Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-09-26


D. Nj. Stearns.
copyright, 1905 by American Press Association
We cannot too often study and pom
der any ana every topic which the
Holy Spirit has seen fit to set before
us. but we must beware of considering
the Bible simply as a book to give us
daily texts or notices. We must keep
before us the whole plan of God as set
forth in the whole book if we would
walk with God in peace and equity
and turn people away from iniquity
This chapter in which we have our
lesson begins with a record of a vine
yard, and we are told that the vine
yard is the house of Israel and the
men Of Judah His pleasant plant, but
that, although everything had been
done for the vineyard that could be
done or thought of by its owner, the
Lord of Hosts, the fruit was most I'M
satisfactory. His people had therefore
become a manifestation of woe and
not of blessing and the owner of the
vineyard dishonored in the eyes of 9th
ers. Their sin is Summarily stated in
the last clause of verse "a, 'They have
cast away the law Of the Lord Of
Hosts and despised the word Of the
holy one Of Israel"
We have seen something of this in
our recent studies in Samuel. 1t is the
testimony of all the prophets and of
the Lord Jesus when here in humilia-
ton as He taught the people in para
bles. He said of them, ''This people
have / formed for Myself; they shall
show forth My praise Qsa. xiii, 21,
but after long patience with them He
had to say, "Be ashamed and con-
founded for your own ways, o house
of Israeli (Ezek. xxxvi, 81, 32). Wheth-
er it be Jews or gentiles, saints or sin
ners, it is manifest in all that "the
carnal mind is enmity against Cod" yet
"God is love" and not willing that any
should perish and Is ever beSeeching
men to turn to Him that He may for
give them and bless them and make
Himself known through them, but His
pitiful cry still is, "How often would
/, and We would not" "Ye will not
come unto Me" Matt. xiii, 81; John
v, 40). The quotation from Matthew's
in the chapter of many woes, teaching
us that while He is compelled to say
"woe" he longs rather to say blessed"
The woes in this lesson chapter re-
fer to those who give themselves up
to becoming wealthy, who live only
for their own selfish qualification, who
sin with all their might, defying God
to do anything, who call evil good and
good evil, proud, self conceited, con-
niving at wrong for the sake Of re-
ward What a picture Of the world
lying in the wicked one! But these
words describe those who bear His
name, who are professedly His chill
dren, Of whom He says in chapter l, 2,
81 have nourished and brought up
against Me-" He does not expect
either fruit or good works from people
who are dead in trespasses and sins
such, being dead, cannot do anything
to please Him-but from all who are
saved by His great work He does ex-
pect both fruit and good works, for to
that end He saves us. Note carefully
Eph. ii, $40; Tit. iii, 5, 8. Is there
any hope for such as those upon whom
these woes are pronounced? Yes, truly,
for His salvation is for the lost, and
any who truly turn to Him are never
cast out duke xix, 10; John vi, 80.
See in / Cor. vi, Oil, the kind of peO-
pie who by His precious blood became
washed and Sanctified and justified,
and remember that He is Jesus Christ
the same yesterday, today and for
ever CHeb. xiii, 8. Do not waste time
telling poor sinners of any kind, NOR
al or immoral, drunken, profane, licen-
tious or as good as Nicodemus, to do
anything in the way of signing
pledge or turning over a new leaf or
trying again, but by the word of God
in the power of the Spirit and in the
name of the Lord Jesus show them
that they are as impOtent as the man
at the pool of Bethesda John W or
worse than the man who fell among
thieves luke 81, for they are not only
half dead, but wholly dead, guilty be-
fore God (Rom. ill., 19), but to all such
the grace of God bringeth salvation,
and eternal life is a free gift in Christ
Jesus, and, receiving Him, the sinner
at once becomes a child Of God, a new
creature in Christ, having a new ma
ture which cannot sin Git. ii, III.
The old sinful nature that can sin is
still there, but the new, if yielded to,
will hinder the old from doing as it
would (Gal. V, 16, II, r. W. lisa. i, Is
is the first step, and then the next
verse follows. All the haughtiness and
lofty looks Of man must come down
and the Lord alone be exalted Chapter
II, IL, ID; then shall there be deliver
ance. Failure to accept Gods plan can
only result in the final without of
Rev. xxi, 10, the depart of Matt vii,
%, %; XIV, Al. These things are hid.
den from the "wise in their own eyes