Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-02-27
THE SUMMARIZES SON.
LESSON TX, FIRST QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, MARCH I.

John v, 21-Comm sn.a-y by Rev. ID.
NJ. Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission of ii. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
phia.l
After the dividing of the Jordan to allow
Elisha to recross it and the healing of the
waters of Jericho, both of which events
were in last weeks lesson, another miracle
in connection with water is recorded in
chapter iii. In the beginning of chapter iv
we have the record of miracle in connection
with oil; and these three miracles of the
spring healed, the bitches filed and the
oil multiplied were all wrought by God
through Elisha on behalf of the peris hing,
the troubled and the needy. The God of
Elisha is our God, and of Him it is written,
"My God shall supply all your need phil
iv, 10.
%. $50 she went and came unto the man
of God to Mount Carmel"
Our lesson begins in the midst of the
story of this woman who dwelt at Shunem,
a village a few miles south of Mount Ia
Dor and southeast from Mount Carmel.
26. "Run now, pray thee, to meet her;
and say unto her, Is it well with theey"
The man of God saw her afar off and
thus commanded his servant to meet her
and make inquiry for the health of herself,
her husband and her child. The meaning of
the word well" as used in this story, is
seen in the margin of verse 49, and also the
margin of chapter V, els there peace? See
also the text and margin of Gen. xxx, 6;
xiii, %; En-. xviii, 1;,Judg. vi, -.
And she answered, 1t is we'll The soul
in which the Prince of Peace rules shall
have peace ut all times, even in tribula-
tion lisa. tx, 6, Z; XVI. 3; .Jer xxx, II;
John xvi, 33).
%. "And when she came to the man of
God to the hill she caught him by the feet"
Let her alone, for her soul is veXed
within her, and the Lord hath hid it from
me-"
Gehazi would have thrust her away as did
the disciples of Jesus many a time Matt
xiv, -; XIV, %; xix, 49,; Gehazi had so little
of the spirit of his master the disciples
so little of the Spirit of Christ And what
shall we say of ourselves?
IS "Then she said, Did desire a son of
my lord2 Did | not say, Do not deceive
me?"
90 "Then he said to Gehazi Grid up thy
loins, and take my staff in thine hand and
20 thy way, and lay my staff upon the face
of the child"
The prophet seems to understand that
the child is dead. and with these words he
sends his servant. Better if he had at once
done as Elijah did in n simlarc case q Kings
xvii, 2D. If the disciples of Jesus could
not cast out the demon from the boy Matt.
xvii, 70, 2o), much less could GchaZ with
the prophets staff do anything for this
5 dead child
30. "And the mother of the child said,
AS the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth,
| will not leave thee
Thus did Elisha say to Elijah three diff
ferent times, and he is now reminded of
his own earnest desire to obtain blessing.
81. "And Gehazi passed on before them,
and laid the staff upon the face of the
child, but there was neither voice nor hear
, ing"
1t is one thing to hold the truth and
quite another to be held byit. The proph-
cts staff in the hand of Gehaz was very
unlike the presence of the prophet him
self. Preachers and teachers and all
Christian workers must be possessed and
controlled by the truth if they would be
used of God and truth that does not pos
sess and control us and affect our daily
life is not really held by us
3D. "And when Elisha was come into the
house, behold the child was dead and lat
upon his bed.'
The child was in the prophets bed Tvs
2l)-a use Of it that the woman never
dreamed of when she prepared it for Elisha
When we are blessing Others we are Otter
unconsciously preparing a resting plac,
for our own sorrows, n comfort for our
selves in time of trouble
80. ole went in therefore, and shut tn,
door upon them twain, and prayed untC
the Lord"
1t is no formal servant and staff bushes
now, but hand to hand and heart to hear
work with the dead child and the Twin,
God. Now he does as Elijah did. He see
and realizes that the child is dead, and h
prepares to take hold of God with as mucl
earnestness as when re sought the doubl
portion of Eliiah's spirit.
"a. "And he went IN and lay upon tn
child, and put his mouth upon his mout h
and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hand
upon his hands"
"And he stretched himself upon tn
child, and the flesh of the child wake,
warm"
Sturgeon says that there is no stretch
ing that is harder than to stretch ones sci
to a child. q am indebted to him for man
other thoughts in this lesson.) When w
do this, however, in honest reliance upol
God, there will surely be response, tn
flesh of the child will wax warm Here i
IA token of returning life.
30. Then he returned and walked in tn
house to and fro, and went up AM
stretched himself upon him"
Not in moment, nor in day, does tn
fullness of life come. We must take as on
motto, Patient continuance in well dc
ing' Rom. ii, y, and remember that 81
due season we shall reap if we faint not
gal. vi, %. 1t is not stretching ourselve
to the child once only, but repeatedly, an
always in sincere reliance upon God.
And the child sneeZed seven times an
the child opened his eyes"
So we must rest not till there is yer
manifest life. We must cover the childre
with our compassion, take them to on
hearts, work with them and pray for then
in wholehearted reliance upon God, unit
they can say, 81 see Jesus as my own dea
Saviour"
80. so he called her, and when she wa
come in unto him he said, Take up tn
SON."
Elisha called his servant, and Gehal
\. called the woman, and thus Elisha spak
h.,. l..,e 4