Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-16
INTERNATIONAL,
SUNDNYS01Q0L
LESSON
my r.. o. SELLERS. Director Of Even.
Ing Department. The Moody Bible In
stituto OF Chicago)
LESSON FOR MAY 19.
THE OLD LAW AND THE NEW
LIFE.

LIFE.
LESSON TEXT-Mn,t. El7-.s,
GOLDEN TExT-'Ifo that Ioveth his
rcighbor hath fulfilled tho law.'-Rom.
1873.
II there is any one thing We as
Americans delight In, It Is in enacting
laws. We to have an insane
idea that all tho Ills Of human lifo
can DO cured by legislation. There
seems 10 be n corrcspondIngly great
err carelcssnesB In the matter Of law
enforcement. Jesus did not found his
kingdom upon u multiplied number OF
"Thou shalt not's." Of merely negative
enactmcnts. Ito took tho old Divine
law and FULFILLED 1. e., filled II full
with life. 1Ie put purpose, life and VI
tally into that law. lie transformed
IL from an outward formal observance
TO an inward heart motive. At tho
outset OF this lesson Jesus not only
says that no Will obey tho law OF
Moses and the admonitions OF tho
prophets, but that those same princi-
pies shall apply In tho hearts OF tho
citizens Of his new kingdom. That
moral order which IL in accordance
with tho Divine standard Ia still TO be
observed. Christianity gives no H.
ccnso to It's followers. Tho righteous
ness which In OF Christ does not les
son our moral obligations. Jesus says
that not tho least 'jot or TITLE" tho
smallest part of a Hebrew letter, tho
'dotting OF nm I or the crossing Of q
T" shall DO set aside. They must all
DO realized in tho lives OF HIS follow
Grs.
Responsible for Teachings.
In order to emphasize this still fur
tber. no tells those whom no calls and
appoints to his service that they shall
DO held responsible for what they
teach. az well M what they practice.
with regardB these commands. To
teach men TO break ono OF the very
least II to become least IN his To-
kingdom. To obey and to teach 9th.
ers to obey IL to become great in this
o kingdom. Such IL the Importance
no places upon tho Old Testament
teachings and his statement as TO is
authors. Let ua beware reading into
his words any meaning that shall set
aside this portion Of Holy Writ, or
hat shall suggest any question as to
their accepted authorship or author
ity. But Jesus was also aware OF the
danger OF outward obedience or mere
~perfunctOry fulnlment OF that law to-
gethcr with tho myriads OF traditions
that had grown mp with II. Hence II
Is that he 30 specifically warns his
followers that their righteousness, 1.
O., right relations. must exceed that
OF the phnrisceg whose loyalty to the
law and to tradition ~ 80 famous. His
followers must keep not only the form
but tho spirit also. and 40 no goes on
to illustrate. beginning with an old
commandment, "Thou shalt not kill"
he shows us that tho outward Anal
act OF murder In but an outgrowth OF
the spirit OF a mars hcaIt. hence no
who hates his brother man IL In dan
ger OF, !. a.. already In the power OF.
those forces that IN their elimination
I'm danger OF hell" Jesus clearly
indicates In all OF his teaching a fu-
ture state Of punishment ms well as
ono Of bliss, and granting that these
words are only symbollcal. Of which
wo are not convinced. wo must pray
to DO delivered from the reality. These
words nro OF the merest nonsense II
they DO not true. and certainly we
cannot accuse Jesus OF testing nor
suggest him to DO a fool Oacking in
knowledge) ns no speaks upon so seri-
u a subject.
Jesus Philosophy sImpIe.
"Rememberest thy brother hath
aught against thee" Tho philosophy
OF Jesus In perfectly simple. II an
ger IN criminal then he who II guilty
must Of necessity become r%econclled
TO that ono whom no has offended.
Not merely that we are TO forgive
those who have wronged us. for that
IL not such n hard matter. But wo
must get right with our brother who
has aught against us before our gifts
will be acceptable unto God. Some
ono has said, 1T IL far easier to give
up q coin than 10 give up q quarrel.
II II easier TO lay down a generous
offering than TO lay down a grudse."
This requires haste. We must agree
with u adversary quickly or else no
-lIn a.