The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-02-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson vlll.-First Quarter, For
Feb. %, 1908.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Memory verses, b, S-IoIoen ext,
Matt. viii, 17-Commsntary Prepared
by Rev. o. M. Stearns.
copyright. 1907. by American Press As.ociation.l
The Lord had appointed feasts for
Israel I'm which they might draw near
to Him and In which He might special
ly reveal Himself to them and bless
them. A full record Of these is found
In Lev. xiii. These feasts had be-
come feasts Of the Jews rather than
feasts Of the Lord John II. -: v, l.;
vi, 4; vii, 2, In which they relied upon
their outward devotion to Him rather
than on His undeserved mercy: hence
His saying, go ye and learn what that
meaneth. l will have mercy and not
sacrifice" Matt. tx, ID: xii. .. He
came to bestow the mercy Of God, not
to demand sacrifices from them az II
they must pay Him for all He did for
them. We are all as helpless in the
matter Of salvation or Of service as
was the sick and dying boy in last
weeks lesson to obtain health or his
father to give it to him. Here in this
leSSOu ID duOtueI 4bSlC
is a pool whose waters at certain sea-
sons are troubles by an angel and be-
come possessed of healing properties
which are exhausted by the first dis
eased one who steps in. About this
pool lay a great multitude Of impotent
ter. They are constantly disappoint-
ed crowd, for only one of the multi
tude can be healed. The next must all
wait for the next scramble, and only
the least helpless stands any chance
whatever, and a wholly impotent per-
son had no chance at all Of obtaining
health from that pool. The condition
of the impotent represents the cOndi-
ton Of all by nature, without strength.
ungOdly, sinners, enemies (ROm. V,
6-1O), but what Is represented by the
pool, by which some one with a slight
ailment was healed, Is not quite SO
clear, for there is only one way Of sal
walton, and He is Saviour for sim
| ners, not for righteous people who
think they can do for themselves. Je-
| sus came to these porches by that pool
one day and saw there truly impo-
| tent man whose trouble had already
lasted him thirty eight years. Motto
ing how matters stood, He said to
him, "Wilt thou be made whole" The
! mans reply, "Sir, l have no man to
put me into the pool" shows his help
lessness. All he could think Of was
| the pool and a man to put him in. The
pool he could see, but the man to put
him In he had not yet seen. and when
there might be a possibility Of his be-
ing healed by that pool who could tell
Yet in his helplessness he continued
until this day, when a seemingly ordi
nary man asked him this question and
then added, Rise, take up thy bed
and walk" Verse s., wholly impos
sible thing for him to do. and yet be
did it. for Immediately he was vol
and strong and took up his bed anC
walked. A thirty eight year trouble
gone in a moment! Compare the mir
acle wrought upon the man who was
over forty years old by. the same Jesu:
risen and assembled through Peter ani
John {Acts Ill, 2, 8; ", 22). Splendid
healings! Why not more of them
But what about all the rest Of thu
multitude that day? Sometimes HI
healed all. Note His own remark:
about only one widow and only ont
leper out Of the many in the days o.
Elijah and Elisha duke iv, $500, ant
so we are dumb while yet we trus
Him fully and rejoice to sing, LAS 70
God, His way Is perfect FPS. XVIII
The Jews accused the healed mai
Of breaking the Sabbath. He fell bacl
|, upon the command Of the One VIII
healed him. but he knew not ant
therefore could not tell who He wa
until he met Him in the temple ant
heard another message from Him
Then he made it known that Jesus ha'
healed him. After this the Jews dit
prosecute Jesus and sought to kill Hin
because. as they said. He had broker
the Sabbath and also made Himsel
equal with God by calling God Hi
Father. Instead of rejoicing in tn
great deliverance granted to the i'm
potent man and giving heed to tn
words Of his deliverer they have onl
hearts for their own affairs. their law
their Sabbath. their authority. an
whoever does not submit to them mus
be broken to pieces.
Contrast Gods treatment of the On
| IN, <tn; Let xx-ho fhov