The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-02-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson VlI.-First Quarter, For
Feb. is, 1908.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, John Nv, 43-54
Memory Verses, 40, 50-Godcn Text,
John iv, 50-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. o. M. Stearns.
tCopyrght. 1907, by American Press Association
Life is one Of the great topics Of this
gospel. and it is very manfestly the
topic Of this lesson, for three times we
have the saying. THY son liveth"
oversees so, 81, So. In Him was life,
eternal life, made manifest. and He
came that we might have life and have
it more abundantly John /. 4: K. 10:
life. and there is no life apart from
Him. This life is for the body as well
as the soul, for in due time, at the
resurrection Of the just, all the re-
deemed shall have immortal. incorrup-
tible bodies like the glorified body Of
our Lord (Phil. fiji. 20. 81; Cor. XIV. SD.
Meantime as temples Of the Holy
Ghost we may know His power in
quickening these mortal bodies far be-
yond that which the majority seem to
believe, yet II he sees fit to permit in
firmities and thorns in the flesh. to
continue even though we are. as far as
we know. fully yielded to Him, it must
be that greater honor shall be brought
to Him and greater blessing for time
and eternity to us.
There are some Of us to whom the
expression "after two days" or 'the
third day" Verse 43, chapter ii, u
seems always to point the resurrection
and the kingdom and to suggest the
things that shall then be. Compare
Gen. xxi, 4; Hos. vi, 2; Luke xiii. 80.
and other passages.
The Galileans, having seen His won
drous works at Jerusalem, welcomed
Him to Galilee, but after His resurrec-
ton He said, BLESSED are they that
have not seen and yet have believed"
Chapter Xxx, 29). Peter said to those
to whom he wrote, Whom, having not
seen, We love; in whom, though now We
see Him not. yet believing, We rejoice
with Joy unspeakable and full of glory
q Pet. /, 8.
Jesus returned to Cana, where He
had made the water wine and mani
tested forth His glory, and we would
like to know with whom He sOjourned.
Was 1t with those whom He had hon.
ored with His presence at the marriage
or with Nathaniel? Who were the
happy ones privileged to have Him in
their home? We cannot tell. but this
we know. that we can have Him dwell
in lr [Tol,n vi 90.
vi, 10; Rev. iii, 2O.
In the family Of a certain nobleman
| at Capernaum there was anything but
| comfort, for a beloved son was sick,
even at the point Of death. The father
| had somehow heard of Jesus, and he
| went himself to Cana to bring Jesus
back with him to heal his son. Sick
ness Of the body is much more Of a
reality to most people than the sick
ness of sin in the soul, but to our Lord
the sin sickness Is the worst. When
the man was brought by his friends
and let down through the roof into
Jesus presence, He first healed the SOU
and then his body. A whole body con
tanning an unsaved soul is on its way
to the perishing Of both soul and body
in hell Matt K, 28). but a saved sou
In any kind of body, even that of
leper. insures a perfectly whole body
In due time John vi. 80, 400.
The Saviour tested him as to wheth
er he needed sign to make him be
lieve, but the father has only one cry
"Sir, come down, ere my child die
(verse 49). When we have just on
great burden on our hearts. our prayer
Is very apt to be prevailing prayer
Consider the zone thing" Of Ps. xvii
4; Phil. iii, ID. and see the persistenc!
and victory Of the woman Of Matt. XIV
21-2S. Without, going with the mai
Jesus said to him. go thy way; tn.
son liveth" Cverse 5W. and the mai
ceased his importantly, and. believin,
the word that Jesus had spoken. b
went his way (verse 50). The case /
not unlike that Of the centurion o
Capernaum. who also was quite con
tent with a word from Jesus. Possibl,
this father and the centurion wer
friends. The communication Of GU
faith becomes effectual by our &C
knowIedging what he has done for u
philemon g., and when we have see
for ourselves something Of His power
1--WE cannot but speak the thing
which we have seen and heard" (Act
~, 20). 1t was on the next day tina
the father reached home, and the serJ
ants met him with the good news. an
| no