The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-02-05
SABBATH SCHO.O Oh !.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOE
FEBRUARY 8. y
Lesson Text: .'The Sermon on tnN
Mount" Luke vi, 41-40- &
Golden Text: Luke vi, :s@ ~
46-Commentary. 9I4 Z

fl. "And why beholdest thou the mote
that is in thy brothers eye, but percefSAst
not the beam that is 10 thine own eye2 No q
have in this chapter the all night prayer, the F
choosing of the twelve apostles and the SER
mon on the plain, of which our lesson is the
closing portion. It is sometimes called 'eThe !!
Sermon on the Mount" but while 1t fs some
what the same In substance as that discourse
OF our Lord. found In Math. ", TO Vn.. q
glance ut verse II Of our chapter will show :;
that this discourse must have been delivered
at another time and certainly on plain 70 9s
which He had come down after choosing tn0 y
twelve. he closes this discourse by telling
them that the main thing for each one is to
be right with God himself before he attempts 4
to set his brother right, lest what seems Ike
beam In our brothers eye NAV be due 20 g.
beam In our own eye while there is but -
mote In our brothers. 20 II
40. coast out first the beam out OF thine
own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to Z
pull out the mote that Is inthy brother's
eye." It Is too often the case that In iudg-
ing another we condemn ourselves, being q
guilty OF the same things Rom. H., u. In
this very sermon. as we'll as In the sermon on
the mouns (verse 81 and Math. vii, y He
commands us to "iudge not, and IN Cor.
commands us to "judge nothing before the
time. until the Lord come who Will make
manifest the counsels of the hearts" While I
we are not to Judge others until we our
selves are more like Christ. we are always at
liberty to Judge ourselves q Cor. xi:: 3l) BY
the light OF His life and His law, and this we.s
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 y
constant test. So, -ss, t.fig
43. "For good tree bringeth moi, forth
| corrupt fruit: neither doth corrupt tres,
| bring forth good fruit" It seems to me that
| lis not another, but ourselves, that we are
| to contemplate as the tree in question Am
| I plant or tree Of the Lords planting? For '
| II not shall some day be surely rooted np,I
| (Math. xv., 13)-in other words, unless am I
born from above shall surely perish, but IL
| have become child OF God by faith In :
| Christ Jesus then am q tree or plant Of the
Lords planting, rooted and grounded In
love Eph. ILL.,, ~. and am here to bear much
| fruit to His glory (Jchn ~, 1-S). q. z.
A. "For every tree is known by his own
fruit, for OF thorns men do not gather figs,
| nor OF q bramble, bush gather they grapes. !" -,
When God Great edplants and trees, BE caused
| that each should yield fruit after his kind
| (Gen. l.. IL, 12). When He created man, BE
| made him In His image. after His likeness
| and commanded him to be faithful, but be-
| fore man began to be fruitful he sinned and
fell and lost the image OF Col and begat
children in his own likeness, after his image
| (Gen. l., 27, 2s;v. 81; hence every child Of
| (Rom. viii. Z. 81, and cannot bear fruit unto
| God until made q good tree by being born
| again. s, 81 z.
mouth speaketb." A good man from the good
! treasures therein and an evil man from the
| evil treasures therein. There is no patch
| work with God. He does not put new cloth
l. - Tvrk~ IrSIf3
bottles (chapter ", 96-38). Not reformation,
but regeneration, Is the Lords way Of saving
men. If any man be In Christ, he is anew
creation, born Of God. Christ has come to ,
dwell In him. his body has become q temple
OF the Holy Spirit, and the old nature which /,
once lived In us and controlled all things 10 Z
now to be reckoned dead, wholly subdued.
49, "And why call ye lie Lord, Lord, and
do not the things which say2" he tells us
in chapter xiii, 25.27. that when the door
has been shut many WI say, Lord, Lord,
| open unto u.s." to whom ie will have to say
"I tell you know you lot whence ye are. )"
| In the sermon on the mount He said, mot
every one that saith unto. Me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom OF heaven, but |;
he that doeth the will OF My Father which Is
| in heaven (Math. vii, 21) James tells us
In chapter t., AZ, that we are to be deers OF
the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
our own selves. 1t Is the plain and universal
teaching of Scripture that We are not saved
by any works Of ours, hut wholly and only
by the work OF another, but It Is equally
plain that being saved by His work 1t Is In
order that He may then accomplish through
us His pleasure.
A. itWhosoever cometh to Me and hearsth
NY sayings and doeth them, I will show you
to whom he Is like" Salvation is seen here !
in the looming to Him." Compare John vi,
81, for II we are not cast out we are, surely
accepted. Then comes the service included !
in clearing and doing" See Eph. H., ., y
and Titus H., s, on salvation apart from any
works of ours, then see Eph. IL, 10. and Titus
Ill. 8, on works as the result Of that saliva
tton. James is as clear as Paul on the fact
that Abraham was saved by faith (see Bonn.
iy.. 8; jas. H., 49, but James emphasizes the
fact that the faith which saved Abraham was
afterward manifest In his conduct Gas. u
21, 22). The faith which does.not prove. It's /;
reality by works Is like q Light which does
not shine, u painted light
4s. WHe Is like man which built an house.
and digged deep, and laid the foundation ON
a rock" Such house will stand because OF
its foundation. "Other foundation can no
man Law than that Is laid, which Is Jesus
Christi Il Cor. Ill, 11). BE Is the Rock, the
only one on whom to build or IN whom TO-
hide-in other words, the only salvation is
to receive Him in whom alone Is saiyation.'
in and through that individual to the glory
or God. See Phil H., IS; Heb Kill, q; me
soul that has tnus become a part OF ChrlH
can only be overthrown when Christ Is over
thrown. ..-
40. "But he that hearetn and doeth not is
like man that without foundation built
an house upon the earth There Is no word
about looming to Christ here. and there
fore there is no foundation. It Is simply
hearing, and the hearing does no good be-
cause It is not mixed with faith (Heb. iy., y.
There may be beautiful moral character,
fair exterior, but without a foundation all
will be swept away. "The hail shall sweep
away the refuge Of lies and the waters shati
overflow the hiding place (Isa: xviii, ID..
In Luke viii, 81. Jesus says. my mothsr
and My brethren are these which hear the
word OF God and do it." By hearing and re-
ceiving we are saved (John ", 81 Rom. Z,
r). Then by keeping the word we bring
forth fruit with patience Quke viii, 1O.--
Lesson Helper. .r.
-nNtt1; lII0T iIS