Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-04-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
APRIL 9.
Lesson Text: "Christ's Law of Love-
Lukeyi 81 3S Golden Text: Luke
vi, 31-Commen' AIRY on the
Lesson.

q. The command. Love your enemies"
strikes the average citizen of the world as
strangely as il must have appeared TO the
Galilsean Jew. II seems TO him unnatural.
il is not according to human nature. but 70
the divine The verb ito love has at least
three different meanings o. TO be pleased
or delighted with, to be fond OF, or TO regard
with affection because OF qualities which ex
cite pleasing sensations or desires In this
sense we ought 10 love God an'l all good per
sons n 10 have benevolence toward OF to
have a moral regard for In this sense We
ought to love enemies. ~ Love Is used IN a
bal sense Of lust
1t is the love which has benevolence toward
Others and regard Tor their moral we'll
beng which we ought 10 exercises toward
enemies. We may hate the sin. but lore the
sotl Of the SINNER THIS wall prompt US to 10
good 20 those whose characters we cannot
approve
= There are four steps or grades between
wickedue>s aud perfect righteousness IN Man
may bate those who love hun This allies
him to devils Bad men hate God Who loves
them, ''God 50 lowest the world etc John
III, 10 e. Aan may hate whoever hates
hID. This Is human nature. lt
is natural 10 give blow for blow,
bard words for halat words hate for bate.
O. Nan may love those whu love him. This
too Is human Men generally are un 70 that
love them a Man may love thoee that
hate him. This is the divine rule II Is not
uncommon to act out hannah nature IL
takes grace and a Christ-lke nature. a re
newed human heart so '-blcSS them that
curse YOU, aud to pray for them thar de
spiteiully use You CHRIST on tile cross
prayed for His enemies, and Stephen also did
likewise while they were stoning him 10
death
%. The blood feiids prevailing in the Fast
needed sharp rebuke The custom was:
blow for blow. blood FOR blood. and the spirit
OF retaliation ran through whole families and
generations. The principle here taught is
that followers of Christ are 10 submit IA and
sllller wrong rather than 10 take the law into
Their own hands or return violence for vio-
lence. il surely does not require US to place
ourselves at the mercy Of drunken man or
allow crazy person to beat out our brains.
with no effort to save our lives The iuIo
has obvious qualifications, but the spirit of
the principle belongs to the foundation OF
al true Christian life
30 Again 1t is not indscTiminate giving
that Is commended, hut the spirit Of true,
wise and considerate charity We might give
OF some things and in such a manner as to
rum the soul of the re,;ever Ia Justify such
acts from this command is tumpotely to per
vert ATS purpose and meaning II is the habit
OF generous, uSellish and loving benevo
lenee that Jesus would have His dis
ciples form. I'VE are not 10 turn The
world into great poorhnuse, nor to
encourage vagaboudlsn and ShftlesSnesS -
The spirit that would lead Jew to feed
Jew only, but kick out Geutile "a siarve, il
the spirit tine Lord rehukes Give Il, those
of our church. but leave others 10 shift for
themselves, is similar spirit rcappearing in
modern times The spiritual needy may
sometimes lie far beyond our church, and
rHrft 4. q.
agency. The command applies there, we
are 50 give to such as God may give us
ability.
81 This is known MS the Saviour Golden
Rub. This law had lieen originally written
III the hearts Of men but was lost in the fall.
A few great minds had CROPPED after some
thing like il, but found it only in ii negative
form at the best Confucius about 800 b
c. states IL in this way What ] do not
wish men 10 do to me, also wish not to do
TO men" Jesus put this truth in positive
form, and not merely required an ahStaining
from evil 10 oIIr neighboiS but en- Joined us
TO do the same good TO then, which we would
haVe others do to u; vide difference he.
tween these two principles.
" Man may return IN Good for good
evil for evil, this is huma I; even sinners do
that. q, Evil for good tins is devilish. bur
some bad men do that and 81 become like
demons, 81 Good for evil this Is divine
No thanks are to be given for loving Those
that love us, or for doing good to those who
do good to Us; sinners do that, disciples
would not on that level rise above common
sinners
"a. So too if YOU lend to those that YOU ex-
pect will repay you. that is Still on the lower
level of common sinful men. There is no
proof Of ChriSt-likeneSs in such acts The
disciple is to rise To higher plane Of con
DUCT, one more nearly allied 10 the spirit of
that Father who 81 loved the world in its sin
that He gave His only begotten Son, that
WNhosoever belleveth in Him might not perish,
but have everlasting life. While we were
enemies Christ died FOR us. This is the spirit
which Christians should exercise toward the
worldly the enemies of Christ and of the
Christhke.
So Are Christians to offer themselves
sacrihce 10 the cruel god of this world. to DO
prosecuted, bulieted made wretche1 aud to
be hacke'l il pieces by the sword, roasted by
IRE or torn limb from limb by tine rack or the
wild beasts and have no compensation no re-
Wardf Nay, the reward is great. Ex-
efcisng tins love of benevOlence toward
enemies eNalts to sonshlp of the
MOST Hl2n AS he IS kind toward the uu-
thankful and the evil, Christ'S disciples, fol
loving TINS example, may become heirs OF
"oa anu JOINT hers with Christ Mercy -
one of the attributes OF God Himself; were 1t
not so, all men must have mtserably per
ished forever Disciples are to initiate the
Father in this blessed grace.
Harsh, censorlous judging of others is
common fault of worldly men in all ages.
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