Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-04-06
International gessolt,
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON u, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL IL.
Text of the Lesson, John xk, Ills.
Memory VerreS. 16-1S-GoIden Text
Rev, 1, 1S-Commentary Prepared
by the Rev. D. Nj. Stearns.

by the Rev. D. nj. Stearns.
Copyright, 1901, by American Press Association
II. "But Mary stood without at the
sepulcher weeping, and as she wept she
stopped down and looked into the sepul'
cher" We have seen loving service
without faith in the spices that were
brought to anoint His body and were
never used for that purpose. And in this
Mary we see sorrow Us the result Of un'
belief, although in her, too, there was
much love for our Lord, perhaps more
than in many. Love is sometimes the
greatest thing. The love of God is al
ways the greatest thing we ever saw or
heard Of, but on our part faith is in some
respects the greatest thing, faith which
worketh by love, for without faith it is
impossible to please Him Il Cor. xiii, Ii;
Gal. v, 6; Heb. xi, @.
IL. "And seeth two angels in white sit
ting, the one at the head and the other
at the feet, where the body Of Jesus had
lain" The ministry of angels to Him nj
His birth, His temptation and in Geth-
semane, and in that connection the whole
Bible study Of the ministry Of angels is q
most helpful and interesting study.
White as the livery of heaven is also q
helpful study. Consider the white robes
of Rev. vii and the fine linen, clean and
white, of Rev. xix, 8, IA; the white ap,
parel of Acts i, 10, and His own white
raiment Of the TRANSPORTATION Mark tx,
81, and think Of the Rev. xix statement
IL gxI tho ,s~h$
of saints" and that it comes by the blood
of the Lamb. On this topic let me pass
on sentence which came to me through
Professor Moorehead: "The righteous.
ness Of God is that which His righteous
ness requires Him to require and which
He has fully provided and freely be-
slows in His dear Son."
13. Because they have taken away
my Lord, and / know not where they
have laid Him." This from Mary to the
angels in response to their inquiry. "Wo.
man, why weepest thou?' They knew
He would rise from the dead, and she
should have known, for He Himself had
plainly told them again and again. If
she had believed, she would not now be
sorrowfully looking for a dead Christ.
Oh, the sorrow and the tears that come
from unbelief, and the victory that would
come in their stead if only we would fix
our eyes upon Him who is alive for ever
more and has all power in heaven and on
earth.
II. "And when she had thus said she
turned herself back and saw Jesus stand
ing and knew not that it was Jesus y
This is His first appearance to any NOR
tai after His resurrection Mark xvi, ~.
Why first to Mary Magdalene He knows,
and that He saw fit so to do is sufficient
for all who have confidence in Him. We
might have thought that He would sure
ly appear first to His own mother or to
John or to Mary Of Bethany, but His
way is perfect (Ps. xviii. 3O), and some
day we shall know, if necessary, why He
saw fit to appear first to Mary Of Magda-
la. Why did she turn round after her
reply to the angels? Did she see them
looking at some one behind her?
Is. "Jesus saith unto her. Woman,
why weepest thou? Whom seekest
thou?" But she did not recognize Him,
and, supposing Him to be the gardener.
asked that he would tell her where the
body was if he had taken it away. How
binding and stupefying is unbelief! We
shall see it again in somewhat the same
form in next weeks lesson. There is no
rest in unbelief. and the word preached
does not profit unless there be faith tHcb.
iii, 10: iv. q. Faith would have led her
to expect living Christ, not dead one.
Yet there are many believers even now
who act as If Christ were not alive.
16. "Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She
turned herself and saith unto Him, Rab-
boni, which is to say. Master" Just one
word from each-Mary. Master-but the
spell Of unbelief is broken as she ac-
knowledges her Risen Lord. Seeing a
Risen Christ is the remedy for all our
woes and doubts and fears. We think of
His word to Israel: Pear not. for have
redeemed thee have called thee by thy
name. Thou art mine" lisa. xiii. ID. and
to Moses. Thou hast found grace in My
sight. and | know thee by name" lex.
xxxiii. 10, and His word in John x. 3,
He calleth His own sheep by name and
leadeth them out"
II. "Jesus saith unto her. Touch Me
not, for am not yet ascended to my Fa-
ther. But 20 to My brethren and say
unto them | ascend unto My Father and
your Father. and to My God and your
God" How glorious our oneness with
Him in resurrection life, for He says tn
us through Mary. My Father and yOnr
Father. My God and your God" Oh. to
appreciate this more fully. that we might
indeed rejoice in God as our God and Fa'
ther. as we'll as the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, There is enough
in the words "Our Father" which II"
taught us to say, to give us peace and JOY
under all circumstances, for since our
Father knows and loves and cares, how
can we have any anXieties? Has He not
assured us that having not spared His
only bcgottpn San He will with Him also
freely give us all things? from. viii. j..
Members of His body. part of Him
self, risen with Him and seated with
Him in the EeavenlirS, let Us rejoice in
Him. Much has been written and spJ'
ken upon His words. Touch me not.
| and many questions are asked as to why
But He gives the reason when He says
"For | am not yet assembled to My Fa
ther." \ little later He allowed Others
to hold Him by the feet and worship
Him GMath. xviii, 0. l0D. evidently i'm
plying that He had meantime been to
His Father and returned. for quick as Il
flash of lightning are the movements of
the glorifcd. Notice also that on that
evening He invited the disciples to handle
Him Muke xiv. 39).
IS. "Mary Magdalene came and told
| tho 6iSrinlnc that She Ind Sppn the Lord