Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-05-08
The SUNDAY SCHOOL,
LESSON VI, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 10.

DRY verso, I0-lI-Golden TC-t, Luke
xviii, 13-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
This is called lesson on prayer but it
might bC better called 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 Pharisecs were told that
1t was among them or in their midst. not
within them (chaptcr xy4', 81, margin or
r. W, for it could nos In my sense be in
such Christ hatcrs as 'lsg re. but it was
in their very midst, in IT, 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 OH this earth. Self righteous
Pharisces and rich idolatcrs, however
moral, and all who love this present world
cannot enter this kingdom, but helpless
blind bcggars and such as have the spirit
of u little child, they can enter. The condi-
ton of things on earth will become moro
and more like the days of Noah and of Lot
till the Son cf Man shall come.
8. "And He spake this parable unto Ger
tain which trusted in themselves that they
were righteous and dcspiscd others" Tho
previous part of the chapter speaks of the
coming of the son of Man rs time when
God shall avengc His own elcct-that is
His elect Israel for His elect church does
not cry for vengeance, but the redemption
OF Israel Is always associated with venge-
ance upon her enemies lisa. xXxiv, s;
XXXV, i; XIII, -. In verse He asks if
thcre snail be any faith on earth or the
1alth when this time comes. The church
As..~ Il.
having been taken to meet her Lord before
lie comes 10 aNenge HIS elect Israel, 1t Will
De u dark time. There will be many trust
ing IN thelr own righteousness, but there
Will also De an allllcteu ana poor people
VINO Will trust IN the Lord CIeph. iii, 12).
H. Two men went up INTO tho temple
TO pray the one Pharlsee and the other
a publican Inc Pharlsees trusted in
thelr own righteousness 1t Is written of
them III Rom X 3, that being Ignorant of
Oou righteousness, and going about to
estaDllSh thelr own righteousness, they did
not submit themselves unto the righteous
ness OF God. Our Lord said to them that
they would see braham, Isaac and Jacob,
all the prophets ana many from north,
south' caSt ana west IN the Kingdom of
Cod put they themselves thrust out (Luke
Kill 20 ~: lie also SAID that unless one
hau more righteousness than that OF the
scrlpes ana fnaflsees IL would be lmpos-
slple 10 enter the klnguom (Math. V, 2O).
H. H. Inns Is the record OF the Iharl-
see SO calleu prayer AS given by INN VINO
rch,'a our hearts, whose eyes are as IL lame
vi ure' 1hcro Is not one petltlon III 1t. lie
ulu hot ask 200 Tor Il simple thing but
!ust told "od what good fellow he was
IN MS own estimation and how thankful
nc was lor 10 lie mentioned -FOUR things
tnat ne ana not DO ana two things that he
ana. There were thus just six things in
MS llttle tax with God about hil'self,
ana SIX Is the number OF man, as 666 Is
the number ot the beast, the man who
Will ne satan lncarnate There was no
mummy no sense or sin, no knowledge
OF Uod nor ot himself, yet he thought that
he prayed, ana no doubt went away feel
ing we'll pleaseu with himself. lie Is Il
picture OF multltudes OF religious people
To-Day VINO attend church regularly, but
arc no more saved than he was. In their
own estimation they are not sinners never
were Ihey were born children of God by
natural birth or II not then, they think 1t
was an 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
uesplscu TOD way and loved his own.
49, God be merclful to me sinner.
ms Is the substance of the prayer of the
poor ueSpised publican who would not lift
up so much as his eyes to heaven, but
smote upon II truly contrlte breast, as he
stood aiar on ana uttered these words
from ms heart tie had no righteousness,
ana ne knew 1t, but he had plenty of sin,
ana he knew that too He needed mercy,
ana ne asked Tor 1t, and he pleaded moth
ing but his sin ana Gods redemption.
HIS PRAYER might be rendered, God bo
propltlous to me- or be reconciled to me
because OF atonement. lie, like right
eous Abel acknowledged his sin and
looked to sacrifice,
II. Il tell You this man went down to
his house justified. The man who want
Ell nothing ana asked for nothing received
nothing and went back to his house