Our Father Who art in heaven, Thy Kingdom come: Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into Temptation, but Deliver us from the Evil one : For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matt. vi. 9-13. THE LAST WEEK. -0 INTRODUCTORY PASSAGES. Heb. x. 36, 37. Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of For yet a little while and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Hab. ii. 3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 2 Pet. iii. 9. The Lord is not slack concerning His Promise, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish. Hag. ii. 6, 7. Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth. And I will shake all nations, and The Desire of all nations shall come. Luke xix. 11-27. He added and spake a parable, because He was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that The Kingdom of God should immediately appear. [Not because their expectation of that Kingdom was vain, but to break to their minds the interval which was afterwards more fully opened to the Apostle of the Gentiles, who were now, contrary to nature, to be engrafted upon the good olive tree (Rom. xi. 11, 12, 24): ie. the mystery of the Gentile Dispensation, that the Gentiles should be not only delivered from B the kingdom of darkness to serve The Living and True God,-for this was revealed to the Prophets,—but that they should be fellow-heirs, partakers of the riches of His grace and the glory of His Kingdom. Eph. i. ii. iii.] He said, therefore, "A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called his ten servants and delivered to them ten pounds, and said unto them, 'Occupy till I come!' But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us !' And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded those servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the silver, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, 'Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds.' And he said unto him, 'Well, thou good servant! because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities!' But those mine enemies who would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me!" [Verse 13 (comp. Mat. xxv. 1-13); 15-19 (comp. Rev. iii. 7-12, xiv. 1-5, Mat. xxv. 4-10); 20-23 (comp. Rev. iii. 14-21, vii. 9-14-17, xiv. 12-16; Mat. xxv. 3, 8, 11-13, xxiv. 51); 14 & 27 (comp. Rev. xiv. 17-20). ] A little while, shall not see me; and again a little while, and see me, because I go to the Father. ye shall Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said? A little while, and ye shall not see Me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.-John xvi. 16, 19, 20. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again ["Myself" (Dr. C. J. Vaughan)], and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.—John xvi. 22. |