Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-08-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON VII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. IL.


by Rev. ID. NJ. stearns.
copyright, 1908, by American Press Association
Our lesson Is entitled 1.-THE parable
of the two sons" but it had better be
called "The love Of God the Father"
for the whole chapter is one parable, a
threefold parable, setting forth from
the lips of God manifest in the flesh
the love of the triune God, Father,
Son and Holy Spirit The spiritually
poor. MANNED, halt, blind, the publicans
and sinners, are glad to hear Him,
while the self righteous scribes and
Pharisees are ever murmuring, watch
ing. deriding verse 2; xiv, /; XVI, I'D.
II was in derision that they said, "This
man receiveth Sinners" but 1t was ana
is a glorious truth, for Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners"
and He Himself said, II am not come
TO call the righteous but sinners to re-
pentance" q Tim. I, 10; Matt TX, 49,.
In this fourfold aspect of the sinner we
see sinners as sheep going astray, dead
in sin and as Indifferent to 1t as piece
Of metal, sinfully indulglng self like
the prodigal and self righteousH holy,
like the elder brother in no case know
ing God. yet In each case loved by God.
Two of the most prominent facts In all
Scripture are the unfaillng love Of God
and the inveterate sinfulness Of man.
In the story Of the lost sheep the shep-
All 20 finds lQUa
Il on his shoulders and brings it home
rejoicing. In the story Of the silver the
woman does all, and in the case OF the
two sons the father does all. The con-
dition Of every sinner before God is de-
scribed in such words as these: with
out strength, ungodly, enemies, In us
no good thing, enmity against God,
children Of disobedlence, children OF
wrath, dead in trespasses and sins"
(Rom. v, 6-10; VII, IS; viii, Z; Eph. IL,
l-5). 1t is impossible for such people to
please God, to do anything toward
their own salvation (Rom. viii, 6; Heb.
XII, O.. All other religions except that
of the Scriptures, the salvation Of Je-
hovah, set before people something to
do, but the Scriptures bring In all as
guilty before God and then present
for the sinners acceptance free and
full salvation In Christ Jesus (Rom. Ill,
1920.
The only way to know God is through
His word, which people will not read,
and therefore how can they know
Him? Neither the younger nor the
elder son in our lesson knew his IA
Their, and this is Gods great complaint,
that people do not know Him. Israel
doth not know" "Thou hast not known
me" "They have not known the Lord"
"My people are destroyed for lack OF
knowledge" Elsa. !, 3; xiv, 4, B; Hos.
", 6: v, d. Have been so long time
with you. yet hast thou not known me,
Philip "Oh, righteous Father, the
world hath not known Thee" John
xiv, 9; xvii, 25).
II this younger son had known his
father he never would have preferred
the fathers gifts to the father himself.
But there are many such who are ever
seeking peace or joy or some expert
ence or health of body rather than God,
In whom are all blessings. The God OF
peace must include the peace of God
and all else, for In Christ dwelleth all
fullness Heb. Kill, 20; Phil. Nv, 9, z;
Col l. 10; II, o.. The far country in
this lesson means away from God, but
In xix. IL, 1t is in the presence Of God.
Ear off, is the condition Of all sinners,
and the blood Of Christ alone can make
nigh (Eph II, 49,. All we haye-llfe,
time, talents, possessions-are from
God, and If we use His gifts simply for
ourselves, for our own qualification, we
shall soon find ourselves In want, In a
land of famine, and the citizens cannot
help us, for there is nothing apart
from God that can satisfy the soul. All
that the world has to offer, however
attractive It may seem, is like husks
which swine do eat, for the Spirit has
compared all who are merely Of this
world to dogs and swine Matt vii, @;
II Pet II, %; Rev. xxii 49,.
His unsatisfied hunger brought him
to himself, as 1t has many others who,
having tried all that the world has TO
give, have been compelled to confess
all as only vanity and vexation of spir-
1t (Eccl IL. ID. Those who are truly
spiritual are counted beside them
selves" by the world (Acts XVI, 24),
whereas the truth Is that man only
really comes to himself when he turns
to God. How comforting 1t Is to know
that the father sees the returning wan
derer when he is yet a great way off
and hastens to welcome him and with
out one word of upbraidlng takes him
to his heart, falls upon his neck and
kisses him just as he is In all his I'm.
cleanness. Then follow quickly the
best robe. the ring, the shoes, the feast,
the joy, and the prepared penitent
speech Is never finished, and the merri-
ment has never ceased. Do we know
God as such q Father as this, and do
Yye love and trust Him accordingly?
Note the joy in each part Of the para
hle and also the Joy in the presence Of
the angels over the penitent sinner
oversees G, 7, 0, 10. %. pa. The one
thing that causes special joy In heaven
is a sinner turning to God, and the one
thing that causes special Joy on earth
Is when the word OF God is believed
and Jesus Christ Is received as a per-
sonal Saviour acts viii, 6, 8, 80; Rom.
XIV. 13: Neh viii. II, 10. They that
know Thy name will put their trust in
Thee.
We would think that the elder broth
er who remained faithfully at home
would know and rejoice in such ia
Their; but there are many elder broth
ers who have the same spirit Of fault
finding when outcasts. are received
home. A kind word or look. n place at
the table or in the same Pew in church
are things unknown, and yet these PEG
pie are professedly the LORDS.