Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-08-01
THE PRODIGAL SON.
LESSON v, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. 8.

XIV, 1S-Commentary by Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
! compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission of II. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel
phia
H. And be said, A certain man had two
sons" This is the beginning of the third sec
ton of this parable, which is a continuation
of the lesson of last week. The whole parable
teaches the great love of God, the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, for lost, and helpless,
and erring humanity; and the sympathy of
the angels with God in His joy over the sal
walton of the lost.
| 10. "And the younger of them said to his
father, Father, give me the portion of goods
| that falleth to me. An ne divided unto
them his living" The 81 seen in the sons
desire for the things of his father rather than
for the father and his love. The desire also
| for independence of the father and separa-
ton from him indicates the ingratitude of
his heart and his insensibiity to the fathers
love and care.
49, And not many days after, the younger
son gathered all together, and took his jour
ney into far country, and there wasted
! his substance with riotous living The first
Illustration of this rebellious nature in man
is seen in Cain, who would not submit to the
kind requirements of a loving God; but pre-
ferring his own way event out from the
presence of the Lord" Gen. iv, 10 to do as
he pleased 1t is seen in Esau, who preferred
a mess of pottage to his God given birth
/ right Gen. XIV, 1884.
IA "And when he had spent all, there
arose a mighty famine in that land and he
began to be in want" When we turn away
| from God, who is the fountain of living wa
else even with the gifts of God, we are hew-
ing out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can
hold no water der. ii, 49,, and sooner or later
we shall surely come to want.
To- And he went and Joined himself to a
citizen of that country; and he sent him into
his fields to feed swine" The far country
into which he went from his own fathers
house and plenty is all about us. 1t is this
present evil world which lieth in the wicked
one Gal. i, 4; John v, 80, and which al
lures us away from God. All who are I'M
saved are said to be "far off, and because of
their sinful and uncean natures are compared
to dogs and swine 'Eph. ii, ID; II Pet. ii, %.
16 And he would fain have filed his
belly with the husks that the swine did eat {;
and no man gave unto him" First want
then worldly helps, and now a beastly appe-
tite
H. "And when he came to himself, he
said, How many hired servants Of my ia
theirs have bread enough and to spare, and
| perish with hunger" He had been so full
of self and self seeking that the Fathers
house had not been much in his thoughts ex-
cept perhaps as the recollection of a restraint
which he could not submit to. But by hav-
ing his desires granted he has been led to see
somewhat of the leanness of his soul FPS
cvi, l5). We read in l Cor V, 5, of one being
delivered unto Satan for the destruction of
the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the
day of the Lord Jesus. And in job xxxiii,
$780, we read of dreams, visions, sickness
and Affections as means used by God with
men to bring back their souls from the pit,
to be enlightened with the sight of the living
is. 81 will arise and go to my father,
and will say unto him, Father, have
sinned against heaven and before thee -"
In the story of the lost sheep and lost piece of
money we saw the seeking shepherd aud wo-
man with the light. The sheep and the
money did nothing, the shepherd and woman
did all. But here is responsible human
being who has gone astray like a lost sheep,
and has been as insensible to his fathers lore
as a piece of metal.
70. And am no more worthy to be called
thy son: make me as one of thy hired SER
wants" He was unworthy to be called the
son of such a father when he had plenty and
was living riotousy, or even when he left
that fathers home, or when he demanded his
share of the goods But he did not know it,
and could not, under those circumstances, be
made to see it. The only way to humble him
and bring him to his senses was the way he
was allowed to take Now he sees his sinful
ness and unworthiness as he could not other
wise have been made to see it,
20. And he arose and came to his father "
All his conviction, and sense of unworthiness,
and good resolutions, would have gone for
nothing had he failed to take this step. He
might have remained in the far country and
died there full of conviction and good resou-
tons. But here is the saving point, He arose
and came" And now we shall see the re-
suit.
| But when he was yet great way off, his
father saw him, and had compassion, and
ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him -
Here is the Love of God which said to one
poor sinner, Thy sins are forgiven thy faith
hath saved thee; go in peace" And to an
other, Neither do l condemn thee; 60 and
sin no more, and which says to all, Him
that cometh unto me | will in no wise cast
| OUT luke vii, ~, 80: John viii, II: vi, 81
81. And the son said unto him, Father,
have sinned against heaven, and in thy
sight and am no more worthy to be called
thy son." This was not all he had intended
to say (see verse 49,, but it seems 10 have been
far as he got. 1t is high honor to be IA
servant of God, but He makes US His chill
dren, children of God and joint heirs with
Christ, when i'll true penitence we come to
Him John /, IL; Rom. viii, II; John XIV, l5D
If we confess our sins He is faithful and just
10 forgive Us our sins and to cleanse Us from
all unrighteousness Il John |, 81.
%. But the father said to his servants,
Bring forth the best robe, and put il on him
and put ring on his hand, and shoes on
his feet Think of Adam and Eve having
lost their fellowship with God and hiding
from Him because of their sin; and see God
clothing them with coats of skins which He
had made Gen. iii, 2D. See the robe of
Righteousness, and garments of salvation of
lisa, Xxi, 10; III Cor. V, 81.
%. And bring hitler the fatted calf and
kill it: and let us eat and be merry" If, in
the previous verse, we have forgiveness of
sins, and Righteousness. and full restoration
TO position and inheritance and authority,
] hara wa have trina folio UShin and grant io-