Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-05-07
80
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON M, SECOND QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 10.

NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 10.
Text Of the Lesson, Luke xviii, 9-17-Mem-
ory Verses. 15-I7-GoIden Text, Luke
xviii. 10 Commentary BY the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
This is called a lesson on prayer, but it
might be better called a lesson on how to
enter the kingdom Of God The kingdom
Is mentioned at least seven or eight times
In this chapter and the last part of the pre-
ceding one. The Pharisees were told that
It Was among them Or In their midst, not
within them (chapter xvii, 21, margin or
X Md, for Id could not ia any sense be in
such Christ hEters az they were, but it was
In their very midst, in the person Of the
King, whom they were watching their op-
portunity to Kill. Chapter xviii, in which
our lesson Is, tells US who can and who can
not enter this kingdom, which is yet to
be set up on this earth. Self righteous
Pharisees and rich idolaters, however
moral, and all who love this present world
cannot enter this kingdom, but helpless
blind beggars and such as have the spirit
of little child, they can enter. The condi-
ton of things on earth will become more
and more like the days of Noah and Of Lot
till the Son of Man shall come
8. "And He spake this parable unto Ger
tain which t1.usted in themselves that they
were righteous and despised others - The
previous part Of the chapter speaks Of the
coming of the Son Of Man as a time when
God shall avenge His own elect-that is,
His elect Israel, for His elect church does
not cry for vengeance, but the redemption
Of Israel is always associated with yenge-
ance upon her enemies lisa Exxiv, 8;
ZxxF, 4; xiii, 4). In verse s He asks if
there shall be any faith On earth or the
faith when this time comes. The church
having been taken tO meet her Lord before
He comes To avenge His elect Israel, 1t will
be dark time There will be many trust
ing in their own righteousness, but there
will also be an afflicted and poor people
who will trust in the Lord (Zeph. iii, 12).
10. Two men went up into the temple
to pray, the one Pharisee and the other
a publican" The Pharisees trusted in
their own righteousness. 1t is written OF
them In Rom. K, B, that being ignorant Of
Gods righteousness, and going about To
establish their own righteousness, they did
not submit themselves unto the righteous
fess of God. Our Lord said to them that
they would zee "a braham, Isaac and Jacob,
all the prophets, and many from north,
south, east and west in the kingdom Of
God, but they themselves thrust out (Luke
xiii, %, 29). He also said that unless one
had more righteousness than that of the
scribes and Pharisees it would be impos-
sible to enter the kingdom (Math. V, 2O)
II, u. This is the record Of the Phari-
sees So called prayer, as given by Him who
reads our hearts, whose eyes are az d flame
of fire.. There Il not one petition id It'll He
did not al God for simple thing, but
just told G0d what good fellow be was
In his own estimation and how thankful
be was for i'll He mentioned four things
that he did not do and two things that he
did. There were thus Just six things in
his little talk with God about himself,
and six is the number Of man, as $50 is
the number Of the beast, the man who
viii bo satan incarnate. There was DO
humility, no sense Of sin, no knowledge
Of God nor Uf himself, yet be thought that
ho prayed, and no doubt went away feel
ing well pleased with himself He j. a
picture of multitudes Of religious people
today who attend church regularly, but
are 10 more saved than he was In their
own estimation they arc not sinners, never
were They were born children of God by
natural birth, or If not then, they think it
was all made sure by infant baptism, and
now they can tell you Of what they are
glad they are not, and of some good things
which they do, and vainly think that all
is well. They are followers Of Cain, who
despised God Is way and loved his own.
13. "God De merciful to me q sinner"
This is the substance Of the prayer OF the
poor dospisud publican who would not lift
up so much as lii eyes to heaven, but
smOte upon q truly c0ntrite breast, a. lie
stood afar off and uttered these words
from bis heart. He had nO righteousness,
and be know it, but he had plenty Of sin,
and he knew that too. he needed mercy,
and be asked for it, and he pleaded moth
ing but his sin and Gods redemption.
His prayer might be rendered, God be
propitious to me, - or be reconCiled to me
because of atonemeut" " He, like right
eous Abd, ACKNOWLEDGED his sin and
looked I'd q sacrifice
14 III tell you this man went down To
his house justified" T" The man who want
ca nothing and asked f0r nothing received
nothing and went back tO his house a
poor, self righteous, lost soul, but the
peniteut publican who confessed lis sin
and asked for mercy received mercy and
was instantly justified from al things
from which be could not be justified BY
the law, for by the deeds Of the law no one
can be justified. But the righteousness
Of God even Christ Himself and all His
mcrits, is freely given TO every penitent
Sinner who comes to Him (Acts xiii, 80,
39; Rom. iii, 1924; x, a; III Cor. v, 21).
ID. And they brought unto Him also
infants that He would touch them, but
when the disciples saw I'D they rebuked
them" Ihc disciples did not know Him
even though thcy dwelt with Him. Even
James and John had To be reprOved more
than once, and the night before He was
crucifed He had 10 say TO another, "Have
I been 50 long time with you, and yet hast
thou not known me, Philip" All Of
them seemed TO censurc Mary's apparent
waste of precious ointment, but Jesus re-
buked them and commended her. We
need fear no ones cenSur0 If only we have
His approval Therefore let u uOvet that
above all things.
16. "I}ut Jesus called them unto Him
and slid, Suffer little children tO come
unto me and forbid them not, for Of such
Is thU kingdom of God 1t IL not their
innocence He refers TO- for all arc born in
sin, but they are helpers, dependent,
empty, self unconscious, confding, cling
ing. They are not wise and prudent
like the pharisees. but they are utterly
helpless, like the publicans, and the leper,
and the blind mon. The heirs Of the king
dom are such as these. Their need Is
their strongest Plea. and the great heart
VI compassion opens to them See some
pf the precious words to all who by faith
ia Christ Jesus. have become Gods true
little children, I'D such passages a. + John
Ill 12, aS.
III. Verify / say unto you, Whosoeyer
shall not receive the kingdom OF God as
little child shall in 40 wisu enter therein"
Unquestioning confidence in the word that
Is spoken and complete emptiness and
need-these will open the door for the full
ness Of Sod The blind men in the end Of
the chapter are the little children who en-
ter in, but such az the rich young ruler,
who II full CD Overl0wing Of his own pos
sessions, those cannot enter in.
consumption