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The Sunday School
THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM.
July 21, 1912. Murk 4:26-32; Matt 13:33.
Golden Text?Tliy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaTen."?Matt. 6: 10.
HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS.
M.?'Mark 4:26-32; Matt. 13:33.
T.?I Kings 19: 1-14.
W.?Mic. 4: 1-8.
Th.?Zech. 4:1-10.
IF.?Matt 20: 1-16.
S.?Mark 9: 38-50.
S.?John 13: 12-20.
TOPrCAIL OUTLINE.
How Christ's Kingdom Grows?
Like the seed in the soil, vs. 26-29.
Like the mustard, vs. 30-32.
Like the leaven in the meal, vs. 33.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 7. What are the decrees of God?
A. The decrees of God are his eternal
purpose, according to the counsel of
his will, wherehy for his own glory, he
hath foreordained whatsoever comes to
pass.
LESSON STUDY.
The Occasion.?A continuation of the
series of parables uttered by our Lord.
Of these, several of the "parables of
the kingdom" will be our study in this
and two more lessons.
unie ana nace.?in the autumn of
A. D. 28, near the end of the second
year of our Lord's ministry, and on the
shore, near Capernaum, of the Sea of
Galilee. The Teacher was seated in a
boat, pushed out a little way from land.
The Kingdom.?The terms "kingdom
of God" and "kingdom of heaven," so
often encountered in this part of our
Lord's ministry, were used interchangeably,
as referring to the same thing,
the reign of God in the hearts of men,
the invisible, spiritual kingdom. They
were favorite expressions of Christ.
He several times referred to his work
as "preaching the gospel of the kingdom."
Three Parables.?Three of the group
known as the "Parables of the Kingdom"
are embraced in this lesson, viz..
that of the seed-corn, that of the mustard-seed,
and that of the leaven. Each
illustrated a certain phase of the kingdom;
the first, its unseen development;
the second, its great growth and en
largement; the third, its influence and
power to permeate the whole mass of
humanity.
Homble Beginnings.?The "seed cast
in the ground," the "grain of mustardseed
which is less than all the seeds,"
the "leaven which a woman took and
hid in three measures of meal," all
point to the seeming insignificancy of
the beginnings of the kingdom in the
individual soul or in -human society,
showing that we may well believe that
the work is of God, who alone can make
so much of so little.
The Drapery of the Parables.?It is
well to bear in mind that almost invariably
it was but a single thought
that the Saviour had in mind as he
uttered each parable, and that his purpose
was to illustrate only that one
thought or principle or fact. The attempt
to give a special signiflcancy to
every feature or detail of the parable
usually takes us far afield, opens the
way for all the fancies and vagaries
of the human imagination in the interpretation
of the word, and leads the
mind away from the central truth that
is taught, obscuring rather than clearing
the truth.
The Unseen Development,?The seed
cast into the ground and growing, men
know not how, and while the sower
sleeps, and developing into "the blade,
I
THE PRESBYTERI,
then the ear, after that the full corn
in the ear," is a fitting illustration of
the fact, announced by Christ, that "the
kingdom of God cometh not with observation."
The marginal reading, "with
outward show," is better than "observation."
The silence with which the
Spirit works and with which the growth
of hlB kingdom progresses, and the Ignorance
of even the wisest and most
interested men of how that work goes
on do not disprove its reality. The
harvest comes, whether the sower
sleeps or wakes, whether he understand
or not. So it is with the development
of the kingdom of heaven. If the soil
is there and the seed Is good, and the
one has been brought to the other, the
harvest Is assured.
The Great Enlargement.?The growth
of the smallest of all the seed Into a
great bush in which the birds may take
refuge and feed, and that makes a shade
under which the hot and weary mayrest,
pictures the growth of the spiritual
seed. The size of the beginning
has nothing to do with the magnitude
of the result. A great life is In the
smallest seed. The potentiality of that
life and not the size of the shell that
Holds It is the essential important thing.
