Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-09-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON xl. THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES. SEPT. 9.

Text of the Lessen. John lii. l-fG-nem-
Org verses, is - Golden Text, john
lii, Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
Stearns.
Having so many verses assigned for this
lesson, we viii not quote them, but trust
you to study with the open Bible.
/. This chapter illustrates the last words
OF chapter ii, and VIC might resl this way:
He knew what was in man. Now, there
was man. See r. v. So this ruler MIC
odemus' IS introduced as specimen, and
Jesus proceeds to read TO hin his thoughts
and deal with him. In the next chapter
He takes the woman Of Samaria as spec
linen, and from the rich religious ruler
and the poor ungcdly woman He shows
us the best and tho worst in man and
that each must and may be born anew.
9. Better to come to Jesus by night than
not at all. The great thing is to come, and
tho great assurance is him that cometh
unto Me will in no wise cast out" John
vi, 81.
s. An the vcrilies in John are double
ones, and therc are % Of them, this being
the second one. The first is chapter !. 81,
and the third and foarth are in verses
and IL OF our lesson. II Is just tho word
amen, and might be read amen, amen.
Jesus calls Himself This Amen in Rev
iii, IL.
4. Nicodcmus, though so religious, was
only natural man and understood not
spiritual things, therefore asked SO foolish
question. The preaching OF the cross Is
to them that perish fooiishness, and the
things of the Spirit OF God are foolishness
to the natural man q Cor. |, Is; il, l4l.
8. Jesus cnlargcs upon His first state
ment as to the necessity OF the birth from
above, and now emphasizes that necessity
and says that il Is accomplished by water
and the Spirit. Both James and Potter tcs-
I tify that we are born again by tho word OF
God Flames i, Is; Pet. /. 2S) Paul says
that the water signifies the word tEph. V,
26, with which compare John XIV, }, and Ps
oxix, %.
8. The flesh or natural man can only
produce the flesh or natural man. Ii may
be cultivated and educated and become
/ very talented and refined, but 1t Is only
flesh and cannot please God (Rom. viii, 81
When we ere born anew or from above by
receiving life we never had before, oven
Jesus Himself, then we are said 20 be in
the spirit not in the flesh (Rom. viii, -.
z. When jesus says Must, that settles
everything for the mind that is meek and
submissive. There Is another In verso IA,
and as truly ms the Son OF Man had to be
aracilled so surely must every refined, tai
ented, edl0ated, religious man or woman
be born from above by receiving Jesus, or
I he never can see or enter the kingdom
of God One may be very near tho king
dom and not eater in, like the scribe of
Mark xii. 81, Of Shcm Jesus said, Thou
are not far from the lsingdoa, ~ Sod, !"
s. Tho work OF the Spirit in tho heart
of man is at first secret work, sas II
man should cast seed into the ground, and
should sleep, and Use night and day, and
the seed should spring and grow up, he
knowcth not how (Mark IL, 20, ga
I O. The natural man continues TO ask,
''Hows" Tho man ~ WHOM the Spirit
works simply believes and sneciscs with
meokncss the ongmftpd word (Jas. |,
| 21). The entrance of Thy words glyeth
| light. 1t givoth understanding unto the
simple lPs. pxix, 1850, but US long as W.
arc asking how or why ase arc not simply
receiving. Rather let Us say, Lord, l he
tlege, " or like Mary, - BE 1t unto me 40
cording 10 1hy Yofd.n
10, i teacher in Israel might have
known that at the wcrd of the Lord, In
the vision of Ezekiel, the dry bones came
together, bone to his bone, and were GOV.
cred .Yith flesh, and by the Spirit of the
Lord they stood ~ en- expeeeing great
army (lszek. xxxyi,, il0i The tcsti
mony OF egory spirit filled man in the Old
Testament history, eoafessing his sin and
helplcssnoss and giving God the glory, as
Joseph Isaiah, Daniel and others tGen
III q. l. 81 q. nt., a. -,
81, taught the helplessucss Of the flesh and
the necessity of the spirit and word OF
God.
Christ in the gospels Is equivalent to
THUS saith the Lord" in the Old Tesla
inent, for the Lord, or Lord Of Hosts Of
the Old Testament, is mono other than the
Christ of the New For simple proof see
Rev. xiii, 9, l6, or perhaps lisa. vi, D,
with John xii, Al, would be more plain
to some. One who knows because he has
seen is surely good witness, yet how
often false witness is believed rather
than a true onel Compare chapter V, 49,
IL. The one only thing 70 do with the
testimony of true witness Is to believe
as otherwise we mako the witness II liar,
and those who believe not God are guilty
of making Him liar Il John Y, 10). I'm
belief keeps unsayed souls in lost eondi
tion, and even those who believe to the say
ing Of tho soul are kept from enjoying the
rest and peace and joy which is their priv
ilege by not believing fully. Tho last half
Of John ill, Is, proves the FIRST, and Heb
ill., is, to iy, 3, the second Be not afraid;
only believe. y
10. Very often in this gospel we have the
testimony Of Jesus that He came down
from heaven, came forth from the Father,
was sent from God, bus here He testiiles
that even while lie was On earth He was
still in heaven. The other view Of this
great fact Is TINT now in heaven OF the
right hand Of God He is still with us al
way, and wherever two or three are gath
cred in His namo He Is in tho midst
fMath xviii, 20; xviii, 20).
H. Jesus now takes Niccdcmus back to
something he must have been familiar
with--the story Of the SHINING and bitten
Israelitcs and the wondrous healing by the
brazen serpent lifted up upon pole in
sight OF all The brazcn serpent was the
likeness Of that which by its poisonous
bite was staying the thousands Of Israel.
To- The bitten Israelite who looked upon
the brazen serpent lived, when he behcld
Che serpent of brass, he lived" fNum. XXI,
o. Looking is equal 10 believing er -
reiving. The sinner, when convinced Of
his sin and bclplcssncss and led to scc
Jesus made q sin offering ON the cross for
him, dying in his stead the just for the |
unjust, receives Him as his substitute, and
beiieflng that ChIist was made u curse for
him he, through tho atopcment Of Christ, |
is instantly saved
Is. Let sinner convinced Of his sin
take this verse and write it cut, putting
his own name in fun instead Of tho |
world and whatsoever" and iet Rim look
up to God and say sincerely, 20 God. do
most heartily believe that" thon lac can 60
on and say, And thank Thee that, re-
eciving Jesus us my own Saviour, ! have
THY word for y chat now have cycrlast-
ing life and shall neyerperish D | beiieys |
such a soul to be truly born from pboYa