Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-03-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON Xl, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH IS.

ri, . Commentary by the Rev. u. NJ.
stcarns.
1. "Lord, teach us to pray" Thus
si9',o cIr of Ills disciples to Him as lie
N.l-l ing in ~ certain place. He was
much given to prayer much in commun-
JON wiz heaven and in His life ON earth
AWAY f. .-ng the Father. Luke records
hvo instances of His praying which do not
Soon t. he recorded by the other ovangc-
iHt tchr.tcrs iii, 81; V, IS; vi, -, 13; tx
80. and hero. 1t should be great com
fort to Us That, though we know not what
We shuuld pray for as we ought, the Spirit
iliW-a1f makch intcrccssion for us with
gr1aninrs which cannot be uttered and
Il, m3Ncth intcrcc,siun according To God
O,onl. Niii 20, 2O.
2. "Whcn We pray say, Our Father
which art in heaven This seems to have
been on another occasion than that re-
fcrrcd to in Math. vi, ., II repetition and
endorsement If This beautiful summary
AID sample of all prayer. only Christians
cau trCiy usoit. for none but the redeemed
can trIN say "Our Father" Compare
John Wi, II, with j, -. lnasmtch as
the carna mind is cnmity against Cod
pop" Lat TIE redeemed cen honor Ills
name, and O..y ~u,h will desire Hi, Z, ~
dom to come ami HI, Will to ht do..cun
oai,A H. Ia heaven.
3. 'uiNr Us daF by dSv our daily hr.ud."
The WhUl" teaching uf Scripture j, that
we have 10 live but one day at II tinc and
not to allow tomorrow : cares to irtrudr
upon TODAY "As tiny days Thy strength"
''Ihat which they have need al. day hy
day without fail. " "a daily rate for every
day, all the days of his life. "rake
therefore no thought for the morru\y. for
the morrow shall take thought for the
things of itself" (Dcut. XXxiii, %: Ezra
VII 9; II Kings XIV, 30; Math. vi, 3D.
4. "And forgive us our sins. If We
confess our sins, He is faithful and lust to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse Us from
all unrightcuuSneSs Il John i. - Ii j..
understood, however, that confession in
cludcs, ON our part, the forgiveness from
the heart of all who have injured us (Nlath
vi a. 10; Mark Xi, 2d). AS to temptation,
God cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tenptcth He any man (Jas i, 10. 14),
and yet it is written "God did tempt
Abraham (Gcn. xxi, y, but Heb. xi. II.
says that Abraham, when he was tried.
offered up Isaac. God tries His people for
their good (Dcut viii, IS; | Cor. X, I3),
but never tempts them to do wrong
Il
Abraham is the only man mentioned in
Scripture by name rs the friend of God I'll
Chrnu. Xxx, - lisa xii, s; James ii. !aJ.
but Jesus said to His disciples Hence
forth | call you not servants. but have
called you friends, that Whatsoever We
shall ask Of the Father in My name. He
may give it you (John XIV, 10 49, And
this in connection with fruit to the glory
of God.
6. Il have nothing to set before him. "
What condition of emptiness and help
lessness, but just such is our condition
apart from our Lord Jesus Christ no mat
ter how hard we may toll. His own words
are severed from me We can do nothing"
(John XIV, o. When the disciples had
toiled all night and Jesus in the morning
from the Shore said Have we any meat
they had to answer, No (John xxi, 4, 81
z. MY children are with me in bed. |
cannot rise and give thee" Children come
closer than friends, and while it is good to
be a servant of God better to be friend,
it is best of all to be a child of God by
faith in Christ Jesus. A father will keep
nothing good from his children, and rs to
all our need Jesus has said your heaven
ly Father knoweth that we have need Of all
these things" (Math. vi, 32)
8. Because of his importantly, he will
rise and give him AS many as he needcth."
There is somewhat OF the same teaching in
chapter xviii, l-S. What do we know of
the heart that says, Il will not let thee go
except thou bless me" (Gen. xxi. 26).
Do we understand anything of prayers and
supplications with strong crying and tears:
(Heb. V, ~
8. Ask, seek, knock. One has said.
Acl- IL Ia g
carefully as faithful servant knock con
tidently as IA friend" Some helpful words
en- each of these will be found on ASK
in John xiv, IL IA; XIV, Z; Mark xi, "a;
seek, " Prov. ii, 4 viii, II, h. v; Ter.
xxx, l3; knock, " Col ii, 3; John vi, 81;
Rev. iii, 20. We are apt TO think of ask
ing or seeking something for ourselves,
but Jesus never sought anything for Him
self (John vi, 3S; viii, 5O) always and
only for God.
10. For every one that asketh receiv-
eth" The limitations are given else
where as, That God may be Rlurifled "
According to His will, " In the name
of Jesus (John xiv, IL, IA; l John V, Ia.
Gould we but live solely and wholly to
haluw His name, to hasten His kingdom,
without IL thought for ourselves, we would
then know the meaning and power Of the
words seek We first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added unto you. When we live
uprightly unlo Him, we may ask what we
will for His glory and receive it, and be
perfectly sure that He will sec we'll to all
that concerns us without our asking any
thing (Alath vi, 33; Ps lxxxiv, ID.
II r. q" If il son shall ask bread of any
of you that is IL father" No parent would
ever give IA stone for bread, or "a serpent
for fish, or II scorpion for AN egg, or any
thing to harm his child instead of some
thing good. II IL man will crafty his
friend at the cost Of his children's com
fort how much more will he give what is
good and ncrdlul tn his children. The
thought running all thrNigh the lesson
seems to be that of "Our Father and His
children. Others may have to ask and
seek and knock, but child is at home in
its fathers house and counts all that the