Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-08-25
international 9rssol1s.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON x, THIRD QUARTER. INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. 8.

| MA lOlNAI OCnlCS3 SG' U. S'
! Text OF the Lesson. II Cor. IL, 1-11-Mem-
ory Verses, e-s- Golden Text, II Cor.
will, documentary by the Rev. D. NJ.
Stearns.
]. "For as touching the ministering to
the saints, it is supcrfluous for mo to write
to you." The great privilege of minister
Ing to others, whether in things temporal
or spiritual, is q very Godlike one, for
"The Son of man came not to be minis
tered unto, but to minister, and to give
His life ransom for many" (Math. xx,
2S). He is our great and only example In
all things if we have first of all truly re-
ceived Him and thus been saved by His
blood (Eph. /, 6, y. Until we are saved
by Him we cannot serve Him, but when
once wo have become children Of God by
faith In Him then our great work is to
serve the living and true God.
Q. "Your zeal hath provoked very
many" AS we consider Him of whom 1t
Is written, "The zeal Of thino house hath
eaten me up" (Ps. Xix, 8; John II, ~,
and who, though He was rich, yet for our
sakes became poor, that we through His
poverty might be rich (I1 Cor. viii, 81, we
will be Increasingly filled with His spirit
and manifest His zeal III Cor. Ill, 49,
Then as others see Him in us they will ad-
mire Him and want to be like Him.
When once we are saved by Him, He asks
us to hand over to Him our bodies that
He may dwell in us and walk in us to the
glory Of God tho Father (Rom. xii, 1, Q:
II Cor. vi, 16; viii, 81.
8. "Yet have / sent the brethren lest
our boasting of you should be in vain In
this behalf; that, rs I said, ye may be
ready" There is often seeming readi-
ness that docs not always result in per-
formance, either through lack of sincerity
or some temptation of the adversary.
Hence Paul sent Titus and brother whose
praise was in all tho churches III Cor.
viii, 16-1S) designating them both as "the
messengers of the churches, the glory of
Christ" To these brethren, and through
them, the believers at Corinth were to
show the proof of their love.
4. "Lest haply If they Of Macedonia
come with me and find you unprepared,
we should be ashamed in this same conf
dent boasting" If we trust in people and
In their promises, wo will he very apt to
De ashamed, for the best intentions Of peo-
pie may come to naught John, by tho
Spirit, exhorts us so to abide in Christ
that we shall not be ashamed before Him
at His coming q John ii, 2S). If God is
working in us, His thoughts and works
are sure to be fulfilled lisa. xiv, "a; Jer.
Ii, 29). But if we are, apart from Him,
seeking to accomplish somewhat, it will
be very apt to fall through.
s. "Thcrefore I thought it necessary to
e1hort the brethren, that they would 60
before unto you and make up beforehand
your bounty" There seems to Inc to be
little more of looking to men than to God
In all this cxhortation and fearfulness on
the part of Paul. 1t seems q good deal
like the way things are done today, rather
than whom, in the days of Moses, the people
gave so willingly and abundantly that
they had to be restrained from bringing
(E1., xxxvi, 6, y.
6. "But this I say, He which sowoth
sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he
which sowcth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully" Or, rs it is written in Prov.
xi, 81, "Thcre is that scattcrcth and yet
incrcascth, and there is that withholdcth
moro than is meet, but it tcndcth to pow
erty." And again in Prov. xiii, Z, "Thcre
is that maketh himself rich, yet hath moth
ing; there Is that makcth himself poor
yet hath great riches " No farmer expects
q great harvest from small sowing; how
can Christian think othcrwiscp
z. EVERY man according as he purpos.
eth in his heart, so let him give; not
grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth
cheerful givcr" All service to be &C.
ceptablc must bo heart service unto God,
In the name of the Lord Jesus and In the
power of the Spirit. Those who worship
God must worship Him in spirit and In
truth. No mere outward form counts for
anything God so loved that He gave. The
Son of God loved me and gave Himself for
me, and unless we cheerfully give we
have not His spirit. Tho Greek word hi
laros, here translated cheerful, is not found
elsewhere. You can easily see in it our
word hilarity, suggesting Gods pleasure
in one who gives with laughter because he
is 80 glad of the opportunity.
8. "And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you; that ye always, hav-
ing all sufficiency In all things may
abound to every good work" However
close ono may ba naturally, and not in
clincd to give, the exceeding, abundant
grace of God is able TO transform even
such a ono into hilarious giver, and
such miracle of grace brings great glory
to God. So in every other phase of tho
Christian life God is able to make mani
fest in the most unlikely person the very
spirit of Christ. mot that we are suff1-
cient of ourselves to think anything as OF
ourselves, but our sufIicicncy is Of God"
III Cor. iii, 81. A very little Christian
living and Christian work seem to satisfy
many who bear His beautiful names
pennies for God, but dollars many for
bicycle, or spring suit, or cigars, or O
ball dress; few moments for Him, but
many hours q day for recreation which
must be had.
8, 10. This parenthcsis is quotation
from a psalm (cxii), which speaks Of the
blesscdncss of the upright man who lives
In the fear of the Lord; to such God will
give the power of doing good beyond their
utmost thought. He will not only provide
that which we arc to scatter, but He will
bless it as we scatter it and cause 1t to In
crease and multiply like the five loaves of
the lad which fed the 5000. The seed to
be sown Is His, whether it be seed In the
form of His word or money or good deeds.
"Tho seed is the word of God, The sill
yer is mine and the gold Is mine, saith
the Lord of Hosts. " "Good works are also
prepared for us to walk in" (Luke viii,
IL; Hag. ii, 8; Eph ii, 10). When God
secs any one who is willing faithfully to
scatter seed, He will abundantly supply
both tho seed and His blessing, without
which there can be no increase Il Cor.
Iii, y.
~ upeiDo arrichpd In everything to