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January 13, igog. THE PRESBY^^^TA
Young People's Societies
SOUL WINNING.
Topir for Sunday, January 17.?How to win souls for
Christ. John 1:40-46.
Daily Readings.?Monday, January 11: Winning souls
prayerfully. James 5:16-20. Tuesday, January 12: With
strong desire. Romans 10:9, 17-21. Wednesday, January 13:
Unselfishly. 1 Corinthians 9:14-18. Thursday, January 14:
Tactfully. 2 Corinthians, 11:11-16. Friday, January 15:
* Consistently. Psalms 51:7-13. Saturday, January 16: Trustfully.
Mark 2:1-5.
We are called to be co-workers with God. He is willing
to share with us the privilege o? the very highest form of
rwork. .Even the winning of souls for him is not put beyond
us. Surely the thought should stir us to the utmost.
God uses means to attain all his ends. This is no less
itrue in the world of grace than in the realm of providence.
The word, the testimony of his saints, the call of the church,
the diligent use of the means of grace, are all used by the
Spirit of God to bring souls to himself. Hence the possibility
and the practicability of using us in even this loftiest work.
Among the last words of inspiration are these: "Let him
that heareth say. Come!" It is as if God wished those words
to ring always in our ears. To the command he has affixed
a gracious reward. "They that turn many to righteousness
shall shine as the stars, for ever and ever." Besides this
(the end accomplished is sufficient to show the glory of the
"word. "He which converteth the sinner from the error of
his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude
of sins."
How, then, may we win souls for Christ? One thing
needful is activity. We must go seek them. "Go out unto
the highways and hedges and compel them to coine in.''
Andrew sought Simon. Philip went and brought Nathanael.
The woman of Samaria went and told the people of her city
concerning Christ. If we sit still and hold our peace, we will
contribute nothing to the advancement of the Savior's kingdom
or to the saving of souls.
Another thing needed is promptness. Those first disciples
acted quickly. Paul conferred not with flesh and blood
hut moved immediately. David said he made haste to do
<the Lord's will. While we linger men are lost. If we love
them wo will make ?<n
Another thing is prayerfulness. We must keep in touch
with the fountain of life all the time that we are seeking to
be channels of that life. It is by prayer tnat we come to
that fountain and keep connected with it, through the Spirit.
Another thing is intense desire. Ice never sets things
on lire, but fire can melt ice. A fervent spirit, a burning desire
to save will make many d soul kindle. Paul's intense
yearning over Israel, Isaiah's consuming desire and constancy.
gave those men their success.
Another thing is tactfulness. Tactfulness is wisdom in
action. God everywhere, in his providence and in his word,
and in the seen results of it, puts a premium upon a wise
adaptation of methods to men. "Be wise as serpents, and
harmless as doves," was the Master's injunction to his disciples
when he sent thpm nut tr> wnrv fr>?- ?, to 1.
And, withal, strong faith must accompany the effort. It
must he a praying faith, leading us to seek the divine aid
/always. It must he a self-denying faith, saying, "Not unto
us, not unto us." It must be a working faith, breaking up
the roof and letting our friend down to Christ if we cannot
otherwise reach him. It must he a resolute, conquering
faith, exclaiming: "I can do all things through Christ which
strengthenth me."
We are to win souls for Christ, not for ourselves. His
is to be the glory. Ours is the honor to be associated with
him in such divine work.
The reward to the man who is wise to win souls is as
great as if he himself does all the work. This is Christ's
way. He is always giving. He treats those who love him
as if they were as deserving as himself.
"Can there be perfect serenity, a full sense of communion
with God, to one who refuses or neglects so Important a duty
as soul-winning?"
Contentment consisteth not in adding more fuel, but in
taking away some Are.?Fuller.
N OF THE SOUTH. 17
LIFE LESSONS FROM GENESIS.
Topic for Sunday. January 24: Life Lessons for me from
the Rook cf Genesis. Gen. 1:1-8, 26-31. Daily Readings.
iMonday. January 18: Temptation. Gen. 3:1-11. Tuesday,
January 20: The Great Surrender. Gen. 6:13-22. Wednesday.
January 20: The Great Surrender:. Gen. 12:1-7. Thursday.
January 21: The Suburbs of Sodom. Gen.'13:5-13. Friday,
January 22: Isaac, the Sacrifice. Gen. 22:1-19. Saturday,
January 23: Jacob, the Unforgotten. Gen. 28:10-22.
The Bible is the mcst wonderful as well as the best book
the world has ever seen. In its age, in its endurance, in its
adantabilit v it ic tiio ??-- *
. uiuKci vii me woria.
One simple fact will account in large measure for the
manner in which it has endured and has incorporated itself
into the life of so many. It is itself a story of life, and all
it tells is drawn from life. x
Life is at once the simplest and the most profound study
to which the human mind can turn. It interests beyond all
other themes. It instructs beyond all other schools. Its
lessons are written in living lines.
Life, like history, for after all life is history and history
is life, is but philosophy teaching by example, as Bacon has
wisely said. There is no effect without a cause. Things <fo
not happen. They both come from and illustrate principles
and powers that lie back of them.
The Bible is an account of life. All its parts grow out
of life. Even its most didantic portions, in both Testaments,
come from practical situations, conditions, and needs that
direct the author's words and are the reflection of episodes
and conditions in life.
Genesis is full of meaning to all who will believe that
"iliat which hath been is now and that which is to be hath
already been,", that "the thing that hath been, it is that which
shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done,
nnd there is no new thing under the sun."
Adain's yielding to temptation, his shuffling and deceit in
sin, his guilt trying to hide itself and when lain nam
to shift the responsibility, his indifference to privilege and opportunity,
his spiritual improvidence: may we not learn practical
lessons from the story of this man, and by the grace of
God seek to avoid the pitfalls into which he fell?
Cain's and Abel's relations, and their divergent interpretations
of the nature of worship and the way of life, one
depending upon works and the other by faith laying his sins
upon a suffering substitute, the one giving illustration in hfs
murderous act of the profltlessness of his scheme: may we
not learn the wav nf Hf? onJ aaa ?-*
?? ? ov? luni. uuugui saves us irom
ourselves and from sin but the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb
of God?
Lamech and his sons, the world type, brilliant In the sciences
and arts, first in the development of possession and
pleasure, represented the downward tendency of the soul apart
from God even when that soul had all that the world could
give. The career of Lamech, whose lips uttered the first
poetry known in the r,palm of literature ended in a boasted
murder which he celebrated in that first verse: may we not
see the result of wealth and culture when these are not
flftTtilnaf A/1 Kv f a H V* 9
And who can limit the lessons to be drawn from the
career of Noah, in faith building, for a century, the ark that
was for the saving of himself and his family, and yet a man
so human that his weakness displayed it-self as quickly almost
as he emerged from that ark? Or from Abraham's
life, so full of faith that he was called the father of all them
that believe and was mentioned in the Bible by name more
than any man of his period of the world's history? Or from
Joseph, the model young man, the wise ruler, the faithful son?
Darkness cannot hide us from God. Adversity does not
alienate his affection. Weakness does not make him take
away his grace. Guiltiness does not frustrate his plan, nor repeated
sin estrange his love. Judah, Jacob, Rachel, Leah,
Tamar, and a host of them tell us in their lives, recorded in
this first book, that God changes not and therefore we are
not consumed.
The most dangerous force In this country Is the fortune
with no character behind It.
The fortunate people?the truly fortunate?are not so
much those who succeed in life as those who succeed in
living.?Edward S. Martin.