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The Sunday School
EZRA TEACHES THE LAW.
December 17, 1911. Sell. 8:1-12.
Ezra had come to Jerusalem about
twelve years before the time of Nehemlah
and had either remained there
or had returned to Babylon until this
time. He was a scribe and a priest
and had spent much time in gathering
a complete edition of the sacred writ
nigs. nts is regaraea Dy me jews
as a second Moses, for while the law
came through Moses, It was reviewed
and restored by Ezra. ^The sacred
writings had become shattered or lost
during the Babylonish captivity. Ezra
had gathered them and fixed the
canon.
After resting a week from their labors
In building the walls, the people
assembled at the feast of the Trumpets
on the first of the seventh month.
This was their new year and a sacred
festival.
The public reading of the Scriptures
was required by law to be made every
seventh year, but during the long captivity,
this practice had been neglected.
The occasion of this feast recalls
this practice to the people and
thev Bather as one man to bear the
work. Ezra had no doubt taught the
people as best he could, and now his
work was beginning to tell. They
called upon him to bring the book of
the law of Moses.
This gathering of the people, the
opening of the book, the teaching by
Ezra and his assistants, was probably
the beginning of the synagogue.
We note that all the people came, the
young and old, rich and poor, none
stayed away but Infants and Idiots. All
that could hear with understanding
came to a large public area or park
before the water gate.
Ezra stood upon a pulpit of wood,
so that he could be seen and (Vie
better heard and with him were thirteen
assistants. The people showed
their reverence for God's word by
standing. Ezra in public prayer
praised God and the people united In
the prayer by lifting up their hands
and responding. Amen. The whole
service was an act of worship. They
came to church with a desire to know
God's will.
As Ezra read, his assistants explained
the meaning and caused the people
to understand. It was not read In a
foreign tongue, nor chanted, nor muttered
In an Indistinct voice. He read
distinctly. Contrast th's with the custom
of the Romish church which conducts
most of its service in L?ntin and
whose priests read so indistinctly and
rapidly that no one can understand.
The Jewish people have never been
guilty of the sin of withholding the
sacred writings from the people. At
this time and ever after, they made
ample provision for the people's hearing
and understanding the Bible. They
had their synagogues where the Bible
wasexplained, they had their Bible
schools where it was taught to the
young, and not only were they encouraged
to read and hear, but were
required to attend these schools.
When they heard the word of the
law, they were overcome with a deep
flense 01 meir sins ana were auecteu
with penitential sorrow so that they
wept. But Ezra and Nehemlah stressed
the forgiveness of God and exhorted the
people to thanksgiving and feelings of
Joy. They were exhorted to "eat the
fnt. and drink the sweet and to send
portions to the poor so that they could
also be thankful. Everybody was happy
and made great mirth, because they
understood the words that were declared
unto them. It was a season of
great religious Joy. Their mlndB and
T a E PftE8B?TERlJ
heart# were enlightened. It waa the
beginning of a great revival.
When they were taught that anything
was a duty, they began to observe
that thing. From the book they
learned of the feast of tabernacles and
its significance, and as the time was
at hand for its observance, they set
about to do so. Although this feast
had been observed formerly, there was
no such joyful observance of it since
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V?v vtw/o VI uuouua UlC 9UU Ul i\UU.
Day by day,they heard the word of
God and on the twenty-third day of
the month, they proclannied a fast and
confessed their sins. Alternately, they
read and confessed, and their confession
was genuine, because it led to renouncing
their sins. They separated
themselves from the strangers, or Illegitimate
wives, The reformation hegun
by Ezra (Ezra 10:3) was either
not complete or the people had gone
back to their evil alliances. The
earnest study of the Bible will always
lead to reformation of life and In
those lands where the Bible is a prohibited
book, the morality of the people
is of a much lower standard than In
those nations where the people have
the Bible in the vernacular and are
encouraged to read it.
After their confession of sin, they
arose to praise God for having spared
them and dealt mercifully with them.
