Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-02-21
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON Vlll FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. %.

Text of the Lesson, Luke viii, 43-55-Mem-
DRY Verses, 4S-5O-Golden Text, Luke viii,
As Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
43 "A woman had spent all her living
upon physicians, neither could be healed
of any" Another helpless case an OPP
purtunity for the Lord to work. 1t is still
true that we are slow to como to the Lord
until we have come to the end of our
selves. Oh, that the Lord would bring us
quickly to see our nothingncss and the
vanity of all earthly things, that we might
find in Him our all He is still, in His
word, showing 1.-THE glad tidings of the
kingdom of Cod (vorsc y, that He may
allure us to HIMSELF but because so many
will NOT read.
A.. Immediately her issue of blood
stanchcd" The life of the flesh is i'm the
blood (Lrv. xvii. 10, and for IL years Ter
life had been ebbing away. The story of
tho little girl Of our lesson is that of IL
years Development of life suddenly cut
off and just rs suddenly restored 10y the
same Jesus, who healed the life that was
ebbhg away. Mere natural life. whether
steadily developed or steadily frittcrcd
Jesus, who is the life lie WAS cruciilrd
at "thc place Of skull. and all that il,
on the earth Of human greatness or glory
is rs empty rs skull, apart from the
cross of Christ.
10. And Jesus said, Who touched Me-
The woman had heard of Jesus, perhaps
was acquainted with some who had been
healed by linn, and by their testimony
was encouraged To believe hat if she could
but touch the hem Of His garment she
would he whole. Faith comcth by hear
ing and hearing by the word of God Rom.
X, 10. so if we would strengthen Others
and increase their faith we must commu-
nicate that which God has done for us
and through us to His glory (Phi. viz.
46. al perceive that virtue is gone out
of me" Thus spakc Jesus in answer to
tho disciples statement that tho multitude
throngcd Him AS He preached to the
houscfu the power of the Lord was pres
ent to heal duke Y, lS), but we read of no
one being healed except the ono who came
through the roof So in this case power
went from Him to only this one poor
woman As He sat at another time over
against the treasury His heart went ont
more to ono poor woman than to all the
others Not all who go to church or read
tho Bible are blessed, but only those whose
hearts go out to Him in conscious need or
worship.
AZ. "She declared unto Him before all
the people for what cause she had touched
Him and how she was healed Immediate
ly. 1t seemed hard for this poor, timid,
trembling woman thus to testify before
all the people, but observe that She diu it.
"unto Him, and it was in gratitude for
to all service and when thus we serve we
do not mind the people, whether few or
many.
49, "Daughtcr be of good comfort.
Thy faith hath made thco whole Go in
peace. Surely it was worth while to con-
fcsS Him publicly in order to receive this
gracious word from His own lips right to
her heart. If those who feel very weak
and timid only would declare unto Him
before tho people, what blessing they
might receive! As far Us is recorded she
is the only woman He ever addressed as
"daughtcr." Think how the words good
cheer, made whole Ego in peace,
would keep coming to her in all her after
lifc-his words to her soul.
40 "Thy daughter is dead Trouble
not the Master. - The incident we have
just been studying occurred while Jesus
was on His way to the house of .IaruS to
heal his little girl, who seemed to be dying
when .IdruS left the house to go for Jesus
(versc fl, 42). Put yourself in the place
of Jairus and imagine his heart, rs every
moment seemed an hour that Jesus tarried
in order to speak to the poor woman.
Thcn think of the agony of soul AS this
message comes.
90. Fear not Believe only, and she
shall be made whole" Ere the father
has time to say, or perhaps even think,
"Oh, if He had only come without delay
ing" these gracious words fall from
Jesus lips. In Mark V, SO, it is, "Bo not
afraid, only hclieve."
81. "IIe suffered no man to go in save
Peter and James and John and the father
and the mother of the maiden" That
would make just seven, with the little
girl, seven altogether, the perfect number
On two other occasions these three disci
pies were the favored ones. Why, we shall
know some day. If we are willing to ho
His choice ones, "set apart for Himself, +"
"a people for His own possession" Fps. iv,
3; Titus ii, IA, r. W do not know why
we may not.
90 "weep not She is not dead, but
slecpcth." Thus He spake as they all
Wtpl anu DtWdlleu HtF. III lHt CtS6 vi
Lazarus He called death sleep (John xi
11-l4). The body sleeps, but as to the
spirit, the person, the word is Absent
from the body; present with the Lord. !"
"Departed to be with Christ" phil. l..
81, 23; ii Cor V, 81. For the ChristiaS
who lives for Christ, to die is gain.
3d. And they laughed Him to scorn,
knowing that she was dead" They had
onlv natural siObt They hpliovpd " hat
they saw, and seeing is believing with the
natural man. But to the spiritual man,
believing is seeing. said not unto thee
that if thou wouldcst believe thou should
est seef" blessed are they that have not
seen, yet have believed (John XII, 40; Xxx,
800. Tho believer is to believe God rather
than his own eyes or feelings or thoughts
or anything. No matter how things look
we are ever to say, 81 believe God that it
shall be even rs it was told me" (Acts
/ xvii obl 4 brslbaIp f.OnSidprpI NOT HIS