Connecticut western news., 1890-08-13
THE TEN LEPERs.
LESSON VII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
 s NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. t7.

Text of the Lesson, Luke xvii, 11-19.
 Commit Verses, 15-17-Golden Text,
 Luke xvii, 1s-Commentary by Rev. D.
 M. Stearns.
 Compiled from Lesson Helper QArterly by per
 mission of H. & Hoffman. publisher, Philadel-
 phia-l
 H. "And it came to pass, as He went to Jerusalem" The time draws nigh for Him to be offered up, and 'to Jerusalem" is His daily thought, for He Himself said, Tt cannot be that prophet perish out of Jerusalem" (ehap. xiii, as); "When the time was come that He should be received up He steadfastly set His face to go to Je- rusalem;" 'He went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying to- ward Jerusalem;" Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished' (chap. ix, 51; xiii, a; Xviii, 3D. At Jerusalem He was to finish the work which the Father had given him to do, and He was pressing on to finish that work His grand and faithful follower, the apostle Paul, had the same spirit when he said concerning bonds and afhictions, "None of these things move me- neither count my life dear unto myself, so that might finish my course with joy" (Acts xxx, 2D. We do not know just where our work shall end, nor when it shall be finished, so that the only safe way is to be always found doing unto Him, and with our might, W bat our hands find to do.
 12 And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off," Utterly unclean, dwelling alone, without the camp (or village, or city), how sad was the condi- tion of these poor men Qev. xiii, A 46). Afar of from human help, and sympathy, and friendship; living and yet dead to all the ordinary relationships of life. Con- sider the leprosy of Miriam, Naaman, Gehazi, Uzziah and the four men at the gate of Samaria CNum. xii; II Kings V, 2; xv, 5. Perhaps there is no more forci- ble representation of sin and the sinner in the whole Bible than that of the leper and bis leprosy. Let the teacher who would, with the greatest profit, present this lesson study carefully Lev. xiii and xiv and read MacNntosh's notes on the same
 IS. "And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on usp' They made no professions; they made no promises; they knew they had nothing but leprosy, and as poor, unclean, cast out lepers they could only beg for mercy, and this they did What a happy day it was for them when Jesus came their way. They had heard of Him; they heard of the healing of other lepers by His gracious pow ef4 This was their opportunity, and they seize 1t. How wise they were. What a contrast to the man in our lesson who, like many today, believed in larger hope a possibility of salvation after death-and so after he died cried, Father Abraham, have mercy on mel' How vain was bis cry.
 N<> ol ,k,k .: And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed." Thus He spake unto them, not disregarding nor setting aside the law, for He came not to destroy but to fulfill the law, but told them to do as com manded in the law Qev. xii, 9; xiv, 8. They might have reasoned and argued and have said: Master, the priests cannot help us, the law cannot heal us; we do not need to find out whether we are lepers or not; we know we are; it is mercy we ask for from Thee, who alone canst heal us. But they did not argue, they obeyed and went; His word was sufficient; and as they went they were cleansed. Reasoning and arguing would have only hindered;. obedience brought the blessing.
 15. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorifed God" As obediently
 
 himself new man as to his body; he is clean, he is whole, he is no longer a leper; no longer shall he be cut off from home and friends; that very day he becomes a part of the world again, with it's pleasures and employments, instead of being an out cast. And what Is now his first thought Gratitude to the Lord who healed hfm. The goodness of God has led him to repentance (Rom. ii, 4), and with 8 loud voice he makes 1t known. His heart is full, and with his voice he utters it's abundance. He seems to believe that Jesus is God, and he gives God the glory. He is neither afraid nor ashamed to make it known with loud voice that God has wrought great work on him.
 16. And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan" Here is humility, gratitude, reverence and worship. Here is the proper place for every penitent sinner-''on his face, at Jesus feet" And the proper place for every saved sinner who is teachable is tat the feet of Jesus, hearing His word" (chap. X, 39). The fact that this man was Q Samaritan reminds us of the statement that 1.-The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" John iy, 9. But that, nc doubt. refers to self righteous, moral, clean Jews When Jew found himself leper he saw himself no better than Samaritan leper; they were all in the same sad case with nothing to boast of but their leprosy nothing to make one think himself better than another. A deep conviction of sin 1. one of the grandest things to take away all pride, and makes us see that in Gods sight all are sinners together.
 IT,. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansedS but where are the ninea" 1s it possible that with returning health there came also old prejudices and Jewish pride of birth, and as they saw this poor Samaritan glorifying God did they de spise him as they kept on their way to theil priestsi It certainly looks that way.
 1a '"There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger He came unto His own, and His own re ceived Him not, but as many as received Him to them gave He the right or privilegt to become the sons of God John i, II, 12) Out of all the multitudes upon whom H, conferred healing of the body we are no told how many or how few truly received Him and gave glory to God, but when W, remember that only about 12o of all thos' gathered in Jerusalem at the passover waited together for the baptism of th, Holy Ghost (Acts i, 1O we are compelled tt think that not even one in ten of the null tttudes He healed ever became His tru, disciples. And as we read of this stran ger" alone returning to glorify God, ar, we not reminded of the Roman centurion of whom Jesus said, ''Verily, say unt< you, have not found so great faith, no not in Israel" And of the woman of Tyr, and Sidon to whom He said, 70 woman great Is thy faith" (Matt. viii, 10; XIV, 2s.
 19 ''And He said unto him, Arise, g thy way; thy faith hath made the. whole" Or. as in the margin of the R. V. .Thy faith hath saved thee" Happy man He has now not only clean body, but clean, blood washed soul. Ohi how mucl the others missed by their ingratitude.
 Ruining the Feet.