Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-02-14

2. There being so many verses i'm this
lesson, we will omit quotations from the
text of the lesson. We now find Him i'm
Capernaum, which i'm Math. il, /, is called
ellis own ciy, probably because when
rejected at Nazareth He made Capernaum
His Galilcan center and there wrought so
many of His mighty works. The first fact
of this lesson, next to the presence of
Christ, is that n Roman centurion had u
servant who was very dear to him, and
this servant was at this time very sick,
and it seemed as if he would die Math
viii, g. says that his sickness was the
palsy, and that he was grievously torment
ed. He was Il helpless man.
3. The centurion seems to have known
somewhat of JESUS either having heard or
seen some of the things which He had
done, and hearing that He was in tine city
he sent some of the elders of the Jews TO
ask Him to comcand heal his servant We
may iInuginc that the centurion lost no
time. His dear servant seemed TO he dc-
ing; there W. no hope for him. uo liuIn@u
helper; the OILY one who could help was
in the city; the u.4c thing to uu WAS to
have Him come quickly Jesus is the very
same today. II helpless call liim.
1, D. When the elders came to Jesus,
their plea was that the G., uturion WAS
worthy bccausV Ec had ,hu'.u Us love To
the nation by building Il synagogue TIC
saIne though, is i'm many minds today. for
there are many who think thnt if they
build "A church. or give so much to the
church. or TO the poor. or to missions.
or to some good cause they will thus
merit the favor of God whereas the fact is
that grace means favor for the unde>erv-
ING. the poor and the helpless and even
those who are rebclling against God Con
slider well Rom V. = s. and kindred pas-
sages until You see the meaning IF grace
6. Jesus at once went with them, not
because the centurion was worthy but be-
cause of the need of the poor, sick and help
less servant, but other servants meet Him,
from the centurion, with this message:
IL am not worthy that Thou shuudest
enter under my roof " The grace of God
was doing something for this man, for #
is only by grace that we get true humility
Job thought great deal of himself till he
saw God: then he abhorcd himself and
magnifled God Compare Job xxx with
xiii, Is. and see also Isa vi, D, and Dan
Ks
Z. Not only did the centurion feel un-
worthy to have Jesus come into his house,
but ne also felt unworthy even to como to
Jesus and now sends by these servants this
message: "Say in word, and my servant
shall be hea ed. " or, as in Math viii .,
"Speak the ord only" Is it possible that
he had become familiar with these words
of Scripture by the word of the Lord
were the heavens made" "He spakc, and
it was done" Gle sent His word and
healed them?" ops. xxxiii, 6, 9; evil, 2O)
And was he thus led to have such I'M
bounded confidence in this One whom he
q
God?
g. He knew what it was to obey and to
be obevcd. and somehow he had faith in
this Man that he could command diseases
and demons at pleasure. 1t is written in
the Psalms. from which book we have al
ready wanderngy quoted, that fire
/ and hail, snow and vapors and stormy
wind fulfill His word and that the an
gels who excel in strength do His com
! mandnents, hearkening unto the voice of
His word Ops. cxlvii, 8; Gill, POI and
that, though the Lord be high, vet haiti He
respect unto the lowlv (Ps. cxxxviii. 81.
Did this centurion learn his faith and hui
mility from this bookY
9. Such faith was SO pleasing to the
Lord that He spoke of it to the people rs
excclling any faith that He had seen in
Israel. With.ut faith it is impossible to
/ please God (icb. Xi, o. but by believing
Him and having confidence in Him we
can please Him. That the disciples re-
ccived the words of the Lord made Him SO
glad that He spoke of it to His Father in
His PRAYER on the night before His cruel
fxion (.Iuhn xvii. 81. Consider also the
faith of tho Svro-Phnnician in Math.
XIV. %.
10. When tho messengers returned, the
servant WAS we'll 1t would appenr from
the account in Matthew that. having sent
the elders and then the servants, he after
ward went himself to meet the Lord. and
that the Lord said unto him. go thy
way. and AS thou hast believed SO bo il
done INTO thee" We are reminded of the
noblemnn of Capernaum whose son WAS
sick. and TO whom Jesus said. 600 thy
way. thv son livcth." The man believed
the word and went and found rs .Jesus
had said (John iv. b0). Assurance and ioy