Evening journal., 1905-10-09
THE GOSPEL
OF THE KINGDOM
Thirteenth Study in Exposi-
ton Of Book of Matthew
by Pastor Pettingill
THE SEVEN MYSTERY PARALLELS

yesterday morning service at
North Baptist Church was devoted to
the observance Of "Old Folks Day"
which is an annual feature Of the
church. Pastor William L. Pettingill
preached a special sermon appropriate
TO the character of the service. The
study in Matthew was deferred until
.evening. when the pastor gave an eX-
position of the thirteenth chapter, as
follows
The thirteenth chapter Of Matthew
contains seven parallels in which the
rejected Messiah sets forth the condi-
tion of the Kingdom of Heaven after
It's rejection by Israel and until the re-
turn of the King. The number seven
always suggests completeness and the
parallels give a complete view of the
present Dispensation, extending from
our Lords personal ministry. follow
ling Israels rejection to His personal
return at the end of the age. This
lsevenfold preview of the Dispensation
ldiffers from that contained i'm the sew
len epistles of The Revelation in che.
Iin Matthew we have in view the whole
Kingdom, while ia The Revelation the
picture is confined to the churches IN
both pictures there is revealed an NV
ful condition Of apostacy and false
profession, but I'm Matthew the hor-
zon is larger. for here we are looking
not only at the churches. but our minds
lare occupied with the whole realm %
profession. There is much profession
entirely outside the churches. for even
where men have no connection with
the churches there is much talk Of
Christian institutions. Christian coun-
tries, Christian government. and so on.
What is commonly called Christen-
dom is what we are gazing upon in
the thirteenth of Matthew. II is all
that part Of the world where the seed
of the Word of God is sown.
The first verse Of the chapter is full
of significance: 'On that day went Je-
sus out Of the house. and sat by the
sea side 1t is a prophetic suggestion
of His final break with Israel. No
word of God is void Of power or empty
OF meaning. 1t was 'on that day'-that
Is. on that memorable Sabbath day,
when the Lord Jesus took His true
place among His people as the One
greater than David. greater than Sol
the Sabbath. 1t was Is rightful place,
for either He was all this or He was
nothing. But they rejected Him and
sought to kill Him. Therefore on that
day went Jesus out of the house And
where did He go? So far as His own
people and country were concerned. He
had no place to go. 1t is very notable
that He sat by the sea side for the
sea I'm the Scriptures is ever type OF
the restless Gentle nations. 1t is His
long delayed, reluctant response TO Hi;
peoples action in turning from Him
He now turns from them, going out o.
the house and leaving it desolate; an'
He. i'm a figure, visits the Gntiles t'
take out OF them a people for Hi
name. He sat by the sea side
"And there were gathered unto Hin
Igreat multitudes, so that He entered
Into a boat. and sat; and all the multi
ltude stood on the beach, ". p Th
boat is a type cf the Church Of God
lin the world and not Of it, as the boa
was i'm the sea and not of it. The Lor'
Jesus is IN the midst of her, and on
lof her He S now engaged in teaching
1.-THE multt1udes who, though they ar
mot actually in the Church. are ye
lighted up by her presence. for she
the light of the world.
"'And He spake TO them in parallels
w. 80 The reason for this form O
teaching He explains i'm verses 11-17 i
response to a request from His disci
pies. It was Gods judicial hand upo
Israel, because of their deliberate re
lection of His Son. Refusing the ligh
lalready given, further light was denie
them. This is a law of revelation, tina
God only reveals truth so far as W
J go on obeying it. When We reb,
lagainst truth already known to us. W
mot only receive no new rev5lc tom
} but we lose what we already havl
For whosoever hath. to him shall b
given. and he shall have abundance
but whosoever hath not, from hil
shall be taken away even that whic
: he hath (v. 12)
1T may be noticed that these seve
parables are divided i'm the usual wa.
The first four. this being the earth {
world number show mans failure
: while the last three, this being I'll
/ Trinity number. show Gods thought
: land purposes. perfectly worked on
/ for of course these cannot fail.
in the first parable the Lord jest
iis seen as the divine Sower Failing
, receive fruit from His vineyard, 1:
rael He goes out TO SOW the Word
/ the Kingdom broadcast. only one
E fourth of the seeds com to fruitag
p THE Sower Himself gives us the inter
E pretation of the parable in verses Il
! %:
r Hear then ye the parable Of u
Sower: When any one heareth a
Word Of the Kingdom. and understand
) eth Il not. then cometh the evil on
s land snatcheth away that which hat
, been sown In his heart This is
p that was sown By the way side. Ar
{ lhe that has sown upon the rocky place
. this is he that heareth the Word. an
+ straightway with joy receiveth it; y
/, hath he not root IN himself, but endul
- eth for a while and when tribulatiC
y lor persecution ariseth because Of Il
Word. straightway he stumbleth Al
e he that was sown among the thorn
- this lis he that heareth the Word; an
Z 1.-THE care of the world. and the decei
4 lfulness Of riches. choke the Word, ar
o lhe becometh uhfruitful. And he tn
o. Twas sown upon the good ground. tn
e lis he that heareth the Word. and ui
d lderstandeth g.; who verify beare
n fruit and bringeth forth, some a hun
n ldredfold. some sixty, some thirty
a "The parable Of the wheat and tar
|. lCvs. s4-3O) shows the mixed cGditi'
:. lof reality and hypocrisy in Christel
n dom. so-called. extending 10 the end
= the Age In this parable the Kin
e. dom OF Heaven is likened unto "A mi
that sowed good seed In his field. h
{ while men slept his enemy came al
u Isnnnd tares also among the Mheat. an