The Tupelo journal., 1903-04-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
for April 10, 10O3-The Law
ofsLove.
H LESSON TEXT.

tribute to whom tribute is due; custom
to whom CUSTOM; fear to whom fear;
honor 10 whom honor.
5. Owe no man anything. but to love
one another: for he that loveth another
hath fulfilled the law.
9. For this, Thou shalt not commit
adultery, Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt
not steal, Thou shalt not bear false wit
ness, Thou shalt not covet; and IL there
be any other commandment, it is briefly
comprehended in this saying, namely.
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as myself.
10. Love worketh no i'll to his %neighbor:
therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
II. And that, knowing the time, that
now 1t is high time to awake out of sleep:
:or now is our salvation nearert thai when
We believed.
IL. The night is far spent, the day is at
hand: let US therefore cast off the works
of darkness, and let us put on the armor
of light.
10. Let US walk honestly, as in the day;
not in rioting and drunkenness, not in
chambering and w~antonness, not In strife
and envying.
IA. But put We on the Lord Jesus Christ.
and make not provision for the flesh. to
fulfill the lusts thereof.
GOLDEN TEXT.-Love wOrketh no
ill to his neighbour: therefore love is
the fulfilling of the law.-ROm. 13: 10.
w vi oSINlI 1eI ~ iiOAN'
This is assigned as the quarterly tenn
perance lesson. The section to be studied
is Romans 13:1-14:
The Christian Citizens Attitude.....vs. II.
The Law OF S-lo.
Walking in the Light..............vs. lila
The Christian Citizens Attitude
There are many circumstances that
lead thoughtful men to question the
allegiance they ought to give the gov
eminent. This question has been
largely settled for us who live in this
early part of the twentieth century.
The Christian mode of thought has
changed its aspect somewhat. Rem
der unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars" said Christ. So, also, says
Paul in tO-day's lesson. But still the
question arises from time to time,
and the Christians in the city of Rome
in the time of the Caesars asked it.
The government was unspeakably cor
rupt and depraved. Human life was
not as highly esteemed as it is to-
day, and idolatry with all its debasing
influences held by far the largest por-
ton of the population. In spite of all
this Pau lays down the general princi-
pie there is no power but of God"
He who resists the power therefore
r~esists God. In general, and Paul
ought to know on account of sad and
painful experience in various places,
rulers are not a terror to good works,
but to evil" Government exists chiefly
to put down crime. Therefore it
should not be feared except by wrong
doors. But, adds Paul, one should be
subject not alone for fear of conse-
quences if otherwise. but also for
conscience sake. We should not
merely stand by to see the law en-
forced, but should aid it's enforcement
in such ways as may be opportune,
because they, the rulers, 'be Gods
ministers" Render therefore to
all their dues; tribute to whom trib-
ute is due; custom to whom custom;
fear to whom fear; honor to whom
honor" These last words are signif-
cant in view of the fact that many will
render tribute to whom tribute is due,
but will not recognize that there are
any to whom they also owe fear and
honor.
The Law of Love.-Paul does not
stop here. So much was only a part
of his thought. He goes on to declare
the general, inclusive principle of all
law. Love is the greatest thing in the
world, and he who loves breaks no law
of man or God. Law tells a man he
shall work no injury to his neighbor,
but in specifying in what ways he may
not injure his n%eighbor is often def
cient. The active principle of love
leaves no loophole at all. Love thinks
first of his neighbor. then of himself.
therefore love is the fulfilling of
the law" incidentally, that is one of
the strong arguments for temperance.
If not for ourselves yet for another
should those who drink sp%irituous liq-
uors forego their cup. In how many
homes has the light of love gone out
because of the over-indulgence of some
one on whom its happiness depended!
Walking in the Light.-To this
principle of love the great awakening
of the nations was to be due, and that
speedily. 1t was not so very long
thereafter that Christianity became
the recognized religion of Rome. The
day has now dawned; how unseemly
is it to indulge in the works of dark
ness! Paul spoke truly when he re-
ferred to the armor of light. There
is no better safeguard for any man
than light. "Put We on the Lord
Jesus Christ" Who is the light of the
world.