Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-03-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH is.


Text Of the Lesson, Luke Ki, I-I3-Mem-
ory Verses. o. 1o-Golden Text, Luke
ri, 9-commentary Ny the Rev. id. MI.
stearns.
/. Lord, teach us 70 pray" Thus
gpake one Of His disciples to Him "a He
was praying in a certain place. He was
much given to prayer, much in commun-
ion with heaven and in His life on earth
always pleasing the Father. Luke records
five instances Of His praying which do not
seem to be recorded by the other evangel-
lists Chapters ill., 81; Y, 16; vi, 12, ID; tx,
29, and here). 1t should be a great COM
fort to us that, though We know not what
we should pray for as we ought, the Spirit
Himself maketh intercessiOn for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered, and
He maketh intercession according to God
(Rom. viii. 20. 27).
2. "When ye pray say, Our Father
which art in heaven" This seems TO have
been on another occasion than that re-
ferred to In Math. vi, o, a repetition and
Endorsement OF this beautiful summary
and sample or all prayer Only Christians
can truly say "Our Father Compare
John viii, IA, with 1, ID. Tnasmuch as
the carnal mind Il enmity against God.
none but the redeemed can honor His
name, and only such will desire His king
dom to come and His will to be done Oh
earth a. in heaven.
8. "Give us day by day our daily bread y
The whole teaching Of Scripture il that
+1 L..< u, -
not to allow tomorrow's 5 cares to tntrude
upon today. Gas thy days thy strength" {"
'sThat which they have need of, day By
day without fail - "a daily rate for every
day all the days of his life Take
therefore no thought for the morrow, for
the morrow shall take thought for the
things of itself (Deut. xxxiii, 25; Ezra
vi, Q; Ii Kings XIV, 80; Math. vi, 34l.
4. "And forgive US our sins" II Ue
confess our sins, He is faithful and Just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse US from
all unrighteousness I John i, g. 1t il
understood, however, that confession in
cludes, on our part, the forgiveness from
the heart Of all who have injured u (Math
Vi, IA, ID: Mark XII, 26). As to temptation,
God cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tempteth He any man (Jas /, 13, l4),
and yet it l. written s'God did tempt
Abraham" CGen- xxi, ID, but Heb. XII, III,
says that Abraham, when he was tried,
offered Up Isaac. God tries His people for
their good (Deut. viii, 16; + Cor x, 13l
but never tempts them to do wrong.
5. (which Of You shall have friend?''
Abraham is the only man mentioned fn
Scripture BY name as the friend Of God (II
Chron. xx, z; Isa. XII, 8; James ii, 23),
but Jesus said to His disciples Hence
forth call you not servants, but have
called you friends that whatsoever ye
shall ask Of the Father in Ny name. He
may give it you" (John ", 10, 16). And
this in connection with fruit to the glory
Of God.
6. Il have nothing to set before him"
What a 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, 81. When the disciples had
toiled all night and Jesus id the morning.
from the shore, said Have ye any meatY"
they had to answer, NO John xxi A, Sd.
z. "My children are with me Id bed
cannot rise and give thee Children come
closer than friends, and while 1t j. good tc
BIZ q servant Of God, better tO be friend,
it Is best Of all to be child 0f God by
faith in Christ Jesus. "A father will keep
nothing good from bis children, and ~ to
all our need Jesus has said your heaven
~ Father knoweth that We have need OF all
these things (Math. Vi, 32).
s. Because of his hnp0rtunity, he will
rise and give him as many as be neede:h.' Y
There is somewhat Of the same teaching Ia
chapter xviii, Is. What do we know OF
the heart that says, 81 viii not let thee 60
except thou bless me- (Gen. xxi, 26).
Do we understand anything of prayers and
supplieations with strong crying and tears2
(Heb. Y, -
8. "Ask, seek, knock" One has said.
"Ask with the humility of bcggar, seek
carefully as faithful servant, knock con-
fidently as a friend " Some helpful words
on each OF these will abe found on ask
In John xiv, l5, IA; Nv, z; Mark XII, "a;
''seek, Prov. ii. 4; viii, M, r. WI; Ter.
xxx, 13; knock, n Col ii, g; 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, 81; viii, 50)i always and
only for God.
10. ''F0r every one that asKeth receiv-
eth The limitations are given else
where a., "That God may he gl0rifed, /"
According To His will, " 'In the name
Or Jesus John xiv, l5, IA; I John v, 14).
Could we but live solely ind wholly to
hallow His name, to hasten His kingdom,
without q thought for ourselves, we would
then know the meaning and power OF the
words Seek We first the kingdom OF Sod
and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added unto you. When we live
uprightly unto Him, we may ask what We
will for His glory and receive It, and be
perfectly sure that He will see well TO all
that concerns us without our asking any
thing Math. vi, 33; Ps. lxxxiv, ~.
H. u. IF son shall ask bread Of any
of you that is father" No parent would
ever give saone for bread, or q serpent
for fish, or a scorpion for an egg, or any
thing to harm his child instead OF some
thing good. If man will CRAFTY his
friend at the cost Of his childrpn'g com
fort, how much more viii be give what IN
good and needful tn his children. Tho
thought running all through the lesson
seems to be that VI '1Our Father and His
children Others may have to ask and
seek and knock, but child H. at home In
It, fathers house and counts ali that the
father has as its own (chapter xy, SD.
13 "If ye then, being evil know how
to give good gifts unto your children, how
much more shall your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit 10 them that ask
HimY' This confirms what l said on the
last verse, that the whole topic il one Of
our relationship to God as our Father by
faith in Christ Jesus and the privileges Of
that relationship which should insure to
us the most absolute rest of soul and free
dom from all care OF self because He
careth. :" The only way to this freedom
from self care and a whole heart for His
kingdom is 20 be filed with His Spirit,
which by comparing this verse with Math.
vii, II, you will see to be the sum and
substance Of all good things. II filled with
the Spirit tEph. n, lS). the life win BE-
right, thoughts. words and actions All sub
feet to Him, Srlf subdund the whole being
for God, Christ nagniEled In our bodies
and "a sample Of The reign cf Christ seem