The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-24
Sunday School Lesson for June Is.
Second Quarterly Review.
BY J. e. GILBERT d. D., IL D.,
Secretary of American Society OF Religious Education

Jews and Gentlles. friends and foes were
involved.
RISING.--Lesson H. Had the story OF
Jesus ended with lesson 10 Ho would
have been a martyr. After ages would
have read of His sufferings and won
dered at His deeds. Left forever in the
tomb of Arimathea no one could have
explained His mission. But His return
to life was His complete vindlcation. The
manner of that return, the four appear
ances In the body on the first day, the
consequent faith of the disciples, all
helped to make His resurrection po-
tent fact in the history OF the church
Mary and the woman, the two disciples
on the way to Emmaus, afterward the
whole company to whom He appeared in
the evening-these were witnesses whose
testimony could not be impeached. They
became glad heralds of Christ and the
resurrection, and their words, because
of the confidence with which they spoke,
carried conviction to their hearers. The
risen Christ, not the incarnated, not the
suffering Christ, is the theme ever more
to be preached until the world shall re-
ceive Him as Saviour and Lord.
IIIVING.-Losson IL. But the quarters
lessons would be incomplete had they
ended with the resurrection. If Christ
| received and left the tomb, why? This
question naturally rises in every mind.
The last lesson answers. He lives to
give life to men. This was the ultimate
declared purpose of His coming. He
| lives in His people. To state this grand
doctrine lie raised up a man, Saul of
Tarsus, whom He abundantly endowed,
and plainly called. and signally blessed.
| From a Roman prison this man wrote to
| the church at Colosse. composed largely
lnf rot, tIa,, 20
the deeds of the body, SO to subdue the
| lower promptlngs of the spirit, SO to cul-
| tivate the nobler qualities of the heart,
| so to develope the principles of love, that
Christ might live in them and that the
| members of the Coossian church might
| live peacefully and thankfully together.
| And this he presented as the one design
| of their calling, that the world might
see embodied in human nature the ideals
of Christ, q living illustration of what
lie came to establish!
| CONCLUSION.-Let us now turn a
| hasty backward look over the quarters s
| studies. See Jesus standing at the grave
| of Lazarus giving back a dead brother
to his sisters. See Him receiving the an
ointing at supper, as an act Of affection
| and gratitude from one of those sisters.
| See Him assuming the place of servant
| to teach ambitious disciples humility. Sec
| Him comforting those who were sorrow
ing at the thought OF His removal, offer
| ing Himself as a perpetual companion.
See Him in the garden seized by soldiers,
in the hall of the high priest, at the tri-
bunal of PLATE, on the cross, a sufferer.
See Him after He leaves the sepulchre
in triumph, speaking to His disciples and
kindling their faith. See Him after His
ascension. ever living in the hearts of His
own. who by speech and spirit commend
Him to the world as Saviour and Friend.
These are the high themes of the quar-
ter. Will men ever tire of them? Nay,
the millions in different lands who have
medtated on those things will gladly re-
turn. when invited, to find new truth and
new comfort in "the old story" He who
once was in the flesh to teach and suffer
and die is now the source of joy to null
titudes of hearts.