Middletown transcript., 1918-08-31
IMPROVED UNlPOHM INTERNATIONAL
SUNl6YSQl00L
LESSON
(By Rev. p. B. FITZWATER, D. D.
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago.)
Copyright. 1918. by Western Newspaper union.l
lErSS()[Y
LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER
SOME LAWS OF THE KINGDOM or
GOD,

LESSON TEXTS-Lul1e 6:30-SS: M:1-4.
GOLDEN TEXT-Remember the words
of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 1t Is more
blessed to give than to receive.-Acts 90
s.
DEVOTIONAL READ1NG-11 CORN.
thians 9:6-15.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
TEACHERs-Luke 1879; Romans 1913: Il
"a; Chronicles 29:1-5.
The principles of ethics which shall
prevail in the earth when Jesus Christ
shall be king are entirely different
from those of the world. The worldly
spirit always inquiries as to what gain
will accrue from an action or service
Its policy is doing good for the sake
of getting good. Those who have been
made partakers of the divine nature,
who are really subjects of the king
dom, do good because they have the
nature and spirit of God, not because
they expect something in return.
I. Give to Every Man That Asketh
Of Thee ". 3O).
This does not mean that any request
that may be made by the idle, greedy
and selfish should be granted. Only
evil would result from such indiscrimi-
nate and unregulated giving. Such
benevolence would foster idleness and
selfishness. Oftentimes the worst
thing you can do for man Is to give
him money. The drunkard will only
spend it for more drink; the gambler
will continue his dissipation. The
meaning then is, give to the one ask
ing the thing which he needs. The
man in poverty needs to be given way
to earn his living, rather than to be
given money without the necessity of
labor. There is that in the human
heart which refuses charity, and
cries out for a means to honestly gain
livelihood.
II. OF Him That Taketh Away Thy
Goods, Ask Them Not Again ". 3O).
"Ask" here means demand. 1t doubt
less forbids the forcible demanding Of
the return of that which has been
taken from one.
III. Do to Other Men as You Would
That They Should Do Unto You wv.
31-34).
This ethic puts life's activities on
the highest possible ground. He does
not say, refrain from doing that which
you would not like to be done to you,
as even Confucius taught; but to pos
itively make the rule of your life the
doing to others as you would wish
them to do unto you. Loving those
who love us, doing good to those who
| do good to US, and lending to those
from whom we hope to receive, Is just
what all the sinners of the world are
doing. The child Of the kingdom OF
Christ is to be different.
w. Love Your Enemies ". 35).
That which is natural to the human
heart is to hate the enemy. To love
In the real sense means to sincerely
desire the good of even ones enemy
and willingness to do anything pos
sible to bring that good. Such action
is only possible to those who have
been born again. Christ loved those
who hated him. He was willing even
to die for his enemies.
v. Lend, Hoping for Nothing Again
". 35).
This is what the Heavenly Father is
constantly doing. He is kind and gra
cious unto the unthankful and the
wicked. He sends his rain and sun
shine upon the unjust and sinners. HI
makes fruitful the toll of those wht
blaspheme his name. He thus does be
cause it is his nature to SO do.
VI. Be Merciful ". 36).
The example for the imitation Of thu
disciple is the Heavenly Father.
VII. Judge Not ". 37).
To Judge does not mean the placing
Of lust estimates upon mems actions
and lives, for, "By their fruits We shall
know them" The tree is judged b!
the fruit it bears. The thorn tree doe
not bear figs, nor the apple tree bea
grapes. Our only way of discerning
the character Of men and women Il
their actions. That which is con
demned is censorious Judgment
impugning Of motives.
Viii. Condemn Not tv. 81.
This means that we should not pas
sentence upon men for their acts, TO
to their own master they stand or fal
from. 14:4). The real reason VIII.
such action is not warranted is tina
the bias of our hearts and the limita
tion of our judgments render it i'm
possible to righteously and intelll
gently pass judgment.
TX. Forgive ". 37)
Those who forgive shall be forgiven
The one who has realized the forgtv
ing mercy of God will be gracious an
forgiving toward others.
xI. LiberaIity Determined by VIVA
ls Left duke 81 la.
The rich cast into the treasury much
INT It was from their abundance. Tn
moor widow cast in all that she had
there was nothing left. God estimate
a gift by what one has left, not b
the size of the gift. To give the vic
owls mite is to give all. For the mi
lionaire to give the widows mite wOul
mean for him to give his millions.
Genius and Taste.
To say nothing of its holiness o
authority the Bible contains NOR
specimens of genius and taste tina
any other volume in existence.-Lar
| Ar~