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76 THE PRESBYTERIA]
| Young People's Societies |
FOREIGN MISSIONARY EVENTS.
Topic for Sunday, January 30: The most stirring events
of foreign missionary history. Acts 14:18-22.
DAILY READINGS.
Monday: The gospel in Samaria. Acts 8:14-24.
Tuesday: The Gentiles enter in. Acts 10:34-48.
Wednesday: Organized missions. Acts 13:1-12.
Thursday: Medical missions. Mark 16:14-20.
Friday: Misused missionaries. Acts 14:19-28.
Saturday: The gospel and the King. Acts 26:24-32.
Modern wonders in missionary history do not eclipse those
of ancient times. The church and its duty have been the
same in all the ages. Let us then go back and see first the
Bible wonders.
Joppa figured twice in missionary history. From that place
Jonah fled from a duty to which he was whipped back, the mission
to Nineveh, a heathen city. Nineveh's conversion was a
marvelous work in grace in "a foreign field."
Christ carried his precious ministry outside of Judea and
Galilee. Samaria, Syro-Phoenecia, Decapolis, Caesarea Phillioi.
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en People. Christ gave a large share of his attention to these
places and localities.
Joppa again marks a crisis, and furnishes a wonder, in missions
to the regions and peoples ' beyond." The vision there
to Peter that taught him to make no difference, was an event
of marked significance. "The cradle of foreign missions was
rocked on that Joppa house-top!"
The scene in the parlor of Cornelius, at Caesarea, following
soon after Peter's vision at Joppa as Peter could well get
there, was a domestic scene indeed, but its significance impressed
the early church, as the reception of Peter's report of
it at Jerusalem soon after plainly showed. It was the begin/
ning of a world-wide movement.
Paul's tours were the greatest events in early church history.
They were the first regular, systematic effort at foreign
evangelization. In all the ages of the church they have been
at once its inspiration and example. They carried the gospel
to the centers of the then civilized world, and planted the banner
of the Lord even at the imperial city of Rome.
The missions of Augustine in England, Patrick in Ireland,
and of the Culdee leaders in Scotland were notable events in
the history of those lands most closely associated with our
own. They began the work of Christ which has been perhaps
the most permanent in its influence and effects, and especially
as a type of the soundest forms of faith. The belief that
Patrick was a good Presbyterian is not without warrant.
No sooner had the Reformation passed its first stage and become
organized under that master of constructiveness, John
Calvin, than the Reformed Church realized its duty to send
the gospel to other lands. Admiral Coligney, the great Huguenot
leader of France, sent, under Calvin's advice and help, the
first missionaries to America, the objective point being "The
Brazils." The effort unhappily failed, owing to the bitter opposition
o! the Roman Church, but it illustrated the new spirit
of the true church, that it was to be, as it has since proved,
a missionary church.
The miracles, of the most modern miracles, has been the
Telugu revival in India, the rapid development among the
Africans on the Kassai and I-ulua in the Congo Basin, the
spiritual revolution in Uganda by which the people of that region,
after slaying the martyr Hannington, turned almost as a
nation to the gospel of Christ, and the marvelous turning of
Korea to Christ in the past five year. Since the "Hermit Nation"
has turned to Christ, no one wlio is thoughtful feels any
surprise in hearing that even . Thibet, on the "roof of the
world" has had its gates opened to the gospel messenger.
Everv nromise is built upon four pillars?God's justice,
which will not suffer him to deceive; his grace, which will
not suffer him to forget; his truth, which will not suffer him
to change, and his power, which makes him able to accomplish.?Salter.
^ OF THE SOUTH January 19, igio^
| Prayer Meeting |
lopic?U<Jli.S> Kii-LiUiUN PAY?
Week Beginning January 23.? I Cor. 3:18-23.
The apostle in this chapter is dealing with the Corinthian
brethren as a body of weak believers. It was necessary to
speak to them as ' unto babes in Christ." He had formerly
fed them with milk and not with meat in ministering to
them spiritual nourishment, and even now they were not able
to hear strong doctrinal diet. Among the symptoms of their
weakness was an unholy rivalry, or partisanship, produced
by their preference for a particular leader or teacher. Their
zeal was accordingly devoted to promoting a party or sect.
Paul tells them that such work is spurious. That it will not
endure and will be found worthless when tested. Christ isthe
true foundation and the structure of character and service
must be built on him. The people were assured that
every man's work should be made manifest beca se it should
be tried by fire?by a test that would separate the precious
metal from the dross, the true from the false. "If any man'swork
aliirip " lipino lmtn J Ll * "
?..B un vui i3i auu niereiore ueing liKe
"gold, silver, precious stones," "he shall receive a reward."
"If any man's work shall be burnt up, he shall suffer loss; but
he himself snail be saved, yet so as by fire."
We are then instructed as to the worth of our personality.
What is our rightful place in God's rational creation? Do we
appreciate the dignity of our position by virtue of creation
and endowment and especially as the effect of gracious bestowments?
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that
the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" To sin against the body
which God honors is to incur God's displeasure and penalty.
"If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy,
for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
We are however to guard against vanity?glorying in our
own merits. "If any man seemeth to be wise in this world,"
he at once condemns himself and must count himself a fool
by nature, that he may become wise by grace. Such is the
contrast between our natural selves, and ourselves as the
subjects of saving and illuminating grace. It is the difference
J ' "
n lauulll UI1U IOIiy.
The contrast between true religion and mere worldly sagacity
is sharply drawn in the nineteenth verse. "The wisdom
of this world is foolishness with God." So incomparably superior
are the endowments that are bestowed by the gifts of
the Divine Spirit. "It is written, he taketh the wise in his
own craftiness." Self-sufficiency is the snare in which the
worldly wise man is caught. His own vanity is the cord
with which he is bound. From God's standpoint of judgment
merely human wisdom is a failure. "The Lord knoweth the
thoughts of the wise that they are vain."
Emphasis is placed on the pre-eminence of God's gracious
endowments. How short-sighted to "glory in men" when it
is our privilege to glory in God and his gifts to men, "For all
things are yours," through redeeming love and abounding
grace. "All are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is
God's."
The answer, then, to the inquiry "Does Religion Pay" is overwhelmingly
in the affirmative. Naturatisin exposes the inflrmitlnn
/.? ?*- 1 1 -- ?
tu.uco ui us vuisnes. iney are peevish and captious.
They are partisan and vain. They lack genuineness and
merit. When weighed they are found wanting, and refining fires
consume their works.
We must get into a right attitude toward God and know
our proper relation to him?the worth and sacredness of a
sanctified personality. That our persons are the habitation
of God through the Spirit is an awe inspiring and marvelous I
truth. Yet such is our position and such our office as the
subjects of sanctifying grace. We are in the wrong attitude,
however, if we are disposed to glory in our ourselves. Our
poor carnal wisdom is folly in God's sight. The true attitude
is renunciation of self, confession of our folly, that heavenly
wisdom may be imparted to us. Then we have something
that will abide.
The possession of this imparted wisdom implies and
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