Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-07-19
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY go.
Lesson Text: "r..l.in~ UP Tic Grass
Luce xiv. a5-;s5-Goldcn Text: Luke
xiv, 27-Cop,:ncmtury Oh the
Lesson.

miracles Of healing, some because they really
enjoyed His teaching even il they did not
put ia in practice; but oh, how few followed
Him as true disciples. accepting Him as
Israol's Messiah and joining themselves to
Him for life or death till the kingdom come.
Even of these who pTofessed to be His disci-
piles We read that after certain discourse,
many of His disciples went back, and
walked 10 mora with Him" John vi, 66l.
And of tho twelve chosen out of all tho rest,
one possessed by thcdevil sold Him for thirty
pieces OF silver, and in tho time OF His sore
trial all forsool Him and fled Matt. XVI,
H. SCI. Knowing tho hearts of oil men, and
reading easily the inward purpose OF every
one of this great multitude, He turned and
said unto them:
&c. IF any man como to Me- and hate not
his father, and mother, AMI wife, and chill
drcn, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his
own life also, he cannot bo My disciple.n 1t
was written in the law that il any one
hated his neishbor unto death tho cities OF
refuge were TO give no refuge to him (Deut.
XIX, lib; and the Spirit through John
writes that "Whosoever hateth his brother
is murderer" and that "1f q man say,
lovc God, and hateth his brother, he is q
liarn q John ill.,, Is; iv., 20I. Yet hero ara
the Lords own words to the effect that wo
cannot be His disciples unloss wc hate even
father and mother, wife and children. Tho
explanation is found in the fact that the
word 'hate" is sometimes used to signify
glowing lcssn It is written that Jacob loved
Rachel moro than Leah Gen xxx, 30,, and
in the very next verso this is called hating
Leah. The same thing is seen in Dent. xxi,
1917. In Nal. l., 9, 3, we hear the Lord
saying II loved Jacob, and hated. ESau;'
but the context shows that it was Esaus sin
and rebellion which caused God to Show less
love 10 him than TO Jacob. Tho Sayiours own
words Gil another occasion mike plain His
meaning here. When sending forth the
twelve He sa;d: "Ho that loycth father
and mother more than Ne is not worthy of
Mo- Matt X, 81. And il is surely reason
able That the greatest lover should have tae
greatest love. The truth here taught, then,
seems to be that not even the dearest earthly
ties may be permitted TO come between tlls
believer and his Saviour who died for him;
and that while VIC love those who are SO dear
to us we must love Jesus moro than all the
rest. But lie also adds that wc are to love
Him more than cur own life. IL our love to
Him necess;tates the actual laying down OF
our life. it is to be done chccrfuly.
20. "And whatsoever Goth not bear his
cross and come after Alc cannot be My dis
ciple." The cross of Christ was that cruel
instrument OF death on which lie died when
Pet. H., 24; Col. j., COZ. Paul said that By 1t
the worlawas crnc;iled to Him and He to tho
world Gal Vi l4). And on the four differ
cnt occasions OH which Jesus gave uttcranca
to this saying Matt. X, IS; xvi, p; Marx
&, II; Luke xiv, 81, lie scoms to mean
nothing less than death to all that is against
Him.
$3.50. 'sThis man began to build, and was
not able TO finish" Such might be said OF
one who having laid the foundation was not
ablo to complete the building, and therefore
he might be made sport of for not counting
the coso 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
it may possibly mean to he mot of the
woridd John xviii, Sc; xvii, IL, 14). y
Christian is one VINO is given 10 Christ ont
OF the world" and then sent back INTO tho
world" to stand in Christs name against tho
world while seeking to rescue as many as
possible from it John xviii, u, ~. IL one
confesscS Christ before mon as His Saviour,
and identifies himself with body of Chris
tians, then continues just as much mixed IN
in tho world and worldly ways as before,
such an one has evidently not counted the
cost nor understands what it is to be dis
chile of Christ.
81, 80. "Or what king going to make war
against another king, sittath not down 1lrs6
and consuteth whether he be able" etc. In
tho previous illustration tho disciple was
looked ut as builder and his life building;
here be is compared to " warrior and his ire
u warfare. Jesus Himself is the great builder,
He is the true Zerubbabel whose hands Doth
laid the foundation of the house ana snail
also finish it (zech. iv., o.. He is also man
of War, captain OF the host of the Lord (iix.
xv.. 3: Josh. ". H. and He has considered
well the cost and the ability necessary to
build His kingdom on this earth and over
come and cast out tho enemy. he saw tne
consummation and the way to 1T before ZIG
left the Glory which He had with the rather
before the world was; and for the JOY set
before Him. He endured the cross, desplsln9
the shame, and is set down at the right hand
OF God Heb. xii. p, where DC ever hVeGu
to nuke iItercession for us Heb. vH.,. 2o)i
while wo continue the daily warfare waltlne
with Him for the time when tho Kln3doH
shall be His aud ours.
M $50 likewise wliosover he be Of you
thnt forsaketh not all that he hath, he can
not 10 My disciple" All that ono has !:
summed up In the relations mentioned II
verse &c: the nearest and dearest earthly
friends. and then DIR own selves, our very
life. How can one possibly forsake, or as IN
t;e r. Y. renounce oil these 50 as to HOLD
and love them not as our chief good, but
only as minor things in comparison OF Him
whose disciples we profess to be? How can
we learn to say with Paul: II count al
things but loss for the exceliency OF the
knowledge Of Christ Jesus my Lord" In
Pauls case it was brought about by sight
Of tho risen and assembled Jesus IS his own
personal Saviour, and as lsraePs true Messiah
to sit on David's throne and restore tie king
dom to Israel at His glorious appearing.
This made Paul to live OH earth MS citizen
of Heaven, willing to bear anything in bis
body of humiliation while he waited for the
glorious immortal body like unto Chrlsts
tPhil. iii, s, 90, 2ll. Paul was master build.
er. and master warrior; but in reference
TO his life and service, he says: Il live, YET
not ], but Christ liveth in me-" and II Ia
bored more abundantly than they all, yet
not 7, but the grace OF God which was with
me" (Gal. H., 90; I Cor XIV, 10y, Truly, he,
like his great Master, renowned all that he
had that no might glorify God. By the same
grace of God we may do likewise if we will.
81. 'Salt is good; but if the salt have lost
his SAVIOR, wherewith shall it be seasoned?"
The disciple is not only builder, and war
rior but he is also preserTer Of tho world
in which he is left for time, and apreventer
of corruption. rye are the salt OF the
earth,n said Christ to His disciples in His
sermon on the mount Matt. ", ~. AS pre-
servers consider Lot in Sodom, and hear the
angel sent to destroy the city. us he says to
Lot: sHaste thee. escape thither; for can
not do anything till thou be coma tntsiier::.
And SEQ God conscnting to spare the cities II
only ten righteous had been fond tncre
(Gen. xviii, So; xix, 81.
s.. ut is neither fit for the land, nor yet
for the dung hill; but men cast 1t out," Inc is
these words viz: That people who profess
to be His disciples, but are not, are tho most
utterly useless and unsavory kind Of people;
They are even cast out by men, for the world
can see when man is a sincere Christian Oh
when he puts it on for cloak.
sHe that hath ears to hear, Jet him hear.
An admonition to consider well what lie ba;
said. May BE by His spirit enable US TO dc
so.-Lcsson Helper.