The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-08-07
INTERNATIONAL
SUNMYSQ1O0L
LESSON
By E. o. SELLERS, Director Of Eve
ming Department. The Moody Bible
Institute Of Chicago!
LESSON FOR AUG. II.
A. TRoUBLED,sEA AND A TRoU.
BLED SOUL.

A TRoUBLED'sEA AND A TRou.
BLEED SOUL.
LESSON TExT-Mark 4:a5 to $40.
GOLDEN TExT-"God is our refuge
and strength, a very present help IN trou-
BILE. Therefore will we not fear. though
the earth do change, and though the
mountains be removed into the heart OF
the sea-" Ps. 1912.
We now turn from our stuuies in
the manifesto or inaugural address OF
Jesus to one of the outstanding incl
dents Of his life of service.
This lesson is q dramatic one, lights
and shadows, surprise and revelation,
rebuke and encouragement are rapid
ly mingled. The subject Of the les
son is well chosen. Leaving the multi
tude to whom he had been preaching,
Jesus commands that they pass e
to the other side of the lake. v. IS.
Let US pass over" he says. Jesus
never asks his disciples to go where
he will not go or has not been before.
How touchingly vivid is the .sugges-
ton of"v. SO, they took him as he
was,"-he Is tired and weary, he,
whose invitation is to all who are
weary and needing rest, he who had
not where to lay his head, Is carried
by loving hands into the boat and Is
soon lost in restful slumber? Loving
hands minister to the loved teacher.
Both master and friends, who are
soon to meet q case Of great sin, are
before that met by a great storm. But
be who Is Lord and Master OF forces,
sleeps calmly on. Why not? Who
else could be Indifferent? Not so these
disciples; they have yet to know him
perfectly and hence it Is quite natural
that in their alarm they should awak-
en- him as they view the rapidly fill
ing boat and exclaim. Master, carest
thou not that we perish?" Weary as
he was, and personally Indifferent az
he may have been, yet for the sake OF
his chosen friends he arose and re-
buked the storm, and the peace which
he later gave the demcniac Is first
shown in material things ns he quieted
the waves Compare v. 80 and 15). .
Had Little Faith.
It was a great storm, v. 81, like
wise a great calm. The psalmist says,
great peace have they who love Thy
law" great peace have they who truly
know and love Jesus, John 14:27).
His rebuke to the disciples, v. 40, was
80 gentle as to lose it's sting,-"how
is It that ye have SO little faith?" They
had some faith, It is true, for they ap-
pealed to him In their great need, but
oh 80 little. Our proportion Of faith
is the measure Of u fear. What
wonder ". Az that they were amazsd.
This man Of flesh who had been sleep
ing the sleep Of intense WEAKNESS COM
handing the sea and that 1t should
obey him with the meekness OF a
child. what manner Of man Is this?'
Nineteen hundred years has failed to
answer that query.
Reaching the other side they entered
the land Of Gadara. There they met
a demoniac who is, VIZ believe, a type
or picture of great sin In that he was
(a) without restraint, mo man could
bind him." v. 8; 90 he was injuring
himself cutting, etc." ". s; (c) he
was separated from his friends, "dwelt
among the tombs," v. 8; (d) he was
"unclean," v. 2. There is also evil
dence Of the futility Of human resolu-
tons and the vainness Of attempts at
control or reformation, see verse A.
mo man had the strength to tame
him" Then note the torment Of his
life, v. Z. Purity and pollution can
have no concourse. James tells US
that the devils believe and tremble
(Jas. 2:19). Matthews tells US this
man was exceeding fierce so that no
one passed that way. His sin sepa-
rated him from all men. Such then,
Is the dreadful picture. What was that
storm on the lake as compared with
this storm Of sin in the heart Of a
man? '..
Physical catastrophes are far less
to be dreaded than moral and spiritual
ones, and a diseased body than a dis
eased mind. But he who spake and a
great calm came upon the face OF the
waters, also had but to speak and
forthwith the devils enter the swine
and are destroyed. Why the swine?
Was not the Jew forbidden to use
swine's flesh? Were not these Roman
and Gentle customers violating the
law of the land by partaking OF the
same, and were not the Jews taking
advantage Of an illegal traffic to en-
rich themselves? On the other hand
If they belonged to the Romans was 1t
not a protest against their open af-
front of the religion Of Jehovah?
Sins to Account For.
Church members have no right to
condemn the liquor traffic and then
to rent stores in which to carry on
the same. Naturally therefore, these
people when they saw their illegal
gains i]nterfered with should request
Jesus to depart, v. II, and this even
in the face Of what had been done for
stricken man. Luke tells us duke
S:37) that they were holden with a
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