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. The Sunday School
THE CALL OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES.
March 3, 1912. Mark 1:11-28.
Golden Text: "The harvest truly is
plenteous, but the laborers are few.
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest,
that he will send forth laborers
Into bis harvest."?Matthew 9: 37, 38.
SHORTER CHATECllISM.
Q. 94. What is baptism?
A. Baptism Is a sacrament, wherein
the washing with water, In the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the
v Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our
Ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of
the benefits of the covenant of grace,
and our engagement to be the Lord's.
LESSON COMMENTS.
Time nnd Place: We move forward
more than a year from the time of the
last lesson, to a time in the second year
of our Lord's ministry. And the scene
shifts from the Jordan region to Galilee,
where Jesus had been reared and where
several months before he had established
his home or headquarters in Capernaum,
removing from Nazareth.
A Long Skip: Tn the Interval between
the temptation and the incidents of the
present lesson, many events had occurred.
We think it a pity that the lesson
scheme omits them. They are
needful to give a proper view of
Christ's life. Among them may he numbered
the calling of the first five disciples,
the marriage In fana. the entire
earl'er Judean ministry, the cleansing
of the temple, the Interview with
Nlcodemus, the baptism, John's testimony
to Jesus , John's Imprisonment,
the passage through Samaria, the conversation
at Jacob's Well, the healing
of the nob'eman's Bon, Jesus' first rejection
at Nazareth, the removal to Capernaum.
The Gallleean Ministry: The three
Synoptic Gospels practically begin the
account of Christ, excepting the j>reliminarles
up to and through the temptation,
with his work In Galilee. This
was due to the fact that It was here
that he first undertook to get about h'm
a permanent following and to train the
disciples In principles and work. He
had already had disciples, some or whom
continued with him more or less, and
many had believed on him; but now he
begins to separate some entirely to
himself.
John's Imprisonment: Bare mention
Is made of this. The full account will
be found In three of the Gospels, where
one will see that It was for his fearlessness
and faithfulness that the noble
man was suffering. He had dared to
denounce wickedness In high places, reproving
Herod, the Tetrarch, for taking
his brother Philip's wife.
The Foundations: Christ began his
ministry in Galilee preaching "The
Gospel of the Kingdom of God," announcing
that it was at hand, calling on
men to repent of their sins and believe
the Gospel. Here he displayed his great
mission. It was to establish his kingdom
among men, to build It in their
hearts and to show it in their lives. But
a kingdom must be built by its subjects
as well as the king, and so the Master
indicates.
His Agents for the Work: "Let him
that heareth say, Come." So Christ proceeds
at once to call disciples to himself.
Some had already been associating
more or less closely with him, and
many had bel'eved. But he now wishes
to separate some entirely to himself
and to keep tljem with him. In full training
for the Important duties soon to
devolve upon tbem. Thus he calls his
first permanent disciples. Three of
THE PRESBYTERI
them, possibly four of thsm, wers of th?
number wbo first accepted him, more
than a year before, just after his temptation
and the reappearance to John.
The Four: Two of them were Simon
and Andrew, brothers, and fishermen.
Andrew bad gone and found Simon and
brought him to Jesus the year before,
making It his first duty and privilege
when he himself believed. The other
two were James and John, sons of
Zebedee, also fishermen, named in the
order of their ages, for It seems to be
generally agreed that John was by far
the youngest cf all Christ's disciples.
These four became useful men. Andrew
figured less nrnmlnontlT fcntw
ever, than the other three. They, and
those to be added to them, were to become
"fishers of men." That Is, they
were called to service, to a ministry.
Their glory was to be In what they
should accomplish for Christ, not In
their personal enjoyment of him. To be
followers of Christ men must be doing
Chr'st's work.
The Synagogue: Christ made It his
custom to attend the synagogue on the
Sabbath, and his disciples faithfully
went with him there. So far as the
synagogue Itself was concerned, It
could do him no good. The rather, he
could do It good. But that was not the
question. He went there because It
was h's duty. It was God's house, and
there the Word was read and explained.
ana ne must neens go, to snow his followers
how they should obey and
profit.
