The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-03-27

1od endless love! what VIII II be
When earthly shadows flee away,
For all eternity's bright day.
The unfolding of that love to see?
--Maltbie d. Babeock.
The Parallels.
To the Editor-Please explain Matthew
IL: a.. Who is the merchantinan, and who
are the pearls ?-Reader.
The parable of the merchantman and the
pearl OF great price and the parable of the
treasure hid in field were both designed
TO illustrate the teaching that man cannot
pay too high price for eternal life. 1t is
the same truth that Jesus taught in q still
more pointed way when a very rich young
man-who was also very good young
man, up to the measure of his understand
ing of life's bligations-kneeled before
Him on the public road and asked what
he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus
said. "Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give
TO the poor, and thou shalt have treasure
in heaven; and come, take up the cross
and follow Me-" Mark 10: 2D And He
taught it again when He said, III thine eye
cause thee to stumble, cast it out it is
good for thee to enter the kingdom of God
with one eve rather than having two eyes
TO be cast into hell"
1t is not worth while to debate over the
symbols used in our Lords parallels. One
man might attach one meaning to one OF
the symbols and another another, and yet
they might be both right or both wrong
in their Interpretation of the parable as 6
whole. The important thing in each case
is to get at the truth which the parable
was intended to set forth, and that is usu
aly quite easy if we look directly and sim.
ply Mt the picture presented by our Lord
and no not try to exercise our ingenuity
in thinking up hidden or unlikely mean
ings to Try and make the parable agree
with our ideas of truth.
The parallels of our Lord were not in
tended TO be interpreted literally or to
have a meaning attached to each sentence
Each parable is designed to set forth some
great truth in regard to the kingdom OF
heaven which Jesus had come to set up on
earth. and the whole parable should be
read in its relation to that truth. Other
wise very false ideas with regard to the
character and manner of the kingdom will
inevitably be found in the parallels.
For instance, it is easy to make the para
BE of Dives and Lazarus teach that hell
or purgatory, is a place purihcation; foi
the rich man, who was utterly selfish OH
earth, is represented as having developed
a missionary spirit in hades.
In like manner the parable of the "Un
just Steward might be made to teach that
righteousness is not so important as
shrewdness; for it is written that chs
lord >mmended the unjust steward be.
cause he had done wisely"-although his
wisdom consisted in swindling his lord
Or again, the parable of the "lmportu
nate Widow might be used to teach that
God grants prayers only to get rid OF the
petitioners without any regard to the quail
ity of the prayer.
And the parable of the "Laborers in the
Vineyard" might easily be used to prove
that it would make no difference to man
in the end whether he had served God al
his life or had only begun in old age.
Common sense must always be used in
the Interpretation of the Bible if we want
to have an intelligent comprehension of its
teaching. The Bible was intended princi.
pally for simple-minded folk; not TO givs
ingenious people an opportunity to display
their ingenuity. Some religious teachers
get great credit for knowledge and under
standing of the Scriptures, because they
bring new ideas out Of them. And there Is
n class of religious people who are always
running after such teaching. and wht
whenever they get a new thought which
pleases them say they have got such q
blessing" from the sermon or address tc
which they have been listening. These
people have an altogether erroneous idee
Of the religion of Christ, which does not
consist in running after new IDEAS but ir
doing new works.-New York Witness.