The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-10-18
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR OCTOBER n.
Subjects The Lost sheep and the Lost
Coin, Luke xv., 1-1O-Goiden Text
Luke xv., 10 - Memory Verses, Al
Commentary on the Days Lesson.

Subjects The Lost sheep and the Lost
Coin, Luke xv., 1-1O-Goiden Text
Luke xv., 10 - Memory Verses, Al -
Commentary on the Days Lesson.
l. "Then drew near unto Him" They
were drawing near unto Him (R. W TO
hear Him. They came to His ministry
with an assurance that lie would receive
them into His kingdom. 'Publicans and
sinners" The publicans were the tax.
gatherers. They were odious TO the whole
nation on account OF their occupation and
their unscrupulousness in carrying il on
and were persons from whom the religious
held aloof because of their gross and sen
sual life "To hear Him" They did not
come merely to see Him, or to solicit for
cures. but to hear His excellent doctrine
and the instruction He gave They came
to see Jesus because they were peuitent
n fact which should have led the Pharisees
to rejoice rather than to murmur.
.. "rhe Pharisees." The leading party
among the Jews: "the orthodox defenders
of the law" They were very strict out.
wardly. but neglected the weirhtcr mat.
ters OF the law. such as justice, mercy;
humility and purity of heart And
Scrbes' The teachers of the law. also
called lawyers and doctors OF the law"
Many OF them were Pharisees and also
members of the SanLedrin. "Murmured. -
The proud murmur and condemn; the
humble hear aud learn. They found fault
with Him ID because lie allowed outcasts
and vicious persons to approach Him, and
(2l because lie associated with them. "Re.
ceiyeth sinners Yes. precious truth!
Christ rcceiveth sinful men. lie takes
them in His arms forgives and saves
them. and admits them into the circle of
disciples They kept far from other rcli-
gious teachers. but We're drawn to Christ.
And cateth with them This was con.
gIIpTp1 apunHn lpngs IL a. tla
tradition of the elders Jesus was the
friend of the sinner. but not of the sin:
they hated the sinner Jesus associated
with sinners for the purpose OF drawing
them away from their sins TO Himself.
3. .lle spake this parable In order TO
justify His course and show the true spirit
of the gosuel to the lost lie speaks the
parallels of this lesson. Something like
this parable we had in Matthew 1912.
There it was designed to show the care
God takes for the preservation of saints.
as reason why we should not offend
them; here it is designed to show the
pleasure God takes in the conversion OF
sinners, as a reason why we should rejoice
in it.
4. "What man of YOU" The words are
emphatic. He makes it personal and APP
peals to their ordinary human feelings.
II they would pity a lost sheep ought He
to be criticised for showing pity to lost
Ullls II ne lOSt ONE OF lutllls llt
whole flock Of mankind, both jews and
Gcntles, belongs to the divine Shepherd.
The lost sheep is an emblem of needless,
thoughtless sinner, one who follows the
corrupt dictates of his own heart, without
ever rejecting upon his conduct. No
creature is more detcusclcss, or more in
danger OF being devoured by dogs and
wild beasts than Il sheep. Who but a
Pharisee or a devil would find fault with
the shepherd who endcavors TO rescue his
sheep from danger and runi Leave the
ninety and nine" Not that the shepherd
does not have care for the ninety and
nine-thcy are all precious to him, but
they are safe. 1t is the lost one that now
needs his attention. In the wilderness.
The plains on which the sheep We're pas
tured. All uncultvatcd ground was
called Wilderness Go after that which
is lost" Sinners are lost to God, lost to
holiness and heaven Jesus goes after
them, by His spirit, by His proyidcnces
through His written word, by His church
He searches diligently with a ''yearning,
| active, tender sympathy with n heart
filled with true love, bent on finding and
restoring the wundereL
5. Hath found it," This is not to be
understood as teaching that Christ saves
men Independent of any action ON their
part See ON verse 7. "Ou His shoulders"
He bore our sins in His own body on the
2S. Rejoicing" Love and pity explain
the genteness with which the shepherd
treats the sheep when he finds it. Mercy
for the lost one and joy within himself
are the shepherds feelings.
@. "lle calleth together The JOY is so
great that it needs to be impaired Those
who are animated by the same compassion
the shepherd manifested will rejoice with
him This sheep was of no greater value
than any one of the ninety and nine that
had not wandered away; it was the rescue
that caused the rejoicing.
Z. "Joy shall be in heaven" The angels
take an interest in the affairs of this
world. They rejoice ". l0) when the lost
return. Chat repenteth" Sinners must
repent in order to be saved, The parable
represents the shepherd as finding the
sheep, taking it upon his shoulders and
carrying it TO the fold, the sheep having
no will in the matter; but in the applica-
ton let us remember that the sinner de
cides whether he will accept or reject the
teaches; !. That man is lost % by ig-
norance of the truth (2l By falling into
vice. (3) BY his own heedlessness. .
That he may be found and restored, (l)
Christ is seeking him. (2) He must re.
pent. g. That his recovery occasions JOY
~ To himself (2) To Christ i3) Ic
friends and neighbors. (4) To angels.
8. ''If she lose one piece" The same
as the Greek drachma aud the Roman de
narius. In value about l6 cents. This par
able illustrates the precousness OF the hui
| man soul. The loss OF one out of ten is
much more serious one than in the pre-
ceding parable. Seek diligently A new
idea is brought out in this parable, Pity
moved the shepherd, but self-interest
moved the woman to search for the coin,
| And so Christ teaches that man has value
| in the sight of God l. The owner of the
| coin as representing God is, (l) anxious to
find that which is lost, (2) diligent in seek,
ing in dark places, (3) successful, (4) filed
with Joy at the recovery. 2. The coin as
representing man is, (ll of real value, (2)
unconscious of loss (3) helpless. But man
| is different from the coin in that he is
an active, responsible being, and must re-
pent in order to return to God.
0. "Rejoice with me-" The cause of re-
joicing was that the coin had been found
not that it was of greater value than the
other pieces which had not been lost
When sinners come to Christ, God, good
men and angels all rejoice. II these Phar-
isees had not been so blind they might
have seen how little of the spirit OF heaven
they had within them; they found fault
when Jesus received and saved the lost.
10. "Over one sinner" One soul is pre-
cious. TO be associated with Christ in the
work of saving men is the highest calling
we can engage in in this world. Let us
all strive to be soul winners