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The Sunday School
REVIEW.
Golden Text: "If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1.9.
In a review lesson onlv th? imnnrtnnt
points can be considered in each of the
lessons studied during the quarter. The
thirteen lessons to be reviewed now
deal with the captivity of Israel and the
destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple,
and the return of Israel seventy
years afterwrards and the rebuilding
of the city and Temple.
I. In the first lesson we have the vis
ion of Ezekiel, in which it is declared
that he is set as a watchman to the
house of Israel. The important lesson
taught here is the responsibility which
God has laid upon us to warn all men
of their danger and to do all in oui
power to show them the way of escape
from the great enemy of souls, an old
minister was asked whether he thought
that the heathen would he saved 11
i/urisimas aid not give tnem the
knowledge of Christ. He replied thai
the question that concerned him a greal
deal more 1b whether Christians can be
saved, if they fail to carry the Gospel
to the heathen. "His blood will I re
quire at thine hand."
II. In his viBion the prophet saw
waters streaming out from the temple
until they became a great river. The
stream of God's mercy and God's grace
issues forth from his dwelling place
and flows over the earth in a boundless
supply for all who will partake of them"And
he showed me a pure river of water
of life, clear as crytal, proceeding
out of the throne of God and of the
Lamb." Rev. 22: 1.
III. God often used the heathen nations
for the punishment of Israel.
Three times in quick succession the
armies of Babylon invaded Canaan. The
first was by Nebuchadnezzar in B. C.
606. when Daniel and his friends were
carried to Ba'bylon. The second was in
B. C. 597, when many captives and
much treasure were carried away. The
third was in B. C. 586, when the city
and temple were destroyed. Seventy
years from the first captivity God
brought his people back to their native
land. He sends punishment and afflictions
upon his people when he sees that
they are needed, but he never deserts
them. As he used Nebuchadnezar to
punish them, so he used Cyrus to restore
them to their homes and their
worship.
IV. Immediately on their return the
Children of Israel re-established public
worship, and notwithstanding their
weakness and poverty, they soon began
to rebuild the Temple. They had learned
what it was to be without the established
worship of the true God, and with
great joy they set to work to make
provision for it. Never after this did
they fall into idolatry. We sometimes
do not appreciate the great privilege of
being able to engage in the public worship
of our God.
V. This fifth lesson is in the 85th
Psalm. No one know8 just when It
was written, but Its sentiment seems to
suggest the time just after the return
from Babylon. Three great thoughts
are suggested. (1) God's forgiving his
people, as is shown by their restoration
to their own land. (2) His people's
prayers for more blessings. (3) God's
answers to these prayers. He gives to
all who ask, peace, salvation, mercy,
truth and righteousness.
VI. The sixth lesson takes us back
to Babylon 57 years after the first return
of the Jews from captivity. Many
Jews still remain In Babylon, among
them la Esther, who Is made Queen. By
bar self-sacrificing efforts she saves her
UE f K E S b i I E ft 1 i
people from destruction. God gives her
an opportunity and she uses it regard,
less of what may be the consequence to
herself. She trusts in God and he does
not desert her. but crowns her efforts
with success.
VII. "Mene, mene. tekel. upharsln." A
fearful sentence pronounced upon the
king. How much more fearful to have
such a sentence pronounced upon the
i soul; to have it said that God has nurui
bered its days and that they are finished;
that the soul has been weighed and
i found wanting; that it has been separated
from the body over which it has ruled
' and been given over to its great enemy.
; VIII. Ezra undertook and accomplished
one of the most remarkable journeys
ever made by man. Without a guard
1 and without trained soldiers he march>
ed through a land infested with enemies,
l tout he brought his people safely to their
i journey's end. He could do this bei
cause, "the hand of our God ib upon all
them for good that seek him."
IX. Nehemi&h, still in Babylon, by
I careful inquiry, finds out the needs of
his brethren In Canaan. Unable to do
' anything himself he goes to God in pray.
' er, asking that he will make the king
show mercy to the Jews. We can and
- should ask God for whatever we need.
