The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-11-15
THE SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR NOVEMBER 10.
Subject The Ten Lepers Cleansed. Luke
xviii. 11-1o - Golden Text : Col. ill.,.
Is - Memory Verses, 1910 Com.
lnentary on the Days Lesson.

IL. AS lie went 70 JcIuodltIu. IIbiu
Fphraim. where Jesus and His disciples
had been in seclusion. Through the
midst" This mention of Samaria before
Galilee is confusing being the opposite
direction to a journey to Jerusalem.
Probably Through the midst" is to be
understood as meaning along the iron
tiers Of
y. Ten men were lepers." The lep.
rosy was a disease which the jews sup
posed to be inflicted for the punishment
| of some particular sin, and to be. more
than other diseases, a mark of Gods dis
pleasure; therefore Christ took particular
| pains to cleanse the lepers. There were
| ten insthis company, for though they were
| shut out from the society of others, they
were at liberty to mingle together The
law pronounced the leper unc,aan, and he
was obliged to warn passersby with the
cry of "upclean, unclean." Leprosy is
type of sin. The leper was ~ defled,
and he defled everything he touched, ~
| extremely loathsome, and (3l shut out of
society. This all applies with equal force
to the sinner. The surroundings of the
leper We're also unclean. Lev. 10: 4-59;
IA: 33-47. We must see to it that our sur
roundings are not infected The clothes
we wear, the books we read, the company
we keep, the places we frequent, the
scenes we visit. if leprous, will cause our
death. (Which stood afar off" They
sons in health. Lev. 10: as; Mum. 5: 2.
10. Lifted up their voices" Their re-
quest was unanimous. The ten cried az
with one voice They had evidently heard
of the fame of Jesus and how He cured
the leprosy. Jesus, Master" Their
faith in Him is sincere. Although they
do not vet know the Saviour's dignity
as the Messiah, yet they account Him
prophet, mighty in deed and word. Have
mercy on us They knew they were lep-
ers, and that no human power could save
| them; they accordingly, very properly,
| plead for mercy. Jesus always helps those
| who thus call upon Him. 1t is mercy that
the sinner must have. Justice would de-
| stroy him in a moment. These lepers, l.
See their helplcssness. .. Have faith in
Jesus. 3. Appeal to His compassion.
| IA. when He saw them" 1t was
sight that might have touched any heart,
| for they were smtten with a living death.
| The pity of Jesus was excited, and He
! called to them Immediately. SHOW your
| testimony of the priests that they were
really cured and might be released from
their enforced seclusion, and be again ad-
mitted into society. According to the
| law Nev. IA: 232) the priest alone had
| authority to declare a person clean or I'M
| clean, and whenever Jesus healed lepef
! He sent him Immediately to the priest,
cIo,n 49, ;; Tes,,s I'D not toncb them as
! in Matt g. 2 but caused their faith in
! Him to he tested They were commanded
to go to the priest, and they actually
started on the journey before they were
healed. 1t was strong test, but their
! perfect confidence in Christ was equal to
it. They had heard no words Of cleans
! ing, they felt no change in their diseased
| bodies. but thew went. They acted their
ain E;yerv sfep thew took away from
the presence of Christ proved that they
trusted Him Thev took Jesus at His
! yyord Thie is fifth NTonv will not be-
! lieve until thev see what they call rea-
/ son for if b,f such are never likely to be
| saved The hest reason for believing and
| obevinq is that we are in harmony with
COR evnress command The nerson who
| acts on Gods word is safe.
Is, cone of them. :" The Samaritan.
Tho other nine who we're Jews would nat
nraIIv ' senar rate from him as they started
to their priests at Jerusalem. The Sam
aritan no doubt started to his own priests.
| "yVbnn he saw.tnrned hack" They had
NOT gone far until they saw they were
| healed, and they should have returned if
| hlt for a moment. to thank their benefac-
factor for deliverance from a disease that
was worse than death. But the nine Jews
were too much taken up with themselves
in their desire to obtain official certif-
| Gates from the priests to think of this.
with a loud voice glorifed God" Be
cause of the wonderful cure that had been
| wrought in him. He had been loud in
nraver and now he is loud in praise.
| Saved souls have a snecial license granted
| them to praise the Lord. See Luke 49,
$40. David said. Seven times a day
do I praise Thee" Pisa. ll9: 1854. The
| wonder is that we do not praise Him
| more
Is, Con his face at His feet" Before
he was healed he remained at a distance,
| hut now he draws near and in a humble
posture he shows all who are present what
| The Lord has done for him. "Giving
Him thanks" The least any one should
do is to express thankfulness for Gods
rich blessings. Ingratitude is a great sin.
r. is said Of the heather that when they
knew God, tbey gloriiied Him not as God,
neither we're thankful" Rom. l: 81. "a
Samaritan" One who protested a very
corrupt ,r religion, and from whom much
! lose Ivos ev1ected than from the other
nine
II. "yVere there not ten cleansed?" He
knew that He Te had d. cIeansed the other