The neonle of God are to he aorrv fnr
their sins and to fast, but they are
not always to remain in sackcloth and
ashes, they are to stand up and praise
God. amend their ways and follow the
precepts which the v learn from the
book.
After the prayer, the people entered
'*ito a solemn covenant to walk in God's
law, to observe and do all Hig commandments,
to abhor alliance with the
heathen, to keep the Sabbath day and
also the Sabbath year.
Thev covenanted to pay a third part
of a shekel for the service of the house
of God, to provide sacrifices, etc. The
law was that they should give a half
shekel, but their poverty was so great
that the tribute was reduced. When
prosperity came, the half shekel was
resumed. There Is no true religion that
does not carry with it the consecration
of our money. They covenanted to
bring the first fruits of their ground
and of their trees, year by year unto
the house of the Lord. This was in addit'on
to the tribute for the temple service.
Thev decided to tithe everything
they had, this was for the support of the
Levites. The T>evites also covenanted
to give a tithe of the tithes unto the
treasure house.
And the last of their covenant was
"We will not forsake the house of God."
No man is religious who holds the house
of God in contemnt and forsakes it by
not attending to its public worship.
Other results from the study of God's
word are found in Chapter 10:34, a division
of manual labor, and the events
recorded in Chapter thirteen.
To the above covenant, the people
sealed themselves. The rulers first, next
cue priests, 1.11*511 uie i^rues Him uitsn
all the rest of the people. Tt was a solemn
"League and Covenant and It saved
the people of God, saved a pure worship,
and open Bible.
T. M. Hunter.
All over South America the special
work needed is to disabuse the public
mind of superstition, to get rid of the
idolatrous worship in the use of images.
relics, and the like, and to educate
the people to more independence of
Qti/1 ooHam In rel I iHe na maflAwa
To these and the successful schools have
already contributed largely and are exerting
a wider and more potential Influence
every year.
\ M OF T a fc SOUTH
Young People's Societies
MISSIONS IX THE WEST INDIES.
Topic for Sunday, December 17: A Missionary
Journey Around the World.
XII. Missions in the West Indies.
1 CArlnfhliinc 1?. 1-1R
DAILY READINGS.
.llouduy: Power for the needy. Matthew
9: 6-8.
Tuesday: Life for the dead. John
6: 24-26.
Wednesday: Liberty to captives. 2
Corinthians 3: 16-18.
Thursday: The dry bones. Ezekiel
37: 1-12.
Friday: The acceptable year. Luke
4: 18, 19.
Saturday: Harvest at last. Galatians
6: 9, 10.
The West Indies are our next door
neighbors. Porto Rico is a part of our
actual domain, and Cuba is our fosterslsfpr.
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. - MMV Ml V w V uuiug 1U1 tucui ;
The masses of the people on these
two islands are Romanists, of the type
always found in lands wholly dominated
by that faith, Ignorant, superstitious,
idol-worshippers, illiterate.
Until our country took hold of those
lands, vice, concubinage, gaming, and
degraded forms of amusement were
common, public schools unknown, ecclesiastical
domination complete and
tyrannical.
Since the Spanish war missionaries
of all the leading denominations have
established themselves in all parts of
Cuba, in the towns as well as the cities,
and reaching out to scores of country
stations.
Our own church has missions at four
or Ave points, the oldest and most important
being at Cardenas, memorable
as the place of the death of the first
officer who fell In the Spanish war,
Ensign Worth Bagley, of North Carolina,
a brave young Presbyterian.
Our missions in Cuba are in a most
healthy, growing condition, commanding
the respect and support of the people,
educating the young people, bringing
many souls to Christ, carrying the
strength and comfort of the gospel to
numberless of the heart-sick, weary and
heavy-laden.
In Porto Rico, which is a possession
of the United States, the emancipation
of the people has been complete politically,
and the progress of religious
work indicates that the name freedom
of faith is making great headway. The
people Bee prosperity in the near relations
and they are ready for an open
Bible and right of private judgment.
