The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-12-06
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
DECEMBER 81.
Lesson Text: "Christ Preaching by
Parables," Luke will, 1-tJ-Goid-
en- Text; Luke Will, IL
Commentary.

| while He taught them. In Math. kill. 1 II
| Is said that He went out OF tho house md
sat by the seaside. This going out OF tho
| house may be suggestive OF His turps>y From
the house OF Israel because Of their turn,ncs
| against Him. for we read In Math XIII, -.
/ that they held n council to destroy Him and
II was not till after this that they were
taught by parallels. The light ia never taken
from those who are willing TO recoiveit.
.. IN sower went out to SOW his seed and
| ms he sowed some fell by tho wayslde, and
It was troddcn down, and the fowls OF the
| mir devoured It," In verse IL and 70 we
have His own explanation OF verse and
Will therefore take them hero and 90 on
through the lesson. The seed is the word
OF God. In | Pet. l., %, Il a. called incor-
ruptible seed which livsth and ablieth for
ever. In Math. KILL, 81. He that soweth tho
| good seed Is the Son OF man, but in the next
verse the good seed Is the children of the
kingdom.
G. And some fell upon a rock. anil ne
soon as II was strung up 10 withere1 away
| because IL lacked moisture" Matthew and
Mark say II had not much earth and with.
cred when the sun was up because II had no
root.
l3. Hero IL the explanation OF tho seed
on the rocky soil. Compare Math Kill. 90,
| H. and Mark w., 10, H. These church-go.
ers receive the word with Ioy, possibly talk
II ever on the way home and at tho dinner
| table, but some one says something against
! the preacher, slander old or new or per.
haps one says that higher criticism has dis.
posed OF the wole passage which the preach.
or spoke from, and the foundation of his rve.
marks are thus swept away. Or perhaps
next day In the store or Office tho hearnt
talks OF the good sermon OF Yesterday and IL
laughed at by his fellows, who want TO know
whom he turned HIS back on them and how
soon he intends TO depart for the foreign
Held. Thus he Is offended, and satan con.
quers.
7. "And some fell among thorns. and tho
thorns sprang up with IL and choked it,"
Mark w., T., says IL yielded no iruit.
IL. This verse. with Math. Kill, %, and
Mark iv., iS, 10, gives light on the thorny
ground hearers. These seemed TO be really
saved people. Tho failure with them is fruit
not salvation. The cares and riches and
pleasures OF this life, with tho lusts OF other
things, choke the worl, ani they bring no
fruit TO perfection. There arc many who
think that II they can only make sure ol
heaven that Is everything, and having r..
ceivcd Jesus rs their Saviour they are bur.
denol with business or household cares or
carried way with pleasures or other things,
ms studies or pursuits OF various kinds. Tacy
accept Jesus as Saviour. but not as Lord
! They expect TO crown Him Lord OF all when
they get to heaven but know nothing OF IL
here. They are described In I Cor ill.,, l5
ms losing their works and saved as by "A FIRE
They are not abiding In Him for fruit bear.
ins and would be ashamed IL lIe should
come u John H.. 2S John Nv.).
3. "And other fell on good ground and
sprang up and bare fruit an hundrcdfod
And when He had said these things he cried
He that hath rurs TO hear lot him hear
Matthew and Marx say that this seed brought
forth some thirty, somo sixty ami some
hundredfod.
IS. This, with Math. kill, 90, and Marx
w., 20, leave us in no doubt rs TO who are
I meant by the U.' ground; Tho honest aud
goad n 20, - Neprt born
! iromt the
last class OF hearers. These hear tho word
and receive It and keep II and with patience
| bring forth fruit TO the praise OF His name
who redeemeth them. While all true be
levers are equally sanctiled In Christ by his
one Offering Heb. K, TO- li), II Is equally
true that we arc daily being sanctlned rs TO
| our daily life ~ His word OF truth (John
| xviii, lD. All Gods dealings with His peo.
| pie arc in order that they may bear more
fruit. for He is gloritlcd when we bear much
fruit (John xv., 8, 81 To this end we must
remember tnut Jesus said In this connect ion
without Ne or apart from Me- ye can 40
nothing" or ns in Hos. xiv, 3, From Mo IL
| thy fruit found" Ii We. ~ believers. ever
! inl oursevers trying TO abide or trying 20
bear fruit, we may be surn that we ara not
! right. for quietly rs the branch ahidcs IN tho
| vine aud rs quietly as the vino bears fruit,
| His Spirit bear iruit through us In J,su-'s
name when we are fully yielded tn Him. We
| need not pan anything Tor Him. for Eve Rrr
| His workmanship. created IN Car.st Jcsuss
| un;o good works, which God hath before pre-
pared, that we should walk In them" (Eph.
| H., l0). II we simply and whole heartcdly
| yield to Him, lIs will work In Us both to
will and 10 do OF His good pleasure those
| things which are well pleasing In His sight
| (Phil. H., l3 Hob. kill, 2D. Some have NOT
ears TO hear these things. They are wise
and prudent in their own estimation and
want 10 know why God gave US brains and
common sense II Ha did not want us to be
self-reliant and plan and work out things Tor
His glory.
.. "And His disciples asked Him. saying,
What might this parable be?' In Marx iv,
! 10, It is written that "when llo was alone
| they that were about Him with the twelve
! asked OF Hin the parable" so in Mark
kill, 3, 4. we find that Peter, James, John
ana Andrew asked Him privately about
certain matters He still has an inner
circle OF disciples TO whom He tells many
! things which He cannot tell 10 all. He Is
not partial. He is no respecter OF persons,
| but all do not come equally close to Him in
whole-hearted surrender. All limitations
and hndrances are on our side. not on His
10. "And He said, Unto you il is given to
know the mysteries of the kingdom OF God,
but to others in parallels, that seeing they
might not see and hoariug they might not
understand" This Is not AS some think, who
| suppose that He taught in parallels in order
10 make His teachings moro plain. OBJ
serve, He says that they might not see and
! not understand. He had taught them plain
ly and without parallels until they refused
Him and sought to kill Him, but now that
the kingdom is to be postponed till His re-
turn He tells in parallels tho characteristics
OF this present age, known as tho period OF
the mystery OF the kingdom, parable IL
like the shell OF n NUT as one has said. II
keeps the kernel from the indolent and for
diligent. t.-Lesson Helper.
GREELEY HAD THE ARGUMENT.
Tho National Temperance Advocate re-
wives an incident OF Horace Greeley which
occurred twenty-five years ago at one oltho
mass meetings held by the National Temper
nnce Society. "Rey DR.. Howard Ganse
having said he believed Chtist made aud
drank Intoxicating wine, Horace Greeley,