Connecticut western news., 1890-06-11
THE RICH MANS FOLLY.
LESSON xl, SECOND QUARTER, iN- TERNATiONAL SERIES, JUNE IS.

TERNATloNAL SERIES, JUNE IS. 1s1s of the Lesson, Luke xii, 13-21-Com-
 init Verses 1o-21-Golden Text, Luke xii,
 15-Commentary by Rev. D. M. stearns. Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
 mission of H. s. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
 phia-l
 13. "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, 2S; 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 it 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 me" What an un- seemly interruptionl Jesus had been speak ing of judgment and eternity, of future glory and future torment (d, 20, 31, 8: xii, 5, 8, 9; 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 un- der the most solemn discourses upon eternal realities, there may be found in worshiping congregations, even today, men and women % occupied with present things that the preacher's words are of no use to them. It is just the same if in Sunday school a boy is thinking more about his marbles, or ball, or hte, or top, than about the lesson being taught Ezek. Uxiii, 31, well describes all such.
 IA "And He said unto him, Man, who made me judge or a divider over your The man did not know the Teacher whom be had thus addressed. The one seeking share of an earthly inheritance was a man entirely of this world, while the one whom he asked to interfere on his behalf was a man not of this world. Jesus had come to lead people to the possession of an inheritance incorruptt ble, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, re- served in Heaven q Pet. 1, 4. The glories of that inheritance He will divide and appor- tion to the overcomers in due time. See Luke uii, 2S-30; Rev. xd, q; fiji, 21; ii, 96, go. But as to this present world, it is an evil one; 1t Meth in wickedness (or the wicked one); Satan Is Its acknowledged prince and <, Cor {{of fy{o ,Isbiy is enmity with God, and it Is reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdi- tion of ungodly men Gal 1, 4; I John v, 19; John xiv, 30; II Cor. iv, 4; John ii, xv; James iv, 4; II Pet. iii, 6, D.
 What @ poor place to possess an inherit ancel How much better to be content with food and raiment here and wait for the re- demption of this earth, when 1t shall rejoice in the liberty of the glory of the sons of God and we shall reign over it with Jesus Christ
 16 "And 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. E1. u, IT; xviii, 21 The word has several mean ings, such wish to have more, love of money, dishonest gain; the first isthe mean ing of the word here, and in Mark vii, 20 8
 
 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. 1.-The ground of certain rich man brought forth plentifully." Jesus now speaks 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 bis riches are increased Gods rain and sunshine have done 1t, and yet it would seem as if the man was no child of God It was this sort of thing that puzzled Asaph. He saw the ungodly prospering, 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 blas- pheming God Ps- kxiiD; but as he waited upon God he saw the reason of it all and was led to rejoice more than ever in God Him. selA Prosperity in the things of this world isno token of the favor of God.
 n. "What shall 1 do, because have no room where to bestow my fruitsr' 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 HoOdness of God was intended to lead him to repentance Rom. ii, A.
 1a ssAnd he said, This will do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there sw1n bestow all my fruits and my goods T He had talked with himself about it, 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.
 19. 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 if they could not build barns, they could do any of these four thing which he tells his soul to do, just as well as himself: SO that he talks simply as an OK ol 7 hog might talk If they had the power oi speech) which were being unconsciously fat tened for the slaughter.
 90 But God said unto him, Thou fool 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 off, not hay ing been led to repentance by the goodness and forebearance and long suffering o1 God, they go out to find that while they have been laying up treasure on earth for their own enjoyment, they have also unconciously been treasuring up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Rom ii, 4, 5. That side of the case however, is brought out more fully in the sequel to this story as Siven in chap. xvi 10n
 ''Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast providedP' "He heapeth up riches and knowekh not who shall gather them. "When be dieth, he shall carry nothing away; bis gSsry shall not descend after him. "He that getteth riches, and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be fool" Ps. xxxvii, g. xix, IT; Jer. xvii. ID.