Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-08-09
TIRE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR AUG. IS
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
BANNER FOR IT'S MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text Of the Lesson, Cor. xiii-Mem-
cry Verses, 10, 11-Golden Text,
Acts 20-35-Commentary Prepar.
ed by Rev. ID. M. Stearns.

The topic OF this lesson Is 1.-The Grace
OF Giving and covers chapter viii. as
well as our lesson chapter. but we can
not refrain from a glance at the whole
epistle even though we shall have an
other study In Ii In few weeks. Sec
ond epistles are apt to have special
reference to things future. and this one
Is no exception. Notice the resurrec-
ton, and the glory. and the things un-
seen and eternal of chapter iv. 14-1S.
last verse OF our chapter. Thanks be
unto God for His unspeakable gift"
Ok, 15), or as Weymouth has II. His
unspeakably precious gift" The word
"unspeakable" is used only three times
here and chapter xii. 4: and I Pet.
!, 8. In each place it Is a different
Greek word, and used only this once.
II such gift from such God does
not constrain us to be all that He
would like us to be and do all that he
would like us to do ii is only another
evidence of our blindness and hardness
OF heart This letter Is from Paul and
Timothy and has q good deal in IL con-
corning suffering and deliverance and
comfort, but specially concerning COM
fort. as in /. 3. A; ii. Z; vii. 4. G. Z. 10;
xiii, IL.
The great adversary Is mentioned as
Satan. the God of this world, the ser
pent Iii, IL; iv, 4; xi. 81. We are taken
back to the first recorded words OF God
In the Bible, LET there be light" and
are taught 10 find there a foreshadow-
ing of the light that shines into our
souls when we are born again by re-
ceiving His word dv, o.. Such love
and grace as were seen in the Lord Je-
sus Christ becoming poor for us that
We might share His riches constrain.
ed these people first to give their own
selves to the Lord and then, In great
affiiction and deep poverty. prove the
sincerity OF their love by unusual lib
crafty chapters V, ii; viii, 1-9). They
were so enriched spiritually in every
thing-in faith, in utterance, in knowl-
edge, In diligence, i'm love-that they
abounded in giving to others, so that
Paul wrote them that 1t was superflu-
GUS for him TO say anything to them
concerning ministering to the saints
Il Cor. 1, 4, 8; II Cor. Will z; tx, l. IL.
12). He encouraged them by saying
that their zeal had provoked many to
do likewise, and now he trusted that
they would be on time with their gifts.
SO that his Boosting might not seem i'm
vain Tx, 30. There had been the read
mess to do full year ago. and now 1t
only remained for them to perform the
doing Of It.
No one was to be burdened. and there
was to be no anxious longing 10 do
more than they were able. but all must
remember that a willing mind was ev-
erything, and God only expected them
to do that which He gave them the
ability to do Chapter viii, 1922. Many
waste time and breath talking of what
they would do If they could, or If they
had the time and money which some
one else has. but l am constantly
thankful that we are only responsible
for the use OF what God gives us Ell
Their Of time, or money, or talents. or
ability of any kind.
All our service must be from the
heart, unto the Lord and cheerfully
willing, for God loveth a cheerful or
hilarious giver Verse y. God gives
so bountifully, first His beloved Son
and then with Him freely all things
John fiji, 16; Rom. viii. 32). But our
giving is not always on those lines.
and we need to remember verse 6.
with Prov. XII, "a: HE who soweth
sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and
he who soweth bountifully shall reap
also bountifully;;" There is that scat
tereth and yet increaseth. and there is
that withholdeth more than is meat,
hut II tendeth to poverty" When the
tabernacle of Moses was built the peo-
pie gave so willingly that they had to
be restrained from bringing. and the
same spirit was manifest on the part
OF David and his people In the matter
OF gifts for the temple eek. xxxv, 81.
%; xxxvi. OF; Chron. xxx, 10, 10.
Ever since 1884 have found pleas
ure and profit In giving to the Lord
at least one-tenth OF all that He sends
me as an evidence that recognize that
all is His, and l have found much
blessing In doing this and earnestly
commend the plan to others. 1t Is not
Jewish, for 1t Is at least as old as the
time of Abraham. Neither is there
any bondage in 1t, but the most per-
feet freedom. l have associated in
my mind viii o. and tx. s, Of these two
chapters fhe figures are easily re-
membered) and rejoice In the grace Of
Him who became poor that we might
be rich and who IL able to make all
grace abound toward us, that we. hav-
ing such all sufiiciency, may abound to
every good work. have seen such
cheerful giving on the part Of my own
congregation Of less thaR>200 people,
resulting I'm as much as $4,000 a year
for missions, that desire the same
blessing for others. See my tract "Se-
cret OF Missionary Interest" Box GIG,
rr~w~frf,.trrr DO And uOfa fhof oil