The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON III, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. is.


NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. is.
Text OF the Lesson, John 1, 1851.
Memory Verses, 40, Il - Golden
Text, John /. +se-Commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. D. NJ. Stearns.
copyright. 1905, by American Press Association.l
This lesson begins with Johns Sec
ond CRY, "Behold the Lamb Of God"
the first in verse % suggesting that we
must behold Him as the only One who
can take away sin, and this one sug-
cesting that, having taken away our
sins. We are now to follow Him as IN
Rev. xiv, T. This second next day"
would be third day." and in chapter
ii, i, and everywhere from Gen j, 9-13,
onward the third day" speaks to those
who have anointed ears and eyes Of
resurrection and glory and fruitfulness.
Johns testimony, turned two Of his
disciples from himself to follow Je-
sus, but in this John rejoiced and said,
"He must increase, but must de-
crease" (chapter iii, %, 3W.
One Of the two who followed Jesus
was Andrew, Simon Peters brother
{verse 40). The other was no doubt
John himself, the writer Of this gos-
pei, and, as truly as Andrew found
Simon and brought him to Jesus. John
must have found bis brother James
and brought him toJesus, but it would
not be like John to mention himself as
the other Of the two-or that he brought
James to Jesus. The question OF Je-
sus to the two who followed Hin,
'eWhat seek ye?" is good one for
every believer when gathered for pub
lie worship or in the private study OF
the Scriptures. Happy are those who
can truly say: II am seeking the Lord
with my whole heart" II am seeking
first and always the kingdom Of God
and His righteousness" Ger. xxx, l3;
Matt vi, 39.
According to Johns way Of counting
time. the sixth hour meant q. N.
{John xix, ~, so that it must have
been 10 a. m: when these men followed
Jesus, and after some blessed hours
in communion with Him they left Him
to seek their brethren, being fully per
suaded that He was the Christ, their
Messiah, the latter word being the BE.
brew and the former the Greek for
ethe anointed one" 70 beheld Jesus
as the Lamb Of God taking away our
sins, then to behold Him as the Lamb
Of God in the midst Of the throne (ReV.
Y. g., to abide with Him, to follow
Him. to win Others to Him, this IS life
indeed.
The day following Jesus found new
follower in Philip Of Bethsaida, the
city Of Andrew and Peter. he Is ever
seeking to win people to Himself, that
He may take away their sins and give
himself and all His glory to them.
Philip quickly found Nathaniel OF
Cana CJohn xxi, p, and so the first SIX
were gathered. Both Matthew, Marx
and Luke mention Philip and Barthoi'
omew after Andrew and Peter, James
and Dohn i'm the choosing of the twelve,
but they do not mention Nathanael
whereas John, who mentions Nathan
ael, never mentions Bartholomew. It
seems conclusive, therefore, that Ma
thanael and Bartholomew are the same
person.
NathanaeHs question when told by
Philip that they had found Him OF
whom Moses and the prophets had
written woph indicate that Nazareth
had anything but an enaiable reputa-
ton, thus adding another feature to
the humiliation Of ou1: Lord. Con-
sentmg, to be made Of a woman, poor
woman, too, born in q stable, brought
up and, spending thirty years In such
q place as Nazareth, who can tell the
depth OF Reaningin the words Though
He was rich, yet for your sskes He
became poor?" qI Cor. viii, 81
Verse Al reminds us Of Ps. xxi, 2,
BLESSED IS the. man unto whom the
Lord imp1teth not iuiQuity and IN
whose spirit there Is no guile" Ma
thanael must have been somewhat Ike
Simeon and Anna duke Il, %, 81, 3s)
and was doubtless worshiping God un-
der that fig tree Of which our LORD
spoke. There is great comfort to a
6evout heart in such passage as rs:
cxxx5::, IL. and in the opening WORDS
Of each Of the seven episdes in ReVe'
lati0l, "I know thy works" How
reaGy Nathaniel was to welcome the
Messiah IS seen in hts quick testimony,
'sRslbbi, Thou art the Son OF Cod;
Thou art the Eng Of Israel" Accord
ing to chapter v, II, is, "Son Of God'
means "equal with God" and the
King Of Israer' means just what II
says and not Saviour Of sinners' OF
-head Of the church" or anything else.
Nathaniel accepted BIN as the Divine
Messiah Of Israel, David's son, yet Da-
yid's Lord, to sit on David's throne
and reign over the house Of Jacob Tor
ever duke l.. 80, SO; II Sam. vii, II, 13,
1s).
Our lessonscloses with the first Of the
twenty-five double ''veHys' OF th1s
! gospel. It is literally "amen, amen, :
and points us to BIN who speaks as
s'the amen, the faithful and true Wat.
ness" in whom all the promises OF
God are yea and amen Rev. III, IA; Il
Cor. /, 2O. Our Lords words, "8ere'
o4to- 10 shsn GOO heaven open and the
! angels Of God ascending and descend
! ing upon the Son Of Man," carry US
| back to Jacobs vision In Gen xxVN
| and onward to its fmhllmant IN the
Kingdom Of God, when heaven anc
eartn shall be in perfect accord and tne