MAY 29.

LESSON XXII.

1881.

Sunday after Ascension. Luke xix. 11-27.

THE SUBJECT.-THE PARABLE OF THE POUNDS.

THE KEY-NOTE.-" BUT WHEN THE COM-
FORTER IS COME, WHOM I WILL SEND UNTO
YOU FROM THE FATHER, EVEN THE SPIRIT
OF TRUTH, WHICH PROCEEDETH FROM THE
FATHER, HE SHALL TESTIFY OF ME."
John xv. 26.

11. And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

12. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

14. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

19. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20. And another came saying, Lord, Behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21. For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not

SOW.

22. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

23. Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24. And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

26. For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

27. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

QUESTIONS.

What Lord's Day is this? What promise did our Lord leave His disciples?

VERSE 11. What thought had Christ's disciples concerning His kingdom?

12. Why did Christ utter the Parable of the Pounds? What other parable is like it? Matt. XXV. 14-30. What is the main difference? Who is this nobleman in the spiritual sense? When did Christ go into a far country? Why? 13. Who are the ten servants! What is each e's Pound?

11. Who are His fellow citizens? How were they affected towards Him? Did the Jews ever uttr such a message?

15. Did Christ receive His kingdom, notwithstanding their opposition? When was Christ's return to the Jews? When are His servants judged?

16. What had one servant made of his pound? Who may he represent among Christ's follwers? Matt. v. 48; xix. 21.

17. What reward had he? How are we to understand this? Matt. xix. 28-29.

VERSES 18-19. Whom does the second servant typify among Christ's followers? Do you notice a proportion between the pound and its increase? Also, between their rewards? What may we learn from this fact?

21. How does he speak of his Lord? Is Christ a righteous judge? Do some of His servants count Him a hard master? How do His good servants regard Him?

VERSES 22-23. Did his lord excuse him? Will Christ? What does the nobleman call him? Wherein lay his wickedness? What ought he to have done with his pound, if he knew not how to invest it safely himself? To whom should weak and timid souls ally themselves in Christ's kingdom, in order to increase their gifts of grace?

VERSE 24. What was done with this pound? To whom was it given?

25. What did some say? Were these, likely, some of the other seven servants? If so, of what were they probably afraid?

26. Does the lord heed their interruption ? What rule does He now lay down? May we infer from this, that the most faithful will be most abundantly blessed? How will every servant of Christ be rewarded?

What general admonition do we learn from this Parable? Matt. vii. 14; xvi. 24; Phil. ii.

VERSE 20. Had the third servant gained 12; Rom. viii. 15; Heb. xii. 18, 22, 24.

REMARKS: The parable of the The Gospel is portrayed here, which our Pound and the parable of the Talents Lord's followers are to enjoy and use, (Matt. xxv. 14-30) are very much until He appears in death, or the last alike. The main difference lies in the judgment. fact, that the Talents vary in number- VERSE 14. But his citizens hated him. Unto one he gave five talents, to another As this nobleman was unpopular among two, and to another one; to every man his countrymen, so was Christ with the according to his several ability. The Jews, His own people. They sent a Pound, however, was the same for all. message, or declared their intention, not This is at once plain, when we remem- to have him to reign over themselves. ber, that the former parable was in- This is the very thought which the Jews tended for the apostles, who were sever-uttered. ally endowed with gifts in various measures; whilst the latter is designed for kingdom, notwithstanding the opposithe Christian, for whom the Lord allots His Pound-alike to all.

NOTES. VERSE 11. As they heard these things, which He had just declared in the house of Zaccheus, the publican, concerning His mission into the world, on His way to Jerusalem (vs. 1-10). His disciples imagined He would take advantage of the festival, when vast crowds of Jews were assembled in the capital, to proclaim Himself the Messiab, and then the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

VERSE 12. He said, therefore, that is, to disabuse their minds from such a spell. Here we have the cause or reason for this narrative given. A nobleman is one born of high ancestry, and well circumstanced. Such were very wealthy in the East. Our Lord, is meant under this character. He went abroad, in order to establish himself as king over a certain district within his territory, and return again. The ascension of Christ is here indicated, who enthroned Himself in Heaven, and will come again, to judge mankind.

