The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1910-02-18
THE GOLDEN
RULE
Sunday School Lessoa fer FEB. 20, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Psner
Specially arranged for This Paper

GOLDEN TExT-"Therefore all things
whatsoever We would that men do to
you. do even we even so to them; for this
II the law and the prophets TIP.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
The Golden Rule.-v. II. There
FORE" referring to the whole three
chapters as the sum of all the pre-
cepts given to the subjects of his king
dom touching their conduct toward
their fellow men, which conduct is also
a test of their discipleship. AS Luther
puts it, with these words he now
closes his instruction given in these
three chapters, and ties it all up in one
little bundle"
"An things whatsoever ye would
that men should do to you" All that
you would have a right to expect from
others, all that would be really for
your good, all that would be right and
fair.
do ye even so to them" All our
actions, our business dealings, our
friendly intercourse, our giving, is to
be in accordance with this rule. But
this does not require indiscriminate
giving of everything one asks, for that
kind Of giving would not be good for
US. We are under obligations to give
so hat we really do good. 1t is not
so much a question of the worthy or
the unworthy poor, as of really bene-
fitting the recipient.
For this is the law and the proph-
cts" 1t is the sun of the duties to
man required by the law and taught
by the prophets Matt. 22:40). It i'm
plies the state of h heart and life
which it was their purpose to produce.
The Adventure Of the Golden Rule
Into the Judgment Hall.-Vs. I, 2.
Judge not" The word Judge" here
Ices not mean form an opinion, for
everyone must do this of many persons
and things duke 1857; John 1920.
1t does not forbid us to condemn wrong
actions, wrong principles, and speak
out our condemnation.
The Adventure of the Mote and the
Beam.-Vs. 3-5. Still in the judgment
hall. Two men are presented, one
with a mote" in his eye, a small fault
that keeps him from seeing clearly the
paths of right or wrong. The other
with a beam" in his eye, a great fault
that blinds him from seeing the truth
in himself and others. And yet the
man with the beam is trying to correct
the vision of the man with the mote.
The Adventure Of the Pearls and
the Swine.-V. 6. In the same judg-
men hall there is presented another
scene. A man with rich and costly
pearls is casting them before swine,
who care nothing for their beauty, but
would rather have the swill in their
trough, and finding hat the pearls are
not food, will turn again and reno
you" in their anger at their disap.
pointment. You must change their ma.
ture before the pearls of holy things
will do them any good.
The Adventure of the Golden Rule
in the Prayermeeting.-Vs. I'll. The
Golden Rule is the chief inspirer of
prayer for the temperance cause.
Prayer is the door to the divine treas.
ure house which contains supplies for
all our needs. The living according to
the principles set forth in the Sermon
on the Mount is so difficult an attain
ment, and bringing. the whole world to
obey them is so colossal an undertake
ing, that without continual connection
with heaven, and supplies of grace and
power from heaven. the achievement
would be impossible. And this Is as
true of temperance as of any other
virtue or reform. There are three
methods of praying. CD ASK" Elk
press you desires to God, both in Sc
cret, and when Gods people are gath
cred together.
CD Seek" by all active efforts
which r acted prayers; use all pos
sible means, as in the parable Of the
pearl of great price. 1t is useless tt
pray with words if we do not put forth
every effort to accomplish our part Of
the answer.
CD knock" at the door of Gods
treasure house of blessings for the
blessings which no seeking can obtain
but which must be given directly from
God.
10. "If he ask a fish, will he give hin
a ~serpent?" Never. But if he asks fol
a serpent thinking it to be a fish, hi
will give him the fish and not the ser
pent, thus really answering his prayer:
for the son wanted a fish, and not the
serpent.
The answers will not always b,
given in just b way we expect, bu
they will come, n in the best way
through the mes that pray. We pra,
for better fruit. God does not an
swer by raising apples and peache:
and grapes, nor by sending them IL
barrels. He gives us gardens, ant
skill, and seeds, ana sunshine ant
rain, and this is a thousand times thu
best way. We pray for temperance
Gods lightning does not smite the sa
looms and those who sell in them
But he is answering the y al
the time, and never so abundantly a,
to-day.