The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-20
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
AUGUST "a.
Lesson Text: "Prevailing Prayer
Luke xviii, 1-14--Golden Text:
Luke xviii, II - Com
mentary. ~

not to faint.n The Kingdom Of God and the
coming of the Son of Man in power and glory,
and the cross as the only way to the King.
dom, were the topics constantly in the mind
and on the lips Of the Lord Jesus. Al the
Kingdom ' comes mes and and His discourses
We're full Of the Righteousness Of the
Kingdom.
Q. There was in city judge, which
feared not God, neither regarded man."
The eyes Of the Lord which run to and fro :
through the whole earth III Chron. xvi,
9; Jer. xxi, 10; Zech. iv., 1N had seen
many SUCH He sees many such to-day both
in high and low places among men. What Q
who uttered this parable, to whom all judg-
ment has been given and who has been APP
pointed Judge Of this world John ", %;
Acts xvii, 3l.l What defiant spirit, not
to fear God; what self -centered spirit, not
to regard man. Although devils do not re- 2
gard in any sense the welfare Of man, they
do tremble before God JAS. H., 49,, so that
q man who fears not God seems to be worse
than the very demons. -
g. "And there was widow In that city;
and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me
Of my adversary" Many are the widows
and fatherless that in this world are poor {
=
for each one, though He may not always
seem to.
4. "And he would not for a while; but
afterwards he said within himself, Though I
fear not God, nor regard man." Why should
he trouble himself about this oppressed one;
since 1t was nothing to him, and he feared no
higher powerS Had she been able to pay him
well no would have attended to her, but as
he would make nothing by it therefore pay
no heed to her. Thus probably, he reasoned
in his wicked heart,
s. "Yet because this widow tronbleth me,
I will aycnge her, lest by her continual conn
ing she weary me-" No regard for God or
man, and no desire to do justly for this OPP
pressed and prosecuted widow, but simply
through desire for his own personal comfort
he will finally attend to her. -
G "Apd the Lord said, Hear what the un-
Just judge saith" What contradiction
there is in these two words, unjust judge"
when we remember that it Is written: HE
that ruleth over men, must be just rulingin
the fear of God" u Sam. xiii, 81. And
yet the contradiction isno greater than In the
terms-worldly Christian, doubling be-
the world, ond believer scatters all doubts
by the wcrd And does God hear what we
say and see all we do2 Yes, His eyes are upon
all our ways, and even for our words we
must M &, give account tJer' xz1ii'' 10; Matt.
Z. "And shall not Col avenge His own
elect which cry day and night unto Him,
though He bear long with them% The word
Select" in Scripture refers sometimes to the
22); sometimes to the church gathered out Of
Jews and Gentiles from. viii, 33; Col. ILL.,,
12, and sometimes to Christ Himself lisa.
xiii, y. Inasmuch as in the Gospels Christ
is dealing only with Israel (Matt. Z, s, @;
XIV, 24), with buta hint here and there Of
the church Matt. xvi, Is; John K, 1G, he
must refer here to the elect Of Israel as In
Matt. XIV, %. The church is not to pray
for vengeance on her enemies, but vengeance
upon enemies is often associated with the re-
demption of Israel lisa. xx1iv., s; xxxy., 4;
xiii, 4; Luke XXI, 2S).
s. Il tell you that He will avenge them
speedily" When Jesus came in His hunil-
alton as servant to suffer and die, He read
from the prophecy Of Isaiah concerning the.
acceptable year Of the Lord; and He closed
the Book. When He comes agnin to Israeli
it will be to fulfill the next sentences wh(
He did not read that day. 1t will be fqD'Sen-
gcance upon her enemies and to comfort all
the penitent who truly mourn (see lisa. Xxi,
!, 2, and Luke iv., 1920.
O. "And He spake this parable unto GER
tain which trusted in themselves that they
were righteous and despised Others" We
shall now learn who constitute the true elect,
and whether they are the elect remnant of
Israel or the elect church, the same spirit Is
necessary in each. No one can be righteous
in Gods sight who trusts in himself, for
''eyery man at his best state is altogether
vanity" (Ps. xxx, 81.
10. 1.-TWO men went up into the temple to
pray; the one Pharisee and the other
publican" Outwardly the two are alike In
this, that they both go to the temple, and
they both 60 to pray. Men would judge that
the Pharisee was ono Of the elect, sure; but
haps the Pharisce was found so doing every
day, or at least twice O week when he tasted
(ver. ~; while this poor publican may never
have been seen there before. Thus men
might hastily decide in favor of the Phari
see, for man looketh on the outward appear
nnce, but the Lord looketh on the heart Il
Sam. xvi, 4.
II. "The Pbarisee stood ana prayed thus
with himself" He trusted in himself (ver.
o. and prayed with himself It was self all
the way through with him, and in his own
eyes he was A No. l. He knew nothing Of
Paurs motto: mot I, but Christ.
"God I thank thee that am not as other
men, extortioners unjust, adulterers, or
moment; he prayed to God, he thanked
God, he was outwarjly conformed to the
law; he made his money honestly, wronged
no one. paid his debts, his private life was
unstained, and he had not, like this publican
accepted Office from the conqurors OF his
native land for filthy lucre's sake.
1o. II fast twice in tho week, give tthes
of all that possess" The law Of Moses re-
ouired but one fast in the year Lev. xiii,
97-29. During the seventy years captivity,
however, they bad four yearly fass (Aech.
was away ahead Of all requirements; be was
very religious.
13 s'And the publican standing afar OF,
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto
heaven, but smote upon his breast saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner" Here Is q
man despised by others; like the lepers OF the
last lesson he is an outcast; he stands afar
eff as if confessing his great distance from
God, morally; he has not one good thing to
say about himself; he is sinner and he
knows it, and he feels it, and that is his plea,
is one Of the truly penitent, bringing the
sacrifice of broken spirit, broken and
contrite heart (Ps. H., ~ and he looks for
forgiveness through the blood-shedding of
substitute. If he does not sec all this the
Lord sees it in his 'God be merciful to me q
sinner"
IA. II tell you this man went down to
his house justified, rather than the other
The Pharisee's goodness was in Gods sight
only as filthy rags GSa lTiy; o. for it Sams am
wicked heart (Jer. xvii, 9; and a corrupt
tree cannot bring forth good fruit MAT.
sill, 49,. He was no better than Nico-
lemus perhaps not half as good, and yet
Sicodemus must be borne again ere he could
inter the Kingdom John iii, 9, 5, q. The
eoor publican, confessing his sin, goes away
justified (see Acts xiii, 3S S9), having OBJ
tained what he asked for. The self,
righteous went away as he came; he asked
nothing and received it.-Lesson Helper.