Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-04-30
NUMBER SO
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON M, SECOND QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 9.

Text of the Lesson, Luke xviii, 5-19-Mem-
ory Verses. 17-I9-Golden Text, Luke
wi, 5-Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.
stearns.
8. Increase our faith" We read III
Rom. X, III, that faith cometh by hearing
ana hearing by the word of God. III VIZ
firmly believe one word of God, that IL
faith ia God. If We believe two words,
that A. more faith, and so on. Faith ID
not feeling nor an emotion, but simpIya
firm ana steadfast resting On what the
God of truth has said wholly regardless
of our feelings or circumstances. Faith
say, III believe God that it shall be- even
Az if wa told me' CActs xvii, 25), even
though as in the case of Paul everything
seems against it.
8. .'And tile Lord sald, IN ye had faith
Az q grain Of mustard seed" "a mustard
sea AZ very small seed, but 1t has life id
1t which when planted in the earth, will
soon make itself manifest The life of
faith ~ the word of God, ana this word
planted in the soul will surely grow, but
IL must be planted III only On the surface,
like the secd by the wayside, the devil
Will catch 1T away. III on rocky OF thorny
soiI, AZ will either wirher or be choked,
but received into an honest heart it will
bear fruit to THE glory of God.
7-9. This illustration of the servant
doing what he was commanded seems in
tended tO enforce obedience, simple and
unquesti0ning. In verses 3 and our
Lord had said that they should forgive q
brother seven times "A day If necessary. TO
this they said, Increase our faith, m when
1t was not d matter Of faith, but 0f simple
and unquesti0ning obedience. Having
been forgiven millions Of Otfenses by Him,
who laid down His life for W., and need
Ing and receiving that forgiveness i'd
greater III les degree continually, il IL
surely a small matter that We forgive others
even seven times a day.
10. 1--WE are Improbable servants. We
have done that which wa our duty To
dOh Some who bear the name Of Christ
Jesus our Lord are often heard t0 say, "I
ought to dO this and that And Tile most
of their religion j. doing what they feel
they ought to do, but really have no heart
for. They would not like tO be- considered
Improbable servants, but let them oonsid-
er this word Of our Lord. lit IL 70 differ
ent when the love Of Christ c0nstraineth
(II Cor. NJ. 14). God did not give His son
and the S0n did not give Himself because
He ought to do lit, but because He 30 loved
11 Ha passed through the midst Of
Samaria and Galilee.n He was On His
way to Jerusalem I'D die, and, although
He knew thut the Samaritans would not
receive Him tLuke ix, 5I-53)- yet He loved
them enough to give them THE Opportuni-
ty. He WA, I'D a sense, ever laying down
His life while On His Way To Golg0tha.
r.. 9.g g-
not Himself He gl0rified God. He gave
His life for Hi enemies. He desires, in
the person Of Hi followers, t0 be still
passing through The midst of those who
need Him whether they will have Him or
not.
12. tThere met Him ten men that were
lepers which stood afar off" He knew
that He would meet these lepers. ana
probably entered that village that LIE
might meet them. Ton j. suggestive of
one aspect of completeness, a. iii the ten
virgins, and these lepers may stand for aIl
the unclean whom Iesus came to heal.
13. Jesus Master, have mercy I'D us.i
"a cry uf reaI need and OF utter helpless
mess. He helps those WHO have nO helper,
not those who ran help themselves, a.
some say. He came not to Gall the right
eous. but sinners. They that ara whole,
in their own estimation, Will not be likely
to cal q physician But sinking Peter,
and uncluan lepers, and helpless blind
mon, who plead nothing but their great
need and His mercy Will always get His
ear ana find His heart full of compassion,
and His arm strong tO save.
ia. 'As they went they were Cleansed. T"
Here ~ q case ~ unquestioning obedience.
They asked for health, and FIN told them
tO g0 ana show themselves unto the priests
according to law, H. written I'D lev. xiii
and Ziv, f0r He came not to destroy tie
law, but to fulfill it ana tu magnify it. In
chapter ", 14, He hrst healed the lepCr
and then senr him Uo tle priest, but here
the lepcrs are srut without being healed.
and their cleansing came ~ THEY obeyed.
There III always blessing in ohediene.
15. zone ul them. when he saw THAT he
was healed. turned hack, aha with a loud
voice gl0rih0d Gad. " His heart j. full, &c
cannot restrain his ioy. He must stop and
thank his Healer before IKE goes t0 the
priest. Jesus IL Goa manifest in Che flesh.
Gud IT'D Christ has healed him. He will
trst thank God ana then, III stil so com
manded, Show himself to THE priest.
1G. "And TeiI down On Lis face AZ His
feet, giving Him thanks ana he was a
Samaritan" Nho s0 Uffereth praise glori-
tieth God (Ps. !, 23), and it II always a
good thing tl glve thanks unto the Lord.
How many times VIZ ask Him fOF mercies,
but n1t always dO WE return ta Eivo Him
thanks. In trauhle wa cry unto the Lord,
but in prosperity we VIII fail to praise Him.
I7. "And Jesus answering said, We're
there nOr tan cluansed2 But where are the
nina4H He certainly looks f0r our graft
tude, ana in everything W. are to give
Him thanks I Thess. NJ, 1SD. If we only
believed the things that ara freely given
to w. of 6od tI Cor. ii, 12}, ana that We
are blessed with al spiritual blessings in
Christ (Epl. II 3). our hearts would be
FUN cf Thanksgiving for ourselves ana of
petitions f0r ut hcrs De- favored. lit l. our
privilege t0 be wholly at rest concerning
ourselves once ye are in Christ and t0 live
wholly unto Hin to blass others.
1S Ihere are not found thnt returned
to Give Elury to Cha save this stranger"
We might ask Where are all those who
trusted Him t0 save thems How many
are in their daily life giving glory to GOdF
Blu X mere practical question fur each one
~, Hns He hcalcd mca And Ill so ann 7
making III manifest in mv liie that | ann
pCt liy own, but thut \ am bought with
price that I may ainrifT Gad in my body
aud spirit which are Hise XII Cor MI, 1g,
20) Ani ohgyin- the command, nWhcth-
er. therefore. ye cat er drink XVII whatsoever
ye dn, do ail to tha glory Uf Godg' XIX Cor.
a, 3l) Or um I content with religious
mes which shows itself tu earthly priests
without seeking chiefly and I'D all things
the glory of Gods
1g -And He said unto him, Arise, 20
thy way; thy faith hauh made thee
whole The nino wara cleansed from
their lnnrnsy, but this man goes away
clgansed body ana soul The woman who
touched the heIn of His garment was
healed of hcr inGrnity, but when He aid
to h0r: Daughter, be of good comfort
THY faith hath made thee whole. 60 in
percr- (chspter Viii, 4SD, there was some
thing more than healing for the body