Christianity, whether In the Individual
lieaTt or In the world at large, may
have small beginnings, apparently a
very poor start, but being from "the
seed" of truth?"thy word Is truth"?
it has well nigh covered the world.
The Permeating Influence.?A little
piece of leaven, yeast or some dousrh.
worked into a great mass of flour leavens
the whole lump. So Is It with the
kingdom of heaven. The world has
been permeated by the gospel and Its
conditions have been completely changed.
The lightness of hope and joy have
taken the place of the heaviness of
sin and despair. The whole world has
been Influenced by the Christian faith
and Is better for it. Leaven, though
unpalatable in itself, makes the mass
Into which it is thrust more delicious
and wholesome. Men may not like the
kingdom of God, but If it Is put Into
humanity It does the wondrous work
all the same. It has the power to do
it, and "grace will crown the day."
Lessons.?Divine grace Is Ingenious
to find many ways to convey the truth.
Reiteration of truths impresses them.
At the same time It shows the manysidedness
of truth. The seed has to
be sowed if a harvest is to be reaped.
Man must do his part. The effort one
makeB and the Investment one puts In
may long time be hidden, but that does
not affect the final result. The work of
the kingdom goes on while men are in
the most common daily routine. While
you sleep your seed is sending its rc?*"
into the ground, your deposit in the savings
bank is earning its interest. It is a
matter of no importance whatever
whether one can explain or cannot explain
the processes and powers of the
Spirit's work. In the new life there
are stages of development. The full
corn in the ear is not to be looked for
before the blade or the ear appear.
A harvest is sure if the seed be good
and be sowed, and in good soil, and
all one has to do is to reap it. No
other Question besides fhp.HA fhrpp r-r?n.
cernlng seed, soil, and sowing, need
concern us. Especially are we not to
be concerned about the smallness of
beginnings. Despise not the day of
small things. Before Zarubabel the
mountain shall become a plain. Great
life sometimes lives in very small
things. The Christian faith will win
its way, if It be really in one, through
and through the life. But the leaven
must be put in. Leave it on the shelf
and not in the dough and no result
will come. There must be contac, and
it must be worked in till it is in touch
with the whole mass.
AN OF THE SOUTH
Young People's Societies
COMMON SENSE.
Topic for Sunday, July 21: Christian
Common Sense. Proverbs 4: 1-9.
DAILY READINGS.
Monday: Listen to the wise. Proverbs
13: 13-20.
Tuesduy: Profit by mistakes. 1 Corinthians
10: 6-12.
Wednesday: Learn by example. Romans
16: 4, 6.
Thursday: Trust one that knows.
Proverbs 4: 20-27.
Friday: Listen when God speaks.
Hebrews 2: 1-4.
Saturday: Shun all evil. 1 Thessalonians
5: 14-23.
'Common sense Is rather uncommon.
There are more unwise people in the
world than wise.
Common sense is the proper adjust
ment of things to the relations.
Wisdom does not lie in the knowledge
of things but in the fitting of things.
Knowledge is an acquirement; wisdom
is usually a gift, but a gift that
may be cultivated.
Proper thought, the mental sight of
the relations of things, is the basl3 of
common sense.
Why common sense is called "common
sense" nobody can tell. 'Perhaps it
is because all ought to possess it.
Perhaps it gets the name from the
fact that it is the faculty or trait which
considers the common or ordinary results
of things, and acts upon that consideration.
When, we call it a gift, we do not
mean that it is natural. A gift is something
bestowed. This gift is promised,
for the asking.
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall
be given him."
The cultivation of common sense may
be accomplished through various means
or channels, such as study of God's
word, inquiry, self-mastery, experience,
example.
The Bible teaches sanctified reason.
Its precepts are based upon reason.
It demands no more than can-be reasonaly
expected. It supplies what is
wanting. The Bible-led soul will be
full of good sense.
Common sense does not just flow of
itself into any one's mind and heart.
There must be inquiry, careful investigation,
and comparison, that one may
see what is best. All sides must be
looked at. Common sense implies
choice.
