OF THE PARABLES: INTENDED CHIEFLY FOR THE USE OF TEACHERS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. BY THE REV. JOHN G. LONSDALE, M.A. READER AT THE TEMPLE CHURCH, AND SECRETARY OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE LONDON: JOHN W. PARKER AND SON, WEST STRAND." 1855. 101.d.359. PREFACE. THE object of this little book is to give a short THE and familiar explanation of the Parables of our Blessed Lord. As is stated in the Title, it was mainly written for the use of Teachers in Elementary Schools, particularly those in Sunday Schools, with whom the want of a simple exposition of the Parables, such as they may render in their own language to their Scholars, has been often felt. It is hoped that to other persons also the book may not be without use. The plan which has been adopted is to state shortly the occasion on which each Parable was delivered, as in many of them this will be found to bear materially on the lesson intended to be taught; to give an explanation of every difficult word or expression in the Parable itself; and to add some practical remarks on the moral to be drawn from it. The various explanations offered of several of the Parables have not been discussed; that interpretation which seemed on the whole to be preferred has been alone given. The practical remarks have been confined as much as possible to a single, definite point, as the writer is of opinion that the Divine Author of the Parables intended that one simple truth should be enforced by each-not that two or three distinct lessons should be drawn from it. It is hoped that the moral selected in each case will be found such as writers of repute have sanctioned. It remains only to add that any attempt to derive instruction from the terms or expressions used in the Parables themselves has been carefully avoided. These, the writer conceives, were introduced merely to give a completeness and unity to the narrative, and afford no warrant for the many ingenious, though for the most part fanciful and far-fetched, meanings attached to them. |