Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-05-05
1AE MARRIAGE FEAsr.
International Sunday school Lesson
for May =. lS9S

GOLDEN Tf-NT-CoTae; for all things
are now ready.-Luke 15I7.
TIAtE.-russ day, April &. A. 4. So. three
days b9tore The crac4aNion; TWO days after
car last lesson
PLACE.-Tae temple at Jerusalem.
EXPLANATION
I. The bridegroom and the Bride
Us. /, :. For Ills Son. Jesus the Christ
who loves She Bible. His church. woos her,
makes her His own, takes her to His
home 10 abide in indispensable love and
joy forever He is our souls ideal, and
never 6sappoints us. He has in the
highest spiritual sense all that can be
desired-rauk wealth. home, resources.
character, love, usefulness, attractive
ness.
The Bride. The church as an ideal
whole is the bride; the individual be-
levers are the true guests. riddle
We have III Rev. 81 and - most de-
lightful picture of the Lambs WIFE
"a bride adorned for her husband" in
conceivably beautiful, like gold, as it
We're transparent glass" shining with
the light of God. pure rs crystal. with
~ mmraer of fruits, and useful for the
healing Of the nations.
II. The Invitation to the Wedding
vs.. 8, T. 1t is still customary in the
east not only TO give an invitation some
time beforehand. but to send round
servants al the proper time to inform
the invited guests that all things are
ready.-Kitto. This notification was
easy because "the guests were close to-
Cether in an eastern city, and neees-
sarv, because they We're not generally
supplied with timepieces. - roadus.
The Wedding Feast Was Ready The
fulness OF the time had come. The
world was in the best condition for the
coming of Christ Never before or
since has there been so fttinga time
one government. one language, peace,
roads, synaeogues Of the Jews every
where. The staying Of the animals is an
allusion to sacrifice. Only when the
Lamb was slain on Calvary were all
things ready Tor the marriage.
The servants who invited represented
all Gods inspired messengers, Moses
and the prophets, and John the Pap
list. The 'other servants" were Christ
Himself as prophet, and His apostles.
The guests were the individuals, who
together make "the Bride, the Lambs
wife"
III The Invitation Refused. Tvs. ST.
In two ways.
First. by neglect. 5. Made light Of it:
They took no notice OF what had been
done for them. All was as nothing COM
pared with their farm and merchan-
dise-to enjoy what they had and to ac-
quire more
Second. Active Opposition. 6. And
the remnant: The rest Took tseized)
His servants and entreated them spite
fully: Insulted them, prosecuted them.
And slew them: As the Jewish nation
had done to many prophet in their
past history, and as they were soon TO
DO again to the preachers of the Gospel.
Activeopposition to the Gospel has often
arisen when it has come in conflict with
the evils of the world.
The Destruction Of the Wicked. %
II is after every influence To make thens
better has been exhausted (2l 1t is a
Just punishment (3) It is necessary
for the salvation of mankind. Without
it evil would destroy the world There
fore % even the judgments of God arc
the offspring Of mercy and love.
~. The Wider Welcome.-Vs. $40.
There is no condition Of coming to
Christ, but just TO come. The bad are
invited that they may be made good
Ct Cor. G:9-1). Of the good" VA
thanael and Cornelius are Illustrations;
Of the bad" Matthew and Zacchaeus,
and SaulofTarsus. Abbott The beauti-
fui words of Augustine on Chrst's love
to His church may find here their APP
plicatiou lie loved her foul that he
might make her fair. "-Tronch. Yet
the good are not TOO good to need the
Gospel. nor the bad 50 bad as to have
no hope If they win accept il Whedon
The wedding was furnished with
guests; Christ's purposes and plans
shall not fail. Here VIZ have the assur-
ance Of the success Of the Gospel.
Y. The Guest Without Wedding
Garment. VS. lisa. H. Saw there a
man which had not on wedding gar
ment: Either "a a dress or his own
suitable for the royal wedding coca
sion, Just as now on dress occasions, and
especially III royal receptions, special
dress is required, and those who do not
come thus dressed are excluded; or (2)
more probably garment TO bc pat over
the usual dress furnished by the king
himself to all the guests on their ar
rival a the palace, before they entered
the halls of the feast
The Wedding Garment is the robe Of
Righteousness, the new heart, the new
spiritual nature, which the Holy Spirit
imparts to everyone who accepts n,
invitation This festal garment Of
Heaven seems to be no other than that
celestial temper which mauifests itself
Ivy the inf1llible indications Of holy
10y; holy happiness public and IS
pressed, inward spiritual happiness. de-
veloped By the presence Of God. and the
consciousness Of Heaven, into visible
manifestatian-tbis Is the wedding gar
mcnt which Christ bcholds anl approves
in the saved. " ~ archer Butler