Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-04-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON III, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 10.

DRY verses, lS-SO-GOlden Text, Luke Xv,
1O-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
II. "And He said, A certain man had
two sons" In our last lesson we saw the
messengers bidding the people to come to
the feast, but in this chapter, which is all
one story in several parts, we see the great
first and continual seeker of men showing
us how it should be done. We see the love
of Christ in the shepherd, the love of the
Spirit in the woman with the candle, and
the love of God in the father receiving the
ponitent son. The lost sheep suggests our
inclination to go astray; the lost money
our deafness to q sense of our condition;
the lost son. our scl1shness, ingratitude
and rebellion, while the elder son makes
us think of the self righteousness and lack
of sympathy of some Christians.
~. "He divided unto them His living"
The younger sons request, which led to
the fathers doing this, indicates n greater
regard for the goods than for the father
more thought of possessions than of God.
1t is the proud, self willed spirit of insub-
lection and of Independence of God, the
l, me, mine spirit that wants its so called
rights. God sometimes lets such spirits
have their own way that they may in due
time see themselves.
13. "There wasted his substance with
riotous living" This is briefly the story
of the younger son who took all he pos
sessed into far country. Illustrations
may be found in Cain, Esau, Absalom,
Manasseh, and can be seen in the lives of
those all about us who live only for them
selves and the present world.
IA. "He began to be in want" Those
who forsake the only fountain of living
water will soon find that their broken els
terms can hold no water (Jer. ii, 49,; that
all that is under the sun fails to satisfy
and is only vanity and vexation of spirit
(Eccl. i, IA; ii, ~, and that there is a
longing in the soul still unsatished.
10. "He sent him unto his fields to feed
swine. " See son of a wealthy father
joining himself to % citizen of a far coun-
try. The world is in its thoughts and ways
far country from our heavenly Father
home, and in chapter xix, II, the heavenly
country is spoken of rs a far country from
this world. When we receive the Lord
Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we become
citizens Of heaven (John i, IL; Phil. iii,
20, r.. W.
is. NO man gave unto him. He
would fain have sought to satisfy his hun
cry body with the swinc's food, and thore
WAS nothing better for him, for no man
cared for him. Those who have turned
from God to feed on the husks that this
world offers are indeed in dire distress.
Whether the prodigal makes us think Of
tho sinner as one Of the all who wandered
through Adam : sin or of the saved soul
who has for the time being wandered away
from God, the facts are the same.
II. Gle came to himself" A man
must get to the end Of himself before he
thoroughly comes to himself. and when he
does thus come he finds himself very
poor subject 1t was the thought Of his
Fathers home and plenty contrastcd with
his own poor condition that brought him
to his senses. one has said that if some
one had given him cup of coffee and Il
sandwich he might have been longer il
coming to himself.
Is. Il Will arise and go to my Father"
The one great separating thing bctween
God and man is sin "Yuur iniQuities
have separated between you and your
God and your sins have hid His face from
you" lisa. lix, -. The first returning
step is a sense Of our sin ard confession
of the same q John i, %. We cannot eruly
say my Father in reference to God till
we become His children; hence some think
that the prodigal represents u backslidng
rather than penitCnt sinner coming to
God for the first time, but there are les
sons here for each.
10. And am no more worthy to be
called thy SON." 1t is an excellent thing
for us when we have come to sec tlat we
are mo more worthy;" that in us-that is.
in our flesh-dwelleth no good thing
(Rom. vii, 49,, for as long rs we think that