The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-02

called his two sons and babe them
go and work in his vineyard. one OF
them refused point blank, but after"
wards repented and went The other
gaid, Il go. sir but went not. Which
of the two sons" asked Jesus. did his
fathers will ?" The first." answered
his hearers. True" said Jesus, and
say unto you that the very worst
sinners will go into the kingdom of
God before you. For John came in
the way of ELECTROMAGNETIC good
old way. the way OF the prophets--the
only right way according to your own
teaching, and you did not believe him.
Yet the plain people whom you dee
spise as common sinners believed him.
and you. whe nyou realized the truth,
still refused to repent and to obey
the word which he brought to you
from the Father
Let me tell you another story. he
continued. A man planted vine
yard and equipped 1t with every need
tut thing Then he let 1t out to some
farmers and went away to distant
country. BY and by when the vine
yard had come to maturity and the
time for fruit was at hand he sent
his servants to receive his part of this
crop. but by this time the tenants had
grown to feel that the vineyard was
practically theirs and they treated the
owners servants with great violence.
even killing one of them. Later the
owner GENT other messengers but with
the same result. At last he sent his
own son, saying as he did so, that
surely they would reverence his son.
But when the tenants saw him coming
the idea flashed into their minds that
IL they should get rid OF him. the
heir, they would have undisputed pos
continued. "A man plantedu a vine
session of the vineyard. And so they
slew him. NOW" asked Jesus, when
the owner Of the vineyard comes what
will he do to those men, Why
answered his hearers unsuspectingfy,
The will utterly destroy them and will
let out his vineyard to honest men
who will pay their rent" True, said
Jesus, and have you never read this
saying in the Scriptures. The stone
which the builders rejected. the same
is become the head of the corner: this
lis the Lords doing, and il is marvel
Gus In our eyes, God planted his
vineyard-his kingdom--here in the
world, and put you in it-you leaders
of the people-to keep II and bring 1t
TO its highest produetiveness-put you
here to build up his kingdom, to lead
men to know the Lord and do his will
and instead of devoting your lives
TO his service you gave yourselves up
TO your own selfish interests--you and
your fathers before you-until you
came to feel that you owned the, king
dom of God yourselves. And when
God sent his servants-his prophets
to you to remind you of your duty TO
him, and to ask of you the fruits OF
righteousness you insulted them and
stoned them and even killed them.
And now at the last when he has sent
his Son saying. Surely they will rev.
erence my Son, instead of receiving
him as the Son OF the Owner of the
vtneyard-as the Son of God to whom
you owe your places in the vineyard
you have been saying In your hearts,
Come let us kin him and the vine
yard will be ours. Therefore l say
unto you. the kingdom OF God shall
De taken from you and given to a
people who will recognize their duty
to God as his servants and will bring
forth the fruits of righteousness for
him. Remember what l have said to
you about the stone that was rejected.
Whosoever shall fall on this stone
whosoever shall stumble because OF
meat the thought of accepting me
as the chief corner stone--shali be
broken. but whatsoever casts the stone
aside as worthless--whosoeve casts
the Son of God aside--on him the
stone--the vengeance OF God-shali
fall and he shall be utterly destroyed"
The chief priests and Pharisees
could not but know that he was speak.
ing OF them and would have sought
an opportunity to arrest him. but they
feared the people: for they took him
for prophet.
The Heart of the Lesson.
Jesus tears the masks from the
faces OF the priests and elders and
shows them. up in the true light
Listen. "Hypocritest You pretend 10
be godly men. You look down upon
the common people as sinners beneath
your notice. But you are like the boy,
who. when his father bids him 60 to
work. answers, i go. SIR. but never
goes. The common crowd may be very
sinful Many OF them have made no
pretence to pfety, and when God has
called them to do his bidding have
bluntiy refused to go. But II has often
happened. as In the days of John the
Baptist, that they have afterwards
realized their sin and have repented
and gone. But you never repent And
this Is not all. You have been un-
faithful to your trust. God planted
his vineyard-set up his KINGDOM
here In the world and put you In II
TO keep 1t, as he put Adam in Eden.
In this he favored Israel above all
other peoples. As his tenants IL was
your duty to care for his vineyard. to
develop 1t, and to be ready a tall times
to account for its fruit to Its Owner
That is TO say, II was your duty TO
represent God among men; 70 work
for his cause and spread the knowl-
edge OF his name; to teach men by
precspt and example to do his will;
to bring forth the fruits OF righteous
ness. and to help men TO live HOLY.
God-fearing lives. Instead OF dotna
these things you have made use Of
your position as tenants to carry out
your selfish interests. And when Goo
has sent his servants--hts prophets
to you to demand an accounting. in
stead of recognizing his right 10 his
own you have resented the demand az
an interference, and you have insulted
and stoned and even killed them. And
now at the last he has sent his Son
and you are thinking in your hearts
that ii you can only XIII him you can
retain undisputed possession Of Gods
vineyard. You feel that IL you can
get rid of the Son you can retain your
influence over the ~eople and use /
them to your own ends Instead OF
leading them to do Gods will Very
dom OF God shall be taken from you |
and given to people that will recog- I
nixe its Head and will gladly bring !,
forth fruit for his glory
What terrible indictment. Let me /
49, n =.