The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-06-18
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JUNE ~.
Subject: An Exhortation to Temperate
Life, Rom. KILL. 8-i4 - Golden Text
Rom. KILL, IL - Memory verses, l:-l]
~, sh. navss IesSon.


the contracting Of debts on any account.
Christians are indeed under the highest Oh.
lisc;ions to pay all legal demands without
reluctance or needless delay aud with great
punctuality, and they should avoid all su,
pcrhuous expense. and carefuiiy GuaIu
against contracting any debts which they
have not a reasonable prospect OF ois.
charging. They ought also 20 stand aloof
from all adventurous speculations or rash
engagements, beyond their circumstances
and whatever may expose them to the
danger and discredit OF not rendering to
al their dues. Love one another" In
the preceding verses the apostle has been
showing the duty, reverence, and obedl
eace which all Christians, from the high
est to the lowest, owe to the civil magls
trate, whether he be emperor, king, or
proconsul, or other state officer; here he
shows them their duty to one another, but
this is widely difernt from that which
they owe to the civil government; to the
ence and tribute; to the latter they owe
nothing but mutual love, and those offices
which necessarily spring from it.
0. "Shalt not commit adultery, etc.
In this verse the apostle quotes from the
law as though he would say that the per.
feet love which he declares they owe TO
one another will enable them to fulfil all
the obligations of this law. And what:
ever he has omitted, which the law con:
love. Thy neighbor as thyself." When
this is done in reality there is complete.
ness and we keep the whole law. He that
loves another will not deprive him OF his
wife, Of his life, of his property, Of his
good name; and will not even Permit q
desire to enter into his heart, which
would lead him to wish to possess any
thing that is the property Of another.
The law of love forbids the use OF in.
.-sicatlng liquor, forbids its sale to others,
and will not permit US to assist those per.
sons who sell liquor to others, either by
lending them money, by renting: our build.
our support and showing them favor.
10. "Worketh no ill.," The law of love
forbids the doing Of anything that would
injure myself or others. Where love
reigns the golden rule is practiced and he
who loves, acts toward his ueighbor as
he would that his neighbor should act
toward him, therefore this law of love caa
never work in toward another, and thus
the law is fulfilled by love. lntemper.
ancc is the exact opposite Of this. It
causes men to break every commandment.
ard character Of the period in which we
live. High time" That is, the hour has
arrived. ITO awake" How many So
called Christians are fast asleep! The
accursed liquor traffic is becoming power.
full, bold, defiant; is destroying our hest
brains and blood; il running our morals;
is undermining the Christian Sabbath, one
OF the pillars on which our nation rests;
is filling the land with paupers, disease
and crime, and yet we sleep peacefully
| rs though We had no responsibility in this
sc.l
period OF completed and ultimate saliva
tioa is nearer than when We first believed.
We have only little time remaining in
which to work, therefore awake from thy
slumberings.
70. The night" OF heather darkness,
ignorance, immortality and wretchcd:ess
Far spent" Heathen dark1es; was
rapidly coming to an end. The full mani.
festation of the sun or righteousness in
the illumination Of the whole Gentle
world. approaches rapidly. The day"
Christian knowledge, of purity, happi.
at hand" Let us cast off," The works
of darkness described in the next verse.
The Christian is obliged to rcnounce and
east of" many things. He is required
to be separate from the world Il John
2: Is, lC), and to touch not the unclean
thing" 2 Cor. 6: II. Let Us put on"
There are some things for the Christian
to receive and accept. The power OF
living Christ living in the soul will be an
"armor of light" In Ephesians 6: ll-l7
we are cxhorted to put on the armor
which God has provided for the Chris
tian. Protection is provided for every
Christian is never expected to fee from
an eneI1y. "Of light" Light itself is
an arnor. That person whose actions
arc open to view, who does nothing in the
| dark and under cover, is in 4 safe posi-
ton. He can prove his whereabouts.
The armor Of Tight" is his protection.
l3. Walk honestly" Be decent. or.
derly and sincere in all department. an
example for all eyes to look upon. Men
su?erstitious deings. but. children Of
iingly, and live above such censure. .'As
in. the day" In an open way which
every one nay sec and know. Not in
riot:rg and drunkenness" They are not
to indulge in revels where intemperance
in eating and drinking is common and
where conversation Is corrupt. This was
what the heather did whom they so con.
dear,ed. This was not the thing for
Christians to do, certainly. But they are
to be so fully engaged in a pure life and
its duties, that the temptation will not
overtakc them and they be led astray.
Tie exhortation is strong for them to be
the examples to win those who indulge ~
such practices. to a life of temperance
and honesty. Strife and envying" The
very opposite OF love, but the result OF
such practices as were mentioned above.
This exhortation made plain the standard
Of Christianity. holding it in contrast with
the heather practices. And ii this epistie
should fall into the hands OF the Roman
magistrates or others. they would see the
purity OF the doctrine OF the Christians.
The apostle wisely pits everything TO
prove thc value OF virtue and the dark
ness OF sin.
u. Put We on Christ" With.
out further comment on heat prac.
tees. the apostle plainly explains what
the armor OF light might mean. 1t was
plain to be seen what they must put
aside end this exhortation would apply TO
all who might hear it. Jesus Christ sig.
nifieS receiving and believing the gospel.
The flesh BY flesh here we are to
understand the carnal nature. the gratifi-
cation OF which led to the denominations
just mentioned. Direct none OF your
attention to the cravings Of n corrupt
nature. in planning to provide for its
grattication. Intemperancc puts of
Christ and provides for the lusts OF the
flesh. Christ is able to SO completely
cleanse the heart from sin and fill it with
love. that no principle OF sin or desire
foS sin will remain.