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II The Sunday School [
AHRA.H ASD LOT.
February 25, 1915. Gen. 13:1-18.
Golden Texti "The blessing of the
Lord, it maketh rich, and be addelh no
sorrow with It"?Pro v. 10:22.
HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS.
M?Gen. 13:1-12.
T.?Gen. 14:13-24.
W.?Ruth 1:6-18.
Th.?1 Sam. 20*35-42.
F.?John 3:22-30.
a T.tin 41 . 1
8.?PblL 2:1-11.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 38. What benefits do believers re
eei\e from Christ at the resurrection?
A. At the resurrection, believers being
raised up in glory, shall be openly
acknowledged, and acquitted in the c^ay
of judgment, and made perfectly blessed
in the full enjoying of God to all eter
mty.
LESSON OUTLINE.
Frcrn Egypt into Canaan, vs. 1-4.
The cause of strife, vs. 5-7.
Abraham's conciliatory offer, vs
3, 9.
Lot's unwise and selfish choice
vs. 10-13.
LESSON STUDY.
Placesx For a time Abram dwelt lr
Ecypt, going out of the "Negeb," 01
South Country, with Hebron as 1U
center, because of a famine in the land
Then he rturned to the Negeb. ant
thence moved, in his migratory fashion
tc Bethel, twelve miles north of Jerusa
lem. Here, from some lofty point h<
end Lot surveyed the land. Lot, belni
given tne first choice, selected the Plait
of the Jordan, the country adjacent t<
the mouth of the river, a region so ricl
that several cities, such as Sodom
flourished there.
Tbf l'lwe of ue aiuti mis is ui<
designation of Bethel. It indicate*
A.brain's method and habit. Wherever hi
went bo set up an altar to God am
worshipped. His business activity an*
migrations never prevented his atten
lion to the ordinances of religion. Th
latter stood first with him all the time
By putting business into his religion
be put religion into his business.
Oat of Ervnl: Abrarn was a mer
man, though a great roan and a ?<*>
man. and he stumbled sometimes, a
other men do. He had no direction fror
God to go into Egypt His faith wa
not so perfect here as to make him en
dare, and he needed a lesson. His sc
Journ In Egypt brought hira into troubh
H caused a temporary break in hi
character. He became a deceiver an
falslPer for a time. He recovered, how
ever, because Good took care of bin
Ever after that Egypt was a name whic
he and his descendants dreaded, an
were constantly and officially warne
a gala st
Growing Prosperity J God multlplie
Abram'* rlrihcs greatly. He gave nit
favor with all the people among whot
he dwelt. He could command whitev?
he wanted. His nephew Tot prosper*
with him. We have always a feelln
that Tx>t waa a kind of "trailer" pfU
Abram, seeming his prosperity an
favor by doing as Abram did. Wibe
they separated, Lot's fortunes seem*
to change. His ancle t*d to go to hi
rescue. And even Abram's faith ceul
not throw Its protecting care over hti
when Lot bed Jmtblbed too much of th
spirit of the world smd bed become ai
THS PBE8BYTERI1
parently fully Identified with Sodom.
I'oeanctifled prosperity Is not safe.
l.ft Th?r* Rn Vn Strife 1 When Ah
ram's and Lot's possessions enlarged,
difficulty came between their respective
herdsmen. But for the calm, peaceful
spirit of Abram, the matter might have
gone further. The very chiefs thou>selves
might have fought and blood
might have been shed. Abram urged
tbat they settle the trouble quietly and
he proposed a plan. His end was peace.
And like all who seek peace and pursue
it, be found it botb the happiest and
the most successful way.
Abram's Magnanimity: In that settlement
the large spirit of Abram came
cut He showed himself to be above
small or illiberal things. He did not
claim or assert his rights. He peacefully
said to Lot, Look at all this land;
make your choice; take what you like;
( will lake what is loft Lot acted the
part of the selfish worldling. He chose
what he though was the best But Abram's
was, after all, "the better part"
He took his poorer section with a big
tsnlrU nnd man arid hla <>hanu>ti>r
! made It hoor. better by far.
Pitiching His Tent Toward* Sodom:
loot's ebcice led away from God and in
the direction of the -"world. Whatever
is not towards God is towards the world.
And when one's face is set in the latter
direction, the destination is soon reached.