VERSE 15. But having received the

tion, he ordered His servants to report on His return. In part, this account was made for the Jewish nation, when God destroyed them. Again it repeats itself in the hour of death, in a measure. The final judgment completes it.

VERSE 16. The first servant called had a good account to render, as he had increased his pound to ten pounds. This typifies the saints, who develop towards a perfect Christian character. Matt. 5: 48; 19: 21.

VERSE 17. Ten cities. Although this was literally done to servants, good and wise, it is an image of the great reward awaiting such holy men of God, in the heavenly world. See Matt. 19: 28, 29.

VERSES 18, 19. The second servant had multiplied his treasure five fold. This may well be considered as the type of the average Christian. Our Lord means evidently to impress this important truth; that as Christians differ in fidelity, in zeal, in labor, so will they differ in the amount of their spiritual gains. Remember, the aim of Christ is not now, to teach that according as we VERSE 13. He called his ten servants. have received will it be expected from The number ten is symbolical of fulness us. That truth He brings out into a and completion. We can never count blazing light, when He speaks of the beyond it, without employing the same talents. Here, we cannot too often redigits again. Thus we take the number peat, it is a pound for each. Surely, for all Christ's servants-Christians, one then, He would tell us, that he who inand all. These are represented as creases the common capital most largely stewards or householders over the Lord's has the largest reward. goods, gifts and graces during His ab- VERSE 20. And another came. sence. It was a rule in the East, in had not lost his pound; but neither case such servants proved faithful and had he increased it. Not having workdiligent, to entrust them with more, by ed, toiled, or sweated, he did not need and by. Ten pounds were distributed his napkin (pocket-handkerchief), for among ten servants-a pound to each. its proper use, and therefore wrapped This coin was the Mina, and valued at his money in it. It well describes the £4. 18. 3d., according to some. With idle man in the Lord's vineyard (Gen. it they were to trade until his return. [3: 19.)

He

The Guardian.

VOL. XXXII.

JUNE, 1881.

Editorial Notes.

NO. 6.

emphatic untiring demand of Swanee River: "Give us Swanee River,"

the GUARDIAN, entitled "A Slight Difficulty," was taken from "The Christian Intelligencer." We endeavor to give

THE article in the April number of pshaw, give us 'Swanee River.' least four-fifths, probably nine tenths of Certain we are, that not only we, but at that audience agreed with his taste, and heartily wished if only the singers would give us the well known plantation song.

due credit for selections made from

other publications, and regret that it was in this case inadvertently omitted. The GUARDIAN has repeatedly fared similarly at the hands of our exchanges.

We sometimes find a certain article of

ours floating through a succession of other papers uncredited. The one that first omits the credit is to blame for all the succeeding omissions. And with him, as in our own case, the offence may have been unintentional. In this connection it affords us pleasure to express our high appreciation of " The Christian Intelligencer.' As a Christian journal, in sentiment, style, and general tone, we question whether it has a superior in this country.

WE once had the pleasure of being present at a so-called "first Class Concert." The large hall was crowded, and the skillful singers were cheered with repeated rounds of applause. Their selections were mostly classical, such as few among the large audience could fully appreciate. Of course all were in duty bound to be highly pleased, and to let on, at least, that they thoroughly appreciated that kind of music. Now it happened that these same singers had, in the same place, on a former occasion, sung among otter pieces, "Swanee River," which of course every body enjoyed very much. Sitting near an intelligent elderly friend at the latter concert, we were greatly amused at his persistent vigorous calls for "Swanee River." Above the roaring applause of the audience could be heard his

Some may have thought that our friend showed a great want of good taste, if not of good breeding. Whereas he represented the average musical culhumble enough in that public way, to ture of that crowd, and was honest and him more pleasing than the so-called own that a simple negro song was to master pieces of the great composers.

