The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-05-19
THE SUNDA y SCHOOL.
LEssoNvIlI, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 81.

copyright, 1899, by D. M. stearns.l
is. ssAnd Simon Peter followed Jesus.
In Math. XVI, 5s, it is said that Peter
followed Him afar off, and when any fol-
low Him that way instead Of following
fully we may expect to see some work of
satan in such one: The dogs do not need
to run after the sheep which keep close by
the shepherd. 1t is only the wanderers
which need to be barked in. Matthew also
says that Peter went in and sat with the
servants. He put himself in bad company.
He is in great danger
16. "Peter stood at the door without /"
John went out and spoke unto her that
kept the door and had Peter come in a
little nearer. Before this and Immediately
after His arrest all the disciples forsook
Him and fled, even as Jesus had said,
Ye shall be scattered, every man to his
own and shall leave me alone' (John xvi,
B2). But Peter and John must have soon
returned Peter in his great weakness
and John in his great love seemed in
many ways the nearest to Christ of all the
disciples.
H. cart not thou also one of this mans
disciples9 He saith, am not Thus
spake the damsel that kept the door, and
thus Peter replied. Peter, who had said;
although all shall be offended, yet will
not T. If l should die with Thee, l will
not deny Thee in any wise" Mark xiv,
3d. 3D. How little we know our own
hearts or realize how weak we are and
what we might do if left to ourselves.
49, Peter stood with them and warmed
himself" He stood with the servants
and officers who had made fire of Goals
to warm themselves, for it was cold
The expression sit was cold" seems to
me to go along with that in chapter xiii,
30, "It was night If they call to mind
any time in your own life when with you,
either literally or figuratively, or both, it
was night-so dark and cold and lonely
you will better understand To our
Lord it was from the earthly side so dark
and lonely, but His comfort was His
Fathers presence and approval.
10. 1.-THE high priest then asked Jesus
of His disciples and of His doctrine AS
If it had been some friendly call that Jesus
had made upon him, while all the time
there was murder in his heart and he was
probably rejoicing that at last he had this
man in his power W no had set aside their
traditions, broken their Sabbath days, de-
fed their power and plainly told them
that they were hypocrites, blind guides,
whited sepulchres. Our Lord Jesus had
proved that He was Israel's Messiah, sent
IF God. and that God was with Him. and
the high priest knew. as Nicodenus knew.
that no one could do what Jesus did I'M
less God was with him Chapter iii, p.
20. Jesus answered him, spake open
ly to the world ever taught in the syna-
gogue and in the temple, whittier the Jews
always resort; and in secret have / said
nothing" Even the people had said:
MIo He speaketh boldly. and they saw
nothing INTO Him. Do the rulers know
indeed that this is the very Cbrist?'' (Jobn
vii. e6l The officers also said to the chief
priests and Pharisees. "Neyer man spake
like this man, (Jobn vii. 4e)
21. aWhv askest thou Me? Ask them
which heard Me what I have said unto
them. behold they know what I said ),
Yes, and the high priest himself knew
enough of what Jesus had said. for MANY
a time had he and the other priests and
the Pharisees talked of the sayings of
Jesus. but the teaching was too holy for
them. the lioht was TOO strong for their
ewes. thew coufd NOT bear If. They
taught the commandments of men. Init
Jesus taught the word of God. They pre-
ferred their traditions to the word of God.
%. zone of the officers which stood by
struck Jesus with the palm of his hand -
The margin saws with a rod - How
difficult it ia to understand all this. and
to see the true High Priest standing as
criminal before the legal high priest, who
was in reality no priest of God at all, and
then to see this officer of the law lift his
hand and smite his Creatori But they
did not know what they were doing.
90. "Jesus answered him, If / have
spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but
If we'll. why smitest thou Me?" 1t was a
mild protest to a great wrong and to most
unjust treatment. Even great criminal
is bv the law and the officers of the law
protected till his case is heard, and no
one dare touch him. Against our Lord
nothing was proved vet: He was not even
properly on trial.
%. "Now Annas had sent Him bound
INTO Caiaphas. the high priest, John
does NOT dwell longer unon His ill treat
ment before Caiaphas. the false witnesses,
fine blindfoldinr and shifting and buffet
ing. Perhaps. like the agony in Geth
semane. If was more than he could write
about, Matthew. Mark and Luke saw it
not. they only heard it from others: but
John saw Ii all. itwas yery real to him.
he could not forget it. and to write ii
would be to live it ali over again. He
could not stand it: it was not required of
him. else he would have done it. Do not
fail to notice what Jesus said to the high