The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-07-31
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NNDMS01O0L
LESSON
By E. o. SELLERS, Director Of Eve
ming Department, The Moody Bible
Institute of Chicago.)
LESSON FOR AUGUST a..
WORTH OF THE KINGDOM.

LESSON TEXT-Matthew Is, H-53.
GOLDEN TEXT-"Seek ye first his
kingdom, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you"
Matthew 6:3a.
We have studied some Of the prin-
ctples that are to obtain in the es-
tablishing and the working out of this
new kingdom Jesus came to found,
and the question naturally arises, "Is
1t OF sufficient value for me to con-
slider or seek to enter it, or to possess
it," In our lesson today there is set
before US four parallels Jesus favorite
way Of teaching) which he gave priv
ately to his disciples and not to the
multitude, that ought to answer any
such questioning in our hearts.
The first two have to do with the
great value Of the kingdom, the sec
ond its mixed character and final sepa-
ration, and the last, the great respon-
stbiltty Of those who possess Its
truths. In this entire group Of par
ables found in the thirteenth chapter
Of Matthew are four that are for men
who are careful to observe the out
ward development, and four others
that r for those men Of faith who
see beneath the surface the hidden
things Of the kingdom. Those men
who view the kingdom In each par
ticular age as God sees rather than
az man observes, =
Today's lesson sets forth the pur-
chase Of things Of great value, the &C
QUESTION and disposition Of things OF
a mixed value, and lastly, the use or
these values after coming into the pos
session Of them.
I. The hidden treasure, v. A. Fer
haps more properly this should be
termed the parable Of the bought field.
We need to remember that in all Of
these parallels the Master himself is
the important parsonage. He is the
one who sows the seed, etc. Hence
we understand that he is the one
who discovers this great treasure hid
den in the field. He has already told
US that "the field Is the world" Matt.
1888.
Symbolism of Pearls.
II. The pearl Of great price, vs.. As,
46. This parable is very much the
same as the foregoing, yet it adds great
strength and force to this study In
values. We ought to be very clear In
our study and application. The pearl
of great price may perhaps be taken
as a symbol of our salvation, but II
30 for us to interpret the merchant
man as the commonality of man would
be for the sinner to purchase his own
salvation, a thing as far as possible
for the New Testament teaching.
Why does Jesus speak Of pearls to
the Hebrews who did not esteem them
at all? What Is the symbolism Of a
pearl? The pearl Is the one precious
stone that is the result Of a living
organism; 1t is the result Of a injury
done to the life of the oyster. It has
always stood for purity and for IN
nocence. Is 1t then illogical for us to
assume that Christ Is the merchant
ma who gave all to redeem (e. g.
buy back) the lost souls Of mankind?
Let us turn to Paul's. words, remem'
boring the washing process, the pain
full process Of developing pearls and
the ultimate beauty and value Of this
the pearl of great price. "Christ also
loved the church, and gave himself
for it; that he might sanctify 1t, haV'
ing cleansed 1t by the washing OF
water with the Word, that he might
present the church to himself a -glo'
rious church. Not having spot or
wrinkle or any such thing: but that
It should be holy and without blem-
ish." (Eph. 5:25-27.)
III. The drag net, vs. 1850. This
parable is another that deals with the
mixed character of the kingdom here
upon the earth and of the final separa-
ton incident thereto. It Is noticeable
that this is collective, not Individual
fishing. There will be many move
ments that will ostensibly be for the
gathering Of men into this kingdom,
but the principle here laid down Is
that one considered in the lesson OF
the wheat and the tares, VIZ, that ui'
timately there shall be cast out all
things that do offend. In the 1nality
of all things the kingdom shall be