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November 24, 1909. THE PRESBYTERIA1
there not something useful they could teach the people?for
instance, how to make soap?
The missionaries were dismayed. But James Cameron
came to the rescue. "Come back in a week," he said, "and
perhaps we may be able to answer her majesty's question."
Promptly at the end of a week they came again, and there
waiting for them were two bars of soap made entirely from
materials found in the island!
These two bars of soap saved the mission for the next five
years. The queen was so delighted that she at once made a
contract with the mission to supply the government with soap
and teach some of the young nobles how to make it?a contract
which took nearly five years for its fulfilment, doubtless
because It was not hurried very fast.
Knowing that at any time they might be driven from the
island, the missionaries now redoubled their efforts, their
greatest desire being to leave the entire Bible in the hands
of the converts should they be compelled to go away. In
March, 1830, the first edition of 3,000 copies of the New Testament
were ready for distribution, but the Old Testament
was still far from completion.
But at length the dark clouds of persecution began to
gather. The first indication of the coming storm was a
proclamation issued in July, 1834, forbidding the people to
itmii iu >oau auu nine aii;l?uoie savtJ 1U Llie bCUUUlg eSUlUlished
by the government. Others followed which were evidently
aimed against the Christians, and <n January, 1835,
the following charges were preferred against them before the
chief judges?charges which give strong testimony to the
purity and consistency of their lives: 1. They despise the
idols. 2. They are always praying. 3. They will not swear
by the opposite sex. 4. Their women are chaste. 5. They
are of one mind in regard to their religion. 6. They observe
the Sabbath as a sacred day.
Sunday School |
PAUL ON THE GRACE OF GIVING.
December 5, 1909; 2 Cor. 8: 1-15.
GOLDEN TEXT.?"Remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive."?Acts
20: 35.
Mon.?2 Cor. 8: 1-15. Th ? Rrnri 2fi- 1-7
T.?2 Cor. 9. P.?Deut. 16: 9-17.
W.?Exod. 35:20-29. S.?Prov. 11: 23-31.
S.?1 Chron. 29: 6-19.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this
life and that which is to come.
TOPICAL OUTLINE.
How Paul Stimulates Liberal Giving?
By the example of liberal Christians, vs. 1-6.
By the thought of Christ's sacrifice, vs. 7-9.
By broad principles of beneflcience, vs. 10-15.
LfcSSUIN UUmMtlN T o.
The company of believers in Judea knew but little of the
churches that had sprung into active life along the lines of
the Journeys and labors of Paul and his companions in Asia
Minor, in Macedonia and in Greece. The absence of any
means of easy and rapid communication rendered it impos
oible for these two departments of the Church to have frequent
and fraternal correspondence. Besides this, the Judean
church being largely composed of Jews and the Western
church largely of gentiles, these two departments of the
Church were not very much disposed to know each other intimately.
The barrier between Jew and gentile was stubborn
and required time and varied-experiences, some of them verytrying,
to get it out of the way. One of these experiences
that contributed mightily to the removal of this "middle wall
of partition" is the real basis of this lesson.
By reason of drought, commercial depression resulting
from political dusturbances or persecution, the Christians in
Judea were in great straits. A famine was at hand. They
must have help or puffer.
t
N OF THE SOUTH. 13
Paul laid the case before the churches of Macedonia, of
Greece and Achala. At once (in Macedonia) a new grace, a
strange spectacle to the selfishness of natural men came into
view and was at once recognized as one of the most potent
and efficient means of conquest. God bestowed upon the
churches in Macedonia "the grace of giving." Right in the
midst of the gentile world, subject as it was to the basest
and most pitilessly selfish manner of life, there arose as a
new and splendid star in the heavens this grace. It Would be
difficult to overestimate its power. Paul himself appears to
uuve ueen amazea, tnough delighted. So mighty was this
grace that it was was most manifest among the poorer members
of the churches and they urged Paul to receive their
gifts and transport them to Judea for the relief of their suffering
brethren there.
Titus had evidently brought the matter in part before the
church in Corinth on his former visit to that church, Paul
had written about it also, and now in bearing this second
letter of the Apostle, Titus is commissioned under God to
complete this grace of giving for the relief of God's suffering
saints in Judea. It will be seen by careful reading that He
seeks to awaken this grace in them also by the following
facts or methods:
. 1. He would have them know what God has done for the
churches in Macedonia. If he had attributed the merit to
the churches themselves, it would most likely have awakened
feelings of envy and jealousy. Giving the glory to God, however,
would awaken a huneerim? nnrt ttitroHnn, -*~Vi
D ? -v?0 OIICI llgui,eousness
after this grace. Grace begets grace. The story of
a revival simply recited has often been God's means of a
revival in otner churches.
2. He presented this not as a burden that had been imposed
upon the churches of Macedonia, but as a privilege that
they had claimed in order to fill out the demands of their
own joy. It was no "grinding" process. It was a joy, the
repression of which would not and could not be tolerated.
Here is seen the true animus of giving. It is cheerful, joyr
ful. See Jno. 3: 16.
3. This grace Involved and was indeed preceeded by the
gift of themselves to God and to Paul for the service of God
In Christ. Truly that was a great revival?the emergence of
a great stream of new life and power. Amid such conditions
there is no thought as mention of "begging" for money for
the needs of the Church of Christ. The begging is from the
elver! hA?a thnf Ho Tnow .J - ?, M
-_o- v?- maj ud biiuwcu me privilege or giving.
4. The growth of grace ought to be with even progress.
The Corinthian Christians had faith, were good talkers, were
intelligent, were earnest Christians, loved Paul; now this
quiet, sturdy grace of giving should have its place by the side
of the others.
5. This was the shining grace of Christ. "Ye know the
grace of the Lord Jesus who though he was rich yet for your
sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be
rich." A giving believer, one who gives in joy and love is
like his Redeemer.
5. They had made a beginning a year ago and had ex
pressed a willingness to give. This sort of willingness was
of little worth unless they actually did the giving. A will
without the work is of no worth.
' 6. The great law of the body of Christ is this hidden, but
real insistence: Evenness, and equality of burdens. When
one member suffers, all must suffer. The joy of one pervades
all. So it was in the Church in the wilderness. There
was enough manna for all and it was never the design of
grace to selfishly permit one to be filled to overflowing while
another is empty and in want. Grace develops a beautiful
quality among all members. Here is a most vital truth.
"For I say not this that others may be eased and ye distressed;
but by equality your abundance being a supply at
this present time for their want, that their abundance also
may Decome a supply for your want; that there may be
equality; as it is written, He that gathereth much had nothing
over; and he that gathered little had no lack." "If a
brother or sister be naked and in lack of dally food and one
of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled
and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body;
What doth it profit?" R. B. Willis.