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The Sunday Schosi
THE OLD LAW AND THE NEW LIFE.
May 19, 1912. Matt 5:17-26.
Golden Text: 4,He that loveth another
hath fulfilled the law."?Rom. 13:8.
i
HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS.
M.?Matt. 5:17-26.
T.?Jer. 31:31-37.
W ,T7V?1C.OO 01
Th.?Acts 2:37.47.
F.?'Ps. 119:1-8.
S.?1 John 3:10-24.
S.?1 John 4:7-21.
SHORTER CHATECHISM.
Q. 106. What do we pray for In the
fifth petition7 i
A. In the fifth petition, which 1s,
"And forgive us our debts as we forgive i
our debtors," we pray that God, for
Christ's sake, would freely pardon all
-ur sins; which we are the rather encouraged
to ask, because by his grace
we are enabled from the heart to for- i
-ive others.
LESSON COMMENTS. <
Time and Place: The summer of A.
D. 28. and the mountain top near the
qa. rum-- - m
Ui uraiuce, uiaue iamOUB Dy rne
Sermon on the 'Mount.
The Source: Matthew's Gospel, which ^
emphasizes those aspects of Christ's
life and those words of his discourse
which showed his relations to the old
regime.
The Permanency of Law: "Think not
that I am come to destroy the law and
the prophets." The moral law Is hut [
the expression of God's character and
man's relation to God. It therefore
knows no more change than God himself.
' 'I 1
Fundamentals: The inner principle,
spontaneous obedience, recognition of
the spirit of the law, a forgiving disposition.
desire for peace, readiness for j
reconciliation, outward morality as the .
expression or inward purity. These are
the fundamentals which the Lord teach-?
here.
Legalism Is Not Religion: So Christ '
teaches. "Except your righteousness
shall exceed the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees, ye shall In no ]
case enter Into the kingdom of heaven."
At the same time legalism Is not applied
law. It Is merely travesty upon
> w.
The Old Law and the New Life: The
old law was simply given the fullest j
expression In the Nerw Testament, In Its
clear enunciation, In the complete fulfilment
of the reoulrernents. In the per- |
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.wwii ui Luc uucuiciictj to it oi toe Bin- ^
ner's substitute, the Tx>rd Jesus Christ.
The Same Gospel: The Gospel of the
Qon of God ran through both Testaments.
It was his faith that was accounted
to Abraham for righteousness.
The old patriarch "saw Christ's day and
was glad." Ahel, "Enoch, Noah, Moses,
David, and all the boat of Old Testament
saints were saved only by faith,
?nd the object of that faith was Christ.
The Old Testament Goal: It was the *
?ame as that of the New. Righteous- 1
cess. godltfceness, was that towards 1
which It looked at all tlmea. The Nerw <
rsiaiueui c*wjbu? in mm oniy in tne J
greater clearness with which It made <
the aroal stanl on*, and the ex.
nanded hope which It sets before, and
the power offered In Christ, to reach <
It. <
The Life la In the Spfr'ft: The soul of i
the law Is not In Its leitter but In Its 1
spirit. The Pharisees dishonored the
law by narrowing It to the most Hteral
Interpretation. Christ honored It by 1
showing, thht In Its scope It embraced <
thought, motives, Impulses, principles, <
more than mere overt acts. i
i
THE PRESBYTERI
Equal Authority: "The law" and "the
propheta" are put by our Lord upon an
equal footing. Both parts of the Old
Testament pointed to him, and he came
to fulfill the one no less than the other.
That the prophets were evangelical,
pointing always to Christ, no one will
doubt. Christ's words show that the
law was equally to be fulfilled by hlmBelf.
Forgiveness or Reconciliation First;
Then Sacrifice: ''If thou bring thy gifts
to the altar, and there remember that
thy brother hath aught agalnBt thee.
leave there thy gift before the altar, and
go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and ofTer thy
gift." Unhappily, there are ndt enough
gifts lying before the altar waiting on
the worshippers' attention to the other
matter.
If Thy Brother Have Aught: The first
advance may come from the Innocent
party. The offender Is not often In the
mood, though he ought to be, to start the
reconciliation. It Is no surrender of
proper pride or self-respect for anyone
to take the first step, whether offender
or offended. Neither one will think less
of the other for making the start.
