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THE KING’S BUSINESS
the Son of God.” Silence now would deny Himself, the Truth, the Gospel and His ve'ry mission to the world. Hence He replied, “Thou hast said," which in their idiom meant “I am .” Once, in the beginning and again at the end, then to a Samaritan wo man (John 4:26), now to a Sadducean priest, Jesus confessed Himself the Christ that should come. This time He added, “the Son of God," the Christ who shall come to judge them who now judged Him; to charge them with blasphemy as they charged Him. This confession is vital, to all His martyrs in all ages: He is C hrist —G od — the C oming O ne . (6) The verdict (66) “Guilty.” (7) The sentence — “Death." Friend, if Jesus was not, is not, Christ and God “the crime of the ages” was justi fied ! one another. It is a tender salutation for it touchingly reminds us of his fraternal self- sacrifice to quicken a responsive sympathy in all who claim relationship with him. 2. The Exhortation. We read (R. V. ) “Even if a man.” Even brother believers are liable to sin; no one is immune and im- .maculate in this world; but “man" is broad enough to take in any man.. “Be overtaken." A charitable construction is to be put on the case the man is overtaken; temptation pur sued him; he strove to escape it; he stum bled; he fell; it surprised and overtook him. "In a fault." Not alone in misfortune but even in misconduct we should bear a man’s burdens. “Ye which are'spiritual" (1 Cor. 3:1). A spiritual man is one who knows himself to be saved by grace (3:2) ; who “walks in the Spirit” (5 :16) ; who “prays in the Spirit” ; who has “the love of the Spirit” (Jude 20, 21). No other man is likely to undertake the business; or if he does he will blunder, fail, and probably make mat ters worse. "Restore such an one.” . Not merely try it but do it, for neither the wan derer nor the seeker should despair, restor-
which they were now about to destroy and He, on the third day, to raise again. (4) The Silence of Jesus (62, 63). Why did He not explain, and defend Himself? Most commentators answer, “Because it would do no good.” Certainly it would not have changed the result, His death was a foregone conclusion. But we do not think that was His reason. The silence of Jesus was (1) “The silence of God” who does not explain or defend His acts to cavilling men; and (2) His end was not to deliver Himself but to deliver up Himself. Why did He not plead His case? For the same reason that He bade Peter sheath his sword; and did not sound the charge for the angelic le gions. (5) Christ put under oath (63, 64). “Tell us whether thou he the Christ (Messiah), I. I ntroductory . 1. Galatia. G. lay in the centet of our Asia Minor. Angora, 250 m. e. s. e. of Con stantinople, is its chief city, once Ancyra. Its beautiful (Angora) wool reminds of that fleece of God’s dear Lamb which the G. epistle offers as sufficient substitute for our “filthy rags” (Isa. 64: 6; Gal. 2:20). Paul evangelized G., perhaps in his first, cer tainly in his second missionary journey (Acts 16:6). 2. Galatians. Our epistle written about twenty-five years after the crucifixion has for" its key note Liberty, and proclaims1 our emancipation from the Law and ordinances (3:13) into the birthright, adoption and heirship of sonship (4:4, 5, 22, 31), and ex horts us to hold fast our liberty (5:1), a liberty as our lesson urges to voluntarily
LESSON VI.—November 8.— S owing and R eaping . —Gal. 6:1-10. G olden T ext .- — Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. —Gal. 6:7.
•serve one another. II. H elpfulness .
1. The Salutation. This is apt and sug gestive,— “Brethren.” “Brother Saul,” or Paul (Acts 9:17; 13:9), who brothered all men (Rom 14:15), calls on us to brother
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