The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-08-23
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST rs.

Z, lie - Golden Text: John K, IL -
Memory Verses, Oil - Commentary
on the Days Lesson.
/. 'By the door" The sheepfolds of the
| East are not covered like our stables, but
are mere enclosures surrounded by wall
| of loose stones with thorn bushes upon the
| top, but usually an effectual barrier against
| the wolves. There is only one door to
| Oriental sheepfolds. Here the door is the
way appointed by God for entering His
| kingdom, and the leadership in it. 1t in.
cludes conservation to Gods service, unset.
| fish devotion to the good of others, prepar-
alton by the knowledge of the truth, by
| spiritual experience, by the presence Of
God, to enable the disciples to shepherd
the sheep. Later, Christ Himself is repre-
scented en6d as the door b all . the sbOys being
true church of Christ "a thief and rob.
ber." A thief endeavors to gain his booty
| slyly and avoid detection; a robber is
brigand prepared to do violence. These
| false teachers, who rejected Christ and
who were devouring the sheep from a pure
ly mercenary standpoint, were the thieves
and robbers. The application was easy.
2.-"By the door" Openly, with no need
to conceal His purpose. By the way which
He directs the sheep to enter. There ia
not one salvation for the teacher and an
other for the taught; the door is the same
to all.
8. "To him the porter openeth' The
| Holy Spirit is one who opens the door to
the shepherds; see frequent uses Of this
symbolism by the apostles. Acts l4:27: l
Cor. 1879; . Cor, PIP: Col, 4:3. The
| Holy Spirit recognizes true shepherds by
especially amounting and qualifying them
for the work of rescuing lost men. ''The
| sheep" True Christians. Those who, like
sheep, are innocent: trustful, teachable,
obedient" Hear His voice" His voice
| is pleasant voice. 1t sometimes seems
severe, but is always in love. by name"
In the East in a flock of hundreds each
sheep would have its own name. Christ
knows us and loves us as individuals.
Leading them out" Psa. %. When we
great Shepherd, He will lead us out of our
trials and difficulties, into green pastures"
of JOY and blessing and heavenly sunshine.
4. THE sheep follow Him" We must
follow where Christ leads. Sometimes the
best pastures and the waters of rest lie be-
| You'd deserts and mountains and rough
ways lead to them; still, Jesus leads His
chosen ones there.
5. "a stranger will they not follow"
This is true among the sheep i'll the east
ern countries, and it is equally true among
Gods people. Shrewd men may deceive for
time, but some day the mask will be torn
off by Christians themselves.
descriptions were leveled at themselves
Matt 2l:45; Luke 20;l9), they did not see
the exact hinge on which the application
turned. They did not wish to understand
Him. The blind beggar found no trouble
in knowing what He meant.
7. Il am the door" Works. ordinances,
character are not the door; the church is
not the door; Christ alone is Eph. 2:l8.
|. Jesus brought the truths of salvation
2. He made an atonement for sin. 8. He
brought new spiritual life. 4. The sheep
enter this door by faith.
s. "All that came before Me" Those
who came pretending to be pastors or
guides to the people. The scribes and
Pharisees claimed to be instructors of the
people; claimed the right to regulate the
affairs of religion; whose only aim was to
promote themselves and Cypress the peo-
pie
g. "If any man enter in" What are the
benefits to be. received by entering in
through Christ? l. Salvation-"sha be
saved" 2. Liberty of soul-''go in and
out" 8. Soul satisfaction-"find pas
ture." lisa. SSH. T. Protection and care.
60 in and out" We must Ego in" to
trust, to rest, to think, to pray, before We
can ego OUT to do effective work for the
| Lord.
10. "And may have it abundantly." (R.
W Christ is able to give His people
abundant life. Many are seeking more"
life; what such need is "life"-the Christ
life, the abundant life. "By this is meant,
l. Fulness of life. .. Overlooking life"
Such life is growing, increasing life. -.
II. "Giveth His life for the sheep"
Precious truth? John 3:l6; John 4:l0.
self and the unholy men He was address
| ing.
Il. "An hireling" The hireling is the
one who labors simply for wages, with no
love or concern for the work. Such a per-
son seeks his own interest and happiness,
sacrifices the sheep for himself, and not
himself from the sheep. THE wolf" The
wolf is the enemy of souls in any of his
manifold DISCUSSES, such as persecution,
heresy, worldly living, or low standard
of morals
IA. II am the good shepherd" Watch
ing, feeding, guarding, teaching, dying for
the flock. Know Ny sheep" There is a
mutual affection between the shepherd
and the sheep. There is a mutual affection
between the Father and the Son; one is
parallel with the other. As the Father
| knows the Son, so does the Shepherd
| know the sheep; as the Son knows the
herd As His Father read His heart, so
did He read the heart of man and recog-
nize His own.
TO- "Other sheep I have" The Gentiles
who We're soon to be brought into His
church. The Good Shepherd sweeps the
world with His thought. Here is the uni
versal relation of Jesus to sinners of all
nations and tongues. shall become one
flock" (R. W One flock not in creed,
or name, but in what is far more essential
one in Christ One in heart, one in pur-
pose, one in the service OF God and man.
| Teachings-Christ's sheep. l. Know
the Shepherds voice. .. They hear-or
heed His voice This is one of the surest
marks of a sheep. g. They follow Him.
The way may seem dark and difficult, and
even dangerous, but where He leads they
follow A. They know not the voice of
strangers and will not follow them.
Strangers talk glibly, and many protested
Christians will go after them but the
sheep will not. 5. On the contrary the
sheep flee from them. The Good Shepherd,
| l. Knows His sheep. 2. Is known by His
sheep. 8. Has personal interest in His
sheep. A. Gives them liberty. 5. Gives
soul satisfaction. 6. Careth for the sheep.
7. Giveth His life for them. s. Giveth
| II. oil