The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-07-23
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson W.-Third Quarter, For
July 26, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


The Introduction to this parable of
the bounds verses IL, ~ seems to me
most Enthusiastically clear concerning
the p"~tponement of the kingdom.
They thought that it would immedi-
atelY appear, and they had reason to
think 50. for John the Baptist and the
Lord IeSus and the twelve and the
seventy had all proclaimed it as at
hand Matt. iii, .; iv, II; Y, Z; Luke
y. 90,
The mighty works wrought by the
Lord aud the twelve and the seventy
Indicated the coming of the kingdom.
1907 when the rulers rejected the Mes
sIab ne King, and determined to Kill
Him. That led to the unfolding of the
present ace Of a rejected Christ.
scattered Israel and Il postponed king
dom until The king shall return. He
has gone to the far country to receive
the Kingdom ana to return and has in
trusted His servants with pounds and
talent, 10 use in His absence and give
an account Of at His return. and their
position in His kingdom will depend
upon their faithfulneSs in His absence.
THAI the kingdom will come at His
return is also plainly stated in Acts
iii. u. where we read that the heavens
have received Him until the times OF
The restoration of all things Of which
lbe uluphets have spoken
In he story of the talents in Matt.
XIV. which should be studied with
this lesson. there is also an account of
the far country, the goods intrusted to
the servants and the reckoning at the
Masters return. While in each rec
ord we read of pounds and talents
given 10 His servants to use. we read
that some We're wicked and slothful
and finally found their place among
the lost. so we must conclude that He
gives opportunity to all who profess
10 lee Ills servants to prove whether
they really are so or not No real serv-
mt Of His can ever be lost, though
som" may be saved as by fire and have
II" reward Uohn X %; | Cor. iii. 11-15l.
~ +tN It9Npl OIl luS l'OullUS ne gave
The anne to each, but in that On the
ia cuts He gave according to their abi-
lily. unto one five, to another two, 10
an"th"r one. The pound given to each
may represent the Spirit given to every
one +" profit withal Il Cor xii. y. The
Spirit poke wondrously through Ra-
liam aud we have no reason to doubt
thar .Iudas Iscariot did not do wonders
like the others, yet neither were true
servants. The talents may refer to the
Special gifts of the Spirit, given vari-
ou>ly and in different measure, as He
may see fit Il Cor. xii. SID.
The first step is to receive the Lord
Jesus rs Zaccheus did and thus obtain
salvation as the free gift Of God luke
NiX 10; Rom. vi. %: John i. -; iii.
II. Rev. xii. II. then, having become
81 child of God. live to serve the living
and uue God while we wait for His
Son from heaven Il Thess. i. 8. 10:
Tit. ii. lib; Rom. V. l, ~.
am continually glad that He has
appointed all our service, prepared all
our good works beforehand. and that
He only expects us to minister as of
the ability which He giveth. holding
ourselves ready for any manner of
service and wholly at His command
mcnI Eph. H. 10; l Pet. iv, II; l
Chr"u. xviii, 21
! am also glad that it is God who
w"rheth iii us both to will and to do
Gf tIis good nlpoSIrra oll
things after the counsel Of His own
WI Phil. ii, -; Eph i, ~. Notice
IN The story of the talents the servants
say Il have gained five talents more"
or II have gained two other talents"
while IN the story of the pounds they
say Lord, thy pound hath gained ten
pounds" or Lord thy pound hath
gained five pounds" recognizing that
while we work it is really God who
works. and yet He gives US the credit
II must be the vine bearing the fruit
else it counts for nothing JOhn XIV. -.
Whether the gain be five talents or two
talents ten pounds or five pounds, the
words of approval are Thou good serv-
ant or Thou good and faithful serv-
ant. Then notice in the recompense,
authority over ten cities or five cities
ruler over many things. or, as we said
at the beginning of the lesson. position
in the Kingdom according to faithful
ness reward according to work duke
xiv. "A: Rev. xxi, -; II John s.
In reference to taking from the I'M
faithful servant that he hath" it is
explained in Luke viii, Is, by the
words. that which he seemeth to
have" or as in the margin, 'thinketh
that he hath" He only seemed to be
a servant thought that he was one.
but WAS not really one
Oh how necessary it is to be sure
that we are indeed in Christ, not think
inz that it is all right because we are
Il bit religious or enjoy the service or
Ike 10 do good or are church members,
but certain that we can under the Scru
tiny of those eyes, like fame of fire,
say from the heart. 80 Lord. Thou
knoWest that all my trust as Il sinner
is i'm Thy precious blood which was
shed for me when Thou didst bear my
sins ON Calvary q Pet ii. "a; lisa. Iii.
:. IS: j. is: xiii 90. The order in