Towards Bottom usually ends in
Sodrvn. It is not long until we find l/ot
right in the place. Though its condition
and sins vexed righteous Lot, he still
stayed there. It proved his undoing at
last, in both temporal and spiritual
ways.
t Contrasted Lives: Alike In practically
r every other way, with equal prosperity,
i proper.y and prospects, Abram's and
Lot's attitude toward? the world seemj
ed to be their point of departure. But
thels made a vast difference. Facing
' opposite wajs, it did not cake long for
8 their lives to be wholly apart. Abrah
y. did not desert Lot, however, and on at
' least one occasion marshalled his whole
Lost, and probably with them as leader?
^ thousands of the natives of the land, an i
xscued Lc>t aiul those ctp'ured witn
him. But Lot was in Sodom, and thai
tit nutlet linn 11 t- Vila o.i a.r
1 vrt a sai one. aiid sadder and '*10
pi:iful in its end and in the ma 1?
ii*sr in win-1 it lircjected itself d-.?wii
into subee ,ueni hlston
The Co tenant Hcurvredt God nen-.i
to look up-J 1 Abrsm's A?*t, in the **9
* aration btwecn him and Lot, as new
' proof of fa', .n. That Abrain should be
' willing to take the poorer l*alf rather
than have strife, led Co:! to pledge to
e 1.1m anew that which had lint nromtted
uuvuiriv |vr v'li^ un; ?a*w??iu wuu ii^uiuo'
f tlon of this debt which threatens it
t paralyze oi?r work of evangelization,
d The native Cristlans of Korea an
n notable examples of the efficiency o
1 rnch work as this, some of them glvlni
\n weekr of their time to direct OJhristiai
?i work dnring a year, and Ood has great
m ly blessed their work of faith, an*
ie labor of love.
?- .... M.
d when Ahrara left his own country and
t I'.imfl to tloi land wblther Ocd had tiln
rtcted hi-r. Onr richest trperlencj ol
a Cod's klnd .es? and of his renews! umi
. fulfilment of pledges often vome in iho?u
k ensons Wiei we are in uome thlo;?
?. mfferlrg most
4 '
d A SUGGESTION TO BUSINESS MEN,
While the Talent Plan is being enu
thuslasticaliy adopted by many of out
h congregations, misionnary societies and
4 Sunday schools, some of our business
<1 men are holding aloor, on the ground
that they cannot apace time from theli
4 business to successfully pursue the
n plan. To such this suggestion is of
? fered r
ir nive the Income, or profit of youi
A Kitjaln An a dav a tv t% r*A fka llaiaMa
K N OF THE SOUTH
The Prayer Meeting |
MEDICAL MISSIONS.
Topic for Sunday, February 23: Mis
Ion Work, at Home and Abroad. IL
Medical Mission*. Matthew 10:7-11.
y ? DAILY READINGS.
Monday: Preaching and healing.
Matt. 4:23-25.
Tuesday: Christ's commission. Mark
io: n-i'i.
Wednesday: Apostles' practice. Acts
8:1-10.
Thursday: Paul, the healer. Acts 14:
t-lS.
Friday: Girts to the church. 1 Cor.
12:4-11.
Snturday: Gospel healing. Rev. 22:1-6.
The lx>rd JesuB was a healer as well
as a preacher of the kingdom, 'bat his
healings were miracles attesting his
claim to be the 'Messiah.
So far as conducting a medical work
Is related to the actual needs of the
heathen and will open the way to giving
them the gospel, it may be Included In
the divine command, "Go ye lntq all the
world."
In many cases such work is the only
one that will. the way to the gospel.
Then It surely accord with the
gospel plan, just as in other cases educational
work helps to command the
situation.
It is much upon the sacne principle
as work at home. We know a minister
who. when he finds a family in want,
will not kneel down and pray with them,
though one in the home may be very ill,
until he has gone out to the nearest
grocery and bought a basket of provisions.
The injunction to the apostles, connecting
miracle-working with their
preaching the gospel (see Mark 16:17,
13), is often quoted aa authority for
medical missions. It is not a correct
inference. The special functions bestowed
upon the apostles, and to which
supernatural power was added, were not
rtll intended for the church after their
A medical minion is aim ply a benefaction
of the church, an expedient
which it uiay use, and tie withdrawal
or <glrlng of which la at Its own option
for the ends which it seeks. The church
can go on and evangelistic work stll! be
prosecuted without sucti an adjunct. It
i should not be made a matter of con
science to any church.