Theodore Thomas, in an excellentlywritten paper in the March Scribner, after discussing some of the bad methods of musical culture in this country, says:

I was once asked by a gentleman what he ought to do to make his children musical. He perhaps expected me to advise him to send the girls to Italy to study vocalization, and to set the boys to practicing the violin so many hours a day, and studying harmony. I told him to form for them a singing-class under the care of a good teacher, that they might learn to use their vocal organs, to form a good tone, and to read music; after they became old enough to let them join a choral society, where, for two hours once a week, they could assist in singing good music; and, above all, to afford them every opportunity of hearing good music of every kind. This gentleman knew nothing of music, but thought the advice 'sounded like common sense.'

THE late Dr. Thomas Guthrie of Scotland was noted as the founder and friend of ragged Schools, in which poor neglected children were rescued from a life of sin. He says that is interest in

this cause was first awakened by a picture which he one day happened to see in the little town of Anstruther. "It represented a cobbler's room; he was there himself, spectacles on nose, an old shoe between his knees; that massive forehead and firm mouth indicating great determination of character, and from beneath his bushy eyebrows benevolence gleamed out on a group of poor children, some sitting, some standing, but all busy at their lessons around him." The inscription below the picture stated how this cobbler, "John Pounds, in Portsmouth, had taken pity on the ragged children, whom ministers and magistrates, ladies and gentlemen, were leaving to run wild and go to ruin on their streets; how like a good shepherd he had gone forth to gather in these outcasts, how he had trained them up in virtue and knowledge, and how, looking for no fame, no recompense from man, he, singlehanded, while earning his daily bread by the sweat of his face, had, ere he died, rescued from ruin and saved to society no fewer than five hundred children."

he visited the police office of the city. He says: After visi ing a number of cells, I remember looking down from a gallery upon an open space, where five or six human beings were stretched on the stone pavement buried in slumber, and right before the stove, its ruddy light shining full on his face, lay a poor child, who attracted my especial attention. He was miserably clad; he seemed about eight years old; he had the sweetest face I ever saw; his bed was the pavement, his pillow a brick, and as he lay calm in sleep, forgetful of all his sorrow, he might have served for a picture of injured innocence. His story was sad, not singular. He knew neither father nor mother, brothers nor friends, in the wide world; his only friends were the police, his only home their office. How he lived they did not know; but there he was at night; the stone by the stove was a better bed than the steps of a cold stair. I could not get that boy out of my head or heart for days and nights together. I have often regretted that some effort was not made to save him. Before now, launched on the sea of human passions, and exposed to a thousand temptations, he has, too probably, become a melancholy wreck; left by a society, more criminal than he, to become a criminal, and then punished for his fate, not his fault."

"I confess that I felt humbled. I felt ashamed of myself. I well remember saying to my companion, in the enthusiasm of the moment, and in my calmer and cooler hours, I have seen no reason for unsaying it, 'That man is an honor to humanity.' 'He has deserved the tallest monument ever raised on STREETS are designed for traveling, British shores!' Nor was John Pounds not for people to live or loaf in. Young only a benevolent man. He was a people should not be seen on the street genius in his way; at any rate, he was too much. Young men should avoid ingenious; and, if he could not catch a corner loafing. The curbstone regiment poor boy in any other way, like Paul, belongs to an ignoble army. How he would win him by guile. He was coarse and rude it looks for young men sometimes seen hunting down a ragged in such ranks to stare at people as they urchin on the quays of Portsmouth, pass. Good people will soon lose all and compelling him to come to school, respect for such persons. A certain not by the power of a policeman, but a prisoner awaiting his trial said to a genpotato! He knew the love of an Irish- tleman visiting him: "Sir, I had a man for a potato, and might be seen good home education. My street edurunning alongside an unwilling boy with cation ruined me. I used to step out one held under his nose, with a temper of the house, and go off with the boys in as hot and a coat as ragged as his own." the street. In the street I learned to This picture with its story stirred lounge; in the street I learned to swear; Thomas Guthrie's mind and heart. He in the street I learned to smoke; in the wandered through the Cowgate, Grass- street I learned to gamble; in the street market, and other streets of Edinburgh I learned to pilfer and to do all evil. teeming with poverty and crime. One O, sir, it is in the street that the devil night in company with one of his elders | lurks to ruin the young."