The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-04-12

international Lesson for April IA. 1898
The Wicked Husbandman-Nark t2.

The Wicked Husbandmun-Mark LIZ:
I-12.
Especially Arranged from Poioubet No,es.l
GOLDEN TEXT They will reverence my son
Mark 1870
THIS SECTION OF our study Includes the
whole Of Jesus experiences and Giscourses in
the courts OF the temple ON MONDAY ana Tues
oay April and 4, A. ID. 80. largely H. MARX,
chapters II ana l. Monday CD Tae cleansing
! Of the temple, Mark ll:I5-is (2) The visit OF
the Greeks. and discourse. John l220-50.
Tuesday. CD The barren ng tree withered.
Mark ills-26 a. The opposition Of the rulers
set forth in three parallels ~ which the les
son is one Mark 1897 TO 1919; Matthew 2i:2S
TO 22:i4 Co. Questions asked and discussed.
Mark IL 1887 90 Denunciation Of the Phari-
sees Ills last public discourse, Matthew 90
1 l-39 ca The widows mite, Mark l-;4l-44
TIaE.-Tuesday April 4. A. ID so Two days
after our last lesson This was Christ's last
great y OF teaching I'm Jerusalem
/ PLACE. i Ia the temple at Jerusalem
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES sunday lie had offered
himself TO the Jews as their Messiah King, Nv
entering the capital in tiiumRhal procession
On Monday He had with klngly authority
driven out from His Fathers house those who
were cetiling it with worldly traffic, and per-
formed miracles worthy o; the Messiah, thus
presenting His claims again 10" their accept
ance. once more lie presents his claims and
makes known thegreat opportunity offered the
people from God for earthly and spiritual SAL
]
clearly az II written with a pencil OF light on
| the Sky, 10y means Of three parallels. one OF
/ which Is given In to-day's lesson. These para
bles are severe and threatening. but the
! spirit of them is love" In The deepest seuse
/ He spoke them not against the Pha-isecs, but
/ for them"
LESSON NOTES
God has intrusted To each of us a
blessed and fruitful vineyard, which
we are To culture for Him. He has
planted His new life in us. He has
given rs our life. our soul. He gives MS
each portion of all those things lie
has committed TO the church as a whole.
He makes us fruitful by lis Word and
His Spirit. He gives us every means of
grace by which to cultivate the vine
yard. He gives us defenses. He is our
watch-tower. lie gives grace for every
time of need. He furnishes the armor
against temptation. The body is vine
yard that is intrusted to our care, TO be
well treated as an instrument for doing
Gods work. A good workman always
takes good care of his tools. The mind
is still more wonderful, and should be
educated, trained, kept pure and bright,
that it may bring forth fruit for the
Master. The soul, the very self-the
citadel, the dwelling place of the moral
nature, the fountain of Characters
vineyard that should be kept with all
diligence, for out of il are the issues
of life. -
The fruits are gratitude, love, ODE
dience, worship, conservation of time,
talents and property toward Cod and
all the fruits Of the Spirit toward men;
Intelligence, generosity, character,
growth. Note that, as the cultivator
of the vineyard was to enjoy the fruits
il bore. and the more fruitful it was,
the more industrious!y he cultivated il
for the owner. the more abundant and
delightful was his own reward; SO it
is with those to whom God has intrust-
ed His spiritual vineyard; every fruit
God requires is best for themselves.
Sending for the Fruits. Every spe-
cial call To love and serve God, every
service at the church, every opportuni-
" To do good, every providence of God,
every season of revival the voice Of the
! Holy Spirit. the sabbath, the Bible,
conscience-all are servants whom God
sends to us for the fI1its that are due
! MIN.
The Fruits Refused. The behavior
of these husbandmen is only a picture
of the way iInpenitent men still treat
Gods messengers of mercy-the Holy
! Spirit, the Bible, the influences of re-
| ligion. What greater meannesS in the
universe than our re lection of Gods
messengers while we are actually en-
! joying the vineyard He gave us?
The unspeakable love of God to us is
shown in the sending of His Son John
3:1G). He is the wisdom and power of
God for salvation. God has done all
! that infinite love can do To save us. He
comes often 10 our souls with special
! influences to lead us to accept Him.
! EveIyon 1T some time comes To the
valley of decision.
II we reject Christ for this world we
are lost for this world. Those who re-
! ject Christ from their lives and plans,
/ in order that they may keep possession
of themselves, their pleasures and
hopes, have taken the shortest and
surest wav to lose them. The righteous
| shall inherit the earth. II we refuse
the source of Righteousness we reject
our earthly Inheritance. How much
more il this true Of the future. Those
/ who reject Christ cannot be saved
/ They refuse eternal life: they reject
the very principles which make Heaven
what it is. They repel the strongest
| influence that can iead them - Il holy
/ life. They throw away their last hope.
/ Though mills OF God grind slowly Yet they
grind exceeding small;
\ Though with patience lie stands waiting. with
eXactneSs grinds He all.
Elephants Tongues.