Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-11-10
THE ST ,IDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON vi, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, NUV. IL.

l. Moreover, brethren, VIC 40 you TO VIII
(make known to YOU of the grace of God
bestowed on the churches of Macedonia"
Philippi, Thessalonica and other places in
Macedonia were the first in Europe to hear
the gospel through Paul Acts xvi. 8, IL;
xvii, ~ These churches became noted for
their faith and works q 1'hess. i, 3, s; Phil.
/ iv, 10, ICY. And Paul loved to tell of every
manifestation of the grace of God that
thus others might he 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 G. Cor. XIV, 10Y.
! 2. "How that in great trial of affection
the abundance of their JOY and their deep
poverty abounded unto the riches of their
liberality." At Thessalonca 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 Il
Thess. i, q; ii, 81, yet they managed out of
their poverty to do much for others, and
this self denying work the Lord greatly
appreciates He said of the widow who
gave the two mites, "She of her want did
cast in all that she had" Mark xii, AZ.
8. For to their power, bearrecord, 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 he for the work of the Lordl
When the love of Christ constrains one I'll
IA I,nt ie fol ,.f
as a fever does-it will not be a 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.
4. 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 50 or $40 or $50 on
to some needy ones. | myself have the
privilege of being a 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 "a we hoped,
but first gave their own selves to the Lord,
and unto us by the will of Cod" 1t is to
be feared that there are many who receive
OurlSJ as lucIf saviour NJOllu ], ~ VINO 40
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, y. Yet
anything less than this is n failure in Chris
tian living.
6. "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" (Phil. 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, lO). Philip
was the vessel to the Samaritans and to the
eunuch, Peter to Cornelius, and in this
case Titus to Corinth.
Z. wherefore rs 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 q Cor. XIV, So Now
he eXhorts them to abound in giving. 1t
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 Chapter xii, 81.
g. 81 speak not by commandments 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 our brother whom
we have seen Il John iv, 90; Jas. H. 26).
The Saviour's command is that we love one
another as He loved us (John XIV, ~.
9. For We know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ that, though he was rich, vet
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 Bethe-
hem and Nazareth and Gethsemane and
Calvary phil. ii, :, s, r. W. Hear Him
say, "If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me (Math. xvi, 24) then hear Him
tell His Father that He has given His glory
10 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 tn you do not believe the facts
10. And b rein | give my advice, for
this is eXpediont for you who have begun
before, not only to do. but also to be for
ward a year ago" In chapter tx, 9, he also
speaks of their zeal of "a year ago, the men
ton of which had stirred many, and now
he sends the brethren tn receive theis
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 gilt of His dear Son CHAP
ter tx, ~ 49,.
II. Nov therefore perform the doing Of
it, that as there was "A readiness to will, so
there may be a performance also ont of that
which ye have" When God works, He
works both to will and to do When we
have the will and the wherewithal, there
must surely be performance; otherwise
the will is really not there, and what seems
willingness is merely "A word of mouth
without any heart to it, BE We doors of
the word, and not hearers only deceiving
your oWnselves"
12. For if there be first a willing mind,
it is accepted according to that IA man hath