Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-05-19
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON vln, C-CoNo QUARTER, IN
TERNSTioSAL SERIES, Hay 60
Tex, OF the lesson. Math. xiii. is
and Is-..;1--SienoTy Verses. -. -
Golden Text. Luke viii. II - Conn
nentary by the Rev. ID. n. stensns.


Eaentary BY the rev. d. II. stensns.
lcopynsh,. 1900. BY D NJ s,earusl
/, The same day went Jesus ont Of
the house anu sat by the seaside" 81.
though these words describe an actual in
cident in His daily Efe, they are ve.y
suggestive of His leaving the house If
Israel to gather from the sea of nations
chosen people who will share His king
dom with Hsm. Having determined TO
kin Him u2-l4l, lie began to speak in
parallels that unbelieyers might not un-
derstand the secrets of His kingdom
verses 10 IL, for the secret OF the Lord
is with them that fear Lin. and He will
skew them Ills covenant FPS. XIV, III.
>. He went into a ship and sat- aud
the whole multitude stood on the shore.
We think OF His teaching from Simon
Peters boat ON another occasion luke
v, 81, and we sought to learn then that
He will use any vessel that is yielded TO
him. He will Use any one who is will
irg to lei Tim live in them aud SPEAK
through them. The power either 10 live
or speak is all of Him, and we have the
Treasure in earthcu vessels that the ex-
cellency OF the power may be of God and
not of US I'll Cor. iv. -.
3. Behold a sower went forth to sow"
He begins series of seven parallels. all
spoken on this same day, with the parable
of the sower. -Four of the seven were
spoken publicly and three privately in
the house to the disciples only. The
whole seven cover this present age. the
mysteries of the kingdom verse III, or
the time between the rejection and the
of a No, .,f
the parallels of the sower and of the
tares was given to the disciples privately
when they were alone with Him in the
house (Alark iv. 10l The sower soweth
the word. The seed is the word Of God
Mark iv, IA; Luke viii, III. 1t viii new
er return to Him void. but will accom-
plish all His pleasures lisa ", III.
4. "Some seeds fell by the waysdc, and
the fowls came and devoured them up. .
In Luke viii, ;, it is added that it was
trodden down. The four different kinds
of soiP describe the four different classes
who hear the word of God. Only those
who hear the word of God are included
in these parallels, and we see in them
how the word of God will be treated by
those who hear il during the whole of
this age or dispensation It'll He come"
Is, 10. Our Lords own explanation Is
that the wayside hearers are those who
hear, but for some reason do not under
stand and the wicked one. the devil, rep
resented by the birds, catches away the
word lest they should believe and be saw
ed. Those who have always heard the
gospel. but have never with meekness
received the word tJas. i, 81; John xviii
s., yet continue to sit under the preach
ing of the word from week to week. are
Il H.
have heard it all again and again, and to
them ii is the same old story and unat-
tractive. They count themselves reli-
gious because they go regularly to church,
at least once "A day. and always contrib
ute something TO help pay expenses Per
haps they are church members in good
standing: they may be trustees or even
elders, but whatever they may he before
men. if they have not truly received the
Living Word even Christ Himself John
i, IL; John V. ~. they are not saved.
3, 6. NO deepness Of earth. and when
the sun was mp they were scorched: and
because they had no root they withered
away" Luke viii. q. says, 1T withered
away because it lacked moisture" The
explanation ia verses 20. u. is that these
hearers receive the word with JOY, but
cannot stand tribulation or persecution
for the words sake. or as Luke viii. 49,
says. In time Of temptation fall away"
These Ike the wayside hearers, are not
saved people. They can and do seem 10
appreciate a good sermon; they talk with
interest of some of the things of God
and as long as all is wen with them they
seem 10 be real Christians. but when they
are in trials for Christ's sake or are spo.
ken against by others who bear His name
o. 81 ttvr
or of such people, they do not see "Jesus
only:" they are not staid upon Jehovah;
they are absent from church and prayer
meeting and soon back in the world.
where they really belong. They are de-
scribed in Heb vi. 4-6: John ii. 10. etc.
z. And some fell among thorns and
the thorns sprung up and choked them.
Mark iv. {. says 1T yielded no fruit.
The explanation in verse % is that the
cares of this world and the deceitfulness
of richness choke the word and il becom-
eth unfruitful. Mark Nv, 10, adds. 1.-THE
lusts of other things" Luke viii. H.
says they bring no fruit 10 perfection. II
seems TO me that this class Of hearers
represent saved ones who will be saved
as by fire II Cor. iii, l5) saved. but with
out rewards: no crowns to east at His
feet: Christians but not disciples; glad
to be saved by linn, but not willing 20
deny self and follow Him. The cost OF
salvation was wholly paid by our Lord
Jesus Christ and is free gift TO every
true penitent, but the cost of discipleship
falls upon the saved one who. If he would
be a disciple, must forsake all aud follow
Christ.
S But other fell into good ground
and brought forth fruit, some an hun |
dredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirty |
fold" Mark iv. 8 says, Fruit that |
sprang up and increased" The explana- |
ton in verse % is that the good ground |
represents those who hear the word and |
understand il, or as in Luke viii -. !
'"rhey who IN an honest aud good heart. |
having heard the word keep it and bring |
forth fruit with patience" Froln John
XIV we learn that the one thing God seeks |
in us Is frultfulness, fruit. more fruit. /
much fruit, that the Father may be |