The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-09-11
Sunday School Notes
Side Lights on Next Sundays
Lesson for Teachers and Pupils.
Edited by cHAs. K. MEYERS.
Sept. 15.-Judgment and Mercy

Sept 15.-Judgment and Mercy
Mathew 11-20-30.
The lesson of this week has much
of interest and Importance for us.
Here will be found denunciation of the
hard hearted, wicked and the call of
pleading and love to the penitant and
! over-burdened.
There are many lines of important
thought running through the bible.
Some like to trace for the red thread
of the blood" others for the doc.
trine of sacrifice, through the suffer-
ing of the innocent for the guilty.
Again there is the vital faith in God,
to please Him, found throughout the
book. There is further the thought
that punishment will follow disobedi-
ence, but pity and mercy, repentance
and turning to the right. The Old
Testament is full of promises and
warnings and one is dull indeed, If
they do not understand that they are
interested in these, as we'll as the
Jews of old, to whom they were direct
ly addressed The God who is full OF
compassion and plenteOus in mercy is
only stern to those who deliberately
disobey Him. Having this in mind,
let us turn to the lesson verses.
Jesus was in the midst of his active
work on earth. He had gone from
city to city healing the sick, giving
sight to the blind and showing His
power. With these he had given forth
the gospel message with all the force
He possessed. In every way He full
| filled the prOphesieS as to the prom
ised Messiah. Yet the people would
not believe, but turned away. In view
of this, Jesus breaks forth in a note
of further warning as found in the
lesson verses before US. He cried
out "Woe unto you Chorazen and
Bethsadia, and thou Capernaum, which
are exalted shalt be brought down to
hell. If the mighty works which have
been done in thee had been done in
Seldom, it would have remained to this
day; it shall be more tolerab!e for
the land of Sodom in the day of judg-
ment than for thee" 1t will be re-
membered that Sodom was one of the
cities of the plain destroyed for its
wickedness and from which Lot
escaped as told of in the days of Alb
raham.
The warning to us all is plain in
deed. Living as We do in the full
blaze of the gospel light, with the evil
dences before us of what it has done
in uplifting the world along moral,
social, intellectual and temporal lines.
there is no excuse for turning to the
bible deaf ear, refusing to believe
in its divinity. What reason can be
offered for such conduct? AS the man
who refused to put on the garment
given him freely for use as a guest
at the supper, stood speechless, so will
those who refuse the gospel of Jesus
of its worth. The child who ignores
the repeated warnings from parent
or teacher is justly corrected and the
same justice of things holds good in
the dealings of God with man. Jesus
was fully warranted in his severe ar
raignment OF the people of His time
who would not heed Him, ard He is
justified in predicting similar treat
ment for us when we act as did the in
habitants of the cities named.
Thanks be to God, we can turn from
this side of His character to that of
mercy and forgiveness. The lesson
verse tells us that Jesus gave thanks
at this time that while those thinking
themselves wise and great did not un.
derstand their opportunities and heed
His words, yet the lowly and those
like babes in intelligence understood.
Jesus again declares that to know
God one must know his Son, and that
knowledge of God comes to those to
| whom Jesus makes the revelation.
Now come those wonderful and
precious words which have comfort
ed millions of people in the past and
will do the same for as many more in
the future: Come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavy laden and |
will give you rest; take my yoke upon
you and learn of me and We shall find
rest unto your souls" That invita-
ton is for you and me. We can have
burden bearer and who is there
who does not need one. Daily we
come in contact with people who are
bearing heavy crosses in life, and in
deed, how burdened are they when
they attempt to bear them alone. HUI
MON cvmnathv ic he1pfu1 hIt tha now