Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-04-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON |, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 5.


Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
When we are having but one lesson in
each chapter it seems "a pity to pass
chapter by, but as the Resurrection is the
greatest topic in Scripture, including all
others, we feel led to choose the Easter les
son. If any prefer chapter xiii-fail not to
notice the corruption suggested by the
heaven, and the hypocrisy which shall in
due time find its home where there is
weeping and gnashing of teeth. Before
the door is shut let all enter who will by
truly receiving II i'm in whom alone is sal
+ vation
/. "They came unto the sepulcher,
bringing the spices which they had pre-
pared. - In Mark xvi, l. we find that it
was two of the Marys and Salome who did
this. Verse 10 of our lesson mentions
some others, Their service was truly low
ing one, but it was not work of faith,
and therefore in u measure Ruthless for
"without faith it is impossible to please
Him" OIcb. XII, 81. The order in l Thcss.
l. 3 is "Work of faith. labor of love, pa
thence of hope" If we keep Gods order
in our service all will be well.
2. "And they found the stone rolled
away from the scpulcher. ~ M1rS xvi. 3,
says that they alledsImung themselves as
to who should roll away the stone from
the sepulchcr; for Mark XIV, As. -. says
that they saw the burial Of His body and
the stone rolled unto the door of the scpul-
cher. The apparent or real difficulties Will
vanish as we move on in love to Him con
strained by His love to us. These women
were ready to minister at His death, but
they had also minislcred to Him in His
life Mark Ky, 40, AID.
3. "And they entered in and found not
the body of the Lord Jesus. " They were
looking for II wrong thing in II wrong
place through lack of knowledge because
of lack of faith. They were rs unsuccess-
full rs were the people who looked for the
body of Enoch or the 30 men who looked
three days for the body of Elijah (Heb. xi,
8; ii Kings, ii, ~. There will be some
more unsuccessful searchers some of these
days when all the dead in Christ shall
have left their graves and the living saints
shall have been caught up with them to
meet the Lord in the air Il Cor. XIV 23 81,
81; Thess iv, 1919.
T. "Bchold two men stood by them in
shining garments From the story of
the angels who came with the Lord to
visit Abraham (Gcn. xviii, 2, 22 xix, u,
all the way through the Scriptures they
are always spoken of as men and never as
women. | only mention this to show how
unscriptural are our pictures Of angels
| Heb. i, IA, is very comforting concerning
the ministry of angels and Ps. ellis 90
81, is very inspiring, making us long to
be like them in service and in obedience.
b. "Why seek We the living among the
dead?" For 1.-THE living" the margin says,
Him that liveth." The previous verse
says they were much perplcxcd. and now
! WI
down to the earth. Unbelief always pro-
duces these things, while JOY and peace
come by believing (Rom. XIV, 13). Our
departed friends who have died in Christ
are alive and well, although their bodies
rest in the grave. They are with Christ,
"prcscnt with the Lord, " and it is very
weak faith or no faith that clings to the
tomb as if they were there.
6. "He is not here, but is risen; remem-
Der how He spake unto you when He was
yet in Galiee." The words of the Lord
are very plain words, easily understood if
simply believed, for "Through faith we
understand" (HIeb XII 81. AS to both law
and prophecy being very plain, see Deut.
xvii s; Hab. H. 2. Now we cannot re-
member the words of the Lord if we have
them up in our hearts.
into the hands of pinful men and be cruel
fled and the third day rise again" He had
said just these words to them over and
over again (Math. xvi, u; xvii, %; XXX,
19), and He had meant just what He said,
and it had all come to pass exactly rs He
had said so that their whole difficulty was
that they had failed to take Him at His
word
s. And they remembered His words. "
So we in the morning of His coming
! again will remember His words and see
everything fulfilled exactly as it is writ
ten. We would therefore do well to re
member them now and hold them fast and
be ever saying for our own encouragement
and for the encouragement of Others, BE
of good cheer, for l believe God that it
shall be even rs it was told me"
9. "And returned from the scpucher and
told all these things unto the eleven and
to all the rest" Read Math xviii, 5-S for
further details of the angels message to
the women You will see that they depart
ed quickly with fear and great joy and did
run to bring His disciples word. To run
errands for Jesus, bringing glad tidings
of His resurrection and coming glory, is u
, good cure for sorrow. 1t was as they thus
: went that Jesus met them and suffered
them TO hold Him by the feet and worship
! Him. He meets these who rejoice and
? work righteousness.
p, 10. lit was Mary Magdalene and Joan
, ma, etc. 1t would seem that Mary Mag
4 dalene got somehow and for IA time sepa-
e rated from the other women (she will ex-
plain it all to us when we soc herr and
= that the Lord appeared to her the very first
a and spoke 30 her but would not allow her
to touch Him, for He had not then ascend
!, ed to His Father in His resurrection body
(John Xxx, Is, 10, but before He met the
other women whom He allowed to touch
Him He must have assembled and returned.
The movements of the redeemed and glori-
fled bodies may be as quick as lightning
(Ezek I'D.
II. "And their words seemed to them as
Idle tales, and they believed them not. -
y When Paul at Rome faithfully expounded
the Scriptures, some believed and some be-