Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-02-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VI. FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES. FEB. 10.

- : - 80 =
Text OF the Lesson. math. xviii. I-l4-Menn-
ory verses. ga Golden Text, sIath.
xviii. 14-commentary by the Rev. y. NJ.
stearns.
l. AT the same time came the disciples
unto Jesus, saying, Who Is the greatest
In the kingdom of heavens" After the
TRANSPORTATION Jesus cast demon out OF
q child, foretold again His death and resur-
rection and wrought = miracle 70 pay the
tribute money for Himself and Peter.
Then follow the incidents Of today's les
son. This was not the only time that the
IL or a portion of them talked OF greatness
In the kingdom
g. And Jesus called a little child unto
Him and sat him in the midst of them. "
The little child was not afraid to come TO
a stranger There must have been some
thing winsomc about Jesus that drew the
children and the simple minded. How
could it be otherwisci Object lesson teach-
ing Is the very oldest kind, for God began
to teach this in the garden OF Eden by the
tree Of life, the eherubin, the sword and
the coats OF skins.
g. And said, Verify say unto you
except 20 be converted and become as lit
tie children We shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven." Tho first thing is
not position in the kingdom, but the quail
fcatIon to enter the kingdom, and there
fore the Lord said to Nicodemus that even
be, good, moral, religious man, must be
born from above, born of water and the
Spirit. ere he could see or enter the kingdom
OF God (John iii, 8, ~
4. whatsoever, therefore, shall humble
himself as this little child, the same is
greatest In the kingdom Of heaven The
child came when called and yielded itself
to Jesus for His pleasure without saying,
/ won't or, What fori or, What will you
give mes 1t had no requests nor prefer
ments, but was content to be In Jesus
hands and dealt with as He might please.
Happy child Let us be like him-just to
Let thy Father do what he will, just TO
know that He is true and be still.
5. And whose shall receive one such
little child in My name receiveth me.
As soon as we come TO Jesus and in sim
plieity receive Him we become children OF
God John 1, 1a) and members of the body
Of Christ (Eph. v, 80). 1t is as If He said
to the Father concerning each one, RE
ceivo him as Myself, and IL he oweth aught
put that to my account (Phil. IL, 49,
6. aBut whose ehall offend one of those
little ones which believe in Me 1t wero
better for him that milestone were hanged
about his neck, and that he were drowned
I'm the depth of the sea- J" AS truly as Jesus
appreciates and will reward every good
thing done to His redeemed, 50 surely will
He punish every evil thing done to them
(Math. XIV, 45) or every good lefs undone
z. Woe unto the world because Of Of
lenses, for 1t must needs be that offenses
A. <~wh< hn
offense cometh." There are stumbling
blocks, many, both in the church and out
Of IL. and there arc many temptations to be
offended but Jesus said elsewhere that
though we should be put out of the syna-
gogue or even slain for His sake we must
not be offended (John xvi, /, 81. It il q
privilege to suffer with Him and for His
sake.
s. Wherefore II thy hand or thy foot
offend thee, out them on and cast them
from thee. 1t ID better for thee 70 enter
into life halt or MANNED rather than hav-
ing two hands or two feet to be cast into
everlasting fra" There is IRE, and it is as
everlasting as life 1t was prepared for
the devil and his angels Math. XIV, Ar
but whatsoever does not have his name In
the book of life shall be cast therein REV.
Xxx, 10; xxi, 81.
Il out and cast 1t from thee. 1t is better
for thee to enter into life with one eye
rather than, having two eyes, to be cast
into hell fire., The Lord Jesus who made
these bodies and knows better than any
one else the Importance of each member
says plainly that, II the losing Of hand
or foot or an eye could be the means Of
causing us to escape hell fire, ID would be
better far to lose that member than to keep
1t and let it lead us into hell fire, where
the worm dieth not and the fire is not
quenched MARK TX, 4e-4s).
10. Take heed that ye despise not one
of these little Ones for say unto you that
In heaven their angels do always behold
the face of my Father, which is in heaven
However poor and unlearned may be tho
messenger who shall warn you to fee from
the wrath TO come, despise him not. His
guardian angels are in constant commu-
MON with heaven Heb. 4, 15) and II
we despise the messenger we despise the
Lord Jesus, whom he represents CLuke <,
l8).
IL. ssFor the Son of Man is come to save
that which was lost The Lord Jesus
would not have come from heaven and suf-
fered for ourssins II we could have been
saved without Him, but knowing the re-
alities Of hell and the awful torment await
ing the lost He endured all things which
He suffered to save the lost. The sailor
boy had more of His spirit than many
have today when he would not be shut up,
but kept at the people till they were com
PEELED by Gods spirit to listen.
10. How think yer II man have an
hundred sheep, and one Of them be gone
astray, doth he not leave the ninety and
nine and goeth into the mountains and
seeketh that which is gone astrayi" Co
ing astray Is more serious business in the
Lord . eyes than in ours.
Is. And, II so be that he and IL. verify
say unto you be rejoiceth moro Of that
sheep than Of the ninety and nine which
went not astray.'' How can We who have
been led to receive Jesus realize more fully
what we have been saved from and the
cost Of our salvation, that 90 We may be
more truly grateful 70 Him who has saved
us and devote ourselves nore fully to Him
that through rs He may save othersf lot
"a earnestly ask Him to be more filled with
His spirit TO this end, and as we read OF
the torments OF the finally impenitent be.
lieye that God means what He says; then
surely we shall greatly rejoics over one
soul saved.
H. Even so il is not the viii Of your
Father which Is in heaven that one or
these little ones should perish = II is