Really there should be a race as to
which shall be first, for the one starting
an efTort at reconciliation actually secures
the advantage In the case. How
many reconciliations are not made, and
low many animosities are continued and
Increased, simply because a false pride
and foolish sense of injured dignity
tiolds one side or the other back!
Explanatory: "Think not:" sticklers
for certain teachings of the Pharisees
had accused cur lord of *rying to se?
aside the Old Testament. "The Law:"
the five books of Moses. "The prophets:"
In this case the reBt of the Old
Testament writings. "To fulfil:" In
his teachings, as in his obedience, in his
atoning sacrifice. "Verily:" truly, an
expression of special emphasis, sometimes
doubled. " Till heaven and earth
pass:" to the end of the world. "Jot:"
the letter "yodh," the smallest in the
Hefbrew alphabet, corresponding to our
"i." 'Tittle:" a little "horn" or stroke
on the top of many letters, corresponding
to our crossing of a "t," or dotting
of an "I," the smallest part of even the
smallest letter. "Latest:" no command,
ment is unimportant enough to he ignored,
but there are degrees of importance
in them as related to each other.
"Great in the kingdom of heaven:"
obedience is a royal road, and God will
reward such a spirit. "Righteousness
of the scribes and Pharisees:" an outward
righteousness, a great show of
piety, an exaggerated punctiliousness.
"Of old time:" the time of the giving
of the law In writing on Slnal. "Raca:"
an approbrlous name, meaning
Iblock-head," "simpleton." "Thou
tool:" rebel, worthless, good for nothing,
"moreh," a still more approbrlous term.
"Thine adversary:" called "thy brother"
In the preceding verse; the one with
whom you have a disagreement. "Quickly:"
not only so as to anticipate any
process of law, but so as to bring about
kind feeling as soon as possible.
If a man In the struggle of life sees
3od and Christ and duty all around him,
that thought will be a balm for his
head, lit will keep his brain and mind
clear, quiet, prudent to perceive and
know what things he ought to do.?
Charles Klngaley.
Let us only be patient; and let God
our Father teach his own lesson In his
own way. Let us try to learn It well
and learn it quickly; but do not let us
t>e rash in our decision.
If you will give some earnest thought
to trying to understand the troubles of
others, you will have less reason to
complain that others do not underhand
yours. # .
AN OF THE SOUTH
Ywg People's Societies
PLEASING CHRIST.
Topic for Sandsj, May 19: Why and
How to Please Christ. 2 Timothy 2:
1-18.
DAILY READINGS.
Monday: Because Christ Is Lord.
Kphesiana 4:1-6.
Tuesday: Because Christ is model.
Romans 8:28-30.
Wednesday: By deeds of mercy. Matthew
25:40.
Thursday: By pleasing God. 1 John
3:18-24.
Friday: By fruit-bearing. John 15:
1-8.
Saturday: By loyal service. Romans
16:1-3.
Why please Christ? Because he died
for us and rose again. Because he loved
us and gave himself for us. Because he
loves us with an everlasting love.
Why please Christ? Because It Is
his right. We are not our own. We
are bought with a price. He hath purchased
us with his own bloodd. We belong
to him.
Why please Christ? Because he Is our
king. We are his subjects. He rules
over and defends us. He conquers and
restrains all our enemies. His Is the
kingdom.
Why please Christ? Because he Is
our Brother, loving, sympathetic, kind,
taking on himself eur burdens and carrying
our sorrows, a refuge and
strength, a very present help In trouble.
Why please Christ? Because we love
him. We love him because he first loved
us. "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
"If a man love me, he will
keep my words." Do we love him?
inai snouia settle tne matter.
Why please Christ? That we may get
ready, by having his will, to reign with
him. We are to be heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ. We are to be
glorified with him. Preparation for
this should begin as quickly as possible.
If we do not please him, how can we
reign with him?
How please Christ? First of all by
trusting him. He likes to be trusted.
All of us lEke to be trusted. It makes
us feel very kindly towards those who
trust.
