Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-03-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson M.-First Quarter, For
March 10, 1917.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text OF the Lesson, John VIA. u. 81
81, 5S-5s-Memory Verses. 81, %
Golden Text John vii, 36-commen-
tary Prepared by Rev. o. N. stearns.
The portions of this chapter selected
by the committee bring before us the
forgiveness Of sinner. the evidence
of true discipleship and the deity of
Christ. who was before Abraham But
what about chapter viii Well. In viii.
20, we have a fact also mentioned In
vii. 8, s, Soils time to give Himself
up had net come. and therefore they
could not take him. Contrast xiii, l.;
xviii, /. Jesus knew that His hour was
come: Father the hour Is come. In the
plan of eternity. the plan OF the ages
and In the plan OF your life ard mine
there is an appointed time. and it be-
comes us to accept it cheerfully and
say, MY times are. In thy hand" Ps.
xxi. 15,.
Their desire to kill Him IL seen in
vii. /, 81. and In viii. 40. Their hatred
of Him Is seen In their calling Him q
deceiver and a devil (vii. IL, 20: viii
49,. 1t Is perplexing to read in vii. 5.
that up to this time His brethren did
not believe In Him Some devoted
Christians say. III my life was what 1t
ought to be at home, would not others
In the home receive Him too? Not
necessarily Consider Jesus. See His
great love for all in VII. S7-s9. If any
man thirst let him come unto me and
drink" and compare lisa. ". l: Rev.
xii, II. In chapter He said that We
might be wells Of living water. and
now He says that we may be rivers
by the power Of the Holy Spirit, and
He can make It true In some measure
Of US, that everything shall live width
er the river cometh (Ezek. Xvii. o..
What an honor to carry life and light
In His name. His loneliness is seen In
every man going to his own house.
while He went to the Mount Of Olives
wi, SO: viii. u.
As to the woman and His writing on
the ground. It was a striking object
lesson on Jer. xvii. 49, They that de-
part from me shall be written In the
earth. because they have forsaken the
Lord. the fountain OF living waters"
These self righteous scrfbes and Phar-
isees had no use for Him. the fountain
of living water der. Il. i3): they knew
no mercy for sinners and would have
Him condemn this poor sinner. What
He wrote on the ground we know not.
but be virtually said: Ye hypocrites.
your names have never been written
In heaven duke Z, 20, You know not
God. You shall die in your sins. and
where l am you cannot come oversees
21-24. There were no stones thrown
for there was no one present without
sin but the Lord Himself. and He had
no stones for any penitent sinner: He
had no scathing words for any but
hypocrites His Neither do con
0epn thee Go and sin no more
Verse III reminds us that He came.
not b condemn, bus 70 save chapter
III, ~, He u ready at this moment to
saye any drunkard Or other stnnsr
Hho will turn from ain and come 70
Him wi, 80, And He Is ready and
abe to make them free from the
wrath to come and from the power OF
sin here and now Il Thesa |. 10: Matt
1 "a. He IL the Light that dispeis the
darkness, the Truth that makes free.
the Son who makes free indeed (verses
~, 81, 36). He Il able to save to the
Uttermost and evermore and from al
sin all who truly turn to Him But
He has to say to many: 'Ye viii not
come unto Me-" II would. but ye
would not John '. 40; Matt. XIII, 81
It IL stu thought by some that al
people are children Of God. but our
Lord told these religious hypocrites
that they belonged to their father. the
devfl. who Is the father Of lies and .
murderer. II cost God and His Son q
great deal to make provision whereby
a sinner might become q child Of God
The full benefits Of the great sacrifice
are offered freely to every penitent
sinner. but there IL no other way to
become q child Of God than by receiv-
ing Jesus Christ as ones personal Sa.
viour. putting all our trust In His great
sacrifice for our sins John l. 12l. All
are by nature children Of wrath and
dead In sins lEph. Ii. s. 81, and. con
tinuing in unbelief. the wrath Of God
abideth on them John I'LL 36,. What
an awfully wicked one and hater OF
God and man the devil must be to lead
any one to prefer the wages Of sin
which Ii death. to the gift Of God
which is eternal life. Cain WINS reli
gious. but be rejected Gods way OIL
life and proved himself . child Of tht
devil q John iii. 12,. And all reli
giousness today that does not know
the forgiveness of sins by the precious
blood Of the Lamb OF God u not oi
God. but OF rhe adversary
Mark wen His great saying. before
Abraham was | am" Verse 5S). anC
think OF Elm as the one whose going
forth have been from Of old. from thu
days of eternity (Afic. v. 2. margin,