Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-13
THE RICH MANS FOLLY.
LESSON XII, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATIoNAL SERIES, JUNE is.

! Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per.
mission Of H. s. hoffman, publisher Philadel.
phial
IS. "And one of the company said unto
Him. In the first verse of this chapter we
are told that this company consisted of an
innumerable multitude, such a throng that
they trode one upon another. The following
verses down to this first one Of our lesson
tell us that in the midst of this multitude He
taught His disciples that they should beware
Of the leaven (the hypocrisy of the Pharisees;
that they should not fear the death of the
body, but rather fear the death of soul and
body In hell compare Matt x, 49, that they
should not fear to deny Him before men, but
rather fearlessly confess Him, looking to the
future, and that they should not be anxious
as to what they should say when arrested and
brought before the authorities for His sake
for the Holy Spirit would teach them to say
the right words at the right time. In order
to see why He thus teaches His disciples, let
the whole of the previous chapter after our
last lesson be carefully read, and learn from
1t the attitude Of the religious rulers of the
nation towards Him, and remember that He
knew that as they treated Him so they would
In due time treat His followers.
master, speak to my brother, that he di-
vide the inheritance with men What an UNI
seemly Interruption Jesus had been speak
Ing of Judgment and eternity, of future glory
and future torment xxi, 20, 81, 80; xii, 8, 8, 81;
but here is a man who is more interested in
share of some property in this world than In
any future good or evil. He does not seem
to have needed anything that Jesus had said.
And yet his Is not an uncommon case for I'M
der the most solemn discourses upon eternal
realities there may be found In worshiping
congregations, even today, men and women
so occupied with present things that the
preachers words are of no use to them. tits
Just the same if in Sunday school boy is
thinking more about his mar bles, or ball, on
kite, or top, than about the lesson being
taught. Eek. xxxiii, 81, well describes all
such.
a. "And He said unto him, Man, who
made me judge or o divider over your
The man did not know the Teacher whom he
had thus addressed. The one seeking a share
of an earthly inheritance was man entirely
Of this world while the one whom he asked
to interfere on his behalf was man not of
this world. Jesus had come to lead people to
the possession of an inheritance incorrupti-
BILE, undeflled, and that fadeth not away, re-
served in Heaven q Pet |, A.. The glories of
that inheritance He will divide and appor-
ton to the overcomers in due time. (See
Luke xii, $3.50; Rev. xxi, z; iii, 81; ii, 26,
90. But as to this present world, it is an
evil one; it lieth in wickedness Tor the wicked
onel; Satan is its acknowledged prince and
god; we are not to love it, for its friendship
is enmity with God, and it is reserved unto
fire az ,inst the day of judgment and perd-
Cf al A 7 oIY1x q.
John xiv, 30; II Cor. iv, 4; / John ii, XIV;
James iv, a; II Pet. iii, G, y.
What a poor place to possess an inherit
ance How much better to be content with
food and raiment here and wait for the re-
demption of this earth, when it shall rejoice
in the liberty Of the glory of the sons of God
and we shall reign over 1t with Jesus Christ
10. Sand He said unto them, Take heed,
and beware of covetousness." The tenth
commandment forbids coveting. Moses was
to choose rulers who were God fearing men,
men of truth, hating covetousness. Elk. Xxx,
II; xviii, 81. The word has several mean
ings, such as a wish to have more, love of
money, dishonest gain; the first is the mean
ing of the word here, and in Mark vii, 20-23,
1t is classed by the Saviour with all manner
Of evil which proceeds from within and de-
files us. All can see that dishonest gain is
sinful, but some may question the sinfulness
Of wish to have more either of money or
possessions.
16 "The ground of certain rich man
brought forth plentifully." Jesus now speaks
a parable to make more clear to those who
have ears to hear the truth He has presented.
Here is an abundant harvest from the ground
Of one who knew not God. He Is already rich
and his riches are increased. Gods rain and
sunshine have done it, and yet it would seem
as if the man was no child of God. 1t was
this sort Of thing that puzzled Asaph. Hesaw
the ungodly prospecting, increasing In riches,
their eyes standing out with fatness having
more than heart could wish, not in trouble
nor plagued like other men, and yet bias
pheming God FPS. lxxiiD; but as he waited
upon God he saw the reason Of it all and was
led to rejoice more than ever in God Him
self. Prosperity In the things of this world
is no token of the favor of God.
II. "What shall do, because have no
room where to bestow my fruitsW Thus this
rich man thought within himself. His in
crease was an anxiety to him, he looked upon
them as his fruits, evidently not thinking of
the God who gave them to him, nor that the
goodness of God was intended to lead him to
repentance rom. ii, A.
1S "And he said, This will do: will pull
down my barns, and build greater; and there
will l bestow all my fruits and my goods.
He had talked w it'll himself about 1t, and this
was the decision of the most important per-
son in the world, the only one who knew any
thing, the only one to be pleased, the only
one worth living for, he himself. So the old
barns come down, the large new ones go up,
and there all my fruits and my goods are
carefully bestowed for the personal comfort
of / myself.
10. "And / will say to my soul, Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many years; take
thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry" The
soul to which he talked links him with the
brute creation, for II they could not build
barns, they could do any Of these four things
which he tells his soul to do, just as well as
himself: so that he talks simply as an OK or
hog might talk III they had the power Of
speechl which were being unconsciously fat
tened for the slaughter.
20. "But God said unto him, Thou fooll
this night, thy soul shall be required Of thee"
How often thus suddenly does the summons
come and from the midst of earth's abund-
ance the thoughtless one is cut of, not hay
ing been led to repentance by the goodness
and forebearance and long suffering Of
God, they go out to find that while
they have been laying up treasure on earth
for their own enjoyment, they have
also unconsciously been treasuring up unto
themselves wrath against the day of wrath,
and revelation Of the righteous judgment Of
God Rom ii, 4, s.. That side Of the case,
however, is brought out more fully In the
sequel to this story as given In chap. xvi,
1881.
Then whose shall those things be, which
thou hast providedfi HE heapeth up riches
ohaH ~