Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-04-17
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments
For April l0
Subject: The Law Of Love, Rom. Kill, T. A.
Golden Text, Som. Kill, lO-Memory
Verses, 9, I0-Commentary on the
Days Lesson.

7. "To ALL" TO all those in authority
over you. Tribute" Tax on person OF
property. Custom" Revenue: Toll. on
merchandise. Gear Such as is due to
public official and to an authorized aven
ger of wrong. "Honlr." Do not behave
disrespectfully to any person, and to those
in authority show reverence ana respec'
on account Of the dignity of the office
even though you cannot respect the, man.
s. cove no man." 1t cannot be sup
posed that the apostle meant to prohlpi'
the contracting of debts on any account,
Christians are indeed under the highest
obligations to pay all legal demands, with
out reluctance or needless delay and with
great punctuality, and they should avoid
all superhuous expense and carefully guard
against contracting any debts which they
have not a reasonable prospect of dlscharg'
ing. They ought also to stand aloot from
all adventurous speculations or rash en-
gagements, beyond their circumstances
and whatever may expose them to the dan;
ger 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 obedience
which all Christians, from the highest &c
the lowest, owe to the civil magistrate,
whether he be emperor, king, .pro-consul
or other state officer; here he shows them
their duty to one another. 80.
9. "Shat not commit" etc. In this
verse the apostle quotes from the law as
though he would say that the perfect love
which he declares they owe to one another
will enable them to fulfill all the obliiga'
tions of this law. And whatever he has
omitted, which the law contains, is all Gov
cred in keeping the law of love. "Thy
neighbor as myself" When this is done
in reality there is completeness 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 tbod name, and will
not even permit a desire to enter into his
heart which would lead him to wish to pos.
sess anything that is the property of an.
other. The law of love forbids the use OF
Intoxicating liquor, forbids its sale to 9th
persons who sell liquor to others. either
by lending them money, by renting our
buildings to them, or in any way giving
them 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 neighbor as
he would that his neighbor would act to-
ward him. therefore this law of love can
never work i'll toward another, and thus
the law is fulfilled by love. Intemperance
is the exact opposite of this. 1t causes
men to break every commandment, and to
work i'll of every kind to his neighbor.
and character of the period in which we
live. High time" That is, the hour has
arrived. ''To awake" How many So
called Christians arc fast asleep? The ac'
cursed liquor traffic is becoming powerful
bold, defiant; is destroying our best
brains and blood; is 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 on peacefully as
though we bad no responsibility in this
matter! Salvation nearer" etc. The pc
Rod of completed and ultimate salvation
is nearer than when we first believed. We
have only little time remaining in which
to work, therefore awake from thy slum.
behring's and come forth to immediate ac'
ton.
u. "The night" OF heather darkness,
ignorance, immortality and wretchedness,
"Far spent" Heather darkness was rap
idly coming to an end. The full manifesto
ton of the sun of righteousness in the
illumination of the whole Gentle world,
approaches rapidly. "The day." Of the
deliverance from evil of true Christian
knowledge; of purity, happiness and peace;
'of eternal blessedness sis at hand" Let
us cast off" The works Of darkness de-
scribed in the next verse. The Christian
things. He is required to be separate from
the world Il John 2: Is, ICY, and to
"touch not the unc!ean thing q Cor. 6:
~. LET us put on" There are some
things for the Christian to receive and &C.
cept The power of a living Christ living
in the soul will be an "armor of light" In
Ephesians G: ILL We are exhorted to put
on the armor which God has provided for
the Christian Protection is provided for
every part but the back, which shows that
the Christian is never expected to flee from
an enemy. "Of light" Light itself is an
armor. That person whose actions are
open to view, who does nothing in the
dark and under cover, is in safe position.
He can prove his whereabouts. The armor
of eight" is his protection.
Is. walk honestly" Be decent, or.
derby and sincere in all department, an eX-
ample for, al eyes to look upon. Men
choose night for their revels of sin and su.
persttious doings, but children of light
(Epb, 6: ll-lS) must behave becomingly
and live above such censure. GAS in the
day" in an open way which every one
may see and know "Not in rioting and
drunkenness. They are not to indulge IN
revels where intemperancs in eating and
drinking is common and where indecent
exercise in games, ETC., follows, and where
conversation is corrupt. This was what the
heather did whom they so condemned,
"Strife and envying" The very opposite
of love, but the result of such practices as
were mentioned above. This eXhortatiop
made plain the standard of Christianity,
holding it in contrast with the heathen
practices. And if this epistle 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 puts everything to prove the value
of virtue and the darkness of sin.
IA. "Put We on-Christ." Without fur
ther comment on heather practices, the
apostle plainly explains what the armor Of
light means. 1t was plain to be seen what
they must put aside, and this exhortatioD
would apply to all who might hear it. To
! put on Christ signifies receiving and be.
iieving the gospel. This fully done and
held to would stop all thought of following
any sinful inclination of their nature
"1he flesh" By flesh here we are to UNI.
derstand the carnal nature, the gratifca.
ton of which led to the denominations. In.
temperance puts off Christ and provides
for the lusts of the flesh. Christ is able to
so completely cleanse the heart froS sin
and fill it with love that no principle Of
sin OF desire for sin will remain.