Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-05-08
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson W.-SeCond Quarter, For
May II, 1912.
The INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, Luke vi, 27-3e;
Rom. xiii, g. 1o-Memory Verses, n,
2s-Golden Text. Rom. xiii, e-Com-
montary Prepared by Rev. D. M.
Stearns.
The topic OF this lesson Is Love"
and the pattern is 1.-The love OF God"
At first sight the teaching Is most
extraordinary and the practice seem
ingly impossible and beyond all reason.
Great grace might enable rs to love our
enemies. do good to those who hate Us.
bless those who curse US and pray for
such as despitefully use Us, but when 1t
comes to lending without hoping for
return, giving to every one that asks
and letting the man that takes your
cloak have your coat also 1t does look
like a good time for tramps, impOstors,
thieves and robbers. We know that
the righteous Lord lOveth righteous
ness. and anything unrighteous He
would not do nor ask US to do, so we
must prayerfully wait upon Him for
clearer light upon this teaching. Ac-
cording to verse 81 and Matt. Y. 45.
festly the children Of the Highest
the children Of our Father which is
in heaven" 1t Is therefore not a
matter Of what is expedient or &C
cording to reason. but how can we
as the children of God make people to
know our Father. God. He was teach
ing His disciples verse 20l. those who
had received Him as the Christ. the
Son OF God, and had left all to follow
Him. those whom He was to leave Ia
the world In His stead, that because
Of them the world might believe and
know the only living and true God
and Jesus Christ. whom He sent into
the world to manifest Him John xvii.
3. IL. 81, 23). 1t IS truly a high. holy.
heavenly calling to represent God and
Christ in the power OF the Holy Spirit
and be so alive to their interests that
we shall be wholly dead to our own
The love OF God and OF Jesus Christ
is the greatest thing we ever heard OF.
and there are no more wonderful state
ments concerning it than John fiji. 10:
John fiji. 10.
Put with these God commendeth His
love toward us IN that while we were
yet sinners Christ died for US" I'm
this was manifested the love Of God
toward us because that God sent His
only begOtten Son into the world that
we might live through Him" He
spared not His own Son. but delivered
Him up for us all Christ loved the
church and gave Himself for IT."
The church OF God which He hath
purchased with His own blood" The
Son Of God loved me and gave Him
self for me" (Rom. V. s: viii. 81: 1
John ". Q. 10; Eph. V. %: Acts Xxx.
IS; Gal. ii. S0l. In the light OF such
tremendous statements consider the
treatment that He received when here
In humiliation and even Us He taught
our lesson OF today. He was in the
world which lie had made. but il
knew Him not He came unto His own
special people Israel. but they received
Him not Their rulers had no kind
words or thoughts for Him They
said that He had u devil and was mad
and that He deceived the people. ana
In their hatred they finally killed Him.
accusing Him falsely and giving Him
no semblance OF a fair trial CJohn 1. 10.
II: VII. -. 20; viii. -; \. 2O,. Yet He
bore it all patiently and did not talk
back nor strike back, though He might
have swept them off the earth with Il
look or IA word. rs He Will do at His
coming in glory to set up His king
dom and share it with His own re-
deemed ones elsa. xi. 1 II Thess Il. y:
Col. iii. 4; Rev. rs. 21).
Now considering that by such love
and by the sacrifice OF Himself He
has at such infinite cost and by such
suffering. bearing our sins IN His own
body. made all who receive Him chill
dren OF God and joint heirs with Him
self. partakerS Of His kingdom and
glory. does 1t not look a good bit
easier 70 love, to bless. to help others
for His sake. to give. TO lend. 10 do
good hoping for nothing again. 10
serve those who cannot serve us in re-
turn? DO we not feel Ike saying as
Mephibosheth said OF Zlba, Yea. let
him take all. rorasmuch as my Lord
the King IS come again" I'll Sam. xix.
3O).
Our Lord never encouraged wrong
doing. and we may be sure that He
would not have us do anything TO en-
courage injustice and oppression. theft
or robbery or idleness or anything
OF the spirit that would wrongfully
take the property or another. But He
would have US show in our daily life
that we have such treasure In Himself
| and In His kingdom that we are ready
to use all present things for the good
Of others If only We may win them to
Him. bearing meekly any loss or cross
ol.o Lana 90