The territory of Porto Rico has been
divided amongst the leading denominations
which have taken up work there,
so as to avoid the difficulties which, in
a new land and in missionary operations,
grow out of a multiplicity of
sects. This policy has been found wise
and effective. It is a pity that it is not
pursued sometimes a little nearer home.
I^ast year there were in Porto Rico
137 Protestant churches, 127 pastors
and assistants, 128 teachers and helpers,
and 8,900 communicants. This represented
the first ten years of missionary
work. The numbers are growing
in greatly increasing proportion. Ten
years before there was "only one Protestant
church, and it was exclusively
for English speaking visitors."
Of the other West Indian Islands,
Haiti is about the only one which we
may call missionary territory, the
others being British and Danish possessions
with the State Church of England
and Denmark in charge, Jamaica,
an English colony, Indeed conducting
a missionary work of its own in Haiti.
The last named, the black republic,
is given over to Rome, with a great
infusion of the original African voodoolsm.
1
[December 6. 1911
The Prayer Meeting
DISCOURAGEMENTS AND
ENCOURAGEMENTS.
Week of December 10th. 2 Cor. 4:7>10
We are abundantly warned that Christian
experience and service are not
free from discouragements. Our life is
one of discipillne. We grow by solving
problems, surmounting obstacles, vanquishing
the foes of our spirituality.
We may say that this estate Is the consequence
of sin, but being by nature
sinners, we become saints, through
grace, by overcoming.
One source of discouragement in
Christian service Is the rejection of
salvation by the multitudes. The appeals
of the gospel, the ordinances of
the church, even the holy atmosphere of
the Christian home all seem at times
unava'ling. Our Lord In His ministry
was grieved by the same spiritual obdu
racy or tnose to whom he appealed," Ye
will not come unto me that ye might
have life." As he who bore our griefs,
and carried ou, sorrows he encountered
opposition and rejection on every hand.
We also often hope and appeal in vain.
Hearts will he hard and obstinate and
many will make the fatal choice when
life and death arc sit. before them. It
remains for us to bear witness and
look to the Sovereign God for results.
Men may plant and nourish, but results
are with him. The responsibility of rejection
iB with men and we are accustomed
to see them choose the service of
mammon. At such a time our thoughts
are to rise above all human resource
and our faith is to be firmly fixed upon
the Infinite. Tne excellency of the
power is of him.
We will find in Christian service that
it is in the thick of the battle that our
mum aigimi victories are won, not while
reposing in the camp nor regaling ourselves
on furlough. In the testing of
courage and endurance, special grace is
bestowed upon us, then light from
bove shines into the soul. When life
seems solitary then communion with
our Father is most coveted and most
consciously realized. When impressed
with our Impotence then it is that we
are made strong, "strengthened with
might by his Spirit in the inner man."
Our infirmity is plainly stated under
the figure of an earthen vessel. Its
value is little, not comparlble to vessels
of gold and Bllver; it is frail, easily
scarred or broken; it is plain and commonplace,
not designed to be admired
or extolled. It is the treasure that is
precious and beautiful. This may consist
of coin of great value or jewels of
surpassing beauty. The vessel is honored
in bearing such precious contents.
So our bodies are accounted holy be
vauoa iuc> are temples ol the Holy
Spirit, and our entire persons are "vessels
unto honor, sanctified and meet
for the Master's use and prepared for
every good work." The question, 'lien,
is not whether we in ourselves are
strong and beautiful hut whether God
will make us strong and beautify our
lives with the graces of his Spirit
The same great truth must be applied
in our attitude toward trials which
affect our personal hopes and interests.
Afflictions, which are necessarily transient,
"work out for ug a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory." /
"No chastening for tho '
w . pivociiv OQ^IUCIU /
Joyous, but grievous, nevertheless after- /
ward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of. J
righteousness." We are too short--'
sighted to see the outworking of th4
great principles anounced in these texta.<
hut we can believe them and believing
we can take courage, "so that wj mgy)
boldly say, The Lord is my helper and,
I will not fear what roan shall do unw
me."