The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-09
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON Fol
APRIL IS.
Lesson Text: "The Widow Of Nain,n
Luke vii, 11-1S-Golden Text:
Luke vii, 16--Com-
mentary.

II have not found so great faith no, not in
Israel" and to look forward to the time OF
the kingdom when many who were far of
shall be found there and many who thought
themselves entitled to the kingdom shall be
cast out (see Matt. viii, 10-13).
And many of His disciples went with
Him, and much people," Tabor, Little Her
mon and Gilboa are three mountains rising
from the plain of Esdraelon, south Of Cana
and southwest Of the sea of Galilee.' Main is
on the northwest Of Little Hermon, the
middle hill Of the three, while Endor is on the
north and Shunem on the west. Jesus left
Capernaum and journeyed some twenty
miles southwesterly to Main. He would not
be very for from Cana or Nazareth, and
Shunenl, where Elisha raised little boy to
life and restored him to his mother
or Ki., iv), but His steps are by the Spirit
directed to Main.
Ii. "Now when He came nigh to the gate
Of the city, behold, there was dead man
carried out" Only here, in all Scripture, Is
this city mentioned, but it Is forever made
memorable by this meeting Of the Prince Of
Life and Light and the Prince Of Darkness
who has the power of death. The Son Of God
was manifested that He might destroy the
works of the devil II John i'll, s., and when
He has gathered from this present world His
there reign till He hath put all enemies under
His feet; the last enemy that shall be de-.
stroyed is death II Cor. XIV, Is, 26).
'The only son Of his mother, and she was
a widow; and much people Of the city was
with her." The little girl whom Jesus raised
to life was an only daughter Nuke viii, Az,
and Lazarus seems to have been an only.
brother. Thoughtful readers will stop g
moment to remember that Solonon's master
H.. ~ mi flAx
so also was Jeroboam, son Of Nebat; poor
widow sustained Elijah, and another was
commended by Christ for her offering 4 XII
vii, a.; 1i., 20; xvii, 0; Luke xxi, 2, 3).
Special words OF comfort for widows are
found in Ex. xii, %; Ps. xviii, S; cxlvi.,
J; Zecb. vii, 10; and some day we shall see
moro clearly into all these things.
IS. And when the Lord saw her, BE had
compassion on her, and said unto her: Weep
not" In one company the center OF attrac-
ton was the Lord of Life and Glory; in the
other, this poor, desolate, broken hearted
widow. The two now meet and from the
Fountain of Life into the heart Of tie deso-.
late flow the all powerful words: "Eeep
not" So He also said in the house Of Jairus
luke tx, 52); and to Mary after the resur-
rection BE said: "Why weepest thous" John
Xxx, 15.) Yet he Himself wepG at the grave
Of Lazarus and on the mount Of olives and iE
the garden of Gethsemane John H, IS;
Luke xix, Al; Heb. ", \. When He weeps
it is because of sin either in its present or
future results: when He says sweep not" it
is because of what He is as the Resurrection
and the Life, and what He is willing and
able to do. a5
IA. "And He came and touched the bier;
and they that bare him stood still To hear
the words and see the power ofGod we must
stop and be still. 1t was when God saw that
Moses turned aside to see that BE called unto
him out of the bush. Israel at the Rcd Sen
had to stand still in order to see the saliva.
ton of Jehovah. Saul had to stand still that
| Samuel might shew him the word OF God.
| Israel had to stand still that Samuel might
reason with them of the righteous acts OF the
Lord. And again did they stand still to see
the salvation Of Jehovah III the the days OF
| Jehoshaphat (Ex. iii, 4; xiv, IL; lSam. i11
u; Xii, 4 II Chron. xx., ~. IN the busy,
| everyday life, following the dead things OF
| this world, we are not apt to hear or see the
| words or works Of the Lord; although even
| there he is ready to meet. us, and 1t IS there
we do need Him so much; but how thankful
we should be for the day which kindly COM
pels us to stand STILL and for the week night
evenings when we may stand still and turn
| aside to the prayer meeting or the Bible study
| to hear what he will say unto US:
"And He said: Young man, l say unto
| thee, Arise" Now when all is still aud all
eyes are upon Him He utters just four words
| lin the Greek), but what powtr and meaning
| there is in them; and all because OF Him who
uttered them. They are the words OF Him
who spake and it was DONE who commanded
| and it stood fast C's. xXXiii, G-Y, by whose
| word the Heavens were made and all the host
| Of them by the breath Of His mouth. OBJ
serve the II say unto thee" which He uses so
| often, and in the sermon on the mount just
| fourteen times. Compare it with the many
| hundred times repeated Thus saith tns
| Lord. of the prophets, and note its si2nhi'
cance The word ''ariss' signifies 10 awake
as from sleep (see Matt. viii, 26; xvii, a, ana
| is used i'll reference to those who rose lro:u
| the dead after His resurrection Matt. xvii,
is. "And He that was dead st up ana be-
gan to speak," Life and health and speech
| from the Prince Of Life, all uun,eriteJ, ci! OF
grace and all by His wor'l i'll the pover OF
| tile SPIRIT The wor,ls which He speaks are
| Spirit and Life, and he that hears and be-
| lieves hath everlasting life and is passed
from death unto life.
And lie delivered him to his mother" Is
| there not here hint, as III the resurrection
| Of the little girl and Lazarus, Of the reunion
! of families III the resurrection? And while
there shall then be neither marrying nor CIV.
| ing III marriage, are we not by these facts,
| ard by Thess. H., 10 taught to expect In soma
measure reunion of those who in families or
| in service have been united on earth? II
seems SO to me. =,
1G And there came q fear on all: and
they gloriieI God, saying, That great
prophet is risen up among US; and, That God
hath visited His people" They may have
thought of the resurrections through Elijah
and Elisha, and possibly have remembered
these words: II will send you Elijah the
prophet before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord" (Mal. iv., s., or
some of the promises Of visitation for deliv.
erance and restoration, as lisa. XIV, 20, %;
Eek. xxxviii, s; Zeph. H., Z, etc. The two
companies have now q common centre;
the woman and her son and all their friends
have Joined the disciples and much people
who followed Jesus, and together they glori-
fy Cod as seen in Him. This was the great
object of Jesus in all He said and did, and In
Ills last prayer He isable to say triumphant
". .'Ihaye glorifed Thee on the earth; Ihave
linshcl the work which Thou gayest me 70
do" John xvii, ~.
Il, "And this rumor Of Him went forth
throughout all Julaa, and throughout all
the region round about" That is, about
ea;lai TO saying IRON Dan and Beersheba,
~ throughout the length and breadth Of the
land. What joy in Nain What excltementl
Something unhearl of since the days OF Ell.
eh and Elisha How the people did talk!
itow they spread it abroad through M the
whole land! One who can not only cure the
sic, but actually raise the dead has visited
Israel. The men talked the women talked, !,
the children talked, and it was all about
Jesus and His woudrous works.
IS. "Anil the disciples Of John Showed him
Of ail thcs, things" And John wasn't bit
j,a'nuS. bat only desired that all might fol
low Jesus, for he had before said: He must
incrcrss. hu5 must decrease; the friend OF
the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth
Him rcioisnth greatly because of the Bride
,.rnom'S voice; this my joy. therefore is full
filled, tJohn iii -" -. "sSnn Hr!',er.