The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1906-11-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON VII, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, NOV. IS.
Text of the Lesson, lisa. ", 1f-23.
Memory Verse, 11-GOlden Text, 7
Cor. ix, 27-COmmentary Prepared
by Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.

Memory Verse, 11-GOlden Text, I
Cor. ix, 27-COmmentary Prepared
by Rev. d. NJ. Stearns.
Copyright, 1906, by American Press Association J
This temperance lesson. with its gold
Ell text, concerning keeping under the
body, coming in between our lessons
r on Gethsemane and Calvary, has the
very strongest possible setting for a
life of self control, or, better, self re-
nunciation, which is the only true tenn
perance. Verses to of the lesson
chapter describe Israel as the vineyard
of the Lord Of hosts, but nOtwithstand-
ing all the care bestowed upon it, bear
ing only wild grapes. In Hos. Y, it is
written, Israel is an empty vine; he
bringeth forth fruit unto himself"
and living unto oneself Is intemper-
ance out and out The Lord Jesus
never IN any way sought to please
Himself. His whole life was for God
and for Us. and as branches in Him,
the true vine. there is no opportunity
for any form of self life, but only for
the life described in these words, Not
|, but Christ, - Who loved me
and gave Himself for me" (Gal. ii, 20.
Verses $ to 10 describe the seifshness
that would buy up the earth II posi-
BILE Verse s. |. c. and control it all for
selfish interests. All the trusts and mo-
1nnnIint, Of Inc 80
this. but the worst Is yet to come
(Rev. xiii, IL. ~ under the antichrist,
of whom it IS said that "he shall exalt
himself and magnify himself above all
and shall prosper" Dan. xi. SO. 80.
Verses II and II describe the prod!-
gal sons style of selfish living, the
strong drink and music and revelry of
riotOus living. the indulgence of the
animal nature, and that is a SANDER
upon animals, for the widest beasts
would not DO so. We have an illustra-
ton in the drunken revelry of Bel
shaZZar, who dared to use the golden
ed the gods of gold and silver and
wood and stone, but that night he was
slain, and for the sequel to his story
see Luke xii, 20; xvi. %. %. in cOnnec-
ton with verse II of our lesson.
Blinded by the great adversary and
devourer, they cast away the law OF
the Lord OF hosts and desplse the word
of the Holy one OF Israel and regard
not the work of the Lord nor the Oper.
alton of His hands oversees l., 24). In
chapter xviii, I it is written that the
priest and the prophet, those who
should be wholly for man before God
and for GOD before man, have erred
through strong drgnK and are swat
lowed upoi, wine. I'm xxx. 0. we read
Sof those VINO are drunken, but not
with wine; iwho stsgger, but not with
strong drlrlk. aud he context shows
that this comes fr6R neglect Of the
word of God. The bondage Of Egypt
with its iron furnace or the captivity
In Babylon or the famines experienced
from time to time by the children Of
God, as recorded in the Scriptures,
suggest something worse than that
which affects only the body. The fam
inc of hearing the words Of the Lord
Amos viii, II, ~ leads to the perish
ins of multitudes who descend into
hell because they are taught by the
precept and example of those who pro-
TESS TO lie guides that there Is no hell
and no need Of salvation by substi'
tute and that desire 10 do as near
right as We know how Is all that Is re-
quired Of us.
When the Lord alone shall he exalt.
ed (verse Ii: chap. II. II. ~ they shall
see the madness of having resisted
Him. but 1t will he too late. and In vain
shall they call upon the mountains and
rocks 10 fall upon them and hide them
from the face Of God and the Lamb
(Rev. vi. 1910 How heartrending the
cry Of Him who came from heaven 70
Calvary that we might not perish when
lie wept over Jerusalem and said. "If
thou haIst known because
thou knnwe>t not" luke xix. -. Az.
NtISt VI A=ithtt y az NO DtAA0 ny
the Spirit: There Is no truth nor mer-
Cy nor knowledge Of God In the land
My people are destroyed for
lack Of knowledge They have
left Off 10 take heed 10 the Lord Hos.
~. /, q. luD. And again. Their doings
vii! not suffer them TO turn unto their
Cod tIIos. y. T.. Thus the people Of
God whom He redeemed from Egypt
and ON whose behalf He wrought as
He never did for any other people
went on from bad 10 worse. SHINING. as
Il were. with n cart rope and hooking
God verses Is. 19D ill there was no
remedy Tut TO give them over 20 their
enemies hprauSe they mUrke,l His mes
sengrrs. desI'ised His words and mis-.
used Ills prophets III ChrOn. xxxvi, 10;
Jcr Xii. a.
The protesting church Of today il
rushing Oh to her loum. drunken with
her own pride and self cUnceit and un-
belief. saying. like the people Of Nohh'S
time. What doth God know? What
can the Almighty dor dob xii. r.,
IL, Wise ara prudent in their own
eyes. not knowing that they are de-
rcivpd by the wicked one. they. like
Eve. count that desirable which God
has said they must not take. Their
hc-rtS follow their eyes 1ob xxi. =
till ruin overtakes them In PROV. xvi.
- we learn that there Il more hope IT
a fool than of man who Il wise In bis