The Grent Teacher: Jesus begins to
appear as the Great Teacher. His
hearers quickly realized that his teaching
was with authority and power.
This was not merely because they saw
signs following. There was present
without any signs, the power of truth,
compelling men to listen. In Its truly
Inherent force and authority It was in
striking contrast with that of the
Scribes and Pharisees.
Satan's Acknowledgement: The lesson
records the first encounter of JesuB
with Satan, In the latter's special possession
of men. It Is notable that the
devil possessing the man knew and
acknowledged Jesus. And the evil spirit
obeyed his command. Thus the Master
showed that he had power over him that
had the power over death. The devil
called Jesus, "the Holy One of God."
It was In his holiness that his greatest
power lay. Sin always makes weak.
Lessons: The righteous sometimes
suffer for their faithfulness. But Christ
sees their trials. He called John the
greatest of those born of women. The
kingdom of God Is entered only by the
door of faith anl repentence. When men
are at honest toll rather than in idleness
Christ comes to them. The avocations
of life suggest the nature of our
service to the Lord. Fishers of men
should use as much zeal and wisdom of
method as those who fish for fish. It
is well sometimes to leave all and follow
Christ. One is not his unless he
possesses at least the willingness to do
this. Christ is to be put before business
in both heart and life. The Sabbath
was always properly observed by Jesus.
He went regularly to the synagogue on
that day. The Word of God is the true
guide of the life. When one uses it he
is clothed with power. Even the devil
will see this and y'eld before such a
man. The power of a godly l'fe and
faithful service cannot be limited to a
narrow place. It will spread.
Do not look forward to what m'ght
happen to-morrow; the same everlast
Ing Father who cares for you to-day
will take care of you to-morrow and
every day. Either he will shield you
frwm suffering or he will give you unfailing
strength to bear It Be at
peace, then, and put aside all anxious
thoughts and Imaginations.?St Francis
de Sales.
AN OF THE SOUTH
Young People's Societies
PATIENCE.
Topic for Sunday, March 3: The
Christian Virtues. IIL Patience. 2
Thessaioniuns 3: 1*5.
y r
DAILY READINGS.
Monday: Patience produced. James
1:1.4.
Tuesday: Patience in oppression.
James 6:1-7.
Wednesday: The great example: 1
Peter 2:19-25.
Thursday: The great need. Hebrews
m?r>9_9Q
Friday: Waiting for God. Psalm 62:
1-8.
Saturday: Abraham's patience. Hebrews
6:11-20.
Patience Is one of those qualities
which are below the surface, unseen,
unherolc, but none the less unimportant
or valuable on that account.
It Is both a principle, actuating the
life, and a method of dealing with what
comes to men from without. It Is
both active and passive, In the best
sense of the words.
Its basis Is faitb. Because one believes
he Is assured that he may quietly
await results, endure trials, resist
temptations, keep up the fight, hope
for victory, expect a crown of glory.
"Tribulation worketh patience." The
Christian finds a tuition In trial which
nothing else can give. The experience
of God's presence and power which Is
found there warrants the soul in confidently
trusting.
Love also begets patience. How much
one can endure for the sake of love!
There Is hardly a home anywhere that
does not show It, where the mother or
the father Is not dally tolling and enduring
"imply because thev love.
"The try'ng of your faith worketh
patience." Not that there Is merit In
temptation, but In the manner In which
the Christian addresses himself to the
temptation. It Is only the faith that will
not yield that shows the possession of
true grace.
"Let pat'ence have her perfect work.
That V? mnv hp nprfopt onii nn <
wanting nothing." These words, from
the practical James, declare that without
patience a3 the evidence of faith
there cannot be a complete development
of the Christian character.
