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The Sunday School |
MAX THE CROWN OF CREATION.
January 12, 1913. flen 1:26, 27; 2:4.2?;
1*8. 8.
fJOI.TIEW TUVT
In his own image."?Gen. 1* 27.
HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS.
M.?Gen. 2: 4-25. Man the Crown of
Creation.
T.?Ps. 8. God's Glory In Alan.
"VV.?Ps. 139: 1-14. Object of Jehovah's
Care.
T.?1 Cor. 3: 10-23. Man the Temple
of God.
P.?Eph. 1: 3-14. Man's Redemption.
S.?1 Pet. 1: 3-12. The Unfading Inheritance.
S.?Ram. 12. Man's Heavenly Calling.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
O 32 WVint honofifo i.Vio*- n* /%
effectually called partake of in this
life?
A. They that are effectually called
do in this life partake of justification,
adoption, and sanctification, and the
several benefits which in this life do
either accompany or flow from them.
LESSON OUTLINE.
Man made in God's image, ch. 1: 26, 27.
Placed in the Garden of Eden, oh.
2: 7-9, 16.
Brought into covenant with God,
vs. 16, 17.
Provided with a suitable
companion, vs. 18-24.
LESSON STUDY.
Man's Creation: The second chapter
of Genesis goes more into the details
than tihe first. It changes the viewpoint
from the creation to man and
begins to trace man's nature and destiny.
Man becomes the center. With
Adam his helpmeet is also brought into
view, and it is shown that she is as
it were hut a part of the same creative
act
Man's Nature: In God's likeness, but
as a shadow is like the substance.
This likeness was in knowledge, righteousness,
holiness, with dominion over
the creatures. "Man's nature was. more
specifically, physical, in that he was
given a body, made of the same materials
as other physical beings; practical,
capable of thinking, doing, possessing.
loving; aesthetic, capable of
enjoying the beautiful as well as the
true and the good; moral, able to see
the "oughtness" of thlivgs, able to distinguish
between right and wrong, and
nble to choose the right; social, incomplete
without companionship, needing
an help-meet; spiritual, capable of
companionship with God himself. The
work of Christ is to restore all that
he briginally had, by (renewing the
lost image of God.
>Tnn's Dominion: It was over everything
created. The very giving of
names was his, significant of possession
of power. All acknowledged and
passed before him. His dominion was
over all the works of God's hand, as
sea, air, sky, earth; over all the forces
of earth, as we see faintly yet in his
increasing command of the clouds, of
electric forces, of the pulsations of the
air and of the subtle power of the
ether through which wireless messages
are sent; over the beasts of the field
whleh acknowledge him master and do
his bidding: over thought, reason, expression.
Man was crowned potentate
of the world. His dominion doubtless
was over all thought as well as fact
and being. ?I-n his pristine state his
mind must have been absolutely clear,
Ms memory, reasoning, comprehension
and wisdom perfect
THE PRESBYTER!
Man's Food: The products of vegetation
-were named his first food. Flesh
food seemed not to have been allowed
until after the flood, and then only
under rigid restrictions. Only one tree
of the Garden was forbidden, viz., that
one which stood as a representative
of God's right to command obedience,
the test of man's willing submission.
Man's Home: He was placed in Eden.
This must have been a definite spot.
"Where, we may not know. "Somewhere,"
Calvin very wisely says, "between
the writer and the rising sun."
The names mentioned in connection
with Eden would place it, apparently
somewhere about the head waters of
the Tigris and Euphrates, where the
upper streams of these great river and
those of two others, flowing afterwards
in different directions, are as it were
almost interlaced, in the highlands out
of which they flow in four different
ways. The location of Eden has been
a favorite theme of study and theory,
and the spots have been fixed at al
most as many places as there "have
been writers dealing iwth the matter.
From the region ahout the north polo
to the deepest depths of the Pacific
Ocean there is hardly a portion of the
earth's surface that has been omitted.
