The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1900-08-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson in the International Series
for August ., 1o00-,Iesus and
the Children.
Prepared by II. c. Leningtonl
THE LESSON TEXT.
Matthew lSI-l4)

unto Jesus, saying, Who Is the greatest
in the kingdom of Heaven?
2. And Jesus called little child unto
Him. and set him in the midst Of them.
3. And said Verify l say unto you, ex-
cept ye be converted, and become as lit
tie children, ye shall not enter into the
kingdom of Heaven.
T. Whosoever therefore shall humble
himself as this little child. the same is
greatest IN the kingdom OF Heaven.
8. And whose shall receive one such
little child in My name receiveth Ne.
g. But whose shall offend one of these
little ones which believe in Me. It were
better for him that a milestone were
hanged about his neck. and that he were
drowned in the depth of the sea.
Z. Woe unto the world because OF
onenses, for IT must needs be that Of
fonses come: but woe to that man by
whom the otfense cometh!
s. Wherefore If thy hand or thy foot
offend thee, cut them off, and east them
from thee; II Is better for thee to enter
into life halt or MANNED. rather than
having two hands or two feet TO be cast
into everlasting fire.
9. And # thine eye offend thee, pluck
# out, and cast IT from thee: it is better
for thee to enter into life with one eye,
rather than having two eyes TO be cast
into hell fire.
TO- Take heed that ye despise not one
Of these little ones. for l say unto you
that in Heaven their angels do always
behold the face OF My Father, which is In
Heaven.
H. For the Son of Man is come to save
that which is lost.
u. How think YEP If man have an
hundred sheep, and one Of them be gone
astray. doth he not leave the ninety and
nine. and goeth into the mountains. and
seeketh that which is gone asray?
13. And If so be that he find 1t, verify
] say unto You, he rejoiceth more Of that
sheep, than of the ninety and nine which
went not astray.
A. Even so it Is not the will Of your
Father which IS in Heaven, that one OF
these little ones should perish.
GOLDEN TENT-suner the little
children 10 come unto Me ana forbid
them not; for of sucb IL the Kingdom
OF GOd.-llnrk 1914.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Strange as it may appear 10 us. the
TRANSPORTATION scene and the healing
of the demoniac boy was followed by
more or less friendly wrangle oncern-
ing who should be greatest in the king
dom of Heaven. Still, considering the
materialistic views of the disciples of
the kingdom Christ was to found, it
is not so very strange. They had yet
TO learn that greatness in the Heavenly
kingdom depended upon things other
than those that often make for prom
inence of position in earthly relations.
An Object Lesson.-lt was to teach
His disciples some of the qualities Of
superior CHRISTIAN character that lie
places a child in their midst. "EX-
ccpt." He says, ''ye become as little
children, We shall not enter into the
kingdom of Heaven" and the emphasis
is put upon the humility of the child
nature. "Whosoever therefore hum
bleth himself as this little child, the
same is greatest in the kingdom OF
Heaven" Emphasis is upon the "hu-
mility." TO many a mind humility has
been given false meaning. Dickens
Humble Uriah Heep" is but parody
on humility, not the genuine article
Webster defines humble as being
near the ground; not proud or assum-
ing" The trouble is that the word has
Leen commonly confounded with some
of the synonyms of the word. TO
abase, lower, humiliate, mortify, de-
grade, are given as synonyms. But we
remember that no two English words
mean exactly the same thing. So hui
mility is not abasement or self-lower-
ing. but putting oneself in his right
full relation, not thinking more high
lv of himself than he ought TO think.
It is prominently a Christian virtue
end should be studiously cultivated.
Stumbling Stones.-This thought
gives rise to another in the mind of
Jesus. The child can easily be turned
toward the right or the wrong, there
fore. "whoso shall offend one of these
little ones which believe in Me, il were
better for him that a milestone were
hanged about his neck. and that he were
drowned in the depth of the sea"
Then Jesus goes on to say that offenses
must needs come to every life, young or
old. The heart carries in itself the
seeds of temptation and sin. but woe
to that man by whom the offcnse com
eth" or to that man who makes il cas-
ier for another to yield to temptation
or commit sin.
Drastic Measures Suggested.-Re-
turning TO the thought Of disciplining
oneself Jesus says: wherefore if thy
hand or thy foot offend tnee (or are a
means Of sin and temptatiOn), cut them
off. il is better for thee 10 enter
into life halt or MANNED rather than
having two hands or two feet TO be east
into everlasting FIRE" II is an illustra-
zion of the principle He had just enun-
ciated. and the further thought that
absolute sacrifice Of self may become
necessary to the inheritance Of eternal
life.
Parable of the Lost Sheep.-This
parable becomes the point Of the les
son. Earlier Christ has said: Gulf
yate the spirit Of humility" Then fol-
lows the Injunction to help others, es-
pecially the little children who are
easily led. to enter the right way. Now
lie says. in effect: Strive to do in your
sphere of influence what | am doing,
"for the Son Of Man is come TO save that
which is lost"
Make Them Into Character.
Only those truths which have be-