The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-06-20


hand: let US therefore east on the works
OF darkness. and let US put on the armor
OF light.
b. Let us walk honestly. as in the day;
not in roting and drunkenness, not in
chambering and wantonness. net In strife
and envying.
u. But put We on the Lord Jesus Christ.
and make not provision for the flesh, 10
fulnll the lusts thereof
GOLDEN TExT.-Let ms therefore
east on the works Of darkness. ana
let us put on the armOa Of light
Rom. 1912.
OUTLINE OF sCRIPTURAI. SECTION.
The law fulfilled. ................ Rom. 1850
rms way 10 walk. Rom. l5.ll:ls
TfME-A. d. g.
PLACE.-Corinth.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The People Addressed.-Paul's Epis-
tie to the Romans is his most elabo-
rate work. 1t is thorough setting !
forth Of the Christian religion. as he
understood it, arranged in the order Of |
experience. II begins with n discus
sion Of the ways in which God reveals
himself through nature and through
the law. But all men have sinned and
need redemption through faith in
Christ. Such faith leads to peace, to
freedom from the law and from bond
age to sin. 1t is Gods gift to men, and
those who believe have cause to be
grateful that they have been led by
God to believe, through the spoken
word which the apostles preach. Paul
had never seen most of the people to
whom he was writing. though chap
ter 16 shows that he had good many
friends in Rome. The church in
Rome was made up partly Of
Jews, and partly Of Gentiles. 1t
probably was quite large. having
different assembling places. but being
really one in administration. There
were great differences of opinion. how
ever, both in doctrine and in practice.
and Paul wrote in the hope of making
these differences less. Our lesson is
from the section on practical duties,
which includes chapters 1915. The vir-
tues on which Paul dwells are sim
certify. Kindness, honesty. purity and
brotherly love. and the manifestations
| OF them which he advises are those
which indicate forgetfulness OF self
and mindfulness of God and our fell
low men.
The Law Summarized. ~ The chapter
opens with an exhortation to loyal
citizenship. in the course Of which Paul
bids Christians pay their taxes Tvs. 6,
z. as well as render reverence TO those
who. under God. hold power. The
word "dues." which he uses in this ex-
hortation. is the same in origin as the
word "owe." with which the lesson be-
gins, and the opening injunction is in
\ serted. because ~ that association.
The command is. Of course. not against
business debts. without which multi
tudes Of people could not live, but Is
against the too prevalent habit Of liv-
ing beyond ones means and contract
ing bills with no definite prospect Of
being able 10 pay them when due.
There is one debt. however. which can
never be paid. That is the debt Of
love. The obligation of love is the
same as the obligation of law. and the
fulfilment of one Of these obligations
is the fulfllment OF the other. The
proof of that statement is given clear
ly and convincingly in verses Q. TO- No
law can be mentioned which will not
be fulfilled IL man remembers the
command TO love his neighbor as him.
self
The WAY to Walk.-"And this" re-
fers back TO all the iniunctions of
chapters 10. IL. Some words, like
"vou ought to do" are to he under
stood. In other words. what follows
is a reason for acting in the manner
iuet described That reason may be
summarized by some such phrase as
"the urgency Of life" Salvation, by
which Paul means complete deliver
ance ont Of the darkness and sin OF
the world is likened TO the dawn OF
day. In this full sense. salvation Is at.
tanned only in the future life. II he.
gins hut is not finished here. In or
der that we may be ready for the ap
proaching morning of Heaven. we
must awake out Of the sleep Of sim
II Il not enough to be awake in thu
morning.: one must dress before he !.
really ready for the day. So the cloth
inc OF unworthy and careless conduc'
must be put of and "the armor Of
| nUnt I0ust bC pu' VIZ A""' $3.50
suggests a manner Of living which i
not only worthy Of the day. but help
ful in doing the dsy's work and over
. coming the days difficulties. Thethirt
step. when one is awake and dressed
IS 10 60 out into the day in such WIS.,
as 20 appear worthy Of the light. Rev
cling and drunkenness and impurif.
and strife belong only to the night tina
has passed away (verse lD. sums N
the whole Injunction. The suitabl
rarb for the day is the Lord Christ
grace and glory.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Love is the only debt that the law o
|, God allows to stand.
God permits the debt to stand onl
because, in the nature OF the case, ]
; cannot be fully discharged.
!. Love is the easy way Of fulfilling tn
J. law; the hard way is to observe its pre-
l cepts without II.
= Those who love their neighbors wi