Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-10-19
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON III, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 81.

and stratghtway on the Sabbath day ne
entered into the synagogue and taught. y
This lesson probably comes in order after
the call of tho four from mcnding their
nets, etc, rather than after the call from
the draft of fishes, but let us sec Jesus
and the order of events may not matter so
much Capcrnaum signifies the village
of Nahum, the comforter, and the true
Comforter has come to His own city (Math
tx, y. 1t was His custom to be in the
synagogue on the Sabbath duke iv, 1G),
and we may be sure it was His custom
never to he late.
%. And they were astonishcd at His
doctrine, for He taught them as one that
had authority, and not as the scribes."
He always preached the word and in the
words which the Father gave Him to say
(John xii, 40; xiv, 100. His words were
the assertions of absolute confidence i'm
God and in the Scriptures. He said, I'VE
speak that we do know" (JOhn iii, ~.
We also, if sent by God, may speak boldly
the message which He gives us (lIx. iv,
~; Jer. i, Z, s; Acts iv, 81.
%. And there was in their synagogue
a man with an unclean spirit, and he
cried out" Evil spirits still 90 to church
and Sunday school in the bodies Of men
and women and boys and girls, but not
without the consent of those in whom
they GO Anger, wrath, malice, worldl-
ness, deceit, hypocrisy, are surely evil
spirits. In fact. all that is not holy and
true must he evil
"a. Saying: Let us alone What have
we to do with Thee, thou Jesus of Naz-
arcth? Art Thou como to destroy us? l
know Thee who Thou art. the Holy One
of God. Let us alone is still the cry. We
will go to church and contribute to the
cause if you will only let us alone about
the thCatcr and the ball, social customs,
Sunday newspapers and Sunday driving,
receiving Jesus. preparing to meet Him
and such like. But it is no use; we must
all have to do with Jesus. He will destroy
the works of the devil Il John iii, s., and
If those works include any of us then we
shall have to hear Math. XIV, Al.
%. And Jesus rcbullcd him, saying,
Hold thy peace and come out of him. "
He spoke to the spirit who was controlling
the man. He hates sin, but loves the sin
ncr. Let us also see to this and act like
wise. Sin must he destroyed, and if the
sinner persists in clnging to his sin he,
too must perish, but the Lord wishes to
save the sinner and bio, out his sins Oh
Pet. iii. o.
90. And when the unclean spirit had
|
came out of him" He cast out the spir-
its with His word (Math. viii 16), Where
the word of king is there is power Feel
viii, ~, and Jesus gave His disciples pow
er over all the power of the enemy OLuke
X, 19) What strength it would be for
service as we go forth in His name if wo
would only believe His word, "All power
is given unto Me in Heaven and on earth,
and, 10, l am with you all the days, even
unto the contamination of the agel'
(NIath. xviii, 1920
%. And they were all amazed inso-
much that they questioned among them
selves saying: What thing is this? What
/ new doctrine is this?'' The obedience of
the demons to His word surprised them,
and well it might, for whoever heard Of
evil spirits controlled by word which
men resist? Let His word be now recciv-
ed in all simplicity and meekness, and
! no evil spirit of fault finding, frctting,
Islander or evil speaking can abide in that
person. Then will some have to say What
new doctrine is this?'
rs And Immediately His fame spread
abroad throughout all the region round
about Galilec." If the preaching in any
church today should cure even the major
/ ity of its members Of the evil spirits which
seem to possess 50 many. what IA name
Jesus would get in that community! Why
not with all our hearts determine that
| by His grace we will seek in every way tn
magnify that honorable name which is
called upon us Gas. ii, z, II. v, margin).
20 And forthwith. when they were
come out of the synagogue, they entered
into the house of Simon and Andrew with
James and John" Happy men to take
Jesus home from church with Them How
many get all they want of Him while i'm
church, more than enough to do them a
whole week, for once week is all that
some pastors see many of their people in
the house of God! If such should take
Him home from church with them, they
could not go out drivingin the afternoon,
nor go visiting, nor read novels.
30 But Simon wife's mother lay sick
of "a fever, and anon they tell Him of her -
Perhaps a poor day for Simon TO bring
company four mem home to dinner-his
wife might think so, with her mother sick
in bed-but we will hope she was ono OF
those blessed women whom some of Us
know, who are always glad to exercise
hospitality, who live to minister.
81. And He came and took her by the
hand and lifted her up, and Immediately
the fever left her. and she ministercd unto
them. 1t was good day to have com
pany, after all, especially his kind. Mark
is specially TIE gospel of service, and Jesus
is here, in very marked way, the servant
ministering; hence many touches like
this, HE took her by the hand" Note
also the words straightway, anon, immc-
diately, forthwith, all the same word in
the Greck-see r. N.-uscd over 40 times
in this gospel and only about 80 times in
the whole New Testament
32, 33. And mt even when the sun did
set they brought unto Him all that were
diseased and them that were possessed
with devils. And all the city was gather
ed together mt the door" The Sabbath
ended at sunset, SO they could then do this
without, in the estimation of the Phari-
secs, breaking the day. See chapters ii, "a;
iii, 2. The manifest power of God will draw
the people. There are weary ard heavy
leaden ones everywhere, sick in body and
in soul, and this Jesus is today the very
same Jesus (Heb. xiii, s., waiting to give
rest Of soul and quietness of mind to ev-
cry weary heart, and when He Riveth
quietness who then can make trouble? (Joh
xxxiv, CO.
RI .tAnd IIa hoalod mann, 4ho4 1900