Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-06-20
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
LESSON XII, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, JUNE 22.


3O-Commentary by Rev. ID. VI. stearns.
| Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per-
mission of II. s. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
phia.l
%. "And He said unto His disciples, There
fore l say unto you, Be not anxious for your
life, what We shall eat; nor yet for your body,
what We shall put on" (R w The previous
verse, which is the last verse of the last les
son, contrasts treasure in this world for ones
self, and treasure with God, which is endur-
ing. Men who live only for this world will
naturally seek treasure here; but Disciples of
Christ who are no longer of this world should
seek to have their treasure where they be
long. His disciples may have thought, as He
told of the man building larger barns in
which to store his corn, well, we shall not be
troubled that way; but the question with us
| is, now that we have left all to follow Him,
what about the necessaries of life, our food
and raiment which we actually need. If these
were their thoughts He read them and met
them with the command, Take no thought
or BE not anxious" even for these things.
Obedience to this command would take out
Of many lives about three-fourths of all their
trouble. Then in Phil. w. g. is the command
to be anxious about nothing, which Will GER
tainly cover the other fourth, so that there is
. no PERMISSION IOr u ANXIOUS lnOuSuO III
the life of a Christian.
%. 1.-The life is more than meat, and the
body than rament." When He, after fast
ing forty days, was tempted to turn stones
into bread, His reply was, "Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God" Matt.
iv, A. And again when weary, hungry, and
thirsty, He sat on Jacobs well and the dis
ciples brought Him food He said ~ have
meat to eat that ye know not Of"
"a. "Consider the ravens: God
feedeth them" In the sermon on the mount
He called their attention to birds generally;
but here He selects one kind, and that an I'M
clean bird, classed among those which God
had said were to be an abomination to Israel
LEV. xi, 10, 15). This is the only place where
the word is used in the New Testament. In
Job xxxviii, Al; Ps cxlvii, 9, God is said to
provide for the raven its food and hear the
cry Of its young. And in l Kings xvii, 4 g,
it is this unclean bird which brings Elijah his
food morning and evening. There is surely
something very special in this command to
consider the ravens. Are we not reminded
that He maketh His sun to rise on the evil
and on the good and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust; and maketh the wrath of
man to praise Him Matt. V, a.; lxxvi, 10).
If God cares for and can make use of even
the abominable raven, surely He will not fail
to supply the need of those who have been
made winter than snow by the precious blood
of His dear Son.
"Of how much more value are We than the
birds!" The sparrows, two of which are sold
for farthing, or five for two farthings
Matt x, 30; Luke Xii, O. are cared for by
Him; how much more will He care for those
who are bought with such price
25. "And which of you by being anxious
can add cubit unto his STATURE" (R. W Or
"age" as in the margnl To add foot and a
half to ones height would certainly be a
great matter; and as the next verse indicates
that what is here referred to is some small
matter, it must be that the meaning is "who
by anxious thought can add even half step
to the length of his ife!" Who can with all
his care prolong his life single moment un
less God SO wills it, Or if it should possibly
signify increased Importance in the eyes Of
others in this world, such as might come from
great stature, even then we must remember
that "Promotion cometh neither from the
east, nor from the west, nor from the south
but God is the Judge, He putteth down one
and setteth up another (Ps lxXv O..
26. "If, then, We are not able to do that
which is least, why are We anxious concern
ing the restf' The little child resting in g
mothers love, entirely dependent on a moth
er's care for food and raiment and comfort
not knowing enough to have an anxious
thought, not thinking of growth or attain
ment of any kind, is picture Of the uncon
Germ and rest which every child of God SHOULD
have concerning all things temporal. 1t il
hard for strong man to realize it, but ever
the strongest physically is as dependent upor
God for everything as the little child upor
its mother. Look up; leave all to God; b,
trustful and obedient, and ''rejoice in tn,
Lord Away"
81. Consider the lilies, how they grow
Now He directs us to the flowers painted by
His own hand, growing so quietly, so noise
lcssly, SO beautifully, and He assures us thai
these excel in glory all the rament of the
wealthy Solomon. However rich and fin,
and costly might be the garments of Solo
mon, they were all put on, they were not hi
: personal glory, but only such any on,
could obtain with the same money. The
beauty of the lilies could not be bought with
C money, it was not put on, it was from within
the glory of each flower was part of itself
rs. 'If then God so clothe the grass
how much more will he clothe you, o We o
, little faithr If such beauty is bestowed OF
flowers which fade in an hour, surely He vii
not fail to provide suitable clothing for bodie
; which he will one day make just like Christ
glorious body.
20. And seek not ye what ye shall eat, o
what We shall drink, neither be We Of doubt
full mind" The margin says Live not il
: careful suspense" If it was not possible 70
every child of God to Danish forever ever,
anxious thought concerning food and RAJ
! ment, our Saviour would not So insist o.
2, 1t. And when He insists on it, how Iii:
5. honoring to God all such anxiety must be.
y 30. "Your Father knoweth that We hav
need of these things" Here is the ground G
IS our quietness and confidence: we have
Father in Heaven, and He knoweth. Tn
= nations of the world who have no Father i
Heaven all people who are of their father tn
30 devil, may well be anxious and careful I
provide food and raiment for themselves an
their households, but children of God by fait
IA in Christ Jesus should have confidence i
their Father and be at peace
10 81. "But rather seek We the Kingdom o
God; and all these things shall be added unit.
you" Not only does He tell us that GU