Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-03-08
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MARCH o.
Lesson Text: THE Great Physician.
Luke iy.. 33-44-Goiden Text:
Matt. viii, 16-Commentary
ON the Lesson

Matt viii. 10-Comfbentafy
on the Lesson.
80. "And in the synagogue there was a
man. which had spirit of an unclean devil,
and cried out with a loud voice" After
being rejected by His own townsmen OF Naz-
areth, He came to Capernaum and taught
in the synagogue on the Sabbath DAYS. Inc
first part of our lesson il the record OF an in
cident that occurred while He was thus teach
ing one day. Then, as now. all kinds OF peo-
pie went to church, some with one object, |
some another, and then, as now, Satan went
also among them. As far as We can learn
from the Scriptures there IS but one devil
properly so called the leader of all wicked
spirits whose other names are Satan, the old
serpent the dragon, the god OF this world,
the prince of the power of the air, the father
of lies etc but he seems to hav associated
with him innumerable other wicked spirits,
properly called demons and so translated IN
the r. V. margin: and the great business of
the devil and his demons is 10 enter into and
possess and control people for their destruc-
ton A man possessed by one of these demons
was in the synagogue on this particular SAB
bath day while Jesus was teaching.
81. LET us alone: what have we TO do
with Thee, Thou Jesus of NAZARETH Art
Thou come to destroy u.s. Thus the demon
in the man cried out as Jesus was teaching.
They hate Jesus, they hate the Word of God,
they seem to know that there is place of
torment prepared for the devil and his angels,
for in Matt viii. 20, the demons in the poor
Gadarene cry out, Art Thou come hlther to
torment us before the timer Weknow that
.'the Son of God was manifested that He
might destroy the works of the devil and
that the time will come when not only the
devil but all his works shall be forever BAN
ished from this earth-and in this we do re
joice.
II know Thee who Thou art; the Holy
One of Cod On one occasion when GER
tain men who knew not Jesus tried to cast
out demons, the demons cried out; Jesus
know. and Paul know but who are yeyo
And the man with the demons leaped on
them, and overcame them. and prevailed
against them, so that they fed out of that
house naked and wounded facts xix, 10, 10.
The devil and his angels do not know Jesus
for their good in any way, but they know
Him as the Son of God, the Holy Ono, the
Christ, and they fear Him, and they know
and fear those who are truly His, as Paul
was
90. sand Jesus rebuked him, saying: Hold
thy peace, aud come out of him. And
he came out of him, and hurt him not"
He addressed the demon in the man, and
His word compelled the evil spirit to leave
the mar. and he was healed. There is no
doubt Il 1t the devil and his angels poss IS
people to-day, and through them say and do
the fearful things of which we hear and read
and which we see with our own eyes.
SO. what a word is this for with au-
thority and power He commanded the UNI
clean spirits, and they come OUT The last
verse of the last lesson Tvs. 81 says that
s'His word was with power" the source of
the power is given US in Acts K, 80, where
we are told that 'God anointed Jesus OF
Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
power; who went about doing good, and
healing all that were oppressed of the devil,
for Goa was with Him "
81 "And the fame of Him went out into
every place of the country round about"
His name is as ointment poured forth Cant.
l., 81; and as Saul of Tarsus was chosen TO
bear His name and to suffer for His names
sake. SO we are chosen to bear His name and
to suffer with Him that His fame may be
spread abroad tActs tx Is 16l. If we choose
to please ourselves and prefer our own way
and our own glory, that will disqualify us
for His service, and we shall be set aside as
vessels unfit for His service But if we are
willing to be purified we shall become vessels
unto honor, sanctifed, meet for the Masters
use and prepared unto every good work.
SO. "And He arose out of the synagogue,
and entered into Simon's house" In Mark l.,
I 49, it is said that Andrew and James and
John went with Him; quite party to take
home from church. and especially to house
where was sickness. Had Simons wife been
somewhat of Martha's spirit she might have
been careful and troubled that day, and per-
haps have informed Simon that he should
have known better than to bring company
home when her mother was so sick Not
knowing how she did feel or act, we can only
hope that she joyfully received her Lord and
His followers.
49, He stood over her, and rebuked the
fever, and it left her. and Immediately she
arose and ministered unto Them A little
before He had rebuked the unclean spirit, and
now He rehukes the burning in this woman's
body, and as quickly as the spirit fed from
the man, so this great fever fees before the
same Almighty Word, and the woman is in
stantly well; so well that she is able to min
lister unto them, and she does it at once In
public and in private Satan works; in the
/ church and in the home, causing disturbance
and weakness and suffering, but Jesus is
Prince Of Peace and Prince of Life lisa. tx,
! 6; Acts ILL 15) and before Him all the power
of the enemy must fall.
40. And He laid His hands on every one
of them and healed Them Tidings from
the synagogue and from Simon's home soon
spread through the city, and people sick with
all kinds of diseases are brought unto Him,
every one of whom is sent away healed Oh.
the wondrous hand of Jesusi
Al. 'And devils came out OF many,
and He, rebuking them, suffered
them not to speak, for they knew that He
was Christ" How many happy homes there
were in Capernaum that night; people now
perfectly well who had long been sick and
had suffered much; people now about on the
streets and at their work who had not been
seen there for many day; people now meek
and gentle to whom you could not speak be-
fore without being insulted; and all because
Jesus had come His word and His hand
did it all, and He still lives, and is accessible
to all who truly seek Him.
A. "And when it was day, He departed,
and went into desert place" Mark SAYS
that He rose a great while before day and
went away to pray Mark l., 35l. What
hungering for communion with His Father,
what abstraction from the things of earth !!
But this is the secret of power. A hold upon
God a cliuging to God, waiting upon Him
alone a whole hearted reliance upon Him, a
living i'll His sight a witnessing unto Him
that He may be glorifed, a studying to show
ourselves approved unto Him, seeing no one
but Jesus only. This is for us the way of
power.
"And the people sought Him, and came
INTO Him. aud stayed Him, that He should
not depart from them" What contrast to
the conduct of the people of Nazareth But
were these people seeking Him for His own
sake or for the blessings to be received at His
hands? A more practical question is, DO
YOU seek Him, dear reader, on the day after
the Sabbath as well as on the Sabbathg' And
why do you seek Him. Is it for His gifts,
some blessing from Him, or is it TO know
Him, aud the power of His resurrection, and
the fellowship Of His sufferings!
49, "And He said unto them, must preach
the kingdom of God to other cities also; for
therefore am | sent" The r. V. says: II
must preach the good tidings Of the kingdom
of God" Matthew adds that He preached
the Gospel of the kingdom and healed all
manner of sickness and all manner OF di-ease.
A. "And He preached in the synagogles of
Gal iIee." Matthew says that He went abont
all Gallilee The commission to all His fol
lowers now is to Go into all the world and
preach the Gospel to every creature and il
any believer is content simply with his own
salvation and Indifferent to the great com
mand, what is he but willfully and selfshly
disobedient and how can he be filled with the
Spirit OF have fellowship with the Father and
the Son.-Lesson Helper.
OIL In WEST VlRGINIA