Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-08-13
The Laborers in
the Vineyard
Suodsy SehoOl Lesson for Aug. IA. 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper


Suggestion and Practical Thought
I. The Parable o. the L.aborers and
It's Meaning VS. 1-15. For the king
dom o. Heaven IS Ike unto a man
that is a householder. the owner Of
a farm or an estate
The householder represents Christ
who is the visible representative Of
God.
Went out early In the morning to
hire laborers
The Vineyard represents the world
IN which God has planted the true
vine. This Is set forth with peculiar
power by Isaiah (ch. 81. He compares
the nation OF Israel 20 "a vineyard plant
ed by God. "the we'll beloved" who
had loved them with everlasting love.
lie did everything possible for them.
chat they might bring forth the best
fruits.-obedience. sincere worship.
righteous living. the beauty of holt
ness. love. JOY. peace and all the fruits
OF the Spirit. Intelligence. noble char
acter and missionary work among the
nations. He placed them in the best
country In the world for the purpose.
lie hedged them round with laws and
divine institutions. and with HIS own
loving care defended them from all
enemies.
But the expected fruit was not borne
on these vines. He looked that a
should bring forth grapes. and Il
brought forth wild grapes" grapes Of
gall. bitter clusters"
In
tells the Christians az Corlnth that we
are Gods hus5andry." which old-fash-
toned y ord seems 20 have little mean
ing 90 US. The Revised Version helps
us 20 see It's meaning. We are Gods
titled land The twentieth century
New Testament calls 60 Gods har-
vestheld." 10 f. farm. an orchard. a
garden In IT'S larger meaning There.
too. God wants laborers each I'm his
own garden. 20 make Il Yield al
grsces. all virtues. an Beatitudes. the
Ten Commandments. the Fruits OF the
Spirit You are 10 be part Of the
church as described iu Acts . and OF
the redeemed earth. and OF Heaven.
pictured TO us in The last chapters OF
Revelation
The Laborers are an those who are
helping to do Gods work on earth
who for him and with him are labor
ing 70 make the world what q ought
90 be. fun OF all the fruits OF the
spirit. transformed into the kingdom
OF God There Is no such privilege in
the world as 90 be laborers with
God.
81. "He went out about the third
sixth ninth
eleventh hour" Several times the
householder went after laborers. for
there was more work 20 be done than
the first ones called could do. why
stand We here all day idle?" They an.
swered that mo man hath hired "a -
No man would stand all day In the
marketplace Idle. unless because he
wanted work and could not get IT,
Exp. Ok Test.
Call the laborers. and give them
their hire" They received each one
a penny. whether they had worked
one hour or twelve.
The first supposed tia,
they should receive more" since they
had borne the burden and heat or ths
day" the scorching heat. Having done
more they felt that they ought to have
larger pay; aud they complained 20
the steward OF their unfair treatment
Their very complaint showed that
they were not truly the first and best
The Last First and the First Last
v 10. This saying with variations
was repeated several times by Jesus
30 the last shall be first. and the first
last"
Those are really FIRST In Gods slght
IN whom the desire TO be first has
been overmastered by the spirit OF
love"
This is true OF nations. as the Jew
tsh nation were first in time. first IN
opportunity, but they did not make use
OF their advantages: and Christianity
which was last has become the first.
The Call for Laborers. There ar,
two ways OF increasing the numbel
or laborers. One is by adding to theii
number; the other Is by increasinf
the power and value OF each one.
There Is a call for workers IN the
fields white TO the harvest IN ever,
community. in every Sunday school. ir
every church. II people realized tn,
value OF the penny a day" God gives
the blessing OF personal work 70
Christ In every department but espe
ciaily In work among the children
they would beg for the opportunity
What Doctor Payson said Of preacher
Is applicable 10 all; that II minister
realized the blessing and the oppor
tuntty God had conferred upon them
they would leap and shout for 10y
I am minister OF Christ; I am
minister OF Christ"
During the late war IN Ashantee tn
chief officer OF the Scotch Guards
when reviewing this splendid reg
ment. asked who among them woui
volunteer for the Ashantee expedition
When he looked again he saw the reg
ment precisely as he had seen II hs
fore. all IA unbroken lire What, sal