Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-05-21

Golden Tcxt.-'The stone which the
Builders rejected, the same 10 become the
head Of the corner."--Luke 20: IT,
Jesus teaching in the temple IL the sub
ject this week--Luke 20; 9-10. 80 ~
"Then began he to speak" "A change
In his tone perhaps, a new accent and en-
phasis, that of the cross. 1t Is the begin
ming Of the end. Our lord has entered
upon the passion week. He has begun to
climb Calvary.
'This parable" 1t is perhaps the strong
est portraiture OF his rejection to be full
filed alas few days later in the awful
events of Golgotha. Christ seems here
to be making one last supreme endeavor
for the reclamation of Israel. But "he
came unto his own, and his own received
him not"
man." vineyard" 'husbandmen."
The types read plain. The certain man."
is God; the vineyard is this world with it's
opportunities and responsibilities; the hus-
bandmen are the men Of Israel, and sec
ondarily, all those who enjoy the privi-
leges of this earthly footstool.
God Is In "far country" not in the
sense of having withdrawn in spirit or
sympathy, but in the sense of having left
to human responsibility the conduct of
the affairs OF life. He is within reach
for help and assistance, but he has COM
mitted, for a season, the attendance OF
the vineyard to his servants.
God has not relinquished his claim and
oversight. After a season he Is coming
again to receive the fruits and from time
to time he sends reminders of this sover-
eign ownership, and Of his own ultimate
return to reckon. These reminders are
the servants whom he commissions. Ev-
cry minister and Christian herald, by his
very Office, speaks of and for the Most
High.
"Fruit Of the vineyard" God evidently
requires. 1t Is not sufficient to return to
him simply what he gave, or with the SER
want who said, almost impudently, "Thine,
thou host that is thinew God wants fruit.
Notice the progress Of the language In
John 10: 2, 8, "Not fruit" fruit" more
i fruit" ''much fruit" as loxs
The beaten servants are evidently the
prophets and messengers of God. Even
SO speaks Stephen, himself rejected SER
want Of the Highest, (which of the pro-
phets have not your fathers prosecuted
And they have slain them which showed
before (the shadow of the CROSSE the
coming of the just One; of whom We have
been now the betrayers and murderers."
There is deep significance in all this
narrative. Even the little word ''again,"
Ia v. II, carries searching meaning.
1t is literally, he added to send. 1t was
an addition to his gracious forbearance.
Let us remember that every addition to
Gods mercy and long suffering is an add
ed weight to our judgment and accounta-
bility at the last.
The word 'shRmefully' carries a some
what different significance in the original.
1t is literally to dishonor or to fail to give
due honor. Every minister Of God who
is refused the honor worthy Of his Office,
far treated "shamefully." Jesus uses
the same expression regarding himself
when he says at John 8: 40, II honor my
Father and We do dishonor me-"
''This is the heir" 1t should have been
spoken in gladness Of welcome. 1t was
spoken instead in envy and hate. Even
SO spoke Joseph's brethren at Gen. 81:
10, 20, when they beheld him coming to
them.
"Let us kill him that the inheritance may
be ours" Theft always carries the init
nation Of murder with it. ''That the in
heritance may be ours" was what the
early pair were viciously meditating when
they put forth the hand and took of the
fruit of the forbidden tree in the garden.
Gen. 3: 3, g.
The destruction of the wicked husband
men is put into the lips Of the listeners
themselves in Matthew's narrative Matt.
81: Az. 1t is plainly the due reward of
such treachery and wickedness, the heart
proclaims it Just.
But, thank God, we are given some
things better than our just deserts "The
stone which the builders rejected. the
same is become the head of the corner;"
and the building here alluded to is the
house of mercy. Have we rejected him,
slain him? Still he stands proffering mer-
cy and forgiveness. His own received
him not-but as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons
of God"
Illustrations.
In all things acknowledge God, his
goodness, his forbearance, his sovereign
ty. Says Burns:
"Some have meat that Gamma eat,
And some would eat that want it.;
But we have meat, and we can eat,
Sac let the Lord be thankit."
We pray: "Thy kingdom come, thy will
be done, on earth as it is in heaven Do
we apprehend what il means? How Is
Gods will done in heaven. Meekly,
promptly, implicitly-all for God. Ber-
nard says: Jacob saw angels ascending
and descending, but none standing STILL"
He was not looking on a scene of earth.
We are in this world to do business for
God. He owns the world and us, and
that man rightly estimates life who sees
in it an opportunity to serve and honor
God Bishop Taylor has said, ''No man
Is better merchant than he who lays out
his time upon God, and his money on the
poor" %
! Choose Christ early in life. 1t grows
harder to acknowledge, him as the, years
20 by. Failure to accept gets to be more
and more determination to reject. I. DR..
Biddell said, ain all my ministry I know
not over three persons fifty years OF age
whom / have heard ask the, question,
What must ! do to be savedY" sls
|. Be sure yonr sin, will find yon out. In
these parallels Christ is giving to, the
people not only visions Of the kingdom of
God, but unerring glimpses Of their, own
hearts and khe sin and rebellion within.
At the Bank of Paris there Is said to be,
above the cashiers desk, a photographer
with his camera. He Is unseen of the
men who are signing checks and drawing
money Mt the window, but Mt a signal he
takes a fIashlight picture Of any one Of
them; a tcll-tale picture for some. Your
image and character sketcbed In this
Rook II will confront You s0metimes II