Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-06-20
@eadinq fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED By
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
loriginal ]
LUKE XIV.

loriginal
LUKE XIV.
In this chapter We have three parallels.
The first, we may, with propriety, call the
parable of the lost sheep; the second may be
entitled the parable of the piece Of money,
and the third is universally designated as the
parable of the prodigal son. The Saviour
had the same object in view in all three.
That which prompted, as we would say, the
utterance of these t,ya5les, was the foolish
and wicked words ken by the murmuring
Pharisees and Scrii ss. The following are the
words "This man receiveth sinners and eat
eth with them" The main design of the
three parallels contained in this chapter, is to
vindicate the propriety of the Saviour in IRE
ceiving sinners"
Jesus Christ came into the world to receive
sinners. For this purpose he was born, for
this purpose he lived, God manifest in the
flesh, and for this purpose he died. In the
first parable, Christ's care for sinners is illus
trated by the care ofa shepherd for his flock /;
in the second parable, it is illustrated by the
interest which woman takes in the earnings
of her toll and in the third, by the love of
father for wild and rowing son.
There is, no doubt, force in the words
chosen by our Saviour to illustrate bis position
and defend his conduct. The words, "lost
sheep" "pece of money! and "riotously liv-
ing son." all denote the condition of the sim
ner whom Jesus receives. Every sinner is
lost sheep-a wandering sheep. He is as
helpless as a sheep, as liable to be decoyed
into danger as a sheep, and az destitute Of
ability to ward off danger and protect him
self, as sheep. The devoutly pious Psslmist
says, concerning himself: II have gone astray
like lost sheep. The prophet Isaiah says:
call we, like sheep, have gone astray." All
Adams race are lost sheep.
No doubt, our Saviour designs, by piece
of money used in the second parable, to show
US our spiritual stupidity and absolute inabil-
ity to rescue ourselves from our lost condition.
A lost piece of money must remain forever
lost. Some one must 6nd it and remove it,
or in the place in which it was lost, it must
forever remain. The whole scope of the
Scriptures teach us most plainly that no sin.
ner can save himself. Every one of the hu-
man family is dead in trespasses and sins.
In the third parable in this chapter, the
perversity of the human heart is strongly
presented. We are prodigal sons. We are
unable and unwilling to do anything good,
but able and most willing to do anything and
everything that is sinful in the sight of God
In our natural state we take special delight
in departing from God. We delight in SIM
We love to sin against God. We begin our
prodigal career at an early period. We 60
astray from the womb, and we continue to
play the prodigal until, by Gods providence
and grace, we are brought to a knowledge of
ourselves. Our extremity is the time of Gods
opportunity. The poor prodigal in the para
BILE, never thought of returning to his fathers
house, until he was reduced to the greatest
strait by his riotous living.
In each of the parallels, the love of Christ
for sinners is strongly and tenderly set forth,
The shepherds anxiety for his lost sheep, the
woman's diigent search for her lost piece of
money, and the tender solicitude of an af1ec
tionate father for his wayward son, all, singly
and combined, are chosen to exhibit the love
of Jesus Christ for sinners.
By the ninety sheep left by the shep
herd in the wilderness, by the nine pieces of
silver which the woman did not lose, and by
the brother of the prodigal, we are to under
stand the selfrighteous Pbarisees and Scribes.
These are "the just persons which need no
repentance" In the sight of God they are
sinners-selfrighteous sinners-but in their
own eyes they are better than all the rest of
Adams race. They feel not their need of
Saviour They will not come to Jesus, and
violently oppose sinners being received by
him who came to save sinners In these three
parallels the strength of the love of Jesus for
sinners is exhibited. The shepherd directs his
whole mind to bis lost Sheep the woman to
her lost piece of silver, and the father to bis
proaigate son. Every phase Of Cbrist's love
of sinners is presented in these parallels. As
the shepherd diligently sought for his lost
sheep, and the woman for her lost piece of
silver, 80 Jesus Christ diligently seeks the lost
sinner. Christs love is an active love. 1t is
also, selfsacri6cing love. The shepherd
left all and went in search of his lost sheep.
The son of God left Heaven, took upon him
self human nature, suffered and died, that be
might save sinners Christ's love is tender
love. AS father loves and pities his chill
dren, so Christ loves and pities poor, lost sin.
ners
There is one feature of the love Of Christ
which we must not omit to mention. AS it
is the appropriate business of the shepherd to
love and cherish his sheep, and of a father to
love his own children, so it is the appropriate
work of Jesus to love sinners. This is his
meat and drink. For this he came into the
world. How foolish it was for the Pharisees
and Scribes to say, "this man receiveth sim
ners." This is the appropriate work of Jesus.
As father receiveth, with open arms, his re-
turning prodigal son, so Jesus receiVeth the
humble ainner His sins NAV have heen as
scarlet and as red as crimson. This makes no
difference. Jesus is willing to receive him.
There is joy in Heaven over one repenting
sinner.
QUARREL1Ne CHRIsTIANs.-No man will
promptly develop as Chratian who lives in
state of quarrel. In enmity against God,