A fine Illustration of patience Is
drawn from the farmer. "Behold, the
husbandman walteth for the precious
fru't of the earth, and hath lone: patience
for It, until be receive the early
and latter rain. Be ye also patient:
establish* your hearts: for the coming
of the Ixjrd draweth nigh."
It Is not right for one to take credit
to oneself or to rejoice In this patience
which one practices as to evils. "What
glory Is It, If, when ye be buffeted for
your faults, ye shall take It patiently?
but If, when ye do well, and suffer for
It, ye take It patiently, this Is acceptable
with God."
Christ Is the great example here.
"Christ also suffered for us. leaving us
an example, that ye should follow his
steps; who did no sin, neither was
guile found In his mouth; who, when he
was reviled, reviled not again; when he
suffered he threatened not. but committed
himself to him that Judgeth
righteously."
There la constant need for this grace.
"Cast not away therefore your confidence,
which hath great recompence of
reward. For yo have need cf pat'ence,
that after ye have done the will of God,
ye might receive the promise. For yet
a little while, and he that shall corns
will come, and will not tarry."
[ F?bru*ry 21, 1911
The Prayer Meeting
FORGIVENESS.
MIcnh 7:18-20. Week of Feb. 26.
The prophet's words are addressed to
his God, but they Imply a challenge to
every form of false religion and to all
unbelief. It is in tbe form of a question
as though no argument were needed
and all opposition must be dumb at
the announcement of the un'que truth.
The prophet further indicates the
reason why God pardons. He delights
in mercy. It is not because he tolerates
sin. He hates sin as abominable
and he is a being of absolute holiness.
He has no sympathy with latter day
courts and juries that condone and cov- |
er up sin. Yea, he will judge those
courts as the partisans and promoters
of evil. But he loves the sinner and
has made provision for putting away
guilt and cleansing the fountain from
which the black stream flows.
That provision was decreed In
eternity, and throughout the history of
the race he haB dealt with mank'nd on
the basis of that decree. His love for
the guilty prompted him to It. He accordingly
made full provision for blotting
out sin that he might be just and
yet justify him that believeth.
In his word we learn it all. Here he
tells us of his perfectly holy nature and
of our helpless and condemned estate;
of the necessary consequences of transgression
and that It Is his desire that
we repent and believe. He tells of the
rich, adequate provision he has made
for reconciling us unto himself and of
his out-flowing mercy to every one who
will acept that provision which his love
has made. He makes known to us
that the basis of reconciliation Is his
coming In the person of his Son, living
our life, making himself, his nature and
perfections known, and assuming our
guilt and paying Its penalty through the
shameful death of the cross.
This however would not be sufficient
IT nothing more were done. We would
still be enemies of God at heart and
treasure up wrath against the day of
wrath. He so acts upon the pardoned
soul In the person of his Spirit as to win
the love of the heart and blend the will
with his own and turn the trend of the
whole life toward himself. The fact of
Christ's dying love is made an experimental
reality to the Illumined soul and
wins Its confidence and affection. The
vision of Christ's cross melts the heart
and wins the soul's allegiance. Sin
appears h!deous, righteousness appears
beautiful and becomes an object of the
heart's desire. Penitence and grief for
personal transgression become Inevitable
and God, who is waiting to be
gracious, hears the confession, he turns
again and has compassion upon us and
subdues our iniquities and casts all our
sins into the depths of the sea as he
has sworn unto our fathers from the
days of old.
While we think of God as infinitely
holy and just we must not think of
him as vengeful. He hates sin but has
done everything possible that Is consistent
with his attributes to save the
sinner. He would magnify his justice,
not by visiting fiery indignation upon
t h A mitWn W.. ?? ? ?*? ? * * * *
feui.ij, uut ujr Lirduging ineir nearts
and winn'ng them to loving obedience
to himself.
The three great departments of God's
dealing with the sin of the penitent are:
fij-st, making atonement for it; second,
forgiving it; third, driving it from the
hearts of those who repent and confess
their sin.
Religion can be dignified without being
dull.
Honesty is always something of a
mystery to dishonest men^
2