The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-12-06
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson X.--Fourth Quarter, For
Dec. 8. 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Matt. xviii, N-Comnsntary PrepaF.
cd by Rev. .. M. stearns.
The question Of the disciples with
which this lesson begins, who is the
greatest in the kingdom OF heaven7"
carries us far back in the history OF
man on the earth, even to the sugges-
tion Of the old serpent to Eve, "Ye
shall be as gods" Gen. iii, 81. Els
own ambition IL seen I'm lisa. xiv, 10,
IL: ~ win exalt my throne shove the
stars OF God. I viii be- like
the Most High" The significance of
the title "SEost HIgn God'' u seen in
the FIRST use OF It in Gen. XIV, 1892,
where 1t evidently refers to Gad as the
pcssessor of heaven and earth. The
great a~dversary's ambition, therefore,
il to possess the earth and the people
upon II.
The late DR.. Weston said that the
Bible h the record of the conflict
between God and the devil for man and
his inheritance, the earth. When people
join house to house and field to field.
that they may be placed alone in the
midst OF the earth Qsa. v, 81, on which
principle all trusts and combines seem
to be carried on, It is not dificult to
recognize the unseen ambitious, wicked
one back OF 1t all, who offered to u
Lord all the kingdoms Of this world
and the glory Of them If He would
worship him duke iv, SID.
The man will yet come, If he is not
already in sight, who will accept this
offer OF the devil, and all the world win
worship him whose names r not In
the Book OF Life Dan. ri, 1858, 43; Rev.
xiii, 81. We need to understand this in
order to be delivered from the ambi-
ton to be great even in the kingdom.
He must be blind indeed who would de-
sire greatness or power in this present
evil age unless he could use 1t wholly
for God The lifelong motto of every
believer should be, 1.-THE Lord alone
shall be exalted Qsa. II, II, III.
Not only on this occasion did the idea
Of personal greatness lay hold Of the
disciples, but just after He had the
second time foretoId His death they by
the way disputed among themselves
who should be the greatest ozark tx,
$780, On another occasion both James
and John and their mother asked for
seats on His right and left hand In
His kingdom and glory Matt. xx, 20,
ii; Mark K, $3.50. Then again sc the
last passover, on the night of His be-
trayal, after He had indicated Judas as
His betrayeF, there was a strife among
them which Of them would be account
ed the greatest duke xxi, 21-24). He
always taught them that genuine hui
mility was true greatness, and, as to
places in His kingdom, the Father had
arranged all that, and we must leave it
with Him.
On the occasion Of our lessen He
called a little child and set him In the
midst and by an object lesson taught
them humility and true greatness and
also that to enter the kingdom n must
become as a little child 60. A little
child does not suggest innocence as its
principal feature, for It Is marvellous
how early a very little child shows will
fullness and temper, yet I once heard a
Roman Catholic bishop use these words
about becoming as little children as a
proof Of the need Of a purgatory. where
we could somehow work of bur sins
until, as when we were innocent chill
dren, we would be at for the kingdom.
The Scriptures, the reading Of which
the Roman Catholics do not encourage,
teach us plainly that only the blood Of
Jesus can cleanse our sins and that His
absolutely perfect righteousness. which
He gives freely to all who receive Him,
is our only fitness for the presence of
God (Rom. III, "a; v, 1, 8; / Cor. |. 800.
A very little child Is helpless, teach
able, trustful. comes when called, as
this child did When we come to Him
In our emptiness gil His fuIlness be-
comes ours, and then we become indeed
His little ones, who believe in Him
(verse 81, and He counts all treatment
OF such little ones as done to Himself
oversees 6-9D.
Awful indeed are some OF the words
in these verses and in Mark TX, A2-4S,
concerning the possibility Of being cast
into everlasting hell Gre, but how bless
ed the ssuranc that this fearful place
was never prepared for man, but for
the devil ana his angals; that the Lord
is not willing that any should perish
and that those to whom He gives eter-
nal life can never perish oversees 8. ii,
26-41: III Pet. iii, 8; John X, 20. The
ministry OF angels is beautifully re-
Serred to in verse TO- and that they al
ways have access to Father In
heaven. that they minister to rs hero
IN the earth, is taught By Heb. 4, IA,
and many other passages. 1t Is blessed
10 be able to say, because we really
believe It and know something OF the
Joy and peace of It. Il am never alone;
the Lord Jesus and the angels are al
ways with me-"
In verses Ills we have what might
be called a summary of the three par
ables OF Luke w.. showing the joy in
heaven over one sinner yspenting. II
we are not thus seeking lost ones, can
we be said to have the mind OF Christi
The incident In Matt. xix, 1915, which
is also found In Mark X, 1916; Luke
xviii, 1917. Of the httie children whom
He took up In His arnls and blessed
- n sa&N atfN@ e~SNN. al 49, HSnomSNw1 ~