Connecticut western news., 1890-09-10
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PARABLE OFTHE POUNDS
LESSON xI, THIRD QUARTER. INTER-
 NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. IA.

LESSON xI, THIRD QUARTER. INTER-
 NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. IA. Text of the Lesson, Luke xix, 11-27-Com-
 init Verses, 1a13-Golden Text, Luke
 xix, 26-Commentary by Rev. D. M.
 Stearns.
 GCompfed from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per mission of IT. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel phia-l
 Il. "And as they heard these things, He added and spake c parable, because He tcas nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the Kingdom Of God should immediately appear" Although He had said again and again that He was going to Jerusalem to be crucifed and to rise again from the dead (chap. xviii, 3-34; Matt. XVI, 21; xvii, 23), yet they understood not, and thought that now they should see Him proclaim Himself king of Israel and restore the throne of David, or the throne of the Lord, at Jerusalem, on which David and Solomon sat as the representatives of .Je- hovah q Chron. xxix, 23). That this was the Kingdom they expected is clearly stat ed in Luke xxiv, 21; Actsi, 6; and that they had right to expect this is. seen in the Davidic covenant QI Sam. vii, 12-16; Chron- xvii, 11-14); also in all the prophets (see Isa ix, 6, '; Jer. iii, ID, and in the words of Gabriel to Mary Luke i, 32, 33).
 Thst they had much ground for expect ing the Kingdom at that time Is seen in the fact that John the Baptist, Jesus himself, the twelve, and the. seventy, all preached that the Kingdom was at hand CMatt. iii, 3; iv, 17; x, :; Luke x, 9. Why then this parable, and why was the Kingdom not then to be established9 The Kingdom in ( klo,, 1S&1 &1,1L xIn o& Dav1d-had been at hand end in their midst, but they knew Him not, received Him not, and were now about to kill Him. Therefore He said: "The Kingdom of God Is taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof' (Matt. xxi, 43). Their rejection of Him as a nation postpones the restoration of the throne of David until His return (Acts iii, 21), and they have lost certain high privileges which will be given to another elect nation, even the church or body of ChIst, now being gathered out of all nations (Acts xv, IA; Pet. ii, g.
 12. "He satd, therefore, 4 certain noble man aDent tslto O far country, to recetUe for htmself O Kingdom and to ret,lsT."' He refers to Himself and the Kingdom now postponed, but to be established on this earth at His return. His approaching death he speaks of as journey into a far country.
 13 sAnd He called hts ten serUants, and deltuered them ten pounds and said unto them, Occupy till I come" While He is absent He expects His servants to be busy in Ills affairs. and He gives them some thing with which to work or do business for Him. In this parable each one receives the same, while in the parallel parable of the talents (Matt. XIV, 10 each receives ao- diy.ry fc oh tfr- To och signify the Spirit, which is given to every man to profit withal, while the talents may refer to the special gifts of the Spirit given to each as He the Spirit) willeth q Cor. H, 2, ID.
 A. "But Hts citizens hated Hun and cent c message after Htnf, saying, We actu not have thts man to reign ouer tts." In verse 27 these citizens are called enemies.
 15. '.And tt cdnae to pass, thot aChen He tcds returned, hd0ing recetued the King dom, then He commanded these seruants to be called unto Htns to auhom He had gtuen the money, thot He might knotU hoto much euery man had gdtY,ed by tradt,lg."
 16 "Ihen came tue first, sdytng, Lord, thy pound hath gatned ten pounds"
 II. "And He said unto htr1, Well thou good servant; because thou hast been fatthful t1s c pery little, hdve thou author tty orer ten cities" All that is intrusted to us to do here in this present. time is but a very little compared with our service in the Kingdom when it shall come; and it is not success that He commends, but faith fulness.
 IS. "And the second conle, sayir.g, Lord, thy pound hath g1irsed aue po1lnds." Each one shall give account of himself. according to his own labor q Cor. iii, 8.
 19. "And He satd Hke,ctse to htn, Be thou also ouer fUe ctttes." There is no reproof because his pound had not gained ten. In his measure he has been faithful, and in that measure he Is rewarded. Every one according to his own labor.
 20. "And another cdf1e, sGytrag, Lord, behold, here Is thy pound, euhteh I haue kept latd up tn c Tdpktn." The Lords gift unused and therefore not improved. Like some who say that years ago they were converted; but no one ever heard them tell another how to get eternal life. They can talk, but not ot Jesus and His love; they can sing, but not of Him; they'have time enough at their = disposal, but instead of using it for Him they labor to while it away; they have money, but it is spent upon themselves; yet they profess to have eternal life, and are members in good standing of some orthodox church.
 21. "For I feared Thee, because Thou art 0n GaLstere man; Thou takest up that Thou layedst not doiorl, and redpest that Thou dedst not soeD." Having received salvation as 8 free gift from God, we are then to work it out with fear and trembling, for it Is God who worketh in us Phil. ii, 12, 13). We ara to fear lest we grieve one who so loves us, and to tremble lest we misimproye so important trust, or hinder God from
 m i'm this proper and filial fear he had not brought his pound thus misimproved.
 g. find He sGtth unto htna: Out ot tttne o,on mouth toiu I judge thee, thou soscked serpent" By our words we shall be Justified or by our words condemned CMatt. xii, SD. 0sd reads the heart, but out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Jesus is the Word of God and the faithful manifestation of what God Ia. As the Father sent Him, so He sends us to be His witnesses; and no matter what, or how much, profession we make, unless both words and deeds testify of Him that He Is loving, soul satisfying Saviour, we must be wicked servants, liars, false wit nesses
 23. "Wherefore then gdUest not thou nnA yaOney into the bank, that dt fny coming might hdue required mine olCn actth tlsttryf" It is God who giveth US all things, and whether 1t be eternal life. His holy spirit, or the ordinary tenn poral blessings of daily life, all come under the head of ''His money" "His own, ' which He expects us to use for His glory. Glorify God in your bodies and spirits.
 24-28. "Tuke from htn, the pound and gtue tt to him that hath ten pounds" Sc every one who uses well what he has will have moro intrusted to him, while. the wicked servants who bear the Masters name but know Him not shall lose what they have, or rather what they seem tc margin) For what we do not enjoy O, make some use of we cannot truly De said