Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-02-11
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson VIl.-First Quarter, For
Feb. is, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

When we remember that our bless
ed Lord knew all men and knew what
was in man and every thought of
mans heart John ii. "a, %; Eek. xi,
b we wonder how He in His purity
and righteousness could live among
men as He did and not be utterly dis
couraged. But He came to save sim
ners. knowing that every imagination
of the thoughts of mans heart is only
evil continually and that every man
at his best state is altogether vanity
and that all mans righteousness is
only filthy rags Gen. vi, 3; Ps. xxxixl.
As to these PhariseeS. if we note
what He says of them in Matt. xiii
as well as in our lesson we wonder
that He could think of entering one
of their homes. If He was only man,
however good, He could not tolerate
them. but being God in human form.
God manifest in the flesh. He was not
willing that even such should perish
and would save them if they would
let Him. But they. being ignorant of
Gods righteousness and going about
to establish their own righteousness,
would not submit themselves unto the
righteousness of God (Rom. x. 81.
They rejected the counsel of God
against themselves and derided Him.
Yet when they invited Him into
their homes He went, as in our lesson
and in Luke vii. SO. but he was al
ways 1.-The faithful witness" REV. iii.
Id testifying to the love of God and
the sinfulness of man. The word
"PhariSee" means a separated one,
but their separation was not from sin
unto God. but from all who did not
think as they did and were to them
common and unclean, as when one of
them said, God. thank thee that l
am not as other men or even as
this publican" duke xviii. III.
We may become well acquainted
with them by considering our Lords
estimate of them in the woes Of our
lesson and Matt. xiii and lisa. v.
They knew not the love of God. but
they did love the praise of men. Their
religion was wholly outward. seeking
only human approval. utterly regard
less of what God thought of them or
knew them to be (Matt. xiii. 5, 2Sl.
Like their ancestors. they regarded
not the work of the Lord. neither con-
sidered the operation of His hands.
They cast away the law of the Lord
of hosts and despised the word Of the
holy One of Israel Elsa. v. u. 24.
They honored God with their lips. but
their hearts were far from Him. and
they made His word of none effect by
their traditions mark vii. 6, 10; lisa.
xxx, 13: Eek xxxiii, 81. Their reli-
gion was from Cain. who was the hui
man founder of all false religion and
who was evidently in the mind of our
Lord in the great woe chapter when
He spoke of the blood of righteous
Abel (Matt xiii. 35).
The greatest hindrance to the Cos
pei is not the worldly world, which lieth
in the wicked one Il John V, 19). but
the religious people whose religion is
all outward. who know not what is to
"OAShAP ooo Ih StlllL anu III II ulus
and who think more of what others
think Of them than of the approval of
the Lord Jesus. and who are more
sensitive to a reproach against them
selves than to a reproach against the
name Of the Lord. These are the
wicked who plot against the just. who
watcheth the righteous and seeketh to
STAY him FPS. xxxvii, u. 32). even as
these men lay in wait for our Lord.
seeking to catch something out of His
mouth that they might accuse Him
The self righteousness of such peo-
pie could not take them into the king
dom of heaven (Matt v. 2O,. but would
doom them to the outer darkness.
where there shall be weeping and
crashing of teeth (Matt viii. 12l.
Never did our Lord turn away or say
a severe word to truly penitent sin
ner or one honestly seeking the truth.
but to those who professed to be what
they were not and yet were righteous
in their own estimation He was Sc
we're. Yet even such. who thought
they had need of nothing, He coun-
seled to buy of Him gold tried in the
fire and white raiment and eye salve
to cause them to see Rev iii. II. 49,.
God requires an absolutely perfect
righteousness. such as was found only
in Jesus Christ. the Lamb of God.
without bemish and without spot.
with whom the Father was always
well pleased, and anything less than
this will not suffice. We can never
attain to such righteousness by our
own efforts. but how glorious Is the
truth in II Cor. v. 81. HE has made
Him who knew nothing of sin to be
sin for US, In order that in Him we
may become the righteousness of
God" or as In Cor. i, 80, He has
become for us a wisdom which is from
God. consisting Of Righteousness and
sanctifcation and deliverance" (Wey-
mouths translation
When once our eyes are opened to
see His perfect righteousness and to
rocoivo Him thau all saamS nc moth