! X. The king shows mercy and grants
Nehemiah's petition and allows him to
return to Jerusalem. He finds the wall
of the city have not been rebuilt. He
encourages the people, and directs the
1 rebuilding of the wall. He puts to
1 naught the counsel and opposition of
1 their enemies- He trusted in God for
the accomplishment of his purposes, but
worked and watched and was ready to
fight, while he trusted. The commander
said to his soldiers as they waded across
a river in the presence of the enemy:
"Trust in God, men, and keep your
powder dry."
XI. Nehemiah, in accomplishing his
work, found eiffemies within and enemies
without. Oftimes there are those
in the church, who by their indifference
or by their open opposition, do much
to hinder the Lord's work. There are
those outside, who, pretending to. be
friends, are enemies in reality, doing
an tney can to Hinder the work of God's
servants. But over all enemies God will
give the victory, if we look to him for
help, and do our part faithfully.
XII. Ezra establishes the first Bible
school of which we have any record and
gives us a model for teaching. He
gathered all the people together, "read
in the book of the law of God distinctly,
and gave the sense, and caused them
to understand the reading."
XIII. The people have sinned- Out of
the depths they cry for a Saviour. A
SaviouF is promised. He will save his
people from their sins, and give them
a new spiritual life. This life should
bring forth fruit to the glory of God.
We should keep God's laws. We should
wnrnhln him wHIi nnr JUhao onK
mit ourselves to him In all things.
"They that feared the Lord spake often
one to another." Christian people
should talk of God, his love, his mercy,
his providential dealings. God counts
his faithful people as his jewels. What
glory it will he to he a Jewel in the
crown of the Great King.
As we come to the close of the year
let us look back upon our failures, that
we may avoid them in the coming year;
upon our successs. that we may be encouraged
to press on to greater things;
upon God's grace and love, that we may
put our trust more entirely in him.
The choicest gift is not one which
Is most costly and elegant as some
count values, but one which expresses
most love. It Is true of our gifts to
friends. In a much higher sense it i
is true of our gifts to him who gave
and gives himself to us. j
\ N u )r rat ft o u 1 h.
Young People's Societies
BETTER NEXT YEAR,
Topic for Suuuay, December 31:
Tilings 1 IVaiit to Do Better Next Year,
riiilippiuns 8:12-14. i
DALLY READINGS.
Monday: In dally tasks. 3 John 5: j
Colnsalnno
Tuesday: In Bible study. Psalm 1.
Wednesday. In self-control. Proverbs
16:32.
Tuesday: In churcb attendance.
Hebrews 10:19-25.
Friday: In missionary sifts. 2
Corinthians 8:1-5.
Saturday: In personal work. Acts
11:25-26.
It is not wrong to covet, if the covet- 1
ing be of the "best gifts." *
It is wrong to regard ourselves as 1
having "already attained," or as "al- i
ready perfect." 1
No matter what progress or growth
may have marked the closing year, the J
next should be made better. c
Except as a stimulus to higher at- i
tainment, and as a claim upon us for ]
constant gratitude, the past is to be <
forgotten. ?
"Forgetting those thingB which are i
behind, and reaching forth unto those \
Which are before, I press toward the
mark for the prize of the high calling 1
of God in Christ Jesus." s
n is a oiiBBiui sract tnat to Itbe I
Christian everything is before him. The c
best is always yet to come. Progress is (
possible all the time, and there need 1
never be a backward step. i
"But no goal is to be won without s
pressing." Energy on our part is re- i
quired, but it is also guaranteed if we t
go to the right source to secure it. and t
it is guaranteed in abundance- t
Pressing is the opposite of drifting. 1
The stream is to be ascended by us. It i
takes effort to move up stream. Sus- t
pend this effort and the boat drifts, i
And drifting is invariably downward. f
Among the things in which we may t
better the past is, first of all, a firmer j
grasp by faith upon Christ, the source s
of all life and strength. "Bind me t
closer, closer. Lord to Thee!"
The spiritual life is to be sought r
more. All our alms and ends should a
111 w a gicai vuiiBumiiig aesire to j
grow, by the Spirit's Indwelling, more r
and more into the likeness of Christ. t
The more diligent use of the outward v
and ordinary means which he has given a
us, and the faithful use of which he j
has promised to bless, should mark the t
new year. Those means are chiefly c
prayer, readipg the Word, and attend- t
ance upon the ordinances of God's r
house. E
Prayer is the Christian's "vital \
breath." It is his communion with E
God. his confession of sin, his acknowl- c
edgment of past mercies, his obedience
of Christ, the expression of faith. We j:
can no more live without it than his i
physical life can live without the air.
