Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-04-13
WE ARE TO WATCH.
LESSON III, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATIONAL SERIES, APRIL is.

Text of the Lesson, Matt. xiv, 42-51.
Golden Text, Mark Kill, 3s-Memorize
Verses az, as, 44-Comment by Rev. II.
S. Hoffman.
[From Lesson Helper Quarterly by permission Of
II. S. Hoffman, Philadelphia, pubsher.1
Notes.-V. AZ. Watch, because of the I'M
expectedness and suddenness of His coming.
| V. 49, House broken, dug through, for houses
| in the east were built of sllnburned clay, which
was often dug through V. A. Ready, not
only watchfulness, but prepared for His COM
ing. V. A. Faithful and wise watching and
ready. V. 46. Blessed, used by Christ, al
ways denotes something exceptional and
rare. V. AZ. great reward for rare man.
| V. 4S. Evil, because nfaithful-unfaith-
fulness springs from unbelief V. 40.
Unbelief leads to cruelty, riotng and
wickedness. V. 81. Asunder, cut off from
| Gods people and Gods presence. Weeping
and crashing of teeth, excluded forever from
hope weeping" because of the opportunities
lost eternally, "gnashing his teeth as he re-
members the folly of his course; his eternity
is made up of regrets and self censure. This
the fire that is never quenched.
| Jesus had left the temple never to return
to it again. He had predicted its destruc-
ton. In company with his disciples, he
journeys toward Bethany. On the way over
the hill he tells them many things about the
| destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the age
and of his coming again The Greek word
| for watch is closely allied with the word
wake. The master enjoins not a curious
looking for his coming, but vigilance and
diligence that overlooks no duty and INDUCES
| in no Incidence.
We, too, must watch against temptations,
evil influences, unfaithfulness and all the
wiles of the devil.
We must watch for his coming with hope
and joy. And hasten it by watching for the
signs of his spiritual presence, ard for OPEN
ings and opportunities to serve him The
obscurity and uncertainty as to the time of
his coming is the reason why we should
watch. The event itself is as certain as
death, but the time of the event is most I'M
certain. The destruction of Jerusalem was q
type of Christ's second coming, which will
take place in due time
V. 43. The duty of watchfulness is illus
trated by one watching against robbers.
Not knowing when they may come, the pru-
dent householder must keep a constant watch.
Otherwise there is no safety. If he knew the
day and hour when the burglar would come,
constant watchfulness would not be neces-
sity
V. A. Included in this state of watchful-
ness is the idea of preparation. Only those
not ready find his coming uncomfortable.
Not only must we profess but our lives must
be in accordance with our profession. Readi-
ness to meet Christ, at a moments warning
or without any warning at all, is the duty of
every Christian
V. 45-41. Here the duty of watchfulness
is illustrated by a faithful servant or
steward. Faithfulness and ability made this
servant a ruler over others, a position he did
not abuse, for he wi-ely dispensed food to
those under him. The ministers of Christ
owe their office purely to the fact that they
give the bread of life to souls, and they are
honored for the works sake.
Note the reward which Christ gives 1t is
both outward and inward. Larger rulership,
wider spheres, greater opportunities are
given, together with greater capacity and
richer experience.
V. IS. AS true watching is connected with
faith, SO not watching is connected with I'm
belief. The wicked servant says or thinks
sin his heart" what he is afraid or ashamed
to speak openly. The worst skepticism is that
which turks in the heart. Unbelief is the
primal cause of all evil thinking and acting.
V. AZ. Unbelief leads the evil servant not
only to neglect the household in not giving
nourishment to its inmates. but to maltreat-
ing his fellow servants who were faithful to
their absent Lord They were abused be-
cause they were faithful
One sin leads to another, and the lesser 20
the greater Next he resorts to worldliness
and immortality. Tyranny over others
usually goes hand in hand with laxity toward
ourselves and ends in self indulgence.
V. 50. Christ still 'Iord" of the sinful
servant at last comes. Thoughts that he
would not come, did not avail to hinder his
coming. The unexpectedness of his coming
is again made prominent.
V. 81. The loving and tender Saviour here
Uses words suggestive of the most terrible
punishment of the wicked. 'Shall be cut
asunder," means that the body shall be cut
into two parts as by saw or orther instru-
ment of torture. Christ used the strongest
words in vogue when speaking of the punish
ment of the wicked. He drew his metaphors
from the most terrible modes of punishment
The wicked servant is a 'hypocriten because
he under the guse of fidelity expected at last
to present himself to his lord, and because
under the semblance of official zeal he tor
mented his fellow servants His place was
appointed with "hypocrites," Luke has it
''with unbeievers," for unbelief is at the
bottom of all hypocrisy. He must go with
hypocrites because he is one. Each person
at last must go to his own place of rewards
and to his own company.
The last clause of the verse denotes the bit
terest agony of the mind and soul "Weep-
ing" because of opportunities forever lost;
'gnashing of teeth" because he remembers
the folly of his course. Eternity is spent in
unavailing regrets and in tine sullen rage of
Decentralization.