News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-31

INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
FEBRUARY 3.

Lesson Text s'The Parable of the
Sewer" Mark iv., 1920
Golden Text: Mark iv.,
23-Commcntary.
Jesus had at this time been well through
the land and His fame had spread abroad
everywhere. He had been in all the cities
and villages teaching in their synagogues,
and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom,
and healing every sickness and every disease
Matt. tx, 35J; He had ordained the twelve
and sent them forth to heal the sick and
preach that the kingdom of Heaven was at
| hand Matt K, Isl; He had proclaimed by
words and deeds that He was the anointed
One of God foretold by the prophets, lsraeis
Mess ali, the Servant of Jehovah, JehoVan
Himself; but they would not receive him,
His own townsmen of Nazareth seek His life
and the Pharisees held a council against
Him. how they might destroy Him luke ~,
%: Matt xii, IA. They accuse him OF being
in league with the devil. and of working by
his power. He replies to them that they are
an evil and adulterous generation, that they
will yet put Him to death, and that their
condition will be worse than it has ever
been; that Tyre and Sidon, Sodom,
Nneveh, and the Queen of Sheba viii all
witness against them in the Judgment Matt.
x. and XIII Turning away from them IN
grief He testifies that if any one win do the
will of God the same shall he to Him brother
and sister and mother. The kingdom being
thus virtually rejected, it is ne longer
preached as lat hand.n He patiently bears
with them, continues to present Himself to
them, and manifests His credentials, but lis
teaching is now in parallels, and ere lie Is
put to death He tells them that the kingdom
Shall not come till He returns from the far
country luke xix, 1l-l2, etcl.
10. And when He was alone, they that
were about Him with the twelve asked OF
Him the parable Sitting in boat on the
Sea of Ga lice, He had been teaching the
multtudes in parallels as they stood on the
shore. He had spoken the parallels of the
soVer, the wheat and tares. the mustard seed
and the leaven, an then sending the multi
tude away He went into the house MATE
| xiii, 1867 and nov, being alone with His
scip!es, they ask Him the meaning of this
par able.
II. Unto you 1t is given to know the mys-
terry Of the kingdom of God" Now. the
kingdom as revealed to David and the
prophets no mystery, but fact plainly
stated over and over again, that son OF
| David should sit on David's throne, the
| Throne of the Lord at Jerusalem, reigning
in Righteousness over the twelve tribes OF
| Israel, the whole nation knowing the Lord
and rejoicing in Messiah, their King, and all
nations of the earth looking to them, blessed
through them and sending or going up from
| year to year to worship the Lord of Hosts at
| Jerusalem: these and many similar state
mentS were not mysteries, but simple truths
plainly stated. Neither was 1t a mystery,
| hut the plain statement of Gabriel to Mary
| that her son was the promised son OF David
to sit on David's throne and reign over the
| house of Jacob forever luke j. 1888. But
| that the Messiah should come and the king
| dom not COM: that He should die and rise
again and return to heaven without restor-
| ing all things of which the prophets had
| spoken; that He should have to come sec
| ond time for this restoration; that Gentiles
should for time be put on a level with Jews,
| and people gathered out of all nations for
| His name; what would be the condition OF
| things on earth during this gathering out
| process between His going away and return;
these were things kept secret from the foun-
| dation of the world Matt xiii, Sol; these are
some of the mysteries of the kingdom CON
| tanned in these parallels, and referred to so
often in the epistles. tEph. j., 9-10 ILL, 4-6;
v. 80; Rom. XII, p; ii. Thess H., rs; Rev.
xvii, s: <. z; /. Cor. XIV, 81, etc. 49,
II. unto them that are without, all these
things are done in parallels that seeing they
may see and not perceive;--" If they per-
sist in remaining without, Notwithstanding
all the gracious invitations 10 enter in, they
can blame no one but themselves for their
blindness, and ignorance and hardness of
heart,
Is. known We not this parable! How then
will We know all parabes! He seems to
wonder at their dizziness i'll not readily see
ing the meaning of this first and, perhaps,
were upon the kingdom, they did not expect
that He would be- taken from them by death,
they did not understand about the re ections
OF their Leader by the nation, and the con-
sequent patient sowing of the seed by His
followers, with its apparently touraglng
results; but they would remember 1T all in
after days, as they saw much precious Sc ed
seemingly lost, soma giving encouraging
results for while and then disappointing, and
hut portion bringing forth fruit to perfec-
ton.
