Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-05-10
WATCHFULNESS.
international Sunday School Lesson
for May Is, 1898.


BIASED upon Peloubet's Select Notes.1
THE LESSON.-Matthew 24:42-5l Read
chapters q, a. and Romans 141-13
GOLDEN TExT.-Watch therefore: for
We know not what hour your Lord doth
come--Matt- Pap
TIME--Tuesday afternoon, April 4. A. D.
80. The same day as our last lesson, but
after Jesus had left the temple.
PLACE--The Mount of Olives. overlook
ing Jerusalem. on the way to Bethany.
LESSON EXPOSITION.
I. The Duty of the Hour-to Watch.-
V. AZ. Watch therefore. In view Of
the things which Jesus had just been
telling them, as He sat with them on the
brow of Olivet, overlooking the beauti-
full city so soon to be destroyed. AS in
panorama the future sweeps before
their vision-the destruction of the
city and its temple, wars, famines, pes
tilences, earthquakes, h1tred, betray-
ais, tribulations, death; the sun and
the moon darkened, the stars falling
from heaven, false prophets arising, de-
ceiving almost the very elect. Men
fainting for fear and for expectation
of the things which are coming on the
world" (Luke 21:2G). Then comes
wider sweep OF the prophetic vision,
and they see the end of the world, and
the day of judgment, of which the de-
struction of Jerusalem and of the jew
ish nation and the end of the old dis
pensation were symbols and types.
II. Reasons for Watching. 4 Parable.
VS.. 42-4+. The coming of the Lord re-
fers not only to the great day of His
coming to judgment and in final tri-
umph, but to His coming at Pentecost,
and at the destruction of Jerusalem
witness, Matt. 24:3O-3A; Mark 0:I; and
applies to every crisis of our lives, every
parting Of the ways, and especially the
hour of death.
The Things Which Tend to Put Us to
Sleep: The delay Of the coming; cold
ness and worls!liness in the community;
our sinful hearts and de>ires; unbelief,
insii;ous temptations which gradually
lead ast1ay before we are aware. We
are beset by perpetual temptations to
sleep, to spiritual drowsincss and tor
por. An opium sky rains down sopo-
rifics.' The last thing we should have
is sleepy religion.
The reasons for watching are:
First. The great :aluc of the things
we should watch for.
Second. The greatness of the dangers
we are TO watch against.
! Third The hour of His coming is un-
! known. There is no doubt about the
fact OF His coming. In all that future
which lies before US. these are the only
two events of which We are absolutely
certain: Our own approaching death,
our Lords approaching advent"
ma. We also know that many oppor-
tunities to do good. many crises of our
lives, many temptations, are certain to
come, but what ones we do not know
Fourth. Not to be ready when He
does come is certain loss and disaster
Illustration. Sleeping on guard is
ever punished with death, because on
the carefulness of the watch may de-
pend the safety of the army and the na.
ton. In the temple, during the night
the captain OF the temple made his
rounds, and the guards had to rise q,
ticular manner. Any guard found
asleep on duty was beaten or his gar
ments were set on fire. Compare Rev
1o:15 IN. r. Vincent.
III. How to Watch; and the Reward
Us 45-47. Our Lord here puts honor
upon those who serve Him by compar
ing them. not to mental or ordinary
| 81 h1,< To ho 60; ~ g.,
and trusted head slave of the house
hold, like Joseph in Potiptar's house,
Broadus.
THAT promotion shall not be like
earthly promotion, wherein the emf
nence of one excludes that Of another
but rather like the diffusion of love, il
which the more each has the more
there is for all"-Alford S. each sa;n
owns all Gods possessions, even nov
Il Cor. 3:21-22) Abbott.
The reward is both outward ard in
ward, more glorics, and blessings. ARK
joys, and larger capacities for useful
ness and enjoyment. Larger fields ane
wider spheres are given, greater oppor
tunities for doing good and a cleare
!
all that makes Heaven what it is.
". Failure to Watch: and It's Con
sequcnces--Vs- 1851. The unfaithfu
minister or Christian takes the yer,
means God has put in his hands for tn,
cid of His cause and the blessing of me,
and misappropriates them to selfs]
uses. The two forms of sin most com
mon to those in high places are oppres
sion and self-indulgence. - Abbott
Tyranny over others goes hand in hane
with ladty toward ourselves Perse
cution of others implies wrong in US
p. The great historical contrast be
tween the Inquisition and Indulgence:
will easily occur to the reader.-Lange
Dante's Inferno. In the eighth cir
Gle. and fifth pit, Dante saw the hypo
critics. eve found painted people.
They had hoods lowered before thei
eyes made of the same cut as those O
the monks in Cluny. Outwardly the,
are gilded so that it dazzles, but within