The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-05-19
the SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson vlll.-second Quarter,
For May "a, 1908.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text of the Lesson, John, xix, 1H-42.
Memory Verses, SO, 4o-Golden Text,
4 Cor. XIV, documentary Prepared
by Rev. .. M. Stearns.
[Copyright, 1908, by American Press Association
The rulers Of the Jews having reject
ed Jesus as their king, saying, I'VE
have no king but Caesar" (verse l5,,
and insisting that Jesus be crucified,
plate delivered Jesus to their will
duke xiii 25,. 1t is not the will of
God that any should perish Oh Pet. iii.
81, but it is the will Of man and the
devil that if possible, God should be
dethroned and ruled out of His uni
verse. What a rebel against God and
man the devil is. and how wonderfully
patient and long suffering is our God!
So they took Jesus and led Him away,
and He, bearing His cross, went forth.
two malefactors being led with Him.
Think of the condition Of His back
after the scourging and Of His whole
being after that night Of mental agony
and it will not seem strange that an
other had to bear His cross. 1t seem
ed hard day for Simon. the Cyrenian.
but it was really the, best day he ever
came to. All our crosses and d1sap-
pointments are the best things we have,
but because we isee self and not Jesus
we do not always think SO. A COM
pany Of women bewailed and lamented
His as He passed out of the city. and
He could in some measure forget HIS
own sorrow in Ills sorro for them
duke xiii. 2T-3I). There is &c record
of a woman being unkind to Him per-
sonally. The name of the place where
they crucified Him, the place of skull,
has at least this suggestion-that all
the world has apart from the love Of
God in. Christ is as empty as skull.
In the cross of Christ alone is redemp-
ton. and in Him alone are rest and sat
isfaction.
"They crucifed Him" QSl = just
three words: but, oh. the agony Of It,
and the shame and the farreaching Sig
nifcance of it, and It takes in even me.
"The Son Of God loved me and gave
Himself for me'' (Gal. ii. 20). We may
know about it and talk about it, but
unless there is heart appropriation of
Himself there is no benefit. We can
not explain it or understand it. We
are not expected to, but we can receive
and hold fast the very words of Scrip
ture. and the entrance Of the word will
give life and light. He was wounded
for my transgressions and bruised for
my iniquities. His own self bare my
sins in His own body Qsa. lii, 5; Pet.
ii, 90. This can believe and thank
Him and rejoice that just God will
not ask me to bear what He has borne
for me, having truly received Him
as my Saviour Bishop Thorold has
said that to recognize what we cannot
explain and to consent that it should
not be explained is the humility Of true
wisdom, and to accept what we could
not otherwise have known on the au-g
thority of Gods revealed word is the
obedience Of faith.
The crowd who passed by and reviled
Him, the chief priests and the rulers
who mocked and derided Him and the
soldiers who parted his garments
among them and cast lots upon His
vesture and the thieves who also reviled
Him give us glimpse Of nearly every
possible phase Of human nature and
the attitude of the. natural heart Of
man toward God. So it was in the
Gays Of Noah when He swept them
.way by the deluge and so it is still,
yet He bears with man in his mad folly
and is not willing that any should per-
ish.
The first ehree words from the cross,
Father. forgive them." To-day thou
shalt be with Me in paradise" Behold
thy son; I" " behold thy mother Uuke
xiii. 81. 43; John xix, 26. %, set be-
fore US the forgiveness of sins, the
home above and all needful care and
provision in this present life-grace
here and glory hereafter and all that is
necessary in between. HE who spared
not His own Son. but delivered Him up
for us all. how shall He not with Him
also freely .give us all things" Rom.
viii. 3o0 AS one has said. He gave His
Son-anything after that. Note the say
ing in our lesson chapter 'that the
Scripture might be fulfilled" (verses
"a, %. SO. 80, and His own words,
"The Scripture cannot be broken and
again, ,"All things must be fulfilled
which were written in the law Of
Moses and in the prophets and in the
Psalms concerning Me" John <, 80;
Luke xiv, AZ. AS truly and literally
as all were fulfilled concerning His suf-
ferings. so truly and literally shall all
the sayings be fulfilled concerning His
glory, and He who was born King Of
the Jews and was crucified as such
shall yet be seen and accepted by them
as nation as their Messiah and shall
reign over them from the throne Of
David, according to lisa. tx, 6; xiv.
%; XIV, 8; Luke l. 80, 33.
If you believe it do tell 1t out and
give Him no rest about it Qsa. xii, 9,
=, for many believers are too much like
the disciples who forsook Him and
fed, while there are few as bold as
were Joseph and Nicodemus IN this
oversees 3s-42. We are In
days when the word is greatly needed,
watch ye; stand fast in the faith;
quit you like men; be strong Il Cor.
o,l +hof xvnyS1 IN T,16N