Connecticut western news., 1890-07-02
LAW OF THE SABBATH.
LESSON L THIRD QUARTER, IN-
 TERNATiONAL SERIES, JULY 6.


 1a-Commentary by Rev. D. M. stearns. lCompiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per.
 mission of Fl. S. Hoffman. publisher, Philadel
 phia-l
 After encouraging them with the fact that It was their Fathers good pleasure to give them the Kingdom, and that therefore He would surely see to their present need in the Eman matters of food and raiment, He com nanded them to be watchful and diligent, expecting persecution while they improved the present time of grace. He then turned to the people with an admonition to repent, and by the parable of the fruitless fig tree taught them that they were spared as nation only because of intercession, and through the long suffering of God
 10E "And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath In His early ministry we read of Him that "As His GUS tom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day." and although He knew 90 well the hypocrisy of those who taught in the synagogues, yet He does not depart from His usual custom Because there are false teach CTS, and many calling themselves Christians who are only hypocrites, this is no reason why others should forsake the house of God; but simply strong reason why those who know and love the Truth should be always in their place and stand boldly for the Truth, both in public and in private.
 Il. "And, behold, there was a woman which had spirit of infirmity eighteen years" Not so bad as the man at the pool of Bethesda who had an infirmity thirty-eight years John v, 3, but bad enough surely In Luke V, 15; vii, 21; viii. 3, we read of many who had been healed by Him of their infirmi- ties, and it may be that this woman had heard through some of them of His wonderful nv%l l@x- L | withstanding her infrmity, regular attend ant at the synagogue and true worshiper of the One God. The word translated s'infirm- ity" signifies also without strength" or weak ness, sickness, disease-and it is the word used in reference to our Saviour in Matt viii, F, where it is written: Himself took our in- hrmitiee and bare our acknesses." In Him is health of body and soul fos all the world
 A And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity." When He 0lled. she evidently came; He is still calling Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heAvy laden and will give you rest; ;" but bow few seem to come. This woman WIS CO., sctous of her helplessness and earnestly de- sired release, therefore she came readily. Sinners, though bowed down and unable to Hft themselves up, are too often unconscious of it. do not think they are sick, and there fore heed not the physician. Oh for deep eopviction of sin and realization of our utter help2egnesa Lazarus stood at the grave's mouth alive and well, but he was bound hand and foot with grave clothes SO that Jesus said unto them, "Loose him and lot him go' John d, 44. Many Christians are bound hand and foot by some besetting ain, some earthward tendencies, from which in vain they seek to free themselves, but Jesus is able, and If they only knew the meaning of ''Thine is the powern they would look to Him and be set free for service.
 1& "And He laid His hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorifed God" His word was sufficient. for s.He cast out the spirit with His word;" and By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made" Matt. viii, 16; Ps Hxiii, 8. His word, without His actual presence, was suf- hcient as in the case of thecsuturionb servant and the nobleman's son Matt viii; John iv). Yet He often used His hands in giving forth His power, as in Luke iv, 40; V, IS; viii, 54, etc. After His resurrection and ascension we find Him in Patmos laying his right hand upon John and saying, "Fear not" To every true believer He is saying, ''I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not, will help thee" Concerning ths ungodly He says, "Al day long have strstched forth my hands unto disobedient and gainsaying people" Rev. i, IT: Isa- xii, 18; Hom. x. 2l.
 1And immediateIy she was made straight ? How quickly the eighteen years infirmity hess, and just as quickly was the man healed who was thirty eight years sick. Neither in- drmity, nor disease, nor death itself can abide in His presence, for He is The Life That which neither skill, nor money, nor human effort can accomplish, He instantly does with . word or touch. He is the same Jesus still and there is no necessity for any of His re- deemed to be under the power of the devil uuke X, 19.
 'sAnd glorified God" She either believed that Jesus was God or that God had given Him this power, and she gloriaed God in Him Paul writes to the Galatians: s'It pleased God to reveal His Son in me; and they Klorified God in me" Gal. i, Is, Is, 24. If we glorified God because of all He has done for us our lives would be a continued thanks giving.
 IA "And the ruler of the synagogue an- swered with indignation" Here is man moro sick spiritually than this woman was physically. He is truly bowed down, and cannot lift himself up, but he does not know it He is Ike the tree in the parable, fruit Ie0 cumberer of the ground spared by the mercy of God. Satan in him grows indig- nant because some of his goods have been spoiled- A piece of work that Satan has had in hand eighteen years has been suddenly scattered to the winds, and this child of the devil grows angry.
 "Because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day" This holy man tin his own es- tfmationl was so jealous for the sanctity of the Sabbath day that he would not on any account have a sufferer relieved, but it was au right for him to get angry. once saw m officer on a ferryboat rebuke man for whaling on the Lords day, while he himself vas running his boat for ordinary traffic and collecting fares as on any other day. There b much straining out gnats and swallowing camels in religious matters.
 1h 1.-The Lord then answered him, and sid, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his OK or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to water Agr A hypocrite is one who conceals his rsal motives and professes to be what he ia not This man professed to have great reverence for the Sabbath, while his real mo- tive was his hatred of Christ. He little th0ught that Christ read his inmost thoughts and knew well bis real motive.
 16 "And ought not this woman, being Q daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound To-, these eighteen years, be loosed don this bond on the Sabbath daya" The 6rst verse in the New Testament calls Jesus the Son of Abraham; and Gal iii, 16, says that s.To Abraham and his seed (that Is, Christi were the promises made" Here stood fhe seed of Abraham, the Christ, but unac- nowledged, despised, hated by this hypo- critical son of Abraham who gloried in the uane, but was in reality no son of Abraham 0 an John viii, 30. Here also is poor ahdlcted woman, a true child of Abraham, zles deepasd by this proud Phsrfsee, who hai
 euyieGod h3 Jesus of esteerBiug an OK
 - 6s bstosr than her.
 THOUGHT He WAS SMART.