The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-03-31
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson i.-Second Quarter, For
April a, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of tho Lesson, Matt. xviii, ITO.
Memory Verses, 5, 6-Golden Text,
! ! Cor. XIV, 2o-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
! The regular lesson would be Sam.
XIV, in which we have the record Of
Saul rejected because he rejected the
word Of the Lord Il Sam. XIV. %. 26,.
Samuel reminded him of the time when
he was little in his own sight and how :
the Lord promoted him. but because he
preferred his own thoughts and ways
to those Of the Lord he could noticon-
tinue. 1t grieved Samuel; he cried;
unto the Lord all night; he mourned
for Saul. but came no more to see him.
until the day of his death Il Sam. xy,
II. 35). ).
1t is refreshing to turn from such q
story to that of another rejected king,
but in this case He was rejected by
man, not God. God raised Him from,
the dead and gave Him glory. He is
now alive forevermore, the Prince Of
the kings of the earth. King of kings
and Lord of lords. the true Son o.
David. yet to occupy the throne OF
David and reign forever. but waiting:
for His kingdom as David had to wait.
The Scripture is full of the suffer
ings of Christ. from Gen. iii, IS, 21, on
to the end Of the book, but it is also
full Of the resurrection. the kingdom
and the glory. Willingly and Of Ellis
own accord He Inundated Himself
unto Bethlehem and Nazareth and
Golgotha that the Scripture might be-
fulfilled. but God raised Him from the
dead and gave Him glory and all pow.
er in heaven and in earth that BE
might rid the earth of the. devil and
the curse and make it His own fair
world. as in Gen. /. He is our "alive
forevermore" king Rev. /, 5. 19 wait
ing for an "alive forevermore" peo-/
pie to reign with Him. If we have
seen ourselves as guilty. condemned
sinners and have seen Him bearing
our sins in His own 5ody and raised
from the dead and ascended to the
right hand Of the Father and have
honestly received Him. putting all our
trust in His finished work. then we
may safely rest on Eph. /, 6, 4; John
vi. 81. Al; Rom. Ill. "a, and joyfully an
ticipate l Thess. iv, 16. II; John i'll,
!. 2; Col. Ill, 4. His enemies made His
tomb as sure as they could by a seal
and q guard of soldiers (Matt xvii.
64-66), just about as secure as seals or
soldiers can make things today, but all
was unavailing. he makes US safe
forever by His precious blood, sealing
US by His Holy Spirit, and no power
can break the bundle Of life in which
we are bound nor pluck US out Of His
hand q Sam. XIV, 20; John <, 2S,.
like much the great words Of Acts
/, 3. "He showed Himself alive after
His passion by many infallible proofs.
being seen of them forty days. and
speaking of the things pertaining TO-
the kingdom Of God." 1t Is all So
grand and uggestive-Himself.i infalli.
BILE proofs, forty days, the things OF
the kingdom. He had just as infalli-
bly, foretold by the prophets and more
plainly by His own words that He
would suffer and die and rise from
the dead the third day, and If His dis!
ciples had only believed His words
how much sorrow they might have
been spared and how much more Joy
they might have had! 1t IS helpful to
keep in mind the five appearances OF
the resurrection day, which were prob
ably in this ordcr-to Mary Magdalene.
the other women, Simon Peter. the
Emmaus walk, the ten in the evening.
Recently in Judges we saw how Coo.
honored Deborah and other women.
Now it is Mary and the other women.
and, although Mary Magdalene saw
Him first, the other women are the
first to touch Him (verse g.. The rea-'
son is plainly given in John xx. II. i'm
plying that between the two appear
ings He had ascended and returned.
What He did at His several appear
| lnSS OuTlIS luOSe loIty uaSS SiNeS o~'
a sample Of what we can do in our
gloriied bodies. What an inspirations
it should be to us to consider it! These
women who so loved Him and were;
devoted to Him, not expecting His
resurrection. had bought spices With
which to anoint His dead body when
the Sabbath was past, but they never
die. Believing His word will prevent
us from spending money unwisely.
Love is in some respects the greatest,
but in the matter Of service it must be
faith working by love Il Cor. xiii, l3;
Gal. V, g.. Note the ministry Of angels
| at His birth. in the wilderness and in
Gethsemane. as we'll as in our lesson.
and take comfort from Heb. i, IA. Note
the Fear not of the angel. (verse s.:
Luke ii. 10l and compare the Lords.
.poooa ho nnto vor1" of I,rke xiv 36,