The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-07-17
TAKING UP rHE oaoss.
lnternstsonai sunday-sshooi Lesson for
Ju1y 20, 1890. F.t

TAKING UP rHE oRoss.
lnsernsssonai Sunday school Lesson for
Jsly 20, 1890. ft.
LsssoN TExr--Luke i4aS-8.
GOLDEN T1xT-whosoover doth not bear his
CROSS and come after me. can not Be my disoi-
TmE-December. A.. D. %. Soon after the
last lesson. r4I4sItt
PLAoE--Pcrea, beyond Jordan.
PARALLKL TRurHs--With vefs. %, n, Matt.
1851, 80; Marx s:34; Luke is:6a With vera
81, s., Matt. 6;13; Mark o:50 hft
ExPLANAroRY-I. The First Test, or
Condition, of Discipleship.-vers. S5, e6.
25. And there toent great multitwdes ciyh
Am. This may have arisen In part from
the numbers who had been attending
the Feast OF Tabcrnaoles at Jerusalem,
which occurred about the middle OF De-
cember. There was probably some vaGuo
hope that Jesus was the Messiah, and
would soon take the throne and inaugu-
rate the new Kingdom; and they would
like to have part In It. And ~ turned
and said unto them. jesus never allured
any one to become His disciple by con-
Dealing the truth, or BY o One-sided pre-
sentation OF the facts. As fisherman
for souls, He never attracted them by
''bait" which concealed hook, but only
by real food, which drew to larger and
better abundance. Hence He turned to
the multitudes who were following Him
from various motives, and sought
to open their eyes to the facts.
20. II any man come to mo, and hate not hts
father, etc. Our Lord purposely stated
lv1n to- 6atv hD1 nj
even most paradoxical form by which
He alone has succeeded in impressing
them forever as principles on the hearts
Of His disciples. Yea, and HE opx KtS
also. He must be willing to die for
Christ's sake. Ha can not be my Disciple:
learner and follower Of Jesus.
II. The Second Test Of Disciplcship.
Yer. 81. The previous verses speak
Of the negative side-what we must be
willing TO leave and give up for Christ.
Now we come to the positive side-what
we must do. Whososper doth not bear HE
o,cn cross. Take 1t up; willing assump-
tion, not q patient submission, Is i'm
piled. The Roman custom obliged
tho crucifled to carry their own
cross to the place Of punishment.
To this custom reference is here made.
And come Gtter me: follow my example,
live according to my principles, take
me for his master and teacher, believe
my doctrines, obey my words, uphold
my cause. Can not be my disciple: because
such do not learn Of Him, do not accept
His instruction, do not follow Him, do
not obey Him as teacher. Bedrin0 tho
",
tify the deeds of the flesh for the sake
Of the Spirit (Col. 3:5), or when we glad.
ly suffer the loss Of all things that we
may be found in Christ phil. 3:S-1O), or
share His suffcrings and self-sacrifces
that VIC may minister to His suffering
ones Matt. 25:35, 36).
III. Counting the Cost The Unfin-
ished Tower.-Vers. $3.50. We see in
this figure The expenses; by the next the
perils of our course. 2S. For ahich of
you, Intending to build torer. A castle,
hills, ''palace-like, combining utility
with beauty" and to be used as dwell
ing and defense. SHieth not doom
first, and coanteth the cost This implies
the careful consideration of tho require
ments Of discipleship; the setting
plainly before the mind exactly what
one will have to do, what ho must give
up, what temptations and hindrances he
must encounter, what enemies over
come. 30. AH that behold ii begin to mOck
him. for he publishes his weakness and
his folly. But the worst mocking will
be that of his own heart.
Nv. Counting tho Cost; the Improvident
Warrior-Vers. 31-33. 81. Or uhat kina,
going to make ,car against another
king. The warfare brings to our
remembrance the conflict described
In Matt. 1929. Here 1t stands part
ly for the conflict which every
Christian carries on against sin, the
world and the devil, and Of which we
should take clear estimate before we
enter ON 1t, partly for the greater war on
which Christ Himself had entered, and
Of which He, too, had counted the cost,
that being, in His case, nothing less
than the sacrifice Of His own life. Sit
tsth not do,on first and consuks,h. The
Christian Is king, but king engaged
in struggle, and struggle with an ene-
my materially stronger than himself.
Therefore, before defying him with a
declaration OF war by the open profess
sion of the Gospel, man must have
taken counsel with himself, and become
assured that he Is willing to accept the
extreme consequences Of this position,
even to the giving up Of his life II de-
manded. This condition is expressed
YER. 81. 80. M@ndsth an ambassage and
desfreth conditions Of peace. What the
king did in the parable was what real
king would naturally do, and simply
expresses the fact that he who would
be disciple must count the cost
and act accordingly. So. lie that for
saketh not The Greek word SO rem
deped is more commonly translated,
ibid FAREWELL" or "take leave" Al
that he hath This is almost exactly
what Jesus said to the young ruler seek
ing eternal life (Matt 19:16-22. He