The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-02-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
"A Day Of Miracles in Capernaum. -
International S. S. Lesson for
Feb. IS, 1905.

] AAANA AANARAAtAA - - 1NaaNI AZ
Feb. IS, 1905.
by REV. WILLIAM EVANS. b d.
director Biblical Department Of the
Moody Bible Institute. Chicago. ON
eial Lecturer OF the Cook County
(ChicagOl Sunday School Asso-
citation on the international
S S. Lessons)
Copyright, 1896 by Joseph b Bowles)
Scripture: Mark 1874
Golden Text: "He healed many that
were sick"
Some one has said that in this les
son we spend a Sabbath with Jesus.
We 60 with Him to church, listen to
His preaching, watch Him when inter
rupted by a maniac cast out the evil
spirit, and then make the cure a
powerful aid to preaching. After the
service we accompany Him TO Peters
house, and see Him cure Peters aged
mother Of fever. and there spend the
afternoon in quiet and rest Towards
sunset We see the people Of the village
bringing to Him a great number OF
sick folk on whom He lays His hands
and heals. Thus Jesus spent one Of
the days Of His life. And a busy day
It was.
Christ as a Teacher.
Our lesson sets Christ forth as zone
Who taught with authority. and not as
the scrlbes." The teaching of Jesus
struck the people like panic. They
had been used to the dry-as-dust teach
ing of the Scribes; Jesus spoke a liv-
ing. not a mechanical message. He ex-
planned the Scriptures not as a COM
mentator but as the author. Christs
message was first-hand. lie spoke as
one who knew
Christ's Teachings Authoritative To-
Day.
Conscience Is not the ultimate rule
Of life. the final arbiter in the ques-
lions OF the soul. While we recognize
that the conscience IS the vicerogent
OF God in the soul. the religious in
stinct In man. yet we must also be
aware that Il is a faculty that can be
warped. drugged. misguided and 81
fenced. Therefore II cannot be de
pended upon as an absolutely correct
criterion OF truth and conduct
Reason Is Not the Ultimate Author
ity.
A man may say that he needs no
other revelation than his own reason.
or that ne will accept nothing In the
Bible saving what accords with his
reason. thereby making his reason
and not the revelation Of God the cri-
terion Of right and wrong Inasmuch.
however. as different men have differ
ent reasons" for doing. believing and
judging things. we become at once in
yolyed in a maze OF conflicting stand
ards OF truth and we are left hope
lessly IN the dark. Reason therefore
cannot be the ultimate authority in
matters OF faith and practice.
Words of Jesus Final and Authorita-
tive.
When Jesus Christ has spoken there
Is nothing more 10 be said When
Christ has passed His judgment. there
is no appeal from II. His words are
final and authoritative. Jesus said:
He that rejecteth Me. and receiveth
not My words. hath one that judgeth
him: The word that have spoken,
the same shall Judge him In the last
day" Thus we see that the words OF
Christ are not only TO be the stand
ard Of our conduct here and now, but
the standard by which We shall be
judged hereafter.
Jesus as a Miracle Worker.
Miracles were not the principal part
Of Christ's work. They were always
subordinate. More than once Christ
expressed the fear that men might be
tempted to make miracles the most
prominent part Of His work, and thus
advertise Him as a healer OF mems
bodies rather than the saviour OF
their souls. That was the reason why
again and again He forbade those
Whom He had healed to advertise the
healing. This is vastly different from
certain sects to-day who make heal
ings" the principal thing, and soul-sav-
ing subsidiary. Miracles we're merely
incidental to the soul-saving work Of
Christ.
Miracles Typical Of Jesus Desire TO
Help Men.
Jesus never wrought miracles 10
prove to the people that He was the
Messiah. Indeed the challenge TO cast
Himself down from the pinnacle OF
the temple was a temptation Of the
devil TO make Christ miraculously
prove TO the waiting people In the
courts below that He was the Mes
slah. This He resolutely refused to
DO. Nor we're the miracles performed
for the purpose Of persuading men.
They were tokens Of Christ's willing
ness to relieve the distresses Of men.
We Should Help Men.
Christs mission is ours likewise
AS He was sent into the world by
the Father. so are we sent by the
Son. Our fellows are bowed down
with spiritual ailments far more seri-
GUS than the physically OF Chrlsts
day. The soul has its diseases Just
as we'll as the body. The spiritually
blind. the moral leper, the man dead
to the things OF God, all these need
the healing touch Of the Christ. 1t is
the duty OF the church TO see to It
that these are brought into contact
with the Great Physician.
Christ Casts Out Demons.