Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-17
CHRISTIAN ENpEAvoR.
Topic For Week Beginning Mnrci
2D--Commcnt by ucv. y. ~. Doyle.

2D--Comrucnt by rev. y. H. Doyle.
Toric..-Tho glory Of o,edienec. -Nath xxi. 2s.
49,
The topic Is illustrated by the par
able OF the two Sons, in which Christ
leads the fault finding Jews TO con-
denim themselves and pay n tribute to
the obedience of the geDtiles.
THE PARABLE.
"a certain man had two sons, and he
came TO the first and said. Son, 90
work today in my vineyard He an.
swered and said. I will not, but after
ward he repented and went. Ard he
came to the second and said likewise.
And he answered and said, j go, SIR
and he went not. Whether OF the twain
did the will of his fatheri'
THE INTERPRETATION.
The father Is God. The first son rep
resents the gentiles, the second the
Jews. The vineyard is the church.
The gentiles represent the unregen-
crate sinner who makes no pfetenslon.
at the first call, to serve God; but,
then. after thought and consideration,
he repents and does serve him. The
Jews, on the other hand. pretended to
serve God, but were hypocritical in
their Dretenses. They said. ii go. sir"
but went not. OF the two classes, the
former. of course, came nearer to do
ing the will Of God.
THE APPLICATION.
Thoigh Christ spoke this parable for
the benefit of tho chief priests and eld-
ers " ho were trying to entrap Him.
yet it has universal application. The
representatives of these two types of
people have been In the world in all
ages Hnd are here today. The first
makes no pretenslon of serving God
and often boasts of the fact that they
are not hypocrities at least but this
does not relieve them of the sin of dis
obedience. The man who shamelessly
and boastfully proclalms his disobe-
dienco does not thereby relieve himself
of it. 1t Is not the confession of the
hoaster. 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 1t would have been had
he 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
noblest glory shines round our obe-
dience when at the first command, go
work" we answer, II 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 it.
They say. 'I o,"snnd go not. They
have the form of godliness, but not the
power. They have.a name to live, but
are dead. Let us guard ourselves
against the error OF this, class. Ie we
have said. II 60" let us go; let us will
ingly obey. at any cost or sacrifice. for
II 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
I unto God.
| THE PRAYER MEETING.
Haye q Bible class meeting. Let the
Header have Bible in his hand as he
opens the topic, passing it to another
when he closes, as n signal for him to
take part, and he to another. until all
have taken part. 90 .h.
Bible Readings. lex. xix, 5, 6; xiii,
20-22; Lev. XVI II; Deut, xviii
Ill; | Sam, Nv, 22; lisa. |, 1920; Jer.
vii, %; XVI, II, 13; xxxviii, 1920;
Acts V, 20; Rom, V, 10; Phil. ii, 5-12
Heb. xl, $40; Rev. xii IA.