Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-06-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Xiii.-Second Quarter,
For June 26, 1910.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Matt. xiii, 24-So,
36-43-Memory Verses, 81, SS-Goli-
en- Text, Matt. xiii, 4S-Commeniary
Prepared by Rev. D. M. Stearns.


Prepared by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
In the second phase OF this present
age the mysteries Of the Kingdom
set forth in the parable of the taicS
OF the field. our Lord 50 plainly states /
that both will grow together until the
harvest, and that the harvest is the
end Of the age that it is impossible /
TO understand how any one believing /
His word can look for kingdom |
during this age in which the will of I
God shall be done on earth as it is /
| done in heaven. The expression the I
end Of the world" oversees 80, 40, 10; |
XIV, 3; xviii, 20) is literally the
end Of the age" OF the consummation
Of the age" and is translated by the
latter phrase in the Rev. Yer. The
end of the planet on which we live
Is nowhere fOretold. but even Peter.
who describes in strong language the
publication which will take place,
says. Nevertheless we, according to
| His promise. look for new heavens
and new earth wherein dwelleth
| Righteousness" He also tells us that
as the world in Noah's day perished
| by water the present world Is re-
served unto fire I'll Pet. iii, 81, 49,.
In this parable the good seed is not
the word of God, but those i'll whom
the seed Of the word has found good
soil and whom our Lord calls the
children of the kingdom" In l Cor.
Iii. 8, they are called Gods tillagc."
In John xii. "a our Lord taught that
il we would bear fruit we must be
! fn1 srrOnn1 and
die. 1t is for Him to say where we
are to be planted. for the field is His
although ~ present occupied by an
enemy. The sower Of the good seed
is the Son Of Man: the other sower is
the enemy. the devil, and he sCws
his own children. professedly religious
people like Cain John viii, Al; john
Iii. 1O-12 Outwardly they look like
wheat and no doubt think that they
are wheat. but the story of Cain shows
where they stand and why he ana
: Abel both came to worship God, bur
only Abel came in Gods appointed
way. revealed to Adam the way Of
sacrifice Gen. iii. 2D. Cain brought
the best he had, but there was no con
fession OF guilt, no sacrifice, no shed
ding of blood. The multitude of such
today are tareS. not wheat; children
). Of the wicked one not the children of
God. Their end is the furnace of fire
where there shall be wailing and
gnashing Of teeth. The language Is
fearful, but it is never used in refer
ence TO the openly wicked, only in
reference to those who profess to he
what they are not, the deceived ones
Of the devil Matt viii, II; xiii, II. 90
xii, 10; XIV, oil; XIV, 80; Luke xiii
2S). See also what is written Of those
who hear the gospel, but obey it not
- in IL Thess. 1, 10; John iii, IS, Sc
From the time when the devil de
:. ceived Eve by making her believe
I. that he would do better for her than
=. God, up to the very end Of this age
- when he will persuade people that Il
u make living they must join tn
IL union of this or that nature or, il
+. other words, receive the mark of tn
" beast (Rev. xiii, IL. he has been
~ most persistent deceiver, destroyer
IL liar, murderer. See in Rev. xiv, 81
r XIV, %, the doom of all who worshi
" the beast and the bliss of all VIII
~ prefer death to the prosperity Of tn
- devil. Jas. /, u; Rev. Ii. 10, are goo
Il words of strong cOnsOlati ton We mus
y not think of the taking away of til
~ church as the end OF the age, for 70
~ lowing that great event for which I'll
l. righteous wait or should be waiting
the coming of the Lord to the air f,
~ His saints q Thess, iv, lG-lS; l Co
IL Nv, 51-53; Tit, ii, ID, l Cor /, Z; | Thes
r 4, 10), the man of sin shall be reveale
the antichrist with his companion Il
StS false prophet, and the age will run
~ for some years during the time of Il
r, great tribuation, the time of Jacoi
trouble, when the sealed ones Of lSrl
~ shall be preserved and great mul
~ tude of redeemed gathered from
~. nations. Then at the crisis of iniQuii
when the devil shall have done
u worst, the Lord jesus shall come wi
IL all His saints for the overthrow
r, all His enemies. the conversion
y Israel and the establishment of
- kingdom. 1t is then that. Accord
to verse 43 OF our chapter, Il
T. righteous shall shine forth as the $
n in the kingdom of their Fathe
Compare Dan. xii, 1-3; Zech. xiv, 1
| Thess. Iii, 10; III TheSs. l. 10. III
shall the devil be shut up in the
for 1000 years, while his cOmpaniC
the beast and the false prophet 81
go to the lake Of fire Qtev. xix and J
How fearful will be the ending
this evil age when the Lord com
out Of His place to punish the inh
ltants Of the earth for their iniqu
but what a comfort to know that