The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-04-02
THE LAW OF LOVE.
international sunday-School Lesson &
April Q, 1890.

LESSON TExT-Luke 81 7-3S
GOLDEN TExr-As ye would that men should |
do to you, do We also to them likewise.-Luke |
e:3l.
TnE-Summer Of A. D. Is few days or |
weeks after the last lesson.
PLACE-According to tradition the Sermon |
on the Mount was spoken on the Horns Of
Hattin, or Mount Of Beatitudes, square.
shaped hill, about sixty feet in height, with two
tops, near the center Of the West coast Of the |
Sea Of Galilee, two or three miles from the sea |
and seven southwest from Capernaum. Jesus,
between thirty-one and thirty.two years Of age
John the Baptist, thirty-two years old impris |
oned In Castle Macherus
PARALLEL. ACCOUNTS Matt. b:4S-48; 7:1,2.
INTERVENING HIsTORY-The call Of Matthew,
soon after the last lesson Luke b:27, 2s). stHis
feast was probably later.) The plucking Of the
ears of grain on the Sabbath and the discourse
occasioned thereby 6:l0. The man with
the withered hand (e:e1l. The calling Of
the twelve to be apostles, the morning on which
was preached the Sermon on the Mount
0:1S10). iN Il Hf
THE SERMON ON THE MouNr-This sermon
Is given both by Matthew and Luke, but
Matthew's is much the fuller, occupying one
hundred and seven verses to Luke's thirty.
This sermon is Christ's inaugural address, set.
ting forth some of the principles and laws Of
the new Kingdom Of Heaven.
CIRCuNsTANCEs-The time had come for .
new stage of development in Christ's work Of
redemption and He prepared for it by spending
o whole night in prayer upon mountain. In
the morning He selected from those who be-
ieved in Him and had followed Him twelve
disciples, including the four He had chosen .
short time before These were to be especially
trained for the work Of founding the new King
dom. He then taught them and the people
some OF the great principles Of His Kingdom.
To-day's lesson is part Of this address.
ExPLANATORY.-I. The Law of Love
as Applied to Enemies.-Vers. 27-29.
u. But 1 sag unto you. Emphasis on
the l. Contrasting Jesus teaching with
the false views of the scribes, who said:
''Thou shalt love thy neighbour" quot
ing from Lev. 1918, and then added
their own teaching to this, land hate
thine enemy" Matt. 5:4S). Unto you
phich hear. 1) To every body, not to
the twelve alone. (2) To you who listen
with the inward as we'll as the outward
ear; in whom prejudice, selfshness,
wrong will, do not dull the hearing of
the soul. Lone your esaemies. DR.. Hop
kins, in his Law of Love, describes
love as ~ desire, the common element
of all love; this desire is rational love,
being awakened by 'a perception Of
worth, as distinguished from WORTH
ness" (2) An inclination toward or
complacency in the object loved. This
also is common element in all love. In
rational love this ''propension of mind
toward the being loved is spontaneous
desire that he should attain the end or
purpose of his being. But 81 the main
element of rational love, and that
which makes it rational and free is "a
choice, for the being, of his end, and
such a devotement of ourselves to him
that is, to the attainment by him Of
his end and good-that we shall be will
ing to make sacrifices for it, as we
would for our own" Applying this to
our enemies, to those who have pre-
cisely the opposite feelings toward us
and our welfare, to love our
enemies is (D to desire their
good, sincerely and from the
heart, because we perceive the impor-
lance to them Of their highest good.
(2) To voluntarily devote ourselves to
their attaining their highest good, so
that we are willing to make sacrifices
for it as we would for our own. Now
these inward feelings, both of love and
of enmity, will express themselves in
various ways, as described in the COM
mands which follow. DO good to them
phich hate you. Who detest, pursue with
hatred, act out their inward feelings Of
hatred. Not only your feelings, but
your actions, must be exactly contrary to
theirs toward you. Solomon in his Prov
erbs (s5: 20, 2D, and Paul, quoting the
same in his Epistle to the Romans (12:
20), give an example Of the way to fulfil
this commands: Therefore, if thine
enemy hunger, feed him; If he thirst,
give him drink; for in 80 doing thou
shalt heap Goals of fire on his head. -
(2S.) Bless them that curse you. Speak
words of peace, kindness and love to
those who revile and insult you.-G. w.
Clark. This is loves answer in words
to the words of hatred. And pray for
them. Bear them upon your hearts to
the good Father Of all, seek the highest
influences for their good. Which despite
fully use you. "Treat you abusively."
The Greek word implies the coarsest
insults. = Cambridge Bible "Hostile
speech, accompanied with hostile action"
Clark. One form of this is expressed in
persecution Matt. $40. 20. And unto
him that smiteth thee on the one cheek.
This is q further manifestation Of
hatred. Offer also the other. The gen.
eral principle ''resist not evil" Matt.
$3.50; 1 Cor. 81; Pet. 2:19-23) impressed
forever on the memory and conscience
Of mankind by striking paradox.
That it is only meant as a paradox in
its literal sense is shown by the fact
that our Lord Himself, while most d.
vinely true to its spirit, did not act on
the letter of it John 1922, 2S). The re.
mark of a good man on reading the Ser
mon on the Mount: "Either this is not
true, or we are no Christians" need not
be correct of any Of us.-Cambridge
Bible. Now there is no example Of pa
thence more perfect than that Of the
Lord; yet He, when He was smitten
said not: "Behold the other cheek, but
'ifI have spoken evil, bear witness Of the
evil; but If we'll, why smitest thou Me?'
i John 1898, hereby showing us that
the turning of the other cheek should be
J in the heart. Indeed, the Lord was ready
not only to be smitten on the cheek fol
, the salvation Of men, but to be crucified
} with His whole body.-Augustine. Sec
also Pauls Interpretation of this com