The chief enemy of all that Is good
and reasonable is our love of self or
Indulgence of self. The first victory
it common sense must therefore be
won in one's own heart and over one's
own personal desires and selfish Inclinations.
Common sense is so large a thing
that It can not be confined to the little
circle of an individual life. It takes
in the relations of things. Hence no
one can have It who does not project
all duty, all thought, all action, upon
the wider plane of humanity.
Experience is a master-teacher. It
makes itself heard. Its lessons are
sometimes very hard, but they are noi
easily forgotten. Present duty may
profit by the results of the past. The
burnt child dreads the fire. So also
the successful one rejoices to repeat
that which yielded happy results.
Example also helps. It is catching
the drift of the experience of others
and seeing what is weak and what Is
strong in them. The whole history of
God's ancient people was written fcr
the admonition and help of those who
came after. Thdy were ensamples to
the people following them, to the intent
that they should not walk as their
fathers walked.
[July 10, 1912
The Prayer Meeting I
SERVICE IN ORDINARY LIFE.
Luke 16:10. Week of July 14.
When Naaman, captain of the hosts S
cf the king of Syria, was directed by the
prophet to wash in Jordan seven times I
that his leprosy might be healed, he
was wroth and went away and said, I
"-Behold I thought he would surely come I
out to me and stand and call on the I
name of the Lord his God." His ser- I
vants said, "If the prophet had bid thee I
do some great thing wouldest thou not I
have done it?" We are all liable to the I
delusion that God's blessing rests on
great service and comes through extraordinary
means and we thus lose the
opportunity which simple service affords,
and the grace promised to cheer
ful obedience in welcoming lowly taskB.
We need abounding grace in the ordinary
routine of life. The promise
that our strength shall be as our day
is not intended to sustain us only in
the emergencies of life, but the taskB
of every day may be glorified, and
should be, by a Saviour's presence with
us in the ordinary duties which he imposes.
We need divine guidance and
control, that wisdom be imparted and
our fidelity be sustained when we are
addressing ourselves to the daily grind,
the usual routine of life. The regular
performance of daily tasks may promote
either the habit of doing them' as
unto the Lord, or pimply as matters of
course. He who has grasped the former
Idea of what vocation means has
acquired a key to successful living.
Great, imperishable principles are
tested every day in the things that we
think of as commonplace?telling and
acting the truth, keeping the temper
under control, showing the spirit of
kindness in gentle deeds, expressing
gratitude for kindness received, being
patient with the infirmities of others,
expressing sympathy with them in their
perplexity or other trials, cheering
hearts that may ibe tempted to despond,
making children happy by kind words
and deeds, forgiving offences of those
who may slight or ihjure us, gentle and
gracious counsel to those who may be
in error and need our advice; or in a
sentence, sustaining the attitude which
we think our Master would sustain
toward all the events and duties of life.
He was patient with his accusers, and
with his disciples, who were slow of
heart to believe and who were often in
error. He was humble; his life was
ne of service and he washed the disciples
feet. He was forgiving; all sin
was a violation of his law, yet he forgave
every penitent who came to him.
He was cheerful; "he was accustomed to
say to the dispirited, "Be of good
cheer," and Paul who spoke for him
said, "Hejoice In the Lord alway,"
which means, "Lot the whole life be
"happy."
God's way of building a strong character
Is by workihg the materials of
daily experience into the structure. The
builder of a great house Is careful about
the quality and composition of materials
that do not attract ordinary attention,
but are essential to strength and
beauty. Indeed the building 1b composed
of materials which separated into
their integral parts are comparatively
insignificant. Life Is made up chiefly
riLiie ueeus auu oervTceB, uui
together they should make a great
building founded upon a rock.
'For such life-work we constantly
need God's grace, but that is promised,
"My grace is sufficient for thee; my
strength fs made perfect in weakness."
We are instructed to aBk for it. "In
everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving, let your requests he
made known unto God." "Whatsoever
ye shall ask in my name that will I do,