Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-09-15
= lie SUNDAY SCHOOL.
lccsON XII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. II.

i
IL. $50 then every one of us shall give
account of himself to Cod" This epistle
may be divided into three sections and la
bcled doctrinal Chapters to viiD, dispen-
sational chapters tx to XII and practical
xii to XVII. The practical, with which we
now have to do, may be subdivded as fol-
! lows; xii, character; xiii, relation to civil
rulers; xiv, relation to brethren; XIV, labors;
xvi, Christian salutations. So that we find
ourselves today dealing with the practical
question Of right relations to the brethren,
and specially in the matter of eating and
drinking. V are reminded of the judg-
ment seat of Christ Verse 10; see also ii
Cor. V, l0) and of individual responsibility.
h. Let us not therefore Judge one an
other any more, but judge this rather, that
no man put u stumbling block or an occa-
sion to fall in his brothers way" In Cor.
iv, 8, we are exhorted to judge nothing be-
fore the time until the Lord come. In Jas.
ii, 10, it is written that "he shall have
judgment without mercy that hath showed
no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against
Judgment" while Jesus Himself said, IF
We had known what this neaneth, | will
have mercy and not sacrifice, We would not
have condemned the guiltless'' (Math xii,
y. We are here not to live unto ourselves
but unto the Lord (verses Z, 81 and by
Christlike life lead people unto Him.
IA Il know and am persuaded by the
Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean
of itself; but to him that esteemeth any
thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean."
Jesus taught that mot that which goeth
into the mouth defileth man, but that
which cometh out of the mouth" (Math.
XIV, ll) And Paul in another place teaches
us that if one should see fit to accept an in
vitation to eat with an unbeiever the prop
er thing won d be to eat what is provided,
asking no question for conscience sake q
Cor x, 81 unless the host should say,
This is offered in sacrifice to idols" Then
a believer could not eat of it, The glory Of
God must be the one aim in all eating and
drinking as well as in all else q Cor. Y, 81.
Is. but if thy brother be grieved with
thy meat now walkest thou not charitably.
Destroy not him with thy meat for whom
Christ died" This matter is more fully
dwelt upon in | Cor. viii, l-13, and is
summed up in verse 10, Wherefore, if meat
make my brother to Offend | will eat no
flesh while the world standeth." The great
question with a believer should not be,
MAY | do this or that and not sln?" but
How can best hasten His kingdom and
win men to HimY'
l6 Let not, then, your good be evil
spoken of" A perfectly lawful act, some
thing that | might do CT enjoy with "A clear
conscience before God, might be misunder
stood by weak brother and become to
him a stumbling block in which case it
would be for the glory of God and the good
! of the weak brother for me to refrain from
! even that which in Gods sight might be in
! nocent.
, II. For the kingdom of God is not meat
\ L. i
Joy in the Holy Ghost" The chief business
of those for whom Christ died is not eating
E and drinking, but a right relation to God,
our neighbors and ourselves. The founda-
I ton is righteousness Rom. K, 3, 1; II Cor.
e v, %, the state is peace (Rom. V, /; Eph. ii,
l4), and the manifestation is joy John XIV,
] II; xvi, 24; Rom. XIV, l3). All will be dis
order and confusion until we seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness
(Math. vi 33), not for ourselves merely, but
for all whom we may reach.
, is. For he that in these things serveth
Christ is acceptable to God and approved
of men," Having received Christ as our
. Saviour we are always accepted in Him
b (Eph. i, g., but for this reason we seek to
be accepted of him as to our service I'VE
labor that whether present or absent we
may be accepted OF Him" Oh Cor. V, ix).
: Salvation full and free is Gods gift to who
soever will. We are saved by grace not OF
2 works lest any one should boast (Eph. ii, J.
e Rom. iv, 81, but we work because we are
! saved This is profitable to men, and we
i shall be rewarded according to our works
J Gph. ii, 10; Titus iii, s; | Cor. iii, s; Rev
I xxi, ~.
49, Let us therefore follow after the
things which make for peace and things
wherewith one may edify another" Our
Lord and Saviour is the Prince of Peace
= and a mind staid on Him will have per
feet peace. Thus we shall be able to publish
peace lisa. tx, 6; XVI, 8; lii, Z; Rom. X, 49,.
I 20. For meat destroy not the work OF
God. All things indeed are pure but it is
evil for that man who eateth with offense. u
Unto the pure all things are pure, but un-
4 to them that are defled and unbelievinc is
nothing pure" Titus i, 49,. In this lesson,
however, it is the brethren-the believers
whom we are to be careful not to offend.
81. 1T is good neither to eat flesh, nor &c
drink wine, nor anything whereby thy
brother stumbleth or is offended or & made
! weak" 1t is only telling part of the truth
to select from this the drinking of wine and
make it II so called temperance lesson,
while the many othert things that offend are
left untouched. a good worker on the side
of total abstinence may possibly be a
bIuulDll-S DOCK III Olnef directions, ana SC
in any other department Of Christian work
The only sure way is to adopt II Cor iv,
II, as dai motto and be willing to die
to self in al directions that the life of
Christ may manifest in our mortal flesh.
When we can truly say, Not |, but Christ,
who liveth in me- gal. ii, 2O). all will be
well.
% Hast thou faith? Have it TO thyself
before God. Happy is he that condemneth
not himself in that thing which He allow
eth" for if our heart condemn us not
n then have we confidence toward God Il John
4 ill., 2l. To live always as in the sight OF
the Lord with constant aim to please
Him will surely give life free from of
J lenses. walk before Me and be thou per
feet, upright, sincere, was Gods word to
Abram Gen. xvii, l, margin). To us the
Spirit says through Paul, Whatsoever We
do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not
unto men" (Col, iii, 23).
), 49, And he that doubteth is damned (or
|. 6ondemned) if he eat, because he eateth not
of faith, for whatsoever is not of faith is