The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-07-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson v.-Third Quarter, For
July 81, 1910.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Matt. xviii, 21.35.
Memory Verses, 21, 22-GoIden Text,
Matt. vi, 14-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.


1t is worth remembering that the
church is said to be bui;ded. never set
MP Matt. xvi, IS; Eph ii, 10, %;
Pet. ii, 5: Gen, ii. %, margin. with
Eph. V, 81, 32,. whereas the kingdom
is said to be set up. not builded Dan.
ii, AZ. If we would walk worthy of
God who hath called us unto His
kingdom and glory q Thess. H. 12)
the two features of today's lesson. hu
nifty and forgiveness. should be spe-
cially manifest in us, remembering the
first words of our Lords discourse on
the principles of the kingdom. Bless
ed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven" Matt V. b.
and also that the ornament of meek
and quiet spirit is in the sight of God
Of great price q Pet. iii, A..
AS we are to have but one lesson in
this chapter we must consider the
first portion on humility as we'll as the
last on forgiveness. What trial it
must have been to our Lord. who had
SO humbled Himself, to see these dis
ciples continually thinking and talk
ing about who should be greatest in
His kingdom even up to the last night
before He was crucified and to have
the mother OF two Of them asking for
special places of honor for her sons
Verse 1; Xxx, 20, 81: Luke tx. 1918:
xxi. 2H. What must He think Of the
cc .fvsf z<;
tons and societies and churches and
individual believers. whose one aim
should be to exalt Him, for one Pc
culiar feature Of the kingdom will be
that the Lord alone shall be exalted
lisa. ii, lilo. A little child is His
object lesson, first in reference to en-
tering the kingdom and then in refer
ence to greatness in it (vcrscs 81. and
the thought seems to be that Of help.
nessness. dependence. teachableness
and readiness to come to Him In
order to be saved we must come utter
ly empty Of self righteousness. simply
pleading guilty. In order to position
in His kingdom We must in conscious
'iASSAA~','' y ASsu Z" A4II suaAl Lie
work His works in us. 1t must be
mot !. hut the grace of God' q Cor
XIV. 1O). See verse II on His unwilling
uess that any should perish. and com
pare IL Pet iii. o AS to the safety Of
little children who die before they
know right or wrong, find much
comfort in the analogy Of Deut. j. 80.
As to the ministry Of angels. see verse
10. with Heb. !, II From verse 20
learn never TO ASK the Lord to be pres
ent at our gatherings. but always to
thank Him that He is present. accord
ing to this assurance The instruc-
tons Of verses II 10 concerning deal
ing with an offending brother seems
to lead to Peters question. Lord. how
oft shall. forgive him? Till seven
times? verse 21,.
No doubt Peter thought that he was
suggesting 4 wide margin when he
spoke Of forgivins seven times. so
blind and selfish and earthly were he
and his fellows in all their thoughts.
Just so are we also until filled with
His Spirit. Well might He often say
to us: How is it that We do not un-
derstand?' Have | been so long
time with you. and yet hast thou not
known Me?' Matt. xvi. II; John xiv.
81 Because His thoughts and ways
are as far above ours as heaven is
above the earth lisa. ". 8. 81. let us
become so full of His thoughts. by His
Spirit and His word. that ours shall
find no place in u.s. Our Lords reply
to Peter. Il say not unto thee until
seven times. but until seventy times
seven" Verse 30, sends me away back
to Gabriel's message to Daniel concern
ing the kingdom in Dan. ix, 24-26,
Il. ", where. we hear him say that
after seventy weeks or sevens the
kingdom will come. bringing in ever
lasting Righteousness. / therefore
hear our Lord say to Peter. Keep on
forgiving till the kingdom comes. /
always find the clearest light on Scrip
ture in Scripture, believing that the
Spirit is the best interpreter of His
own words. The 666 Of Rev. xiii. 10,
sends me to the GG6 Of l Kings. <, II,
and learn that one feature of the
power of the antichrist will be his
control Of gold and the use he will
make of it. l expect that we will vet
see some connection between the 1j3
great fishes of the resurrection catch
John xxi, III and the $4,000 strangers
of II Chron., ii, II.
The kingdom is the key to and the
fulfilling Of many things. and many Of
our Lords teachings can only be un-
derstood in the light of the kingdom
as distinct from the church. The full
forgiveness Of the debtor of verses
24-27. like the forgiveness Of the two
debtors Of Luke vii. Al. AZ. is illustra-
tive Of the full and free forgiveness
granted to every bankrupt sinner who
comes to Christ. for Of all such 1t can
be truly said. Justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus from. iii. pa. But
this forgiven one afterward delivered
to the tormentors till he should pay
all has no parallel in salvation by
grace. Even the words of lisa. xliii.
%. in reference to transgressions and
sins are "blotted out" mot remember
ed" The necessity of freely forgiving
others if we ourselves would enjoy
the forgiveness Of God (verse $50 is
also pct forth IN Matt. ri, IL, Is.