The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1917-04-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
lesson II.-Second Quarter, For
April 8, 1917.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, John xi, 7-A.
Memory Verses, 25, 26-Golden Text,
John xi, 25-commsntary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. stearns.
The lesson chapter today is out OF
the regular order, just one lesson. be-
cause Of its being suitable for Easter.
This is the home IN Bethany which
seemed to mean more to Jesus than
any other and to which we were in
troduced In Luke K. 3S42, when We
saw Martha serving. but not restfully.
Mary serving also, but finding time to
sit at Jesus feet and hear His Word
and commended by Him. We shall
visit them again two weeks hence
In Matt. XVI, 6, 1t Is called the house
of Simon, the leper. and we feel like
asking some questions, that We may
know the family better. But whom
shall we ask? Until we can see them
and inquire more fully, If 1t shall then
seem best. let US rejoice with them
that Jesus loved each Of the three, as
It is written. Now. Jesus loved Martha
and her sister and IN:arus" (verse 81.
Many Narthas have been made glad
by this verse. am glad because the
Son Of God loved me and gave Him.
self for me and that He loves with
everlasting love and to the uttermost
(Gal. ii, 20; Jer. XXI, 8; John xiii. /.
r. v. NJ. Why He permits sickness
and suffering and death to come to
those whom He loves Is constant
question with many. but there Is com
fort In the assurance that God Is love.
His way is perfect No real evil can
ever come to His own, and the suffer
lngs Of this present time are not
worthy to he compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in ug Il John
", 8: Ps. xviii, 80; xci, 10; Rom. viii.
49,. Why He did not 60 to them as
soon as He received the word, but
abode two days where He was (yerse
9, is another perplexity, but We must
have absolute confidence In Him and
keep A!eing. Just and true are Thy
ways" tRev. xv, 81.
1t would be we'll II the last clause Of
verse held US under all circumstances,
"For the glory of God, that the Son Of
God might be glorified." Glory to God
in the highest is the first thing, and
then peace luke II, 14. When He did
come Martha met Him first and Mary
a little later. but both greeted Him
with the same words, Lord, II Thou
hadst been here my brother had not
died" (verses 81, 32). They sound re-
proachful, but He understood and loved
them Just the same. He spoke to Mar
tha of resurrection, but she thought
that He spoke Of some far Off event
(23-20. The resurrection Of the right
eous should be to believers an ever
present possibility and also the thought
of being caught up without dying, both
of which He here asserts. See also
I Thess. iv, 1918; Cor. Xv, 50-53. Not
something In the far distant future,
but possibility any day. "Yet a very
nttle while. He that cometh shall come
and will not tarry" (Heb. K, 81, r. W.
Nary did not come to Him until Mar
tha returned and said, THE Master Is
come and calleth for thee" Then she
arose quickly and came unto Him
Oversees %, 29). wonder how the
Jews comforted her verse 81. How
would you comfort such a sad heart
God is the Father Of mcrcies and the
God Of all comfort, who comforts US
that we may comfort others, but / re-
member only one place where 1t Is
written, Comfort one another with
these words" QI Cor. 1, 3, 4; Thess.
", 1S). OF too many 1t might be said,
Miserable comforters are ye all" Dob
xvi, p. In due time they came to the
tomb, and Jesus wept and groaned in
himself (rerses 35, 3S).
On this occasion, as He entered Jeru-
salem and In Gethsemane are the three
occa sions on which 1t is recorded that
Jesus wept, but He was ever a man OF
sorrows and acquainted with grief
Qsa. lii, 81. When he said, Take ye
away the stone" Martha objected, as
II It were an impossible case, for he
had been dead four days. His reply is
fol each Of us and for every day. Said
not unto thee that II thou wouldest
believe thou shouldest see the glory OF
God" Verse 4O) The same truth is
in Ps. xvii l3-I believed to see. The
worlds motto Is. Seeing Is believing, "
but the Christian believes In order to
| see. Jesus talked moment with His
| Father and then cried with loud voice,
Lazarus, come forth" Instantly he
was at the mouth Of the tomb, alive
and well. but still bound hand and foot,
with the grayeclothes and his face
bound about with the napkin. The
same word that gave him life brought
him also to the mouth Of the cave.
Some day that same voice will bring
forth all the dead, the righteous at the
beginning Of the thousand years and
the unjust at the close Of that period
Chapter ', %. 29).
1t probably gave fear and trembling
r,l