Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-05-12
wATcHFuLNEss.
international sunday SCHOOL Lesson
for Nny -. It:s-.


come.-Matt. z4.s2.
TIME.-Tuesday afternoon, April 4. A. D.
30. The same day cur last lesson. but
after Jesus had left the temple.
PLACE.-The Mount Of Olives, overlook
ing Jerusalem. on the way to Bethany.
LESSON EXPOSITION.
l. The Dn1y 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 Oliyet, overlooking the beauti-
full city 50 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, hatred, 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 2I:26). Then comes a
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. A Parable.
VS.. 42-44. 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
(Which coming some of them were to
witness, Matt. "a: 3O-34; Mark 9:1); 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 worldliness in the community;
our sinful hearts and desires; unbelief,
insidious temptations which gradually
lead astray before we are aware. We
are beset by perpetual temptations to
sleep, to spiritual drowsiness and tor
por. IAN opium sky rains down sopo-
rifles" The last thing we should have
is sleepy religion.
The reasons for watching are:
First. The great value 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. Ham
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 ma
ton. I'm the temple, during the night,
the captain of the temple made his
rounds, and the guards had TO rise at
his approach and salute him in a par
ticular manner. Any guard found
asleep on duty was beaten or his gar
ments We're set on fire. Compare Rev.
1G:15.) M. r. Vincent.
III. How to Watch; and the Reward.
VS.. 45-47. Our Lord here puts honor
upon those who serve Him by compar-
ing them, not to a mental or ordinary
slave, but to the intelligent. faithful
and trusted head slave of the house
hold. like Joseph in Potiphar's house.
Broadus
THAT promotion shall not be like
earthly promotion, wherein the emf
hence of ono excludes that of another
but rather like the diffusion of love, in
which the more each has the more
there is for all."-Alford. So each saint
owns all Gods possessicns, even now
q Cor. 3:21-22).-Abbott.
The reward is both outward and in
ward, more glorics, and blessings, ard
joys, and larger capacities for useful
ness and enjoyment. Larger fields and
wider spheres are given. greater oppor-
tunities for doing good and a clearer
perception of God, fuller reception of
all that makes Heaven what it is.
~. Failure TO Watch; and It's Con-
sequences.-ys. 1851. The unfaithf full
minister or Christian takes the very
means God has put in his hands for the
aid Of His cause and the blessing of men
and inappropriate them to selfish
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 hand
with laNity toward ourselves. Perse-
cution Of others implies wrong in us.
p. The great historical contrast be-
tween the Inquisition and Indulgences
will easily occur to the reader-Lange.
Dante's Inferno. In the eighth cir
Gle, and fifth pit. Dante saw the hypo-
critics. we found a painted people"
They lad hoods lowered before their
eyes made of the same cut as those OF
the monks III Cluny Outwardly they
are gilded 50 that il dazzles. but within
all lead. and So heavy that Frederick
put them on Of straw" (alluding to the
leaden cloaks which Emperor Frederick
II. caused to be put on criminals. who