The Brinkley argus., 1912-09-13
LESSON FOR SEPT. IS. JUDGMENT AND MERCY.

JUDGMENT AND MERCY.
 LESSON TExT-Matt 11:20-3o.
 GOLDEN TExT-''Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and will give you rest."-Matt. 11:2S.
 Tho paragraph mark separating verses 27 and 2S should rightfuily be removed for that portion is but con. tinuation and a contrast with what has gone before. As we see from Luke's account, Jesus has sent out the seventy who return boosting of what had been accomplished in Jesus name, only to receive his reproof that they are not 30. much to- rejoice in that as that their names were written Yin heaven"
 Jesus had made his appeal to Judea only to be rejected; he has, Gone Q marvellous work in Galilee only to be rejected there also, and thus it leads to his appeal to the individual. Jesus knew that every problem of the church, financial or otherwise, every problem of the body ro!itic, is in its final analysis one of the condition ot the individual heart.
 We have before us a twofold divi- sion of this lesson:
 1. Those Who Reject. One can scarce reconcile the speaker of this first section with him who spoke the last. words, but is any denunciation more awful than that of outraged love? There is no contradiction here for his invitation Is extended to thu very people whom he has denounced Choraxin and Bethsaida, laden witi sin, are urged to break of their yokc of bondage. be reconciled with him become yoked with him whose burdeI Is light.
 Judemsnt inevitable.
 These cities had their day of oppor tiinity. In like manner we notice tha the measure of the judgment is thr measure of opportunity. The fate o Tyre and Sodom was awful, bat mors terrible is to be the fate, in the day. of judgment, of Chorasin and Beth saida, because they sinned against tho greater light. The possible exaltatior of CapernaHm as shown by the ques ton asked in verse 23.
 Again we need to note that judg ment is inevitable. It is the lot anf portion Of us all Jesus created wonderful opportunity for those cities and In a like manner has created one for us a individuals of the city. what will be our accounting in the judg menti We as citizens are being illu; minated by . wonderful revelation of truth and righteousness. Shall New York, Chicago and other large cen ters became as ancient Capernaum or Babylon, Nineveh and Tyre7
 II. Thoss Who Come to Jesus. Coming now to the second section oi our lesson, one can feel the tender pathos of the voice of Jesus as he turns from the whole to the individ- uals who comprise the whole and cries-"Elfther to me" Not alone those who are burdened by ceremon- ialism or guilt but a more wonderful scope than that, "All who labor" His invitation is. however, limited. for 1t is to the laborins, thus excluding the wilfully idle, whether they be idle ma terially or spiritually.
 .of:srs . Life,
 Jesus knew the rest of harmonious relation to the Father, the rest of service, and so the climax of his in yitation iv the test of experience V. 30. For my yoke Is easy and my bur den is light" Notice that our labor is to be fruitful, heavy laden," but the joy of service far outweighs any thought of its becoming 8 duty and therefore one rous. A yoke implies a being attached to. a load and with an other. How may we know if his words be true? There is but one con dition, Come" Jesus meant just whst and all that word implies. The babe sitting uron the knee of its nurse knows what Its mother means when she calls Come" and 90 Jesus ex- tends his arms to sorrowful, laden humanity az we'll as to ceremonially laden Israel and says Come" Not to q church or to some religious lead or, but to Jesus himself. The invita- ton is very personal both as to the one who shall como, and the one to whom we are to come. <
 There is In this lesson . luminous suggestion of Jesus method gof deal ing with the Ills of bur great cities. Hs does not propose a. fot of mega tions,. but offers q life, an energizing power that shall enable company of hin believers to change these condF tions of i'll. Some one has called at tention to Jesus attituds towards the Roman empire. Not one word of speciAc rebuke nor denunciation, yet In approximately three hundred yearr there was . Christian emperor nron that throne.
 These words of Jesus thrill with music. They have been . solace throughout tho ages. They have brought into his Kingdom countless thousAnds,