Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-04-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
iESSoN u, SECOND QUARTER. INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 8.
Text of the Lesson, Math. vii. lila
Memory Verses, 7, :, Is, 14-GoIden
Text, Mnth. vii, IL Commentary
Prepared by the Rev. ID. vi. stearns.
[Copyright. 100, BY D. n. stearns.


ed" Our lesson is entitled "Precepts
and Promises" but it is part OF the ser
mon on the mount the laws Of the king
dom. and if we are joint heirs with Christ
of this kingdom the features of the king
dom should be more fully seen in our
daily life. After saying that righteous.
ness which does not exceed that Of the
scribes and Pharisees Is worth nothing
in the sight Of God ", 20l. He then
taught them that the Ten Commandments
meant not merely the letter, but the spirit
of the command and that ali almsgiving.
praying and fasting that has any regard
to what men think OF 1t is OF no use. All
must be in the sight OF God and unto
Him alone. who is our Father in heaven.
who careth for lilies and sparrows and
will not allow any child OF His 10 lack
any good thing.
80 1t is difficult for us 10 believe that
when things seem wrong the beam is in
our eye and only mote in the others
eye. We can hardly be persuaded of
this, for we think that things must be as
they seem, and the beam Is always in the
others eye. But ii is the Lord who is
speaking to us. He who reads the heart,
and He knows. Let us seek earnestly to
be right with God, seeing things and peo-
pie in His light and then only shall we
see clearly. When we are tempted 10
think that others are wrong and we are
right, it would be well to consider prayer
fully the possibility of our being wrong
before we say anything.
g. Dogs and swine suggest the I'M
clean, the unrenewed who, whatever pro-
| fession they may make are still natural
and unsaved I'll Pet. ii, 90. For other
references to dogs or to the unsaved as
| dogs see Ps. xxi, 16, 20; Phil. iii, 2; Rev.
xxi, Is. John Wesley said; Speak not
of the deep things of God to those whom
| you know to be wallowing in sin nor de-
clare the great things God hath done for
| your soul to profane. furious, prosecuting
wretches. Talk not OF perfection to the
former nor of your hearts experience to
| the latter. If we are filed with the Holy
| Spirit He will tell us when to speak and
| to whom and what He would have us to
say. BE filled with the Spirit"
| Z, s. Who is wise enough to know when
TO speak and what to say? None but He
who is perfect in knowledge Who teach
eth like Him dob xxxyi, 4, 22)? If He
sees that we earnestly desire to be filled
with, controlled and taught by Him, He
will do it, for He will fulfill the desire of
them that fear Him BPS. cxlv. 49,. Ask
| ing suggests III Kings ii, 8; III Chrcn. /.
| Z; tx, 10 Math. xxi, q; John iv, 10; xiv.
Is, IA: XIV {, 10, and other passages.
Seeking sends us to Prov. i, 2S; viii, II;
Ps. xvii, 4; Jer. xxx, ID: Zeph. ii, 3,
and Others Knocking is a much less
common word, found only In the Old
Testament in Song V, 2. and in the New
Testament in Luke xi. 8, 10; xii, 80; xiii,
| %; Acts xii, 13, 16; Rev. iii, 20; besides
| our lesson. If the thought Of the Lord
| knocking at our hearts takes hold of us,
we will better understand His desire that
we should ask, seek and knock that we
| may receive, find and have His whole
| kingdom opened to us.
Gil No parent would give his child an
evil thing instead of a good thing. How
| much less will our Heavenly Father with
| hold anything good from His children?
| The parallel passage to verse III in Luke
| xi, 13, says, 1.-THE Holy Spirit" instead
of "Good things" Who is this who is
perfect in knowledge and teacheth like
| no other but the Holy Spirit? Our Lord
| said on that last night: HE shall teach
you all things" HE will guide you into
| all truth" John xiv, 26; xvi. 49,. Be
cause we have such a Father we are
| therefore to take no thought for life or
food or raiment but as trustful children
of God glorify Him by being filed with
| His Spirit and allowing Him to take full
| control of thoughts, words and deeds.
| When our Father sees that we desire this
| with the whole heart, He will not with
| hold the fulness OF the Spirit from any
| Of His children, but it must be an honest
| desire and to the end that God may be
glorifed in us q Pet. iv, III.
| L. These concise summaries are so
helpful. In Rom. xiii, TO- we read, Love
worketh no ill to his neighbor, therefore
Love is the fulfilling OF the law" Here
our Lord gives us a summary of the law
! and the prophets in the words, "All
things whatsoever We would that men
should do to you, do We even so to them"
Rabbi Hillel says in the Talmud, What
soever is hateful to thyself that do not
10 thy neighbour" and Tobt iv, 10, says.
40 that to no man which thou latest"
| But our Lord Jesus takes higher ground
and tells us not merely not TO do what is
wrong, but to do what is right in the
sight of God and man.
| 49, Enter We in at the strait gate"
| There is broad, easy way with a wide
entrance and it is filled with people who
think they are going TO heaven, not know
| ing that it leadeth to destruction. Those
all are Christians who have desire to
be good and act in any way like the Lord
| Jesus. All who are kind and amiable
and living unselishly, these we are told
are Christians. Even the heather, who
never heard of God, if they do the best
| they can, they. too, are saved. Ian Mae
Laren says on page 103 of his Mind of
| the Master" According to Jesus, the
selfish man was lost; the unselfsh was
saved" This is the kind of teaching
which fills the broad way with deluded
souls who think they are safe but have
no foundation on which to rest.
IA. Because strait is the gate and
narrow is the way which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it," Many
do not know Of it, and many who do
know of it do not like it. There is no
possibility of entering heaven without
righteousness Il Cor. Vi, %. And it must
be that which God has provided by the
sacrifice of His Son QI Cor. v, 21). 1t
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