabbath day, thus
greatly provoking the Pharisees, who deter.
mined TO kill Him Matt xii, 10, ~. Shortly
after this He went out into a mountain and
continued all night In prayer to God, after
which He called His disciples TO Him and
from them chose twelve apostles, that they
should be with Him, and that He might send
them forth 30 preach, and 10 have power to
heal sictnesses and 20 cast out devils Mark
III, IA, Is; Luke vi, H. 49, Then follows the
discourse Of which our lesson today forms a
part. IL Is a repetition Of portion of the
sermon on the mount Matt. v-viD, but deliv
cred under different circumstances.
q. "But say unto you which hear, Love
your enemies, do good TO them which hate
you" SEQ this In the Old Testament in Elk
xiii, 4, 8; Lev xix, II, 10; Prov. XIV, 81,
20 See IL also repeated IN verse 35 Of our
lesson, with tho encouragement that our re-
ward shall be great and we shall be "Sons Of
the Most High" tR.V.) or, In other words, las
Christ Himself" luke /, 81, RV.I Observe
that these precepts are not for any who are
not Christians as II thereby they might win
heaven, for "by the deeds of the law there
shall no flesh be justified in His sight" (Rom.
iii, 90 but for those who profess to be His
followers, having received Him as their
Saviour and Lord; that thus they may prove
the sincerity Of their discipleship
2S. BLESS them that curse you, and pray
for them which despltefully use you" Put
ting together the four precepts of this and
the preceding verse, we have only to say
with the poor Indian to whom a missionary
read these words: "This Indian can't do it;
IL God will make IA new Indian perhaps he
can" The natural man cannot do these
God.iko ACTS but the Spirit of Christ in any
man, woman or child can do again what the
same spirit did IN Christ Himself.
20. "Unto him that snniteth thee on the one
check offer also tho other; and him that
taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy
cont also" The previous precepts may In
clude only thoughts, looks and words on the
part Of our enemies, but here is personal VIC
lence A. the spelling of personal property,
and are we still 10 DO quietl Peter reminds
us that Christ suffered for us, leaving us an
example that we should follow His steps; and
Paul says, why do ye not rather take
wrongf Why do ye not rather suffer your
selves 81 bo defrauded" He also commends
those who took joyfully the spelling of their
goods Il Pet. II, u; ! Cor. vi, y
30. "Giyo 10 every man that asketh Of
thee, and Of him that tHketh away thy goods
ask them not again. Sitter, IN his Nv Ords
Of tho Lord Jesus, says that we are to say
with our hearts as well as with our lips to
tine impetuous maker Of these demands: sal
though am not bound by any obligation Of
external right or law, yet am J. according to
the spirit and law Of love, both willing and
Obliged 10 serve thco and every man; that
which thou art disposed 10 enforce from me,
! will do for thee Ia free will and double
measure, preventing thy sin by my kindness"
Yet It Is not tho Lords will TO impose it upon
His disciples as an absolute necessity TO rem
der every service that may in this evil world
bo demanded Of them any more than He re-
quires them 30 allow all their property to be
taken from them, or to tolerate every kind
Ct personal insult llcenioins only the requi-
site disposition Of mind. Wemust, of course,
Oppose the sinner as such, and his sin, even
"a We resist the dcvil, the wicked one, whose
maliguity shows itself In each individual sin.
npr
81. "And rs yc would that men should do
70 you, do yo also 10 them likewise" In
Matt vii, ~, Iio adds, "For this Is the law
aud tho prophets" To love oucs ncighhor as
ones self Is tho sum Of our whole duty to our
fellow man, but back Of this lies the command
81 lovp God with all our heart aud soul and
strength and mind; aud yet farther back, and
first Of all, "a knowledge Of the love of God to
rs la giving Himself for US
j. "Fur II ye love them which love you,
what thank have YET for sinners also love
those that love Them Yet many people
give rs reason Tor thinking themselves
CHRISTIANS that "thoy love the brethren not
considering this verse, or that unless their
love e1icnts ~ their enemies they have moth.
ing 60 boast uf IN the way " evidence. All
thee thing are traits " love which has no
native origin IN human hearts but cmnnates
from tho being Of God, descending into the
hearts ui niis own and passing back through
ihem 60 Him again.
50, % "Whut thank hnyc ycn Here is the
Same question asked a second and third time,
ssfuphasizing tho fact that II we seek here in
this life a return for all we do, We are moth
ing different from the sinners about us who
know nothing " bctter life an endless life,
nn aga g. come. Jesus said 10 the Pharisee
snsa whose house llo went one Sabbath day
10 rat brad, that when Ile made feast Ho
should invite tho poor and such rs could not
recompsuso Him again, content TO be rec
umT~ne,d az the resurrection Of the just
LAKE xiv. H. ~. n we seek n present re
ward. riches Tor their own sake, and the
Irsiaa ~ mon. and obtain IT, that is all there
j. o. 30 amt with this lfo 10 ends, but If we
sryk Che approval 81 God, We shall have His
blessing m tl,s lfc and eternal rewards at
the resurrection
IS. 81 "Bc SO therefore mercful, as your
Father als1 is mergiful" We shall ever have
g. d. in this world with unthankfu aud eva
l."f.ie sud Il We exPcct "a meet reward from
thaza wtan We serve we shall often be sadly
disappointed Many a time we shall fail TO
rres4Fe common gratitude We may often
y att9H7i i"F our wei N'iNk anu nave the
mt ~ih.b motives attributed Go us, but all
fhts ulu auiy give better occasion 70 prove
SIC reality e our love Mercy includes not
Only hHlnass but lowing kindness, as il is
aftFB translated Boz che Oh Testament; and
ufFu ~ hy the Spirit ~ Goi are able 70
shas ls,ins kudn.-s % the uuthausfnl and
sFl 80 = iLi prove ourselves a. he children of
Gai. great shall D. cur reward in the resur-
rsciiaH. and wc shall d. acknowledged as
aaas q tiss M1st High vheu the saints of the