The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-12-01
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON X. FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES. DEC. 8.
rext Of the Lesson. Phil. n, 1-11-Mem-
DRY Verses, 5-s- Golden Text, Phil. II,
- Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.
stearns.

In Christ, IL any comfort OF love, III any
fellowship of the Spirit, II any bowels and
mercies." Consolation here Is literally
Zone called to your side" and comfort Is
Zone speaking beside YOU" So we might
read. "If there is anything In Christ be-
ing ever with you and ever talking to you.
and in having the constant companioDship
and guidance and teaching of the Holy
Spirit. II there Is anything in the tender
ness and compassion of the Father mani
tested In the Son by the Spirit, TIN let it
be seen in you to the glory of I'd that
Christ may be maRnified
Q. Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like
minded. having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind" Oneness of the
members of the body in the service of the
head il something greatly desired by our
/ blessed Lord, as is very manifest in His
prayer in John xvii, and 10 will also be
the great desire of all who are fully one
with Him. Not only does He comfort us
with the assurance, "As the Father hath
loved Me- so have / loved you," but He
also adds, "1his Is My commandment,
that ye love one another AS ! have loved
you" John XIV, o, 12).
3. LET nothing be done through strife
or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let
each esteem other better than themselves.
Another reading is, sin nothing follow
self seeking" jeremiah said to his scribe,
Baruch: "Seekest thou great things for
myself Seek them mott (Jer. XIV, 81.
Although the whole land was Abrams
and not Lots, yet rather than have strife
A bram told Lot to take his choice and
go whittier he would. When the Philis-
tines strove for the wells which Isaac had
reopened, Isaac did not resist, but kept on
yielding until there was room for all, and
the strife ceased (Gen. xiii, 8, 8; XVI, 22).
4. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things
of others. Not enviously as some would
pervert 1t, but desiring the welfare Of 9TH
ers as much as or more than your own.
Love seeketh not her own Il Cor. xiii, 81.
Let Episcopalians seek and rejoice in the
welfare of Methodists, and so Methodists
of Baptists, Baptists of Presbyterians, and
so on, all uniting heartily to seek the
honor of the Head in the completion Of
His body, the church, which has no name
but Christ q Cor. xiii 12, 13).
8. "Let this mind be in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus" If any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none Of His
(Rom. viii, 81. Now, every penitent sim
ner who truly receives Christ receives also
the Spirit of Christ but some are more
controlled by and manifest more of that
Spirit than Others. 1t Is the privilege of
every believer to be filled with the Spirit
(Eph. V, 1S). and led by the Spirit and to
walk i'm the Spirit, and when one, Is only
willing to have no will but the will of
God, no choice but Gods choice, no way
but Gods way, no service but what He
appoints, God will quickly fiji that one
with His Spirit and continue to fill him
day by day and moment by moment.
6. "Who, being in the form of God,
thought 1t not robbery to be equal with
God" Another reading is, Deemed not
his equality with God a thing to grasp
at" He was not always saying, 81 am
God; i created all things; l own the uni
verse; do as please in heaven and on
earth, and therefore you must bow to Me,
and II you don't will make you, for
have all power" Those who are always
grasping at their position as If they might
lose 1t, or at least some Of the honor be-
longing to it, are very small people, or peo-
pie of very small minds, whatever their
position may be.
2. "But made Himself of no reputa-
ton, and took upon Him the form of a
servant and was made in the likeness Of
man." He took not ON Him the nature Of
angels, which would have been very
great humiliation, but as the children are
partakers Of flesh and blood, He also II i'm
self likewise took part of the same Heb.
H. IA, 16). He emptied Himself of the
glory which He had with the Father be-
fore the world was, and consented to en-
dure the limitations of mortal body for
over 33 years-not only SO, but He con-
sented to endure such limitation under the
most limited Of earthly conditions, such as
the manager at Bethlehem, the humb BILE
home and the carpenters shop at Naza-
reth.
8. "ADd being found in fashion as a
man He humbled Himself and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross" The Son of Man came not TO be
mnistere unto, but to minister and to
give His t.ife u ransom for many (Math.
Xxx, Esq. He consented to be despised and
slandered and misunderstood, prosecuted,
blindfolded. buffeted spit upon, scourged,
led as lamb to the slaughter, crucified
o. Wherefore also God hath highly ex-
allied Him and given Him name which
Is above every name" He Is now at God g
right hand, with the Father on His throne
(Rev. iii. 81, and in due time all kings
serve Him FPS. lxxii, 1I. BY His work
and by that alone, which He has finished
without help from man. eternal life is
freely given to every one who receives
Him, and a share In His glory and a place
on His throne John xvii, 90; Rev. Ill, 2D.
10. THAT at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow Of things In heaven, and
things In earth, and things under the
EARTH" And so 1t shall come to pass for
God has purposed it. 1.-THE Lord of Hosts
hath sworn, saying, Surely as 1 have
thought, so shall it come to pass, and as
have purposed, so shall 1t stand" lisa. xiv,
24). John saw the contamination Of 1t
In his vision when he heard every creature
which IL In heaven, and on the earth, and
under the earth, and such as are In the
sea, and all that are in them, saying,
blessing and honor and glory and power
be unto Him that stitch upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb forever and ever
(Rev. V, 13). There is none other name
under heaven given among men whereby
we may be saved.
IL. And that every tongue should con-
fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father" 1t shall surely be,
to the everlasting comfort and bliss OF
some and to the everlasting woe of others.
Saved and unsaved shall all confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord. The saved shall re-