"Men ought always to pray."
The reading of the Bible, dally, g
systematically, reverantly. 1s essential t
to knowing God and his grace. It is j,
his message to men. They tell his t
win. iney oner nis mercy, iney show ^
Christ and the way of life. They are p
the food of the soul. A man may as g
easily live and thrive without susten- n
ance of any hind as the Christian live 8
and thrive without careful reading of j
God's Word. 1]
Attendance upon tihe ordinance Is \
most needful. God strengthens his peo- g
pie out of Zlon. That Is his meeting o
place with them. There are found isuch u
means of grace as are not to be found e
elsewhere, and which the soul needs, h
such as the sacraments and constant h
prayer and praises, and the preach- k
Ing of the "Word. a
[December 20,1911
The Prayer Meeting
CHK1STHAS THOUGHTS.
Jolin 1:14.
Christmas is a season of grateful
ind joyful commemoration. It cele- Jf
Urates the "beginning of a new era in JT
:he history of humanity. Yet how low- M
\y the event and how destitute of apparent
significance. A child is born t
in a stall beside which the camels or
>xen or other domestic animals were
feeding, and the world all unaware
hat there was born that day in the
Jity of David a Saviour which was and
s Christ the L<ord.
The heavenly host rejoiced. The
nigels sang "Peace on Earth," the
nelody which has never ceased to enrapture
the ears that would hear it.
is the shepherds heard and worshipped.
iVise men from the East saw his star
rnd came to worship at the lowly
lirthplace. bringing their oriental gifts.
The season that commemorates that .
oyful event has come again. Do we
iraw near with wonder and awe, with
;ladness and song, with gratitude and
praise, bringing our offerings of love,
:heerful obedience and trust? Does the
itory of his advent fill our hearts with
;ladness and pledge us to renewed de'otion
?
Who but a prophet of God could
lave foretold the coming of so mighty
i kingdom from; so lowly a beginning?
*fo pagan mystic or Grecian sage
:ould ever have foreseen or ever
lreamed of such a consummation,
rhere wag no room for the little child
n the inn, but there is room for this
same Jesus in all that is purest and
nost sublime in the earth which he
:ame to bless, and that after nineteen
enturies of the hardness of the heart
ind Ingratitude of a blinded worldThere
is no room for him today in
nany of the world's pretentious instltu:ions?its
commercial schemes, its
latlonal policies, its social circles, its
mils of skeptical learning, but in all
hat is best and noblest in life he is
it the center. There he is enthroned
md there he receives the homage of
incounted worshippers.
In the hearts of the purest and
lo'bleBt he is enthroned. His witnesses
ire found among the wisest and mightest
of the race. He who spake as
lever man spake is the instructor of
he most learned. The Sovereign
vhose scepter 1b love rules the vastest
ind mightiest kingdom among men.
leligion, art and philosophy now pay
heir choicest tributes to him where
>nce they knew him not or scorned
he name of the Nazarene. And he
nust reign until he hath put all enenies
under his feet. It becomes us
rayerfully to inquire whether the
lame which is above every name revives
the allegiance of our lives?
vhether today we join heart and life
u the mighty chorus that crowns him
x>rd of all.
May we call the gift of himself our
Irst Christmas gift? How precious a
;ift it was! Eternity will never reveal
o us its full value. The gift was of
nnnue price and ltg fruition will exend
into infinitude. And his gifts
ave not ceased from that day to this,
ie is giving himself today?his counel,
his sympathy, his intercession, his
ilghty control, his presence and asurances
of his love and helpfulness,
Ie is giving his own presence in our
Ives to gladden and sanctify them.
Vhat are we giving to him? Let us
ive our hearts, our love, our service,
ur cheerful obedience to his will. Let
s give our time, our substance, our
fforts. our entire selves, for all are
Is by right. He haB bought us with
.? j/icuiuus moon; we must therefore
lorlfy him in body and spirit which
re his.