The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-02-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson I'm the International Series
for February =, 10O3-Chris-
tfan Love.
THE LESSON TEXT.

]. Though / speak with the tongues OF ,
men and Of angels, an5yhave not charity. |
| am become as soun6Hg brass. or tink-
| ling symbal.
| 2. And though have the gift of prophecy.
and understand all mysteries, and all
knowledge; and though have all faith, so
| that l could remove mountains, and have
not charity, l am nothing.
B. And though bestow all my goods to
| feed the poor, and though my body be
burned, and have not charity, 1t profiteth
me nothing.
| l. Charity suffereth long, and. is kind;
| charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not
Itself, is not puffed up,
s. Doth not behave itself unseemly. seek
eth not her own, is not easily provoked,
| thinketh no evil;
G. Rejoceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth
IN the truth;
| I. Beareth all things. believeth all things.
hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8. Charity never faileth; but whether
there be prophecies they fail: whether
| there be tongues they shall cease; whether
there be knowledge it shall vanish away.
.. For we know in part and We prophesy
in part.
TO- But when tina, which is perfect is come,
then that which Is in part shall be cone
away.
II. When was a child. l spake as a
child, | understoo as a child, thought as
a child; but when | became a man, | put
away childish things.
II. For now We see through a glass cark-
iy; but then face to face; now j know in
part; but then shall know even as also
| am known.
} lS. And now abideth faith, hope, charity,
these three; but the greatest of these is
charity.
GOLDEN TEXT.-Now abideth faith,
hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these In charity.-1 Cor.
l3: I3.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
The Importance of flCve.........l Cor 1913.
The nature of love.............l Cor l3-i-1.
The duration of love...........l Cor. 1888.
TlME.-A. d. 81, spring.
PLACE.-Ephesus.
: NOTES AND COMMENTS.
, On account of their disputings this
lesson on love was needed by the
, Corinthians. III connection with its
5 study one should read Drummond's >
famous address, first delivered to the
studon at Northiield, on The Great
est Thing in the World What one
longs for above all else is to him
g the greatest thing. Among the
things that Christians desire paYl
does not refer to others) the apostle
mentions eloquence, the gift of proph-
!, ccy, miracle-working faith, know
X ledge of mysteries, charity, the hero
o ism of martyrdom. Here is list
o from which one might find it difficult
+ to make n choice. And Paul set love
/. higher than all. Why?
e The last clause of chapter xii. be.
e longs with this section in which Paul
speaks of love. lie has told them
e that it is right that they should ~
q sire and strive for some of thess
gifts-the more important ones-and
now, he says, he will tell them how
d Seek love, and let these gifts be man
e ifestations of love, for only so are
e. they really of any value Tvs. 1-3)
y Speak with tongues: One OF
y the gifts of which the Corinthiau.
q were very proud. 1t was the utter
l. ance of wild and incoherent word.
le and meaningless sounds when under
l. religious excitement. The same thing
y is Observed to-day in connection will
"a the "camp-me"tings" in the south
y Paul said that he would rather speal
l. five words with his understandin.
C. than ten thousand words in
- tongue" U4:1O. "Of men and o
l. angels: "Of men, aye, and of an
e gels" in whom the gift might b,
RI supposed to be even superior to tha
ID of men-even this, without love
l. would be only useless noise. "Th'
Is gift of prophecy: This was wha
o. we call speaking in meeting" o
= exhorting These things, which ar
'r of the head, and good in themselves
III are nothing" so far as character il
u concerned, unless the heart is right
"Bestow all my goods: A man ma,
make great gifts to charity and ye
be an abominably mean and selfisl
man. lie may endure great persona
discomforts and even sacrifice his lif
rather than yield theological opin
ion, and still be proud, narrow
10 minded, unchristian man. Outwar
~ actions do not tell. 1t is everywher
is a question Of motive. With love i
20 the governing motive all life and &C
ton are good; without it nothing
good.
Paul was writing to a particula
church about the little rivalries an
jealousics of it's church life, whic
were utterly inconsistent with tn
Christ-spirit. but the lesson is needle
fully as much by us as it was by tn
people in Corinth. Love sufferet
long: But more than that, thoug
injured, love is Progressively kind.
"Envieth not: When it lacks; is nc
too greatly "set up" over what
has. "Taketh not account of evil
Is not always looking for persona
Sights, and does not bear grudge
k "Propheccs -. shall be don
III away: All those gifts which are us,
',cl rul 10 lis now, children as we ar
~ in the knowledge of divine mysterie
OF will be no longer needed "when tha
OK which is perfect is come" They al
c partial and temporary. But faith
nd God ioyouS hone in view of III