The Bossier banner., 1910-04-21
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson Iv.-Second Quarter,
For April ~, 1910.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, Matt. XII, 20-30.
Memory Verses, -3o-GoIden Text.
Matt. XII, 28-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
Two of the foundations in the Scrip
lures in connection with the great
truth that "other foundation can no
man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ" are that God is love"
and He is not willing that any should
perish Il Cor. iii, II; John iii, l6; II
Pet. iii. 81. Along with this we need
Acts xvii, 30, 81. God now command
eth all men everywhere to repent, be-
cause He hath appointed a day in the
which He will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom He
hath ordained, whereof He hath given
assurance unto all mel that He
hath raised Him from the dead" We
have seen John and Jesus and the
twelve preaching repentance. and when
we turn to Rev. iX. 20. p; xvi, .. IL.
and read of the fearful Judgments that
will come upon he earth in the tin"
of the great tribulation, after he
church shall have been taken away.
we learn that the object of all VIII be
that men may repent. In this connec-
ton see Job xxxiii. %. 80.
He had chosen ChoraZin. Beths:lida
and Capernaum :t> canters where lie
wrought many mighty works. but they
seemed to be without result. and He
tells them of Judgment to come, when
it will be more toIerable for other
cities which never saw His mighty
works There are three future judg-
ments spoken of-the judgment seat
of Christ for believers only. the judg-
ment of nations at the beginning of
the millennial reign and the Judgment
ut the great white throne ut he end
of the thousand years. Our Lord must
be speaking here of the second or
third Of these Note His Il say unto
you" of verses %. "a. Remember that
it is the Judge Himself who is speak
ing, and He certainly knows whereof
>.
able" suggest different degrees of pun
ishment and suffering. as there will be
also different degrees of glory and of
rewards for believers. First il is a
question of saved or lost; then for the
saved there will be reward according
to works and for the lost punishment
according to desert, and the Judge Of
all the earth will not fail to do right
The nation being about to reject
Him, He seems to turn to individuals,
to such as in the time of His rcjec-
ton will let Himself he their rest,
their all. He first talks to His Father
as the Lord of heaven and earth and
therefore as having a perfect right to
do as He pleases with His own tPs.
cxxxy, g. He talks to Him as nat
urally as to people about Him. for He
is in constant and conscious touch
with heaven and does always these
things that please the Father. Although
despised and rejected. He thanks Ills
Father. reminding us that we are in all
things to give thanks q Thess. y. 1S).
Some one has said that he who has
learned to say always THANK God"
has the key to constant victory. The
Even so. Father" Indicates perfect
submission with the most absolute
confidence in and satisfaction with tilc
Fathers management. Compare /
SAM iii, IS: Job i. q. Our I.ord's
gratitude ut this time was in c0nnec-
tion with His Fathers hiding certain,
things from the wise in their own
conceit and revealing them to those
who are teachable as babes or very lit
tie children. The mere natural man.
however wise, cannot know tn" things
of God. for they are foolishneSs to
him q Cor i, liz. '"They have rejected
the word of the Lord. and what wis
dom is in them?" Uer. vii, o, AS
Abraham gave to his only son all that
he had, so 'tlle Father loyeh he
Son and hath given all things into His
hand Gen. xiv. Sc; John iii. 50, As
all the Egyptians and all other conn
tries had to go to Joseph in order to
obtain corn by which they might live
Gen. xii. $3.50. so there is no real
life, no life eternal. no knowledge of
God the Father. except through Jesus
Christ (verse 27
In this sinful, Christ rejecting age
would you find rest? 1t can be found
only in Him who knew what it was to
rest in His Father. Would yon find
the yoke of the daily life easy and the
burden of the daily toll light? II can
only be by yoking up with Him who
here so lovingly invites us. This is an
ancient message, for in lisa. xviii. II.
we read. "7slis is the rest wharpwith
We may cause the weary to rest, and
this is the refreshing" Eut there the
prophet had to add. "Ye. they would
not hear" Again, in Isa. xxx. Is. we
read, I'm returning and rest shall We
be saved; in quietness and in conf
dence shall be your strength But
again it is added, And We would not
Compare with these Matt. xiii. 81;
John V, 40, and see how all the difficult
ty is always on our side. while GGd is
ever saying: Come. Return. Who
soever will! Him that cOmeth," There
seems to be two rests here, one that
He gives when we come tor Him and
the other that we find when we take
His yoke upon us, but only the meek
md lowly can obtain either The first
Is suggestive of salvation and the Sec
ond Of service. If we would be saved
we must be poor enough in spirit to
plead guilty and accept justification
freely by grace If we would find
rest in service 1t must be by the con.