Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-10-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON :, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL. SERIES, OCT. 20.

A Temperance Lcsson--Text of the Les
son, I Cor. viii, 1-13-Memory Verses,
1T, 13--Goidcn Text, Rom. XIV, Com
mcntary by the Rev. ID. VI. stearns.
I. "Now as touching things offered unto
idols we know that we all have knowledge.
knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifi
eth" The various sections of this cpistle
begin with the phrase Now concerning"
Compare vii, /: Nii, I: xvi, I. This section
which begins " t,A our lesson. covers the
whole question of living unto God and
Others instead Of unto ourselves and is
well summarized in the golden text. All
self pleasing is on the line of putting up,
but the love which seeks the good of others
tends TO build up the individual and also
to complete the spiritual temple, the
church. We may not bow down to wood
and stone, but to bow down to self is as bad
or worse. We must bow only to God--all
else is the worship of devils (chapter y,
90 FL.
?. And if any man think that he know
eth anything hc knoweth nothing yet rs lie
ought to know" One has said that ito
know our ignorance is the first step to
knowledge" 1t is on the line of Gal. vi, 3,
"lf Il man think himself to be something
when he is nothing. he deceiveth himself"
The Lord Jesus gave all credit to the Fa-
ther both as to His words and works (.John
Mi, ic; xiv, l0), and if we have His Spirit
we will, like Paul. give all the glory to the
Spirit of God and to the grace of God Il Cor
ii, 10; Ky, lOJ.
B. But if any man ,ove God the same is
known of Him. He knoweth them that
trust in Him" 1.-The Lord knowcth them
that are his' Nah. it,; II Tim ii, 49,, and bet
ter still, THE Lord hath set apart him that
is Rodly for Himself ops. iv, y. We are
people for His own possession (ritus ii, II.
X. W. When we see clearly the love of
Christ and are swcetly constrained by it. as
We will surely be when we see it, we shall
no longer live unto ourselves. but unto
! Him who died for It's and rose again I'll
| Cor. v, II, 15).
4. AS concerning therefore the eating of
those things that are offered in sacrifice
unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing
| in the world and that there is none other
God but one Such is the teaching of the
! law and the prophets. THE Lord He is
God in heaven above and upon the earth
! beneath. There is none else II am God
and there is none else. | am God, and there
! * none like me-" As to idols, they are
worse than nothing, worse than Il viper"
| Deut. iv, 80; Isa. Xvi, 0; Xii, "a margin).
). "'or though there be that are called
gods, whether in heaven or in earth. as
| there be gods many and lords many"
IIeathendom is full of gods and goddesscs,
50 called. Perhaps it is their fanciful gods
who are spoken OF in p. lXXXii. !, 6, He
! judgeth among tie gods; | have said ye
are gods" or else those who worship them.
| Compare John X. 34-3G.
6. But to us there is but one God tho
| Father. of whom are all things and w. il,
Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ. bv whom
are all things and we by Him" One God
and Father of all. who is above nil and
| through all and in all CEph. ~. g.. One
Jesus Christ. Lord of all. of whom # Is.
written. "All things were made bv Him
| and without Him was not auvthiup made
that was made" "All thinys were created
| by Him and for Him (Jobn 3. Col III,
: "Ilowbcit there is not i'm every, man
that knowledge. for some. with conscience
| of the idol unto this hour. eat if ns - thino
| offered unto AN idol. and their conscience
being weak is defiled Some hnd turned q
| God from idols II The.s i . last clause, but
had not fully renowned all idolatrv. like
! those who todnv receive Christ a. tLair
| Saviour. or nrofess to Int seq mo- harm, in
| lots of things which a hatter l,uo,vl.d,,a of
| God and n little more of the Holy Snirit
would show them to he NOT. of the Fatbr.
but of the world Il John ii. 15-1,1
s. but meat coInmendeth MS NOT in God
for neither if we eat are we the better. nei
| thar if we eat not are we the ,voree =, me
love of God to rs is regardless Of any doin0
on our part-that is. lie loved rs when we
were dead in sins lEph ii / !. bnvinpnotb-
! in. to commend us to Him. and HAVING NO
cepted Him we are acceutrd in Him
washed. sauc,iiicd. iustiGej 1t,nb Il. /
| Cor. vi. IL. The kingdom of God j., NOT
meat and drink. We are not to oiyethoupht
to these things. but ratherto righteousness
10Y. peace and the fruit of the Spirit 1Rou'
xiv. il: Ma,h. vi. N-33: XIV. III
O. But take heed lest bynuv meanstbis
| liberty of your, become n stunblino b1n,l.
to them that are weak" Our liberty in
Christ is not for self qualification u;ai Y
18. to do as we please about his or tb,t
but that we may enjoy Christ tn tha fnII
and he filled with and led bv the Snirit for