Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-02-07

DRY Verses, 47-40-- Golden Text, Luke VI
4G-Commcntary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
al. And why hcholdcst thou the mote
that is in thy brothers eye, but pcrcciVest
not the beam that is in thine own oyc?"
We have in this chapter the all night
prayer the choosing of the twelve apostles
and the sermon on the plain, of which our
lesson is the closing portion. 1t is some
times called "rhc sermon on the Mount"
but, while it is somewhat the same in
substance as that discourse of our Lord,
found in Math V, To vii, "a glance at verse
II of our chapter will show that this dis
course must have been delivered at an
other time and certainly on "a plain to
which He had come down after choosing
the twelve He closes this discourse 10y
telling them that the main thing for each
one is to be right with God himself before
he attempts to set his brother right lest
what seems like u beam in our brothers
eye may he due to "A beam in our own eye
while there is but mote in our brothers
eye.
~ Coast ont first the beam out of
thine own eve. and then shalt thou see
clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy
brothers eye. 1t is too often the case
that in Judging another we condemn our
selves, being guilty of the same things
(Rom ii. u. In this very sermon, Us well
as in the sermon ON the mount (VCrsC 81
and Math. vii, - He commands us to
Judge not, and in | Cor. iv, >, by the
same Spirit through Paul He commands
us to Judge nothing before the time, un
til the Lord come who will make manifest
the counScls of the hearts While we are
not to Judge others until we ourselves are
more like Christ, we are always at liberty
to Judge ourselves Il Cor. xl, 80 by the
light of His life and His law, and this we
should do continually, but the best way
to do this is to set the Lord always before
us and let His presence and approval be
the constant test
43. "For good tree bringeth not forth
corrupt fruit neither doth u corrupt tree
bring forth good fruit 1t seems to me
that it is not another, but ourselves, that
we are to contemplate as the tree in ques-
ton. Am plant or tree of the Lords
plantingy For if not | shall some day be
surely rooted up (Math. XIV, BIN other
words, unless | am born from above |
shall surely perish, but if | have become u
child Of God 10y faith in Christ Jesus then
am tree or plant of the Lords plant
ing, rooted and grounded in love (Eph.
iii, 10 and am here to bear much fruit to
His glory (.Iuhn XIV, l-s).
A. For every tree is known by his own
fruit, for of thorns men do not gather figs,
nor of IA bramhlc bush gather they grapes.
When God created plants and trees He
caused that each should yield fruit after
his kind (Gcn. j. II, l2) When He created
man, He made him in His image after
His likeness and commanded him to he
fruitful. but before man began to be fruit
full he sinncd and fell and lost the image
of God and bcgat children in his own like
ness after his image (Grn. i. %. 2S; V. -:
hence every child of Adam has been born
in sin, is corrupt tree (ROm. viii, :, s.,
and cannot bear fruit unto God until
made good tree by being born again.
10. For OF the abundance of the heart
his mouth spcaketh.' A good man from
the good treasures therein and an evil
man from the evil treasures therein. There
is no patchwork with God He does not
put new cloth upon an old garment nor
new wine into old bottles Chapter V, 81
3S). Not reformation, but regeneration, is
the Lord : way of saving men. If any man
be in Christ, he is "a new creation born of
God Christ has come to dwell in him.
his 4 )dy has become IL temple of the Holy
Spin, and the old nature which once lived
in us and controlled all things is now to
he reckoncd dead, wholly subdued.
AZ "And why call We me Lord Lord,
and do not the things which | sayy' He
tells us in chapter xiii, 25-27, that when
the door has been shut many will say,
Lord, Lord, open unto us, to whom He
will have to say IL tell You l know you
not whence We are In the sermon on
the mount He said, "Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord. Lord, shall enter in
to the Kingdom of heaven, but he that do
eth the will of my Father which is in
heaven (Math. VII, 2D. James tells us
in chapter j. - that we are to be doors of
the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
our own selves. 1t is the plain and uni
versnl teaching of scripture that we are
not saved by any works of ours, but Who'll
ly and only by the work of another, but it
is equally plain that being saved by His
work it is in order that He may then ac-
complish through us His pleasure.
A. whatsoever cometh To Me and hear
eth My sayings and ducih them, l will
shew you to whom he is like" Salvation
is seen here in the coming to Him"
Compare John vi 81, for if we are not
cast out we are surely accepted. Then
comes the service included in hearing
and doing" see Eph. ii, 8, 9, and Titus
iii, 5, on salvation apart from any works
of ours then see Eph. ii, 10, and Titus ill.,
s, on works as the result of that salvation
James is as clear as Paul on the fact that
Abraham WAS saved by faith (see Rom
iv, 3; Jas. ii, 23), but james emphasize,
the fact that the faith which saved Abra
ham was afterward manifest in his con
duct (Jas. ii, 81, 22). The faith which
does not prove its reality by works is likC
light which does not shine, painted
light.
As. "He is like man which built al
house and digged deep, and laid the fuun
dation on IA rock. such house will stant
because of its foundation. "Other founda
ton can no man lay than that is laid
which is Jesus Christ q Cor. ill., ID. He
is the Rock, the only one ON whom t,
build or in whom to hido--in other words
the only salvation is To receive Him il
whom alone is salvation but rs truly "a.
He is receiNed He Will Mnrk in and thrnugl