The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-10-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Vnteriationai Lesson for October q. 1893
Redemption In Christ - Romans

!" Z" 0VO
Redemption In Christ - Romano
3iiO-e6.
Especially Arranged from Peloubets Notes,
1oLDEs TEXT. Being justified freely by his
grace through the redemption that Is Ia Christ
Jesus-Rom 3.2A
TIE COURSE or T~HorcHr-Thc subject n
ho~ men can be saved from sin. They cannot
be saved by the deeds OF the law, for as a mat.
ter OF fact they have all failed ia obedience 70
Law. What have the Gcntiles achieved under
INC law OF conscience and OF nature-thcss
Roman citizens whose glory Is IN their Roman
law Behold for answer. the awful picture in
i.sl-S- But the Jews, exalted In privilege. with
their book OF the Law and their divine training.
looking down from this height upon the heather
have they become holy by the law; No: for
they In their measure break the law OF God
a. do the Gentiles CHAP -. But Is there no ad-
vantage In being a Jcw then. and in possessing
the Law OF Godi Certainly (3:D. but II men
SIN 10 spite OF this Law they are guilty before
God, and must be condemned by Him They can
see their portrait In their own Scriptures
ts:yis). All are under sin. The whole world Is
guilty before God. by the deeds OF the Law can
no flesh be justified before God Is there no
remedy then. no salyations Yes; God has pro-
vided q way In Jesus Christ, who manifests tho
divine righteousness. who has made atonement
for sin through His blood: and by faith In Him
all who believe are Justified. forgiven the past
and made holy In heart and life
LESSON NOTES.
The Need of a Way Of Salvation.
Ever since the fall OF nan God had
been working in two parallel lines for
his redemption-one with the Gentiles
through conscience and natural law,
the other with the Jews through a d.
vine revelation md training.
First, the Gentiles. The moral con-
dition of the Roman empire, amid the
glory of its military achievements that
made Rome the mistress of the world:
In the height Of its intellectual SUI
premacy. producing works which have
aided the education Of the world for
eighteen centuries, and are still a part
of the training Of ever Y educated per
son in C~hristendom; under the power
OF a law which Is still the basis of civ
ilized Legislation; amid the triumphs
OF wealth and luxury,-is portrayed in
the terrible indictment of chap. /: 21-3a.
which the contemporary literature Of
the day fully confirms. as do the start
ling revelations from the ruins Of
Pompeii- DIR. Lyman Abbott SAYS:
There are six indications of the moral
life OF a community, either of which is
significant; when they all agree in
their testimony, they affoud a nearly
test of its true character"
!. As To industry. "All honorable
industry vas dishonorable in Rome:"
n half the inhabitants were slaves.
wretchedly treated. THE wages of a
d~ay-laborer did not exceed twelve or
fifteen cents a day."
:. As to social habits. 1.-The accumu
lation of wealth. in the hands of the
few, was as dangerous q symptom of
decentralization as the poverty, the IL.
norance and the moral degradation OF
the many" The excuses of lust can
only be suggested by saying that
they paralleled the excesses of cruelty;
and these surpass imagination"
3. As to the family. divorce was as
free and as frequent a. the most libidin-
GUS advocate of free-lust in our own age
could desire" Cicero ~repudiated his
wife because he was short Of money
and wanted a new dowry." ..Prostitu-
ton became honorable" Chastity
had become a perilous virtue"
4. As to the government. 1t was a
military ~despotism. The evils Of un-
limited power have had many tragical
Illustrations In human history, but
to compare with that afforded by
the eighty years covered by the reigns
Of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius. Nero,
and Domitian." The senate
was SO abject. and the courts SO corrupt,
the people had in them no aid for
Dverthrowing the bitter despotism
that crushed them.
5. As to education. "Such a e
ment did nothing for the education OF
youth. Rome contained nothing ap-
TO . public school sys-
The ability to write well, IL
not 10 read. vas a badge rather Of the
than the honorable class"
Education was confined to a few per-
ard limited to few and super
themes
6. As to religion. There was almost
40 faith in the gods. though temples
we're built with increasing splcndor,
established forms were s~crupulous-
observed; yet the people laughed in
he theaters at the popular satircs Of
he gods whom they w~orshiped in the
emples. Cicero and Caesar were both
Ugh officers Of religion, though both
IL. As usual with the de-
line Of faith. came the rise Of super
tition and belief in all manner Of por-
cnts and auguries. Religion had no
bearing on the moral life cx-
cpt to degrade 1t. worship and vice
we're not Inconsistent" In many cases
Worship ministered to vice.
Illustrations.-The traveller In the
lartz mountains is sometimes startled
" a gigantic apps-ition In the clouds
which are about him. until he discov-
rs that his every gesture Is repeated
" the image which for the moment
his superstitious awe. The
DDS Of Greece and Rome were but ri.
antic reflections cast upon the clouds
" Greek and Roman life. Thegods Of
lomcr and Virgil are not only feasting
'ods. but registering, ba~cchanalian,
runken gods. They are not only sen
nous, marrying and giving In q
they are openly and grossly IL
e%ntious; adultery and rape arc divine.
hey are vindictivc, passionate, in
rivuinp ~menIacircs Thor - Al