The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-02-20
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. %.
Text of the Lesson. 4 Cor. xiii-Mem-
DRY Verses, I-3-GOlden Text, Cor.
xiii, 13-Commentary Prepared by
Issy. ID. VI. Stearns.

IssS. ID. vi. stearns.
Copyright 1902, by American Press Association.l
1-3 Though / speak with the tongues Of
men and of angels and have not love 1
am become as sounding brass or tin
Killing cymbal.
In the next two verses he says that
no manner of testimony or service
amounts 10 anything apart from love.
AS "love" and not charity" is the
proper word. and it is so translated in
the II. ", we will use it through this
lesson. These first three verses might
be summarized as-Love versus proph-
estes, tongues. knowledge, faith, goods,
etc, and the whole chapter might be
called. Love cOntrasted, analysed, de-
Tended. 1t is said to be the only chap
ter in all Pauls epistles that does not
mention Jesus in one or other of His
titles, but 1t is portrait so wonderful
that one cannot fail 10 recognize the
likeness even without the name. The
Lord Jesus combined all in Himself,
the picture is Ills. and without Him we
are nothing and can do nothing QRom.
vii, Is; John w. ~ Until we are born
again and thus become children OF
God nothing counts that we do. for
they that are in the flesh cannot
please God Qiom. viii, 81. Then after
we are born again only that which God
works i'm us will count, as we saw in
last weeks lesson. and God is Love"
q John iV, s, 1G). Note the oft repeated
|. l. | OF these verses and contrast Gal.
ii, %; | Cor. w. 10. Not /. but Christ
who liveth i'm me-" Not |, but the
grace of God which was with me-"
Al Love suffereth long and is kind; love
envieth not; love Wanted not itself, is
not puffed up. doth not behave itself UNI
seemly. seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked thnketh no evil.
What perfectly beautiful section we
have in these four verses. two of which
we have quoted. Such love was never
fully seen on earth except in Christ
Jesus. and only rs lie fills and lives in
us can ii be reproduced. Try TO i'm
agine Il person who is always patient,
never i'm word or look or act unkind,
never in any way Jealous or self seek
ing. never under any circumstances
provoked Or. W. never thinking or say
Ing evil of any one, rejoicing only in
things true and lovely and always
mcekly bearing, patiently enduring and
ever hoping for the best. with a firm
faith in God. 1t is too altogether love
ly to come from earth. and it is not OF
earth; ii is wholly heavenly. 1t is a
description OF Him who came down
from heaven. who while He lived on
earth for over thirty years was at the
same time in heaven (John iii, 49,, Of
whom it is written. Yea. He is alto
gether lovely" Is. of Sol V. 10.
8. Love never faileth. but whether there
be prophesics they shall fail; whether
there be tongues they shall cease; wheth-
or there be- knowledge il shall vanish
away
lie says: II am the Lord. | change
not" Nal iii. %. He who says Il will
never leave thee nor fOrSake thee is
the one who said 81 have loved thee
with an everlasting love-" And He is
the same yesterday. today and forever
0eb. Xiii. >. 5; Jer XXI, 81 There
will he no more need of prophecy, for
every prophecy shall have been full
filed. There shall be but one language.
and all we now know by the word of
God shall be actually realized in the
kingdom.
8 10. For we know i'm part and we proph-
esy i'm part but when that which is per-
feet il come. then that which is i'm part
shall be done away.
All that we know is found in the
word of Cod and there is to every
statement and truth in such breadth
and length and depth and height that
we shall never while here grasp fully
al that there is in any utterance OF
the Spirit. We may well say concern
ing all we have as yet learned "Lo.
these are but the outskirts of His
ways. and how small Il whisper do we
hear of Him" dob XXvi. IT. Il. W.
The path of the just is as the shining
light that shineth more and more unto
/ the perfect day" prov. iv, 49,.
! II. ~. For now we see through a glass
/ darkly, but then face TO face now /
! know i'm part. but then shall | know even
as also i am known.
When once the light and glory of
heaven shine in our souls. the things
which once occupied and interested us
seem as the toys of childhood, and we
wonder how we could ever have wasted
our time on them. Yet all our knowl-
edge is but partial. 1t doth not yet
appear what we shall be. and not till
lie shall appear shall we be like Him
/ Il John iii, y. The question is often
asked, Shall we know each other in
heaven? Is not the answer found here?
We do not know any one fully here,
but we shall know them fully there,
and those whom we know here we
i shall surely know better there. 1t re-
fers to people as well as to truths. AS
Peter knew Moses and Elijah without
an Introduction, SO believe it shall be.
13. And now abideth faith. hope. love.
! these three. but the greatest of these is
love-
Faith looks to the great sacrifice for
pardon love To risen Christ gives us
fellowship with Him in suffering and
service while hope looks to His com
ing again. In | Thess. |. 3, g. 10. we
see how they turned TO God from idols,
to serve the living and true God and