Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-07-04
LAW OF THE SABBATH.
LESSON |, THIRD QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, JULY 6.

/
1e-Commentary by Rev. ID. VI. stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per-
mission of II. s. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
phia.l
After encouraging them with the fact that
1t was their Fathers good pleasure to give
! them the Kingdom, and that therefore He
would surely see to their present need in the
small matters of food and raiment, He com
manded 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 fruitess fig tree
taught them that they were spared as nation
only because of intercession, and through the
/ long suffering of God.
10. And He was teaching in one Of the
synagogues on the Sabbath" In His early
ministry we read of Him that Gas His Gus
tom was, He went into the synagogue on the
Sabbath day." and although He knew so
well the hypocrisy of those who taught in the
synagogues yet He does not depart from His
usual custom. Because there are false teach
ers, and many calling themselves Christians
who are only hypocrtes, 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
public and in private.
II. "And, behold, there was woman
which had a spirit of inflrmity eighteen
years" Not so bad as the man at the pool
of Bethesda who had an infirmity thirty-eight
years John V, 81 but bad enough surely. In
Luke v, Is; vii, 81; viii, 9, 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
power and love, or she may have been, not
withstanding her infirmity, regular attend
ant at the synagogue and a true worshiper
of the One God. The word translated "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, II,
where it is written: Himself took our in
flrmities and bare our sicknesses." In Him is
health of body and soul for all the world.
IL. "And when Jesus saw her, He called
her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, thou
art loosed from thine infirmty." When He
called, she evidently came; He is still calling
Come unto Me all ye that labor and are
heavy laden and will give you rest; :" but how
few seem to come. This woman was con-
scious of her heplessness and earnestly de-
sired release, therefore she came readily.
Sinners, though bowed down and unable to
lift themselves up, are too often unconscious
of it, do not think they are sick, and there
fore heed not the physician. Oh for deep
conviction of sin and realization of our utter
helplessness. Lazarus stood at the graves
mouth alive and well, but he was bound hand
and foot with grave clothes so that Jesus
said unto them, Loose him and let him 60"
John xi, Az. Many Christians are bound
hand and foot by some besetting sin, some
earth ward tendencies, from which in vain
Nl,.N,,- IL tl,n,., a.
able, and if they only knew the meaning of
"Thine is the power" they would look to Him
and be set free for service.
Is. "And He laid His hands on her: and
Immediately she was made straight, and
glorified Cod His word was sufficient, for
"He cast out the spirit with His word" and
"By the word of the Lord were the Heavens
made" Matt viii, IS; Ps. xxxiii, O.. His
word, without His actual presence, was suf-
fcient, as in the case of the centurion's 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, ID; viii, "a,
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, 81 the Lord thy
God will hold thy right hand, saying unto
thee, Fear not, l will help thee" Concerning
VIC uHSOui1 l4c says, All udy iOIB L nave
stretched forth my hands unto disobedien,
and gainsaying people" REV. i, II; Isa. xii
10; Rom. x 2l.
"ADd Immediately she was made straight.
How quickly the eighteen years infirmity
fees, and just as quickly was the man healed
who was thirty-elght years sick. Neither in
trinity, nor disease, nor death itself can abide
in His presence for He is The Life. Thai
which neither skill, nor money, nor human
effort can accomplish, He instantly does with
a word or a 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 devi
luke K, 49,.
) "And glorfied God" She either believe,
that Jesus was God or that God had givel
Him this power, and she glorifed God il
Him. Paul writes to the Galatians: 81
pleased God to reveal His Son in me; an,
= they glorified God in me" Gal. i, Is, l6, 24)
If we glorified God because of all He has don
for us, our lives would be continued thanks
Ia giving.
a. "And the ruler of the synagogue an
swered with indignation" Here is ma
}, more sick spiritually than this woman wa
physically. He is truly bowed down, an
cannot lift himself up, but he does not know
q it, He is like the tree in the parable, fruit
$. less cumberer of the ground spared by tn
mercy of God Satan in him grows indig
nant because some of his goods have bee
spoiled. A piece Of work that Satan has ha
in hand eighteen years has been suddenl
s scattered to the winds, and this child of tn
devil grows angry.
n. because that Jesus had healed ON th
d. Sabbath day" This holy man lin his own e
e. timationl was so jealous for the sanctity G
q the Sabbath day that he would not on an
(. account have a sufferer relieved, but it wa
all right for him to get angry. once say
'' an officer on ferWboat rebuke man 70
whistling on the Lords day, while he himse
was running his boat for ordinary traffic an
collecting fares on any other day. Their
30 is much straining out gnats and swallowin
camels in religious matters.
!. Is THE Lord then answered him, an
said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one {
you on the Sabbath loose his OK or his a
10 from the stall, and lead him away to wate
ingf' A hypocrite is one who conceals h
os real motives and processes to be what he
not. This man professed to have a gree