Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-08-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson TX. - Third Quarter
For Aug. 20, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text OF the Lesson, Cor. Kill, La
Memory Verss, s-ooIden Text, I
Cor. Kill, t3-commentsry Prepared
BY Rev. D. M. Stearns.

Text OF the Lesson, ] SoFs Ntttf ITO
Memory Verss, 8-0olden Text,
Cor. Kill, t3-commentary Prepared
BY Rev. D. M. stearns.
Copyright. 1909. by American Press Association.
We have been reading In the Acts OF
people In many places who, having
heard Of the living and true God and
Of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who
gave Himself for our sins that he
might purify unto Himself a peculiar
people jealous Of good works, a people
to represent Him here little while
and then share His kingdom and glory
forever, truly received Him and were
willing to endure anything for His
sake If only they could win others to
Him. Paul tells us in this epistle that
he would endure anything rather than
hinder the gospel Of Christ and that
his aim was by all means to- save
some Chapter *, IL, 22). Believers
are sanctified In Christ Jesus. called
saints, called unto the fellowship Of
Jesus Christ our Lord to be laborers
together with God, blood bought tenn
Piles Of the Holy Spirit who worketh In
each one as He pleases, dividing to
each His gifts severally as He will
Chapters 1, 2. O.; III, 8; vi, 10. 20; xii,
<1D. If we had the choice Of gifts
one might prefer wisdom. another
knowledge. another faith, another gifts
Of healing, another tongues, etc., but
here Paul says by the Spirit that, while
it Is we'll to covet the best gifts, there
10 q more excellent way, the way Of
love, and that is our lesson today. To
know and believe the love which God
hath to us and to live In that love az
manifested In Jesus Christ should con-
strain us to such yieldedness and rest
full confidence In Him that His choice
for us as to place or manner Of service
will be always most satisfactory to US.
Esther might have asked and received
many things from the kings chamber
lain when her turn came to appear be-
fore the king; but, being in herself
fair Of form and good of countenance,
she asked nothing but what the keeper
appointed (Est. II. 7, margin. 49,. II
our aim is to please our King and be
beautiful to Him we will be quite sat
isfled with all His appointments for us.
Strangely, we have come to a time
when the matter Of speaking In tongues
is very much on some minds, but
study Of chapter xiv teaches us that II
Is better to utter words easy to be
understood. even five such words, than
ten thousand words which no one can
understand xiv, 8, 1917. No name Of
God or Of Christ is found in our lesson
chapter; but, as one has said, photo
graph Of dear friend does not re-
quire the friends name on 1t to enable
us to recognize 1t, and we have here n
most beautiful word picture Of the
Lord Jesus, for In no one else was such
love ever seen. 1t seems unnecessary
to say that the word charity" should
be "love" as 1t is In the revised YER
sion, and 1t is evidently the love of
John i'll, 1G; John iii, 16; iv, OIL.
The love Of God Is the greatest thing
mortals ever heard Of. and the greatest
love Of mortals Is but the faintest re-
Election of the infinite love Of God.
The first three verses Of our lesson are
most startling when we consider how
much eloQuence and oratory and
knowledge and kind Of faith and
giving of money and self sacrifice may
all go for nothing-just wood. hay and
stubble to be burned When we think
Of the speaking and singing that
abound simply for the money that is In
them, and the many other things SIM
ply to obtain praise from men or from
q sense Of duty, and that nothing counts
IN Gods sight that Is not from love to
Him, Is 1t not all most heart search
ing? Then see In verses 4 to 7 the
quality Of this love. 1t Is kind even to
those who make it suffer. never Jealous
or envious or self assertive or proud,
never SEEK anything for itself, Is
never provoked. never thinks or speaks
evil of any one, rejoices only In what Is
true and goes on bearing, believing,
hoping and being all things for loves
sake. 1t was truly never so seen but
In Christ Himself, and yet He desires
to reproduce that life In His redeemed
ones Oh Cor. ", 10, II; Gal. II, 20) and
will If we are only willing to die to
self and let Him rule In our hearts. 1t
means such a handing over Of our
selves to Him that we have no say In
anything any more, but that we just
live In that good and acceptable and
perfect will Of God.
This age In which we now live, with
its teaching and tongues and knowl-
edge, shall give place to better age
in which love shall be more fully seen
on earth. There Is nothing perfect
now on our part. Everything is only
in part, as far as our knowledge OF
God and manifestation Of the life OF
Jesus are concerned. but then we shall
be like Him, for we shall see Him as
He is. Even our bodies shall be like
Ills. immortal, incorruptible XIV. 1888;
Phil. Ill. 20. 2D. While we shall not be
truly Of age md enjoy eternal life
fully till the resurrection of our bodies.
for which even such as Abraham and
others still wait (Heb. II. 80, 400, we
should live more than we do In the
power Of the age to come and not talk
and act so much like babes who live
only on milk Chapter Ill. 1N. Gods
child In this world is not what he
will be. has not what he will have and
sees not what he will see, but while
here may receive fully and In childlike
simplicity the revelation Of God, e1-
,,,ofsiro sirnnle fnfth in what God SAYS,