' The religion of Chrlgt gives blessing.
T)aM/V- VaaUW ? ?
uoi-icr ucauu, eauer views, larger cuitirre,
go in its train. It should be the
Joy of Go<i's people to give all these to
those who have them not, Just as it
should he their Joy in Christ's name to
? divide their food with the hungry and
> their clothes with the naked. "Freely ye
have received, freely give."
Our own Church conducts medical
1 missionary work in its stations in China,
Korea, and Africa. Its representatives
' have wisely wubordinated that work to
I the more vital work of proclaiming the
i way of life. Many of the ills of the
I heathen grow out of their heathenism.
* In such cases healing and preaching are
s well linked together.
The mission hospital should he mpde
a mission church, and not <be run simply
r as a business, nor even as a feature of
. an "institutional dhurch." The war>
rant for the "institutional church" has
not yet bean satisfactorily shown. The
? ground Is too debatable, as yet, to Justify
t the Choneh at large In ooctrpylng It exr
copt In the wisest way possible.
i
Knox made Calvinism the religion of
I Scotland, and Calvinism made Scotland
the moral standard of tbe world.?Dr.
V. W. Smith.
/
[February 12,1913
H ' ^^1
[Young People's Societies
THE TWO BUILDERS.
Lake 6:47-41). lVwk of February 16.
Our Lord was unsparing in his disapproval
and censure of false professors.
Even when compassionate toward
other classes of sinners he seachingly
arraigned those who called him Lord,
I,ord and did not the things which he
said. They wore especially guilty because
either they dared to think thoy
mlrrh) 4r,nnl?f<v m rl mam am
uii5'iv ucvrnu uvil auu lucii) im vu?j/ aosumed
that religion consisted in outward
profession, regardless of inward
experience, or else they may have presumed
upon God's mercy without repentance
and obedience on their part.
Two classes of religionists are here
described. One resembles a wise builder
who digs deep, removes the soft
earth and yielding sand, goes down to
solid rock and there lays firmly the
foundation of his house. On this he
rears the superstructure, strong and
enduring. He makes this his home.
After a time the rains descend, the
nooas come and the winds*blow and
bent on the house, but It remains unmoved
because it Is founded upon a
rock. Its foundation makes It secure
amidst the fury of the tempest.
This wise builder typifies the trno
Christian. He builds on the foundation
vi i:ie uinnnim anu propueia. AO oiner
enduring foundation can any man lay.
?.n coming to Christ, we build on "a
living stone, disallowed indeed of men
hut chosen of God and precious." Those
who receive him, "as living stones, are
built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrl- #
flees, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ
Wherefore also it is contained In the
Scriptures. Behold I lay in Zlon a chief
cornerstone, elect, precious; and be that
belleveth on him shall not be confounded."
The true believer comes to Christ and
receives his word and trusts htm aa his
Saviour. He believes In salvation by
grace though the merits of Christ
Quilt is taken away by Christ's obedience
unto death.- This believer trusts
Christ as hia living intercessor, aa his
exalted Sovereign, his Infinitely gracious
friend. It Is his supreme aim,
his daily sustenance and satisfaction to
do his Master's will. His faith grow'a
by exercise for it works by love. His
life Is ever enlarging and resting more
securely on Its Immovable foundation.
Or, regarding his security from the
Divine standpoint, the believer Is upheld
by tbe power and sustained by the
vital energy of bis Redeemer. Underneath
ore the everlasting arme. Temptations,
distresses, persecutions, death
Itself do not avail to separate him from
the love of Ood which is In Christ Jesus
our Lord.
me oilier builder is a foolish man,
w<ho makes the same profession as the
former. Ho bears Christ's saying, professedly
acceptls* them, yet does them
not. He builds bis bouse on the sand.
His bouse may resemble that of the
other and present a stately and secure
appearance in fair weather. Men think
. for the time that it is as safe a structure
as tbo other. But when swept by
flood and assailed by storm it falls Into
An awrul and hopeless ruin. "Great was
the fall of It"
This represents a very large class.
Including those who Chough they may
[ engage In no formal ceremonial of religious
profession, yet hear and assent
to Christian teaching respectfully; associate
with others In worship; can talk .
intelligently about doctrines and speak
reverently of sacred thing, and would
, he offended If charged with being unfriendly
to true religion.
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