Bishop Keener's location of Kden in
the region near to Charleston, S. C.,
has been ohe of the most interesting
local theories.
Man's Work: It was to dress and
keep the garden. Babor is essential
to man's well-being and is fitted to
his nature. The physical, intellectual
and spiritual powers put in him were
not intended to (be useless. Activity is
man a uuiuiai Ktaie. inaciiviiy onij
tends towards degeneracy and evil.
Labor is not necessarily toil. The latter
appeared only when man sinned.
Man's. Prhileire?High honor was
given the man. He was placed above
everything else created. He enjoyed
likeness to his Hod. He was given
dominion. Useful and happy employment
was given to his body, his mind,
and his heart. Perfect companionship
was his to enjoy, with God and with
his own kind. "Worship was provided
for, and a day set apart consecrated to
that end, with an object of adoration
finrl wnrtliv of thf* mnet oval.+ r?r1
>ture, and that nature practically in
' inship to himself. Pood convenient
was provided and absolute liberty, except
as to one tree, was given, and especially
"was the "tree of life" put at
his command to be his until he should
of himselif forfeit the right to it.
Man'< Freedom: Tn the bestowal of
his gifts. God gave man that which is
the highest of all, the power of choice.
This was the supreme gift, the one that
somes rearest to the divine nature as
to Its activity. The freedom of the
will cabled for the best that was In
man, and its exercise made him most
like God. Nothing that God could glvo
<oil!fT hp rw-f n hlrnhpr nrdor q/\ fir oc
man's distinct nature was concerned.
The tre? that was forbidden was, by the
very fact that it. was forbidden, a tesiimonv
to this supreme possession.
Man's Responsibility s Yet the gift
brought to man a responsibility which
nothing else could have bestowed. It
was greater than his obligation to the
creature and to mankind. It was the
measure of his duty to God. Freedom
carries with It always such responsi
"Mlity, a responsibility to oneseTf as
well as to the Creator. The larger the
prift, the larger the responsibility. Obedience
la Cod's first law.
"Han's Ties: The social life was .bestowed
by the divine band. Woman
was made from the very body ?f man.
that she might be a part of bis life.
The institution of marriage 1s of God.
Its initiation was of him: its dissplu(Continued
on page 21.)
.
AN OF THE SOUTH
[Young People's SocietiesI
BECOME A CHRISTIAN.
Topic for Sunday, January 12: Become
a Christian?why not??Matthew
4: 17-25.
DAILY READINGS.
Monday: Almost persuaded. Acts
26: 24-29.
Tuesday: -If the Ixjrd be God. 1 Kings
18: 21.
"Wednesday: Manly decision. Joshur
24: 15.
Thursday: Christ's appeal. Mark
10: 17-22.
Friday: Let him in. Revelation 3:
20, 21.
Saturday: Christ, or nothing. John
6: 66-69.
The soul needs it. "He that believcth
nor is condemned already." "The
soul that sinneth it shall die." "The
wages of sin is death." "Ye will not
come unto me that ye might have life."
"Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased
with goods, and have need of nothing;
and know est not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind,
and naked."
God commands it. "I counsel thee
<o buy of me gold tried in the fire, that
thou mayest he rich; and white raiment,
that thou 'mayest he clothed, and that
the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see." Come out
and be ye separate, saith the Lord."
"God comniandeth men everywehre to
repent."
Christ invites it. "Come unto me,
all ye that la'bor and are heavy laden."
"Him that cometb. to me I will in no
wise east out." "Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters." "In
iwnie your ear, ana come unio me; near
and your soul shall live." "Ivet the
wicked forsake "his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts; and let
him return unto the Lord, and he will
have mercy upon him, and to our God,
for he will abundantly ipardon."
The Spirit prompts it. "The Spirit
and the Bride say, oorne." "I will pour
upon the house of David and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of
grace and of supplications." 'iMy Spirit
shall not always strive with man."
"Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfil the lusts of the flesh."
Interest demands it. "They that be
whole need not a physician 'but they
that be sick." "For why will ye d'ie.
