The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-03-19

by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
The topic of this study is entitled
lessons 10y the Way" and in the
verses for today we have lessons for
all the way, always ccutering upon
Him who is the way" hated by His
adversarics, reioiced in by His people
verse IL. There is much i'm 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. IL, and the kingdom
itself to be set up on this earth at
His second coming il 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 or
lesson CHAPTER tell of the desolatiou
of Jerusalem until He shall come
again. But when the kingdom comes
Jerusalem shall he the throne of the
Lord, a city of truth and praise in
the earth der. iii. Il; Zcch. viii. 3;
lisa Xii. ca. In ps. eli. rs. it is written
that the Lord viii 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, hut because they rejected
Him and killed Him He plainly told
them that the kingdom would not come
till His return from the far country
LUKE XIX. II, ~. He did not begin
to speak in parallels until they deter
mined to kill Him Matt xii. III Then
follows in Matt. Xiii the seven parallels
describing this age of the mystery Of
the kingdom The parallels Of the
mustard seed and OF the lcaven 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 leayen in The food
In explaining the parable of the SOW
er our Lord said that the birds repre-
scented the wicked one Matt xiii i.
100. and ii symbol once explained
stands. We have seen in Il recent les
son that leaven is always a symbol %
evil. The teaching therefore is that
in this age Of the mystery Of the kim
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.
.SS 39. will he found with the wheat
till the end Of this age. TO all these
deceived and deceiying ones He will
have to say. Il know you not whence
We are; depart from me. all We work
ers of iniquity" oversees %. 20 Many
shall come from all parts of the earth
to share and enjoy the kingdom. while
many who thought then selves Geserv-
ing of it shall find their place where
there is weeping and gnashing of teeth
verses 2S. 30.
We must ponder we'll and lay to
heart the words of our ord to one of
the best and most religion, men Of his
day. Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom Of God" LJohn iii. D.
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 rs 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 Ills own body"
Gal. ii. 20; Pet. ii, 2i) He is able
to say. II know that my Redeemer
liveth. Il know whom ! have be
heved" and. having come to Him.
am not east out dob xix. -: II Tim
j, -; John vi. 81 Ii is still the az
cepted time. and Che day of salvation
for all who win come but when once
the door is shut it will be too late.
There viii come 20 time when the de-
and get no answer shall seek and shall
not find PROV. i. @I-"II. our Lord said
that unhelieyers shall die in their sins,
and thus dying. cannot come where lie
is John viii y. 2A. 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.
it is like the servant Of Abraham. tell
ing Of the riches of the Father and
the Son and seeking 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 coufound 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. q. The kingdom and
a1minion and the greatness Of the
ingdom under the whole heaven"
sere may be some great surprises
Eating us when we shall see Abra-
IN, and Isaac and Jacob and all the
ophets in the kingdom Of God, and
n tyvaIun 1rtpctInc m, 4bropne, i,y1,ripC,