How please Christ? By repenting of
sin. He hates sin. We cannot please
him If we like or if we harbor what he
dislikes. There can be no bond of
sympathy under such conditions.
How please Christ? By making that
repentance not a sorrow for the results
of sin, as a child grieves because it
knows it will be punished, but a sorrow
"ir sin because of the nature, because it
is wrong, regardless of the matter of
its punishment.
How please Christ? By obeying him.
He has told us what he would like for
ub to do. Tie has expressed his will
clearly, in his word. "If ye keep my
commandiments, ye shall abide in my
love." "And my Father will love him,
and we will come unto hhn, and make
our abode with him.
How please ChrlBt? By becoming like
him. The most practical and thoroughly
genuine compliment you can pay to anyone
is to make him your pattern. "I
have given you an example, that
Vfi should do as I hnvo dnnn (n vmi "
"Christ also suffered for ub, leaving us
an example, that ye should follow his
steps."
How please Christ? By studying his
Word; 'by applying that word to our
consciences and hearts; 'by faithfulness
In prayer; by activity In service, helping
the needy, relieving the burden, wiping
away tears, scattering sunshine about
us; by telling; others the way of life and
spreading the kingdom of God with our
means, our time, our devotion.
[ May 8, 1912
The Prayer Meeting
BLESSING AND BEING BLESSED.
Gen. 12:1-2. Week of May 12.
There is a universal law in the spiritual
kingdom that is implied in this
text. Abraham was to bless others because
he was to receive a blessing.
There may he variations in the applies,
tion of this law, thus: One can bless
others only after one has received a
blessing; one wishes to bless others
after having received a blessing; it is a
solemn duty to bless others after one
as received a blessing.
But there is another spiritual law
closely related to this, namely: in one's
blessing others one receives a blessing
in the very act of bestowing. "Remember
the words of the Lord Jesus how he
said, "It 1b more blessed to give than
to receive." There are three blessings
in one; a blessing in the gift, in the
giving and in the receiving.
It is a grossly carnal spirit that is
willing to receive all and give nothing;
-uch Is the typically selfish man, one
vhom no one can admire or will be Inhned
to bleBS except as be is regarded
- a misshapen and deplorable specimen
of humanity to whom one'B sense of
duty and commlsseratlon prompts him
to minister. The world progresses and
life is made happy through the ministrations
of men and women who having
opened their hearts to receive God's
gifts are n turn openng their bands to
bestow gifts upon other needy llvee.
It is very Interesting to observe how
very like the blessings which we receive
May be the 'blessings which we bestow,
'f God prospers us with earthly store,
we are thus prepared to prosper others.
If our homes are made cheerful by
tokens of God's goodness we are In
raining for cheering others; if he gives
us his peace we are prepared to ex sa
his peace In our conduct and thus
communicate it to others; if he gives us
rong assurance, our assured testimony
will be suited to carry conviction to
others; if he forgives us we are in a
frame of mind to forgive others and by
our act commend a forgiving spirit.
In a very essential respect blessings
are bestowed upon us that we may communicate
them. It is God's way of
blessing mankind. He doesn't bless
them by mlracleB. Nor do his blessings
come to them ordinarily In solitude.
"No man liveth unto himself." Just as
the hunger of the starving Is relieved
by our giving of our bread, and not by
manna from heaven, so the hunger of
gaunt, suffering souls is relieved by
our ministering the grace which we
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that cometh down from heaven. The
arrows of the distressed need to be relieved.
How can It he done better than
by testifying to a Saviour's love and
sympathy of which we know because we
have received them In our own lives?
Or, suppose we find sin weighing
heavily upon some poor soul. "Will not
our testimony that "If we confess our
sins he Is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,"
and that we have "peace
with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ," be the very thing that is best
suited to lift the burden, drive away
the cloud and furnish a new oul'ook.
We cannot olTer the pardon which has
been granted us, but we can offer the
Saviour who has granted us pardon.
Let u8 ever remember that we owe It
to God who has blessed us to ble9s
others also. He is "the Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort, who
comforteth us In all our tribulation that
we may be able to comfort them which
tfre In any trouble by the comfort
wherewith we ourselves are comforted
of God."
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