Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-06-27
LAW OF THE SABBATH.
LESSON |, THIRD QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, JULY 6.

12-Commentary by Rev. ID. VI. Stearns.
| Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
| mission of II. S. Hoffman, publisher, Phadel-
| pha.
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
| small matters of food and raiment, He com
manded them to be watchful and dligent,
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 n nation
| only because Of interceSsion, and through the
| long suffering of God
| TO- "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
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 hypocrites this is no reason why
| others should forsake the house of God; but
simply a 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.
II. And, behold, there was woman
! which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
| years Not so bad as the man at the pool
Of Bethesda who had an iniirmity thirty-eight
years John V, y, but bad enough surely. In
| Luke V, -; vii, 81; viii, .. we read of many
who had been healed by Him Of their inirm-
ties, and it may be that this woman had
| heard through some of them of AS wonderful
! power and love, or she may have been, not
withstanding her infrmtv, "A regular attend
ant AZ the synagogue and a true worshiper
| of the One God. The word translated "intirm-
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,
whore it is written: "fimsclf took our in
| frmtieS and bare our sicknessesn In Him IL
| health Of body and soul for all the world.
l.. "And when Jesus saw her, He called
! her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, thou
art loOsed from thine inirmity.N When He
called, She evidently came; He is still calling
Come unto Ne all pc 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
| lOI0 IeeIl llpt lut JLN St'lAll. VI ItI IL ne v
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 gon
John xi, 40. MANY Christians are bound
hand and foot by some besetting sin, 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 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, lG; Ps Xxxiii, g.. His
word, without His actual presence, was suf
ficient, as i'll the of the ceuturion's servant
and the nobleman's son Matt viii; John ivy.
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 III Patmos laying his right hand
upon john and saying. Fear not To every
true believer He is saying, Il the Lord thy
; God will hold thy right hand, saying unto
thee Fear not, | will help thee" Concerning
the ungodly He SAYS, "All day long l have
p stretched forth my hands unto disobedient
and galnsaying people REV. i, Il; lsa. xii,
10; Rom X. ~.
And Immediately she was made straight
How quickly the eighteen years inhrmty
fees, and just rs quickly was the man healed
who was thirty-eght years sick. Neither in
trinity, 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
,rJ az. IIa j. Tasiis - I'll
and there is no necessity for any OF His re
e deemed to be under the power of the devi
( luke & lb.
, And glorified Cod She either believed
that JESUS was God or that God had giveI
T. Him this power, and she glortied God il
| Him. Paul writes to the Galatians: 81
pleased God to reveal His Son in me, anC
they gloriied God in me- Gal i, 10, III, PA
If we glorfied God because Of all He has don't
/ for us, our lives would be a continued thanks
giving.
H. "And the ruler of the synagogue an
swered with Indignation" Here Is maj
u more sick spiritually than this woman wa
u, physically. He is truly bowed down, anC
/. cannot lift himself up, but he does not know
4 it, He i, like the tree in the parable, fruit
e less cumberer OF the ground spared by tn
n mercy of Cod Satan in him grows indig
j. nant because some of his goods have BEEF
e spoiled \ piece Of work that Satan has ha,
u in hand eighteen years has been suddenl.
" scattered to the winds and this child of tn
IS devil grows angry.
IS because that Jesus had healed ON tn
n Sabbath day This holy man in is own es
IT timatOnl was SO jealous for the sanctty o
=, the sabbath day that he would not on an
If account have a sufferer relieved, but it wa
e all right for him 10 get angry. once say