O house of Israel." "Without faith it Is
impossible t? please Cod."
Conscience suggests it. "They were
pricked in their heart, and said, Men
and brethren, what shall we do?"
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
"Their conscience also being: witness
and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing
or else excusing one another."
Common-sense suggests it. "Le* him
that is athirst come." "Wherefore do
ye spend money for that which is not
bread? and your Labor for that which
satlsfleth not?"
To neglect it is sin. "If ve were
blind, yc should have no sin; but now
ye say, We see; therefore your sin
romaineth." "Because H have called,
and ye refused: I have stretched out
mv hand, and no man regarded; "but
ye have set at nought all my counsel,
and would none of my reproof; I also
will lau-gh at your calamity; I will
mack when your fear cometh."
Tt is present duty. "Behofld, now is
Ihe accepted time; behoM. now is the
dav of salvation." "Today, if ye will
hear his voice, harden not your hearts."
"N'ow it is high time to awake out of
sleep." "Whatsoever thy hand flndeth
to do, dp it with thy mlgfht."
[January 1, 1913
The Prayer Meeting
THE 1IID TREASURE.
Matt, 18: II. lYeek of January ft.
Tlie general teaching or this parablo
is the surpassing value of gospel truth.
To many the treasure is not known;
many do not seek for it; many others
do not know its value when it is revealed
to them and most unwisely an<l
fatal lv it "Hn r?nmn to hi a own
and his own received Mm not."
The kingdom of heaven is here spoken
of ae something that may be possessed.
lit is like treasure hid in a
field ami a man buyeth the field that
he may possess the hidden weaQth. It
is not only a treasure but is the greatest
of treasures, for the man sells all
that he has that he may possess it.
"As many as received him to them
gave he power to become the sons of
God."
The treasure's being hid is instructive.
Its value was unknown to passers
by and unknown to the man himself
until revealed to him. His finding did
not impart it9 intrinsic value. The
value was already there hut unknown.
The diamond wealth of South Africa
has been hidden there for aiges, and
only became known when a child found
a brilliant neblble whiieh it nseH as *1
plaything. All the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge are hid in Christ.
The eve of the world does not perceive
them. Thus Paul says, "If our
gosipel be hid it is hid to them that
are lost, in whom the God of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not." But the man who discovered
the treasure met every requirement
for possession. He hid it
and sold all that he had that it might
become his own. He did it gladly, "for
joy thereof." It was the one thing above
all else he desired.
The gospel requires that the possession
of the Kingdom shall involve the
surrender of carnal treasures, interests
and affections, these ihAintr tn onnfllot
with the principles and realities of that
Kingdom. The sacrifice of things that
were esteemed precious is a requisite of
spiritual life. The two sets of treasures,
carnal and spiritual, cannot be
cherished at the same time. "The flesh
lusted against the Spirit and the Spirit
against the flesh and these are contrary
the one to the other." "They
that, are in the flesh cannot please God."
We must be warned against expecting
to become Christians by accident.
We need not assume that finding the
treasure was merely accidental. In
oriental lands money and other valu
ablee were often burled for safe-keepin
?r. Savin ps (banks were crude and
rare. Tribal and racial -wars were frequent.
Governments were unjust Official
superiors were extortionate. An
a consequence the accumulations of
industry were often safest when burled
in the earth. But driven from home,
or the pleace of concealment helm?
forgotten. Hence there were those who
sought for the treasure, and their
search was often rewarded. The joint
coirtmand and promise of the pospel
is. "Seek and ye shall find." God says
he is found of his electing grrace, but
we are also instructed to seek Mm
with the whole heart.
The general lesson is that the kingdom
of Ood 1s a treasure that is worth
more than all things else and that for
the sake of possessing it the subordination
*of everything else is the 'part of
wisdom end the surrender of all else
that is not in harmony with it Is essential.
Our I^ord deals with us franklv.
He clearly lays down the terms
of disoipleship. Tjet us take up our
( roes and follow him.