The central record., 1914-03-19
SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson xII.-First Quarter, For
March %, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

The topic of this study is entitled
Lessons by the Way" and in the
verses for today we have lessons for
all the way, always centering upon
Him who is ''the way" hated by His
adversaries, rejoiced in by His people
verse ~. There is much in the les
son concerning the kingdom, for which
He taught US to pray to our Father in
Heaven, saying Thy kingdom come"
We must distinguish between the pres
ent age. during which the kingdom is
postponed and which our Lord spoke
of as the mystery of the kingdom of
God" MARK iv, III, and the kingdom
itself to be set up on this earth at
His second coming in glory.
The two parallels of our lesson must
be studied in the light of their setting
not only here, but as first recorded in
Matt. xiii. The closing verses of our
lesson chapter tell of the desolation
of Jerusalem until He shall come
again. But when the kingdom comes
Jerusalem shall be the throne of the
Lord. a city of truth and praise in
the earth Ger. iii, II; Zech. viii, 5;
lisa. xii, CD. In Ps. eli. 16, it is written
that the Lord will build up Zion when
He shall appear in His glory. The
kingdom was at hand when our Lord
was here in humiliation, as was
preached by our Lord Himself, and by
His apostles. as well as by John the
Baptist, but because they rejected
Him and killed Him He plainly told
them that the kingdom would not come
till His return from the far country
duke xix, II, 12). He did not begin
to speak in parallels until they deter
mined to kill Him Matt. xii, 14). Then
follows in Matt. xiii the seven parallels
describing this age of the mystery of
mustard seed and of the leaven in
this lesson are repetitiOns of two of
those. the former speaking of a great
tree with birds in the branches and
the latter of leaven in the food.
In explaining the parable of the SOW
er our Lord said that the birds repre-
sented the wicked one Matt. xiii, i,
19, and a symbol once explained
stands. We have seen in a recent les
son that leaven is always n symbol of
evil. The teaching therefore is that
in this age of the mystery of the king
dom or the time between the rejection
and the coming of the kingdom, many
followers of the wicked one will pro-
feSS to be interested, but the teaching
will become thoroughly corrupt, and
tares. the work Of the devil Matt. xiii.
9S, 39, will be found with the wheat
till the end of this age. To all these
deceived and deceiving ones He will
have to say, Il know you not whence
ye are; depart from me, all We work
ers of iniquity" (verses &c, 90. Many
shall come from all parts of the earth
to share and enjoy the kingdom, while
many who thought themselves deserv-
ing of it shall find their place where
there is weeping and gnashing of teeth
(verses %, 29).
We must ponder we'll and lay to
heart the words of our Lord to one Of
the best and most religious men Of his
day. Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit. he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God" John iii, 81.
Judging from the denial in our own
times, of the fundamental truths of
the gospel. it is to be feared that many
church members and many ministers
and missionaries have never been born
again. 1t is not for us to talk about
few or many being saved, but it is es-
sential that each one should know for
himself that he is saved by receiving
the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal
Saviour, and that appropriating the
great truth The Son Of God loved me
and gave Himself for me-" His own
self bare my sins in His own body"
(Gal. ii, 20; Pet. il, 24). He is able
to say, 81 know that my Redeemer
liveth," 81 know whom l have be-
lieved" and, Having come to Him, |
am not cast out" dob xix, %: ii Tim.
{, u: John vi, 81. 1t is still the ac-
cepted time. and the day of salvation
for all who will come. but when once
the door is shut it will be too late.
There will come time when the de
spisers and haters of truth shall call
and get no answer. shall seek and shall
not find prov. |. 24-3D. Our Lord said
that unbelievers shall die in their sins.
and thus dying, cannot come where He
Is John viii. 2l. "a AS in the days
Of Noah. it will be shut in or shut out
In this age of the mystery or the
poStponement of the Kingdom. the Spir
1t is, like the servant of Abra ham, tell
Ing of the riches of the Father and
the Son and seeking a bride for the
Son, or, in other words. gathering
from all nations by the preaching Of
the gospel of the risen Christ the
church or body of Christ, but we must
never cOnfOund the church with the
kingdom. The church will reign with
Christ in the kingdom, but the king
dom will include all nations, as it is
said in Dan. vii, %. THE kingdom and
dominion and the greatness of the
kingdom under the whole heaven"
There may De some great surprises
awaiting US when we shall see Abra-
ham. and Isaac and Jacob and all the
prophets in the kingdom of God, and
the twelve apostles on thrones judging
the twelve tribes of Israel verse 2S
and chapter xxi. 30).
His reference to the two days and
the third day ,32, may point to the
1000 years of this age. and the next
thousand, which will be His reign of
righteousness and peace.