Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-03-21

fopic For Week Beginning March
2J-Commcnt by.Rex. 8. II. DOYLE.

fopic For Week Beginning March
2J-Commcnt by'Rev. $. III. Doyle.
Torrc.--Ths glory of obedience.-Math. XXI Is
a
The topic is illustrated by the par
able of the two sons. in which Christ
leads the fault finding Jews to con-
demn themselves and pay a tribute to
the obedience OF the gentiles.
THE PARABLE.
"a certain man had two sons, and he
came to the first and said, Son, go
work today in nay vineyard He an
swered ami said, L will not but after
ward he repented and went. And he
came to the second and said likewise.
And he answered and said. L go, sir.
and he went not. Whether of the twain
did the will of his father"
TIE INTERPRETATION.
The father IS God. The first son rep
resents the Eentiles, the second the
Jews The vineyard is the church,
TIL gentiles represent the unregen-
crate sinner, who makes no pretension.
AT the first call, to serve God; but,
then. after thought and consideration.
he repents and does serve him. Thc
jews. on the other hand, pretended to
serve God, but were hypocritical in
their pyetenses. They said. Il go, sir,
but went not. OF the two classes, the
former. of course, came nearer to do
ing the will of God.
THE APPLICATION.
Though Christ spoke this parable for
the benefit of the chief priests and eld-
ers who were trying to entrap Him.
yet it has a universal application. The
representatives of these two types of
people have been in the world in all
ages and are here today. The first
makes no pretension of serving God
and often boasts of the fact that they
are not hypoerities at least, but this
does not relieve them of the sin of dis
obedience. The man who shamelessly
and boastfully proclaims his disobe-
dience does not thereby relieve himself
of ii. 1t is not the confession of the
boaster. but the confession of the peni-
tent, that brings forgiveness and par
don. 1t was only when this son repent
ed and obeyed his father that he was
worthy of praise, and, therefore. how
much better it would have been had
Ire willingly obeyed from the first call.
And what a risk be ran in disobeying
for time! The opportunity to repent
and to do his fathers will might never
have come to him again. 1t is only by
comparison with the other class that
glory is attached to his obedience. The
Inoblest glory shines round our ODE
dience when at the first command, go
work" we answer, Il go, sir and
then go.
The second class represents those
whose religion is only a hypocritical
pretense- They profess to be doing
Gods will while they are not doing 1t.
They say. Il GO and go not. They
have the form of godliness. but not the
power. They have name to live, but
are dead. Let us guard ourselves
against the error of this class. If we
have said, Il ge." let us go; let us will
ingly obey, at any cost or sacrifice. for
If we do not obey God we shall come
short of the glory of God. obedience
is better than sacrifice" for without
obedience no sacrifice is acceptable
unto God
THE PRAYER MEETING.
Have a Bible class meeting. Let the
leader have n Bible in his hand as he
opens the topic, passing it to another
when he closes. as a signal for him to
take part. and he to another, until all
have taken part,
Bible Readings.-Ex. xix, 5, G; xiii.
oo-22: Lev. XVI, II; Deut. xviii,
Ill; | Sam. XIV. %: lisa. i. 1920; Jer.
vii, %; XVI. 10, Is: xxxvlii. 1870;
Acts V. %; Rom. V, 10; Phil.'i. 5-12;
Heb. xi, $40; Rev. xxi, IA.