The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-23
>: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST 26.


Matt. xvi, "a - Topic: Great
Facts Connected with Salvation.
!. Jesus and the ruler Tvs. IL
22). II. WAS gone forth" From
the house where He had blessed the
children Tvs. 1870. He now starts
again on His journey to Jerusalem.
Game one running" From this and
parallel accounts we learn that this
man was. Cd young, CD rich, CD
ruler-probably of a synagogue and
possibly q member of the Sanhedrin.
(4) very moral, (5) humble-he fell
at Jesus feet, t6) In earnest-he
came running, CD anxious TO learn
he came as an inquirer; but he
was also (1) sels-righteous, CD ig-
norant concerning spiritual truth.
t3) unwilling to give up his earthly
possessions and worldly prospects,
(4) unwilling to trust all TO Christ.
'Kneeled" In this he was showing
Jesus great respect and was recog-
nizing Him as a spiritual authority
above the priest or rabbi. Master"
Or teacher What shall | do" etc.
His question shows that he believes
in future state; he was not Sad
ducee. Eternal life" The divine
life implanted in the soul by the,
Holy Spirit It begins in this life
but will endure forever. IS. why
callest thou Me good?" Christ did
not say that He was not good. or was
not God. If the young man called
Christ good" the question Jesus
asked would lead directly to His di-
vinity.
10. "The commandments Ac-
cording to Matthew Jesus said. "If
thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments" The young man
asked Jesus which special or great
commandment He referred to. Jesus
replied by enumerating the COM
mandments in this verse. He re-
ferred only to the second table of the
law, which relates TO the duties of
man to man.
90. Have | observed" He was
strictly moral and had lived a good
life outwardly. He then asked
CMatt. 1920 what he lacked yet.
He was conscious of a lack in his
spiritual life, and this question was a
serious inquiry as to its cause.
21. "Jesus--loved him" The Sa-
viour was drawn toward him. He
saw in the young man great possibil-
tiles. Sell - give" Jesus struck
right at the centre of the young
mans difficulty. He was ready to
give all to God but his property; this
was the "one thing over which he
was about to stumble and fall. %.
Went away grieved" His counten-
ance fell and he went away sorrow
full He went away reluctantly, but
he went. He wanted eternal life,
but he wanted his possessions more.
II Ipgug' Gtatap1aDt pDncarpipU
riches Tvs. 23-2G. 90. How hard
ly," etc That is. they shall enter
with great difficulty. This is amply
confirmed by experience Rich men
seldom become true Christians.
"a. Trust in riches" Here is
the danger, the place where many a
rich man will lose his soul. Riches
cannot drive away anxiety. They
cannot purchase contentment. They
cannot buy friends. They cannot
lure sleep. They cannot buy appre-
citation. They cannot bribe death.
They cannot purchase eternal life.
%. THE eye of a needle It
has been suggested that the needles
eye was small gate, leading into
the city, intended only for foot pas
sengers, and that the camel could
only squeeze through with the great
est difficulty, but "it is now generally
thought that the calling this small
gate the needles eye is a modern
custom, and not in use in the time OF
Christ" 26. "Astonished. i" Like
all Jews, they had been accustomed
to regard worldly prosperity as a
special mark of the favor of God.
who then can be saved?" All men
by nature share the same guilt and
love of the world.
81. with men it is impossible.
According to the power and ability
of men this is impossible. but God,
by His power, is able to so save q
man that even the things that al
lured him most will lose their attrac-
tion to him.
III. Rewards of following Christ
Tvs. 2S-31). 2S. Have left all"
Their boats and nets and fish and
father were everything to them. 20.
That hath left house." etc. In the
days of Jesus those who followed
Him were obliged, generally, to for
sake house and home, and to attend
Him. In our time it is not often re-
quired that we should literally leave
them, but it is always required that
we love them less than we do Him.
80. IAN hundredfold. There
are few greater promises than this.
This is symboiical. and expresses an
immeasurable advantage. Houses"
etc. Not literally a hundred houses.
etc, but he obtains a hundredfold
more of joy and satisfaction than he
loses. What was a barren rock be-
fore becomes a gold mine" with
prosecutions, That is, he must ex-
pect prosecutions in this world.
Eternal life" Which will infiRite-
ly more than make up for all the
Christians trials here. Here are
ages of enjoyment that no arithmetic
can compute; oceans of pleasure.
whose majestic billows rise from the
depths of infinitude. and break on no
shore. 81. First shall be last"
The lesson intended to be taught
here is that those who occupy impors
tant positions and who appear to be
first in labor and wisdom here may
place to others who have been of less
in the next world be forced to give
renown here God does not measure
Gen as we do.