The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-07-24
LOST ANp FOUND.
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July ~, 1890.

9OLDkN TEXT-There II Joy In the presence
oe the sugels Of God over one sinner that 70.
,cnn-Deoember, A. D. 30. Not long after
fAon-Perea, beyond Jordan.
PAnALLEL,-Matt. 10: lila brief form Of
~ parable Of the lost sheep.
.CoxPARIsoN OF TIE THREE PARABtEs-L
Tue nrst parable presents the great doctrine
Of the atonement, and the work Of God the Son
- the Redeemer. Then, on this redemption 60
forth, In tho second parable, the Providence OF
God, and the Spirit Of God, and the Revelation
OF God. The last or third delineation presents
the great truths OF effectual calling and adop.
tion and justification. These are eminently tho
work Of God the Father.-W. r. Williams. II.
Looked at as q representative Of human duty,
tho nrst two parallels represent the duty Of the
church to seek and to save the lost, tho third
the duty to welcome the repentant to o full,
free and unreproachful pardon. Abbott. III.
There II progression nnd climax In the num-
bers-onc in one hundred, one in ten, one In
two 'sThe possessor of one hundred sheep is
in some sort rich man. and therefore not
likely to feel their diminu tion by one at all
80 deeply as the woman, who, having but ten
small pieces Of money, should lose one Of these;
while the intensity Of her feeling would fall
very short Of the affection Of father, who
having but two sons, should behold one out Of
these two 60 astray. Trench
ExPLANAToRY-I. Two Glasses Of Sim
ners.-Yers. 1, 2. First, the Publicans.
1. "Then." Not o note of time, but
Greek participle, usually translated
"but" or "and" or ''now," as in Rev. Yer.
"Drew near unto Him." The imperfect
tense in the original denotes continued,
habitual action. What was going on at
this time was the usual custom OF this
period of jesus ministry. Gail the
publicans." The whole class Of pub
ilioans. "And sinners" The criminals
and outcasts of society, notorious Of
tenders against morality and law.
Second, the Pharisees. Q. "And the
Pharisees." The Pharisees (separated)
were the political national party of the
Jews, opposed to foreign influence and
domination. They were also the ma
tional religious party, adhering to the
religious books, traditions and customs
of the nation. 'Murmured, saying: This
man receiveth sinners, and eateth with
them" The substance of their charge
was not that He taught sinners, but that
He ate with them, that is, mingled with
them on terms Of social equality.
II. The Parable Of the Lost Sheep
Vers. 81. 8. "And he spake this para
ble:" to illustrate and enforce the
truth. Compare Matt. 1s: lila. First,
the Safe Flock. 4. What man Of YOU"
"There is not a single one of you who
accuse me here who does not act exact
ly like me in similar circumstances"
Your own conduct in other things an
swers your complaints. Having O
hundred Sheep" Enough, but not so
many but that each one could be under
the personal watch and care of the shep-
herd. Second, the Lost Sheep. "lf he
lose one of them" This is tho type (1)
of the human race, who fell from Para
disc, and have been wandering since in
the wilds Of sin, lost and helpless with
out Saviour; (2) Of the sinner going
away from loving Shepherd, and the
green pastures and still waters he pro-
vides, wandering at his own will after
forbidden delights, till he is lost in the
wilderness of sin, and surrounded by q
thousand dangers, suffering from hunger
and thirst, unable to find the way back,
yet sure to perish unless he does. Third,
the Good Shepherd. Jesus is the good
Shepherd (John 10: 1--16) who knows
His sheep, and calleth them by name.
1t is remarkable fact in Oriental hus.
oandry that in flock of hundreds or
thousands each individual sheep has it's
name, knows it, and is known by it.
Fourth, the Search for the Lost. "Doth
not leave the ninety and nine in the will
derness." We are not to understand ''the
wilderness" as sandy or rocky desert,
without herbage; but rather as wide-
extended grassy plains or savannas,
called desert because without habita-
tions of men, but exactly the fittest
place for the pasture of sheep. These
were not neglected, but were in the
pasture, guarded and guided by the
under shepherd, and safely folded; but
the shepherd himself went after the
lost. This could not be entrusted to
any other. Sand go aftor that which is
lost until he find it," In Palestine, at
any moment sheep are liable to be
swept away by some mountain torrent,
or carried off by hill robbers, or torn by
wolves. At any moment their pro-
tector may have to save them by per-
sonal hazard. "Until he find it," A
hint of what is the patience and persever-
patience and perseverance Of the Chris
tian. Fifth, the Return. 5. "He layeth
it on his shoulders" A familiar prac-
tice with shepherds when the creature
is sick, fatigued, or in any way unable
to travel on its own feet. "Rejoicing."
Alike in the retrieval of his own loss,
and in the rescue of his sheep from dam
ger and distress. Sixth, the JOY over the
finding of Lost Sheep. 9. "When he
cometh home" This refers to the whole
process by which the ignorant and be-
wildered sinner is brought into safety.
"Calleth together his friends and neigh
bors." The disciples, all the good who
are interested in the salvation of men,
and are working for it, the angels and
saints in Heaven. Z. 81 say unto YOU"
Who are complaining because seek to
save the publicans and sinners. What
ever you may think, the angels rejoice.
pnu1,o L. IT. t.