The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-30
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. 2, 1910. !
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Memory Verses, TO- 12--G Golden Tex4.
Luke xii, 4o-commentary Prepared
by Rev. .. M. stearns.
We have no lesson assigned from
I chapter xxiii, but let us not fail tn
note the summing up of the religion
OF the Pharisees as seen and Judged
by the Judge of all the earth. IAN
their works they do for to be seen OF
man." Our lives are lived, from our
standpoint, either before people for
! their approval or before God for His
approval only. The latter is the onlv
true way to live, according to III Tim.
| II, 10, but it is to be feared that many
a preacher has more regard for the
approval of his congregation than for
the approval Of God. Let such con-
slider the eight woes Of this chapter.
and the time to which the "till' or
until Of verse 80 points, along with
Luke xxi, "a, and Rom. XII, %.
We shall have one study some weeks
later in the latter part OF chapt
xiv, but nothing in the first thirt,
one verses of this farreachinc and
all important Olivet discourse. Yet we
cannot understand the lesson of TO-DAY
except in the light of the great event
or verses 80, 81, the coming of the Son
OF man In glory at the CLOSE of the
great tribulation, for it is then that
Affairs on earth shall be as in the .da.
of Noah. Iniquity cannot come to,
head while the church is on earth
Thess. ii, z, 81. but the Holy Spirit, In
His official capacity of gathering out
the church, having been taken with
the church at her rapture to meet her
Lord, then the evil trinity Of devil.
beast and false prophet do their ut
most to overthrow the Lamb of God
and to destroy His people Israel dan.
xii, /, 3; Rev. xvii, 14), who shall
never cease from the earth Matt.
xiv, "a; Jer. XXI, 35, 81, but at
the coming Of Christ in glory shall
receive Him as their Messiah and be-
come thus righteous nation to bless
all nations lisa TX, 1-3, 1920.
Ii the then" of the first verse of
our lesson could refer to the coming
OF Christ with His saints, the ten vir-
gins could be interpreted only of Israel,
and there is something in favor Of
this in the Vulgate and Syriac MSS,
which give the last clause of verses 1,
as went forth to meet the bride
groom and the bride" But without
attempting to settle the Interpretation
of it, there is an abundance of truth
which all may profit by. There are,
and there will be till He comes, some
wise and some foolish, all OF them pro-
fessors, but only some possessors. The
wheat and tares will grow together
till the harvest. which is the end of the
age. Compare the wise and foolish Of
chapter vii, 21-27, and note that He
will have to say to some very loud
professors, 81 never knew you; depart
from me-" 1t is written, HE that win
meth souls is WISE" and again, "They
that be wise shall shine as the bright
ness Of the armament prov. xi, 80;
Dan. xii, 81. By contrast we can
imagine who the foolish are. See also
in Luke xii, 20. 81. that all are foolish
who lay up treasure on earth and are
not rich toward God. When we con-
slider that there is none other name I'M
der heaven given among men where
by we must be saved (Acts iv, 12). and
that it is the blood that maketh an
atonement for the soul LEV. xvii, III,
how foolish and blinded by the devil
must all those be who, turning their
backs upon the only way OF righteous
ness as Cain did, think to obtain en-
trance to the kingdom by their own
good works, by character, by connec-
ton with a so called church or even
by baptism or the Lords supper.
Only those are wise who can truly
say, Thou vast slain and hast re-
deemed us to God by Thy blood" and
who overcome by the blood of the
Lamb and the word of their testimony,
not loving their lives unto the death
(Rev. V, 8; xii, III. A lamp is no
manner Of use, except perhaps to be
admired, without oil. Oil is a symbol
OF the Holy Spirit, and In Rom. wifi, 9,
we read that IF any man have not
the Spirit of Christ he is none of His"
That would seem to settle the real
Of the foolish virgins &C. /. ST..
That all, both wise and foolish. Sum-
bered and slept, would seem to indi-
cate that the wise as well as the fool
lsh were Indifferent to the great event,
the coming of the Lord. If we judge
by the few preachers who seem to
know or care anything about His COM
Ing and therefore the consequent
blindness of believers generally in this
matter, 1t is evident that with few ex-
,eptions comparatively all are asleep.
But there Is sleep that Is lawful,
and If we are right with God 1t will
1ot matter If as to our bodies we are
awake or asleep when Jesus comesg
'or we can say, 81 sleep. but my heart
(Song V. p. The wise virgins
we're ready and they went in with
Him to the marriage, and the doom
was shut verse 10).
There is no readiness apart from
hat which He provides, His own
righteousness, which He gives freely
o all who .-eceive Him. Then we can
llways say, II will greatly rejoice in
he Lord. my soul shall be joyful in :
ny God, TO. He hath clothed me with
he garments OF salvation, He hath
overed me with the robe OF righteous
less" Qsa Xxi, 10). Thus accepted in