II. "The sowcr Soweth the Word" and
1.-The Seed is the " ord of Cod" Luke viii,
H. 1t is inCorruptable seed which causes
the one who receives 1t into his heart to be
born again. H. Peter j., 23.l 1t is the seed
which, abiding in the believer keeps him
from SHINING against God Il. John ill, 9;
rs. cx'x., Ill 1t is mamma from heaven to
be gathered every morning and eaten often
every day. John vii 1t is milk for babes
and strong meat for those of full age. Heb.
V, 12-l4l 1t is as a fire and q hammer.
tJer. xiii, ~; it is the sword of the Spirit
(Fph. vi, III 1t is the 10Y and re oicing of
the believers heart, saeeter than honey,
better than thousands of gold or silver. der.
XIV, Is; rs. cxix., 72-103) In this lessen we
have to DO with it chiefly in reference to its
reception in the human heart and its after
treatment
Is. And these are they by the wayside,
where the word is sown." We find that the
seed falls on four different kinds of ground, !
in each case with a different result. The |
ground
and it must he the heart of one who has heard |
the word of God so that We nil hit be safe in |
saying that the parable refers only to church |
goers or those who at some time, in some |
wav, hear the glad t.dings of the love of God |
in Christ Jesus In these wayside hearers |
the ground or the heart being hard the |
seed only lies on the surface; and this is not |
the intention of the sower. for it is only the |
en- trance of the Word that giveth light. |
(Ps. cxix, 1897 There is no salvation in this |
f1Y-T 10 SC Vxr,--t hat
the devil take! h away the Word ! st they I
should believe and be saved; SO whatever |
may be the meaning OF the statement that |
the W ord was sown in their hearts, AMI that |
the devil taketh the Word out of their hearts, |
it is clear that they did not so receive the |
Word as to be saved by it.
10. These are they likewise which are |
sown on stony ground. Here is joyful |
hearing and receiving of the Word; not only |
churchgoer3 but attentive and appreclatlve |
listeners, who can tell a good sermon when |
they hear it, and enjoy the truth to certain |
extent.
II. Have no root endure but for |
a time The work is not thorough, but too |
much on the sur ace; there is no depth to |
Them; they too emotional. They ma a |
fine squirt for a while and seem to go ahead |
of many; are often received into the church |
with great rejoicin2s and pointed out as
wonderful trophies of the Grace of God. They |
themselves wonder at the more quiet de-
meanor of others, and are astonishei that !
the whole church is not Jealous they are;
they would put real life into all the services |
and lift all Christians up to their proper |
plane 1t is really inspiring to hear them;
would to God that they might continue
When atfilction or persecution ariseth for |
the worlds sake, Immediately they are Of
Tended" They had not been tiled, and now,
when tried, they can't stand it, for in time |
of temptation or trial they fall away, They |
thought it would be all sunshine, but it has |
proved different; they could not stand fire; |
their eyes were not on the Master. But are |
for none of His sheep can perish, and no one |
can uck them either out of His Fathers |
hand or his own John x, 1929.
1919. "Sown among thorns y the |
cares of this world the deceitfulness of |
riches and the lusts of other things choke the |
word, and it becometh unfruitful." Luke |
says they bring no fruit to perfection These |
also seem to be members of the visible |
church and to have made a profession of |
faith in Christ, for fruit is expected from
them. but it Is not found. These perhaps |
have not manifested the Joy of the former |
ones, there has not been the sudden growth. |
little more depth is here, and the wise ones |
say that these will probably hold out and |
prove more fruitful But they are not so |
regular in attendance upon the services as
they might be-; SO many business cares, SO |
many home cares crowd upon them that |
really you know they can't get to the week |
night prayer meeting; they have to work so |
late Saturday night that it is very difficult |
TO get to church i'll time on Sunday morning. |
if they get there at all; they can't give to the |
Lords work very freely, for times are hard
and they are trying very hard to get little |
ahead so as t. enlarge their business. Then |
as to that evening at the theatre and the |
other evening at the eCchre party, for which |