Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-10-17
SPIRIT OF TRUE SERVICE.
LESSON III, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, OCT. 10.

Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per.
mission of H. s. Hoffman, publishes, Phiadel
phia
o. "And there was also a strife among
them, which of them should be accounted
the greatest" He had kept His last pass
over with them, again typically foreshad-
owing His sufferings and death; He had
instituted the supper which would keep
constantly before them His humiliation
unto death; He had just said that one of
them, one of the twelve, should prove false
to Him and betray Him; and yet all these
things so little affect them that, even at
such time, instead of being in sympathy
with Him, and feeling for Him in view of
His approaching sufferings, they are sell
fishly and apparently unfeelingly talking
of their own personal advantage and SUI
perority of position in His Kingdom. He
had the cross ever before Him, and by
plain statement as well as by parable and
type was ever referring to it. They could
see no cross, but only the restoration of
Israel's supremacy as in the days of David
and Solomon, and position and honor for
themselves with Him. Their thoughts
were not His, they understood Him not.
He was alone among men, His company
with whom lie found fellowship was I'M
seen by mortals.
%. "And He said unto them, The kings
of the GentileS exercise lordship over them;
and they that eXer authority upon
them are called bencluctors." The Jews
were chosen from among all nations to
show unto all the reality of the only liv.
ing and true God, one who in supernatural
ways would guide, protect and care for His
people who put their trust in Him; pity
ing and providing for them as a father,
comforting and nourishing them as q
mother. They were to glorify Him by an
implicit and constant reliance upon Him
and by being meekly subject to Him in all
things They were not to be anxious even
about food and raiment, for their Heavenly
Father knew that they needed such things
and would surely provide them Matt. vi,
32). Let the Gentiles who knew no Heav
emily Father have such anxiety, but let Is
rael not SO dishonor their God. And so
with position and honor among men,
leave all that to those who knew no better
20. But We shall not be so but he that
is greatest among you, let him be as the
younger and he that is chief as he that
doth serve" This was lesson that He
was ever teaching them Matt. xviii 3, 4;
XX, p, %; xiii, ~, but one so hard for
poor human nature to learn.
%. For whether is greater, he that sit
teth at meat or he that serveth2 Is not he
that sitteth at meat? But am among you
as He that serveth." Or as He said on an
other occasion THE Son of Man came not
to be ministered unto but to minister, and
to give His life IA ransom for many" Matt
Xxx, 2S). The incident of the feet washing
recorded in John xiii, Ill, occurred at this
| fAr I il hnt L.
supper, laid aside His garments. took II
towel and grded HIMSELF etc; then
when He had finished He said: II have
| given you an example that we should do as
! have done unto YOU"
-. eye are they which have continued
with Me in my tenptations.' How kind
! of Him it was to say so. Outwardly they
were with Him; they had left all for Him;
they followed Him wherever He went and
| ministered unto Him; but as we have seen
they did not feel for Him in His trials and
would not believe that the cross awaited
Him.
20. And | appoint unto you IA Kingdom
as My Father hath appointed unto Me. y
He will wean them from desire for present
pre-eminence by assurances respecting their
future glory.
30. THAT We may eat and drink at My
table in My Kingdom, and sit on thrones
| Judging the twelve tribes of Israel" Com
pare Matt. xix, -, where the same promise
is IA little more full There He says it will
be in the regeneration, when the Son OF
Man shall sit on the throne of Hi, glory.
81. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon
Behold Satan hath desired to have you
that he may sift you as wheat Satan
seems to have "A special hatred of those
/ NXb ha J. n, tn h., h,I
already used the lips of Peter to say tempt
ing words Matt. xvi, %, 23), and now, u:
in the case of Job, he has made special re-
quest for Peter to give him a sitting.
81. But have prayed for thee that thy
faith fail not: and when thou art convert
ed, strengthen thy brethren If the
prayers of righteous man availeth much
how all prevailing must be the prayer OF
Jesus; and how quiet and thankful We
should be that He ever liveth to make in
tercession for us" GAS. V, l6; Heb, vii, 25)
33. "And he said unto Him, Lord, an
ready to 20 with thee, both into prison ant
to death" Have you never, dear reader
been SO conscious of the presence of Goo
and the love of God that you, too
have felt just like that, even if you die
not say it? But how long did it last?
a. "And He said, tell thee, Peter tn,
COCK shall not crow this day before that thOu
shalt thrice deny that thou knowest Me.
The heart is deceitful above all things, ant
desperately wicked; who can know itg
the Lord DER. xvii, 0, l0). He needed moi
that any should testify of man, for II,
knew what was in man John ii, 25); ant
He is reading us just as He read Peter.
30. "And He said unto them, When
sent you without purse, and scrip, anC
shoes, lacked ye anythingf And they said
Nothing No good thing will He with
hold from them that walk uprightly (Ps
lXXXiv, ~; much less from those whom II,
sends forth in His name.
80. Then said He unto them, But now
he that hath IA purse let him take it, anC
likewise his scrip: and he that hath NJ
sword, let him sell his garment and buy
one" This sounds strange in view of Hi
former teaching, that if they should seel
first the Kingdom of God and His right
eousness all necessary temporal thing,
would be added; and also when we remem
Der that Peter little later used a swOrC
and Jesus told him to put it up, saying
"All they that take the sword shall perisl
with the sword" Matt. XVI, SCI. II,
never contradicts Himself; He never
oh ha L.. 81.