The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-07-02

JONI
without a parable spake he not I'M
to the people" What the prophet had
declared OF him was true, He shall
open his mouth in parallels and in
dark sayings" II Is important that
we remember this. Many noble Chris
tian people have inferred that our
Lords words were all simple. and that
they presented the truth In O manner
understood by everybody. Nothing Is
further from the truth. II our Lords
parallels and dark savings be taken as
plain, literal statements OF truth,
they will lead TO all kinds of errors
and misrepresentation. Let us remem-
Der, therefore, the Apostles declara-
ton. Without a parable spake he not
unto his people"
There is absolutely nothing In the
words Of Jesus without deep signifi-
canoe. How many have stumbled over
our Lords parallels by taking them to
be literal statements OF facts! How
absurd the conclusion drawn from the
parable Of the rich man and Lazarus,
for instance. How absurd to con-
clude that simply because a man was
rich, Jared sumptuously every day, and
was CARRIED In fine linen. that he must
suffer through all eternity. How
equally absurd to interpret the poor
man Lazarus, who lay at the rich
mans gate, as representing, literally,
poor and diseased beggars. How I'M
reasonable to think that only such as
have had an experience OF this kind,
with dogs to lick their sores, and
4. - e. he NAaF
from the rich mans table, would ex-
perience the joys OF heaven, according
to the Divine program. How foolish
to think OF Abraham's bosom, Which
could hold only two or three, as being
the portion of blessing for only
handful of beggars.
Truly these various statements or
the parable shine out In beauty and
consistency as we get the true light
upon them. and see their symbolic
meaning and application. We have al
ready presented the true interpreta-
ton of this parable. and may do so
again at some future time, for the
benefit of new readers. We merely
demonstrate now the fact that our
Lord spoke to the people always in
parable and dark sayings.
Note afresh the parable of the
wheat and the tares, the gathering Of
the former into the garner and the
burning Of the latter. Neither repre-
sents literal experiences. In the par
able the wheat is not literal wheat,
the tares are not literal tares. The
wheat symbolizes the inheritors Of the
Kingdom; the tares symbolic the Off
springs OF error-chiIdren OF the wick
ed one. The gathering into the barn
of safety symbolizes the glorlhcation
Of the Church on the spirit plane,
and precedes the shining forth OF the
sons OF God In the glory OF the Mil
lennial Kingdom, for the blessing Of
the groaning creation; as the Apostle
declares, THE whole creation groan-
eth and travaileth in paint together,
waiting for the manifestation OF the
sons of God" The whole creation Is
waiting for the shining forth Of the
sons OF God in the Kingdom, and their
shining forth In truth and righteous
ness will scatter all the darkness Of
sin and error and awaken and revivify
the world of mankind.
Eventually all the willingly obedient
may enjoy the blessings Of eternal
life. On the other hand, the descrip-
ton of the burning of the tares, in
stead OF referring to the literal burn
ing, has, evidently, a symbolic signifl-
cance-it means the destruction of
the tare class-not their destruction
as individuals. but as "tares," as imi-
tations OF the wheat" class.
How glad we are to find the key to
these symbolic statements-these par
ables. How glad we are that by the
use of this key the parabolic figures
become reasonable and beautiful.
What a silver lining there is to the
dark cloud OF trouble which is now
looming up before the world! How
glad Gods people must be to learn
that just beyond the clouds and