The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1917-04-12
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson III.-Second Quarter, For
April Is, 1917.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


x, 11-commentary Prepared by Rev,
D. NJ. Stearns.
The Golden Text seems to be the
heart Of the lesson this time If not al
ways While in our lesson He is the
Good Shepherd laying down His life
for the sheep and giving unto them
eternal life, with the assurance that
they can never perish nor any power
take them from Him (verses II, Is.
q, 29), in Heb. Kill, 20, 21, He is the
Great Shepherd risen from the dead.
living His life in US and working In
US that which is we'll pleasing in the
sight of the God of Peace. In l Pet
Y, 4, He is the Chief Shepherd who
shall give rewards to His faithful fol-
lowers at His appearing. In Gen.
Xix, "a; Ps. Xxx, /. He Is the Shep-
herd of Israel This last shall be fully
seen when Eek. xxxiv, 11-16, and
verse 81 shall be fulfilled, and then
shall be seen the significance Of Ps.
xiii as never before in the history Of
the world. In our lesson chapter he Is
talking to Israel, but He spoke Of 9th
er sheep whom He must bring (verse
49,, and some Of those we are now
gathering to complete His body, the
church, but the full gathering Of the
nations to Him shall be after Israel
has learned to say. THE Lord is my
Shepherd" according to Zech. Il, 1913;
"Many nations shall be Joined to the
Lord in that day and shall be my peo-
Pile" Also Jer. iii, II, "At that time
they shall call Jerusalem the Throne Of
the Lord, and all the nations shall be
gathered unto 1t, to the name Of the
Lord to Jerusalem"
He had been dealing with and was
In the midst Of thieves and robbers,
who sought to enter the fold, but not
by the door. They were persistently
robbing God and making His house a
den of thieves (Mal. iii, s; Matt. xxi
49,. He is the door as we'll as the
Shepherd, the only way Of access to
God, Gods own appointed way, and
it is not possible to come to God but
by Him (verses 10; chapter xiv, O..
But by Him, the door, any man may
enter in and be saved and in Him find
pastures green and waters of quiet
ness (verse 81, peace as a river and
righteousness as the waves Of the sea
Qsa. Xviii, ~. All who are not
Christ's are in the employ of the lead
er Of all thieves and robbers and liars
and murderers. the devil, Of whom He
said in q recent lesson that these re-
ligious hypocrites were his children
(verse 10; viii, AZ. With righteous
wrath He denounced them in these
words: "Ye serpents, ye generation Of
vipers, how can ye escape the damna-
ton Of hellT' Matt xiii, 49,
The Spirit through Paul said to Ely
mas, who tried to turn a man away
from the door to life, 20 full of all sub
tility and all mischief, child of the dev.
H. enemy Of all righteousness. wilt
thou not cease to pervert the right
ways Of the Lord?' (Acts xiii, 7-10)
Contrast the Good Shepherd, who by
laying down His life for US has pro-
vided life. and life abundantly. for all
who will receive Him. He gives free
ly that which He has purchased at 80
great a price, even the sacrifice Of
Himself. Life eternal, the water Of
life. eternal redemption and all that
is included In such expressions be-
come the sure and everlasting posses
sion of all who receive Him, and there
Il nothing, in the Bible that in any way
conflicts with the positive assurances
Of verses 27-30. See Heb. 1, 8; *, IL,
20; Rom. vi. q; iii. "a; Rev. xii, II.
There can be no contradictions in the
Bible, for the same Holy Spirit wrote
the whole book.
As to life abundantly. compare par
don abundantly and an abundant en-
trance into His kingdom lisa. lv, Z; II
Pet. I, III. The Lord gives not only
freely. but fully, all that He has pur-
chased for US, and He desires to be
able to give full rewards for service
In that day Oh John 81 which he
certainly will do II we have been faith
full Salvation Is wholly OF grace and
the same to all. but the rewards will
be according to our works (Rev. xii,
12). Note the wonderful statement In
verses II, IS. that no man could take
bis life from Him. but that He laid 1t
down Of Himself, having power to do
this. and to take It again. His was the
only life that could not be taken from
Him. 1t Is true that they killed Him
but it was because He allowed them
to do 1t. he willingly suffered all that
was put upon Him, leaving US an ex-
ample that we might follow His steps,
who, when he was reviled, reviled not
again; when He suffered He threat
eHed not. but committed Himself to
Him who judgeth righteously. Then,
having left US a perfect example and
having no sin of His own. for He was
without guile, he took the sinners
place and suffered In our stead, His
AVN aalP too rJpy onr alma In ufo oun