The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-10-25
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR OCTOBER 2s.
subiect: Tho ProdiRaI Son, Luke XIV.
liza - Golden Texti Luke xv., rs =
Memory Verses, 2O.2a - Commentary
on the Days Lesson.

eubItNts Aht EOHs Inhf
ti-2i - Golden Text; Luke xv., rs :
Memory Verses, 2O.2a - Commentary
on the Days Lesson.
IL. "A certain man" The simple. un.
pretentious beginning of the most beauti
full OF all the parallels. The man is here
the image of God the Father. "Two sons"
Both are Jews. The idea that the elder
son represents the Jews. and the younger
the Gentiles is foreign to the parable but
IN character the two sons may be said TO
be representative of mankind, for we
have in them examples of two great phases
of alienation from God-thc elder is blind
ed by his self-righteousness. the younger
DEGRADED by his unrighteousness.
u. "The younger He represents
openly wicked persons such as the publi-
cans and sinners. He also renresents the
thoughtless. careless Youth Give me the
portion of goods" This will appear plain
when it is considered that it has been
custom in the East for sons to demand
and receive their portion of the inherit
ance during the fathers lifetime. "He di-
vided-his living" The yielding to the re-
quest strikingly sets forth the permission
| ot frec.wil TO man. and also the fact of
Gods bestowing many gifts upon even
the unthankful and disobedient
l3. Not many days" He had decided
upon his course and hastened TO he gone.
Gathered all together" Sinners that go
astray from God venture their all. "Tool
his Journey" lie was weary of his faith
crs government and desired greater lib
! crty. As soon as the bride OF restraining
grace is taken of we are soon gone. The
! journey the prodga took represents the
sinner in his departure from God He
went into "far country far from truth
! and virtue. Wasted his substance" So
| sinners waste the gifts God has given
them. Time. talents, energies, life, all
wasted. with riotous living" In verse
| 30 we see how low he fell His body,
mind and soul We're debascd and ruined
| IL. Spent ALL" lie did not stop until
his last dollar was gone. Ills passions
| regned. This represents the sinner who
| has thrown away the mercy, favor and
| love OF God, and has wilfully rejected the
| salvation of Christ "a mighty famine"
| The soul living at distance from God
and shut out from intercourse with Him.
will very soon feel its own utter empti-
| ness \ mighty famine will follow. "ln
/ want. Real want is soul want. The
! prodiGal now felt the effects of his dissi
| pated course. The steps downward were
""apostasy, proilgacy, penalty See Prov.
p: 81.
Is. Joined himself to citizen" The
same wicked life that before was repre-.
sented 10y rotous living is here repre-.
| scnted by servile living. for sinners are
| perfect slaves The devil is the citizen of
| that country; he is both IN city aud coum.
! try. "1o feed swine" This was doubly
degrading, and especially so to jew.
l6 would fain have been filed with
| the hus,s' Or. W The huslis were not
! the pods of some other fruit, but "thc
fruit of the carob-tree. used for feeding
swine He was driven to the extremity
of trying to satisfy his hunger with the
food that was fit only for swine. So sim
ncrs endeavor to satisfy the soul with
earthly and sensual delights. "No man
gave unto him Those whom he had
! called his friends now deserted him.
They had taken his money and then cast
him aside. Satan's agents do the same
to-day The saloonkeepcr will rob man
OF his money, health and character, and
then kick him out of the back door to
die.
H. 'Hc came to himself" Sin de.
| thrones the reason. A state of sin is a
state OF folly and madness, but the mad
ness is in the heart. Eccl. Q: g. His lack
of reason is seen, J. In that he called
for his money .. When he left home.
3. When he went to live with harlots.
4. When he undertook to satisfy his hun
ger with swine's food. But he now begins
to sense his condition and see his folly.
Those who have once known the Lord can
not derive satisfaction from the world.
Bread enough and to spare" The lowest
in my fathers house has bread to give to
the poor, Gods people are abundantlv
supplied with good things. 81 perish
with hunger Sinners will not come to
Christ until they see themselves ready to
perish.
49, 81 will arise" He had left home by
his own free viii, and he must return in
the same way. God compels no one to do
! right. "And CO. Following the deci.
sion there must be an effort put forth.
In returning TO God there is something to
do. u have snned" The first thing to
do is to make full confession of our
Against heaven" Against God Every
sin is a sin against God. "And before
thee" He had also sinned against his
earthly father. 1t is ever n token of the
sincerity OF repentance when one views
even the sins committed against others
rs transgessions against God
10. "No more worthy" He is ready to
humble himself, He knows that in justice
his father could shut the door against him
he will plead for mercy only.
20. "He arose He Immediately did all
of these things that he had decided upon.
"FIs father saw him" So God knows
when we start toward Him. Sin had made
the distance great, but as soon as the lost
one starts to return the father had com
passion. 'And ran" etc. This repre-.
sents the readiness with which God re-
ceives returning sinners,
81. IL have sinned" He makes this
confession personal; he aliases himself
This is always the result of true repent
ance. And am no more worthy" All
true penitents feel their unworthiness
They are conscious that they deserve
nothing but death, and their only hope is
in the mercy of Christ.
%. but the father The father did
not wait until he had finished his confes
sion. In this we see the great affection
of the father and his willingness TO for
give. Said to his servants" The faith
er's joy is full, and he instantly issued or
ders to celebrate his return. Bring
forth quickly" Or. W Let us show al
once by our actions that the wanderer is
fully reinstated. "Put a ring on his hand
A sign of affection and that he was free
man. There is no license given here tc
adorn the body, es some have vainly tried
to show. The true standard for sucl
adorning is given by Paul and Peter.
Tim, .; 0, 10; | Pet. 3; 3, 4.
%. "Be merry" BE joyful and happy
The Bible gives the children of God Ii
cense to shout for JOY When Christ re
stores the wanderer there is general re
ioicing, and he is Immediately treated as
son. The best that God has is given
him, and the past is entirely blotted out.
"a. "Was dead" Lost to all good
given up to all evil" "Is alive again
Here was special cause for rejoicing. Who
would not be partaker of this ioyy