Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-11-11
: J. II. MILLER & SONS.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATIONAL SERIES, NOV. IL.
Near b. & 0. Freight Depot.

LESSON VII, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATIONAL SERIES, NOV. IL.
Text of the Lesson, II Cor. viii, I-12.
Memory Verses, s-G--Golden Text, III
Cor. viii, documentary by the Rev. d.
NJ. Stearns.
l. Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit
make known to you) of the grace of God
bestowed on the churches CT Macedonia. ~
Philippi, Thessalonica and other places in
Macedonia were the first in Europe to hear
the gospel through Paul (Acts xvi, 9, -;
xvii, y. These churches became noted for
their faith and works q Thess i, 8, 8; Phil
iv, Is, lG), And Paul loved to tell of every
manifestation Of the grace of God that
thus others might be quickened to works
of faith and labors of love and patience of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. As to his
own abundant labors he credited all to the
grace of God Il Cor XIV, 10).
2. How that in a great trial of affection
the abundance of their joy and their deep
poverty abounded unto the riches of their
liberality." At Thessalonica they received
the word in much affection, but with joy
of the Holy Ghost. 1t was there that Paul
wrought night and day for his own support
that he might be no burden to them q
| Thess. i, G; ii, 81, yet they managed out of
their poverty to do much for others, and
this self denying work the Lord greatly
iatp 10 oil 81 he
gave the two mites, she of her want did
cast in all that she had" Mark xii, 40
3. For to their power, bear record, yea,
and beyond their power, they were willing
of themselves" There are still those who
seem to go beyond their power in the mat
ter of giving; but, oh, how very fewl If
half the members of our churches would
give as they are able, what an abundance
there would be for the work of the Lordl
When the love of Christ constrains one III
Cor V, 14)-that is, takes possession of one
as fever does-it will not be question of
how little service we can render and yet
reach heaven, but rather question of how
much use we can be to Him this little
while
T. Praying us with much entreaty that
we would receive the gift and take upon
us the fellowship of the ministering to the
saints" 1t is not usual to have gifts for
the Lords poor pressed upon you and be
urged to please pass this s. or SO or $50 on
to some needy ones. | myself have the
privilege of being Il channel for thousands
of dollars annually to foreign missions, but
no one needs to entreat mel enjoy the
service.
5. And this they did, not as we hoped,
but first gave their own selves to the Lord,
and unto us by the will of God" 1t is to
be feared that there are many who receive
Christ as their Saviour John i, 12) who DO
not accept Him as their Lord and Master
| They do not present their bodies unto Him
as living sacrifice that He may conform
their lives to His own Rom. xii, l, o. Yet
anything less than this is d failure in Chris
tian living.
&. "lnsomuch that we desired Titus, that
as he had begun, so he would also finish in
you the same grace also" While lit is
God who worketh" tPhil. ii, 49, He is gra-
ciously pleased to use the earthen vessels
that it may be more clearly manifest that
the excellency of the power is all of Him
self Gil Cor. iv, Z; | Cor. XIV, 10). Philip
was the vessel to the Samaritans and to the
eunuch, Peter to Cornelius, and in this
case Titus to Corinth.
I. Therefore as We abound in everything,
in faith and utterance and knowledge and
in all diligence, and in your love to US, see
that ye abound in this grace also" In his
first epistle he taught them to abound in
the work Of the Lord Il Cor. XIV, 5S). Now
he exhorts them to abound in giving. IL
seems to require exceeding abundant grace
with some to develop this grace of giving,
but it is true, as in all else, that His grace
is sufficient tchapter xii, o..
s. Il speak not by commandment, but
by occasion of the forwardness of others
and to prove the sincerity of your love"
We can prove the reality of our faith and
love only by our works, and there is no use
in saying that we love God whom we have
not seen if We love not cur brother whom
we have seen Il John iv, 20; Jas ii, go.
The Saviour's command is that we love one
another as He loved us John XIV, I2}.
0. For ye know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet
for your sakes he became poor, that We
through his poverty might be rich" Here
is the word that captivates; here is the
love that constraineth Consider the riches
in glory of the Lord Jesus which He had
with the Father before the world was John
xvii, 81. Think of his emptying Himself of
all that and humbling himself to Bethle-
hem and Nazareth and Gethsemane and
Calvary Phil. ii. I, s, r. VI. Hear Him
say, IF any man will come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me (Math, xvi, "a, then hear Him
tell His Father that lie has given His glory
to all His followers and He wants them to
see and enjoy it John xvii, %, pa, and if it
does not make you want to give all YOU are
and have wholly up to Him for His service
it must be that you donot believe the facts.
10. And herein / give my advice, for
this is expedient for you who have begun
before, not only to do, but also to be for
ward year ago" In chapter tx, 2, he also
/ speaks of their zeal of a year ago, the men
ton of which had stirred many, and now
he sends the brethren to receive their
promised bounty, melting them by many
words to manifest their thankfulness to
God by their ministration to the saints
and keeping before them the love Of God in
the unspeakable gift of His dear Son {chap-
ter tx. L., l5l.
| IL. Now therefore perform the doing OF
4 1t, that as there was readiness to will, so
there may be performance also out of that
which ye haze" When God works, He
works both to Will and to do. When we
have the will ard the wherewithaI, there
must surely be a performances; otherwise
the will is really not there, and what seems
a willingness is merely word of mouth
without any heart to it. BE We doors of
the word, and not hearers only deceiving
your ourselves
II. For if there be first willing mind,
I it is accepted according to that man hath
and not according to that he hath not. y
/ There is no use wasting breath In telling
what we would do if we could for God
only asks willing mind TO do what we
san If it shall be said of us that we did
what we could Mark xiv, s.. we can ask
no higher commentator. AS to the will
/ ing mind and offering read Elk. XIV, 2;
xxxv, 81, 2, %; Chron. xxx, 9. Then re-
member that God is able to make all grace
abound toward you, that re always having
all sufficiency in all things may abornd TO
every good work (ehapter tx, 81. 1t is not
question of what we can or cannot do,
but question Of what God can do through
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