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of God in Christ that satisfies the heart's longings
and shows me that the infinite God, the
Creator of the world, took our very nature
upon Ilim that lie might in infinite love he one
with His people to redeem them. I believe in
it beeause it. reveals a religion adapted to all
classes and races; and it is intellectual suicide,
knowing it, not to believe it."
"The old religion" that has sustained and
il.. a ? 1 it
i-iMiitun.ru itit* ?irmigi'Ki minus mm nearis 111
all the ages of the past, surely had in it that
which satisfied and enriched. It is hard to
helicvc that the vaporings of modernists oiler
a more substantial basis of comfort and hope.
It is hard to believe that if these new notions
are true the strong thinkers and inquirers of
all the centuries past did not sooner find out
that they were leaning upon a broken staff.
In a few things, here and there, children may
teach their parents some things, but it is hard
to believe that in the essential principles of
life and religion the belief and conditions of
the great bulk of earnest believers were so
much at fault that the tyros of the present day
can destroy the foundations of their faith.
Contributed
PHILIP, A MODEL BIBLE CLASS
TEACHER.
By Rev. E. C. Murray, D. D.
Tn the story of Philin siiwl flip eunuch in the
1 1 ~ A "l - / latter
part of the eighth chapter of Acts, we
see not only a zealous, skilful soul-winner, but
one efficient Bible class teacher at work.
I. Preparation for Teaching.
1. Philip studied his Bible.?" Do you understand.
what you are reading?" "How can 1
unless someone put me on the right track."
Then the eunch read the passage in Isaiah;
and Philip began at that same Scripture and
preached unto him Jesus.
2. He was lead of the Spirit.?In the midst
of a wonderful evangelistic meeting of which
he was the leader. Clod told Philip to go away
into the desert; and he obeyed, not knowing
whither lie went. And when the Spirit directed
him to approach a certain chariot, he instantly
did so.
3. He was eager to win souls.?Driven
from Jerusalem he went to Samaria, preached
Christ unto them, and converted many. Out
in the desert the Spirit said, "Go and join that
chariot"; and Philip ran thither and preached
unto him Jesus. Leaving the eunuch rejoicing
in faith, he went through all the coast towns
preaching.
4. He went after his class.?He did not wait
for some one to organize a class for him, or for
the scholars to come; but just arose and went,
got into conversation with a traveler, and organized
a class then and there.
5. He began with one.?That is what Jesus
did in his Sychar class. If Mark Hopkins and
one student seated on a log with a text-book
between them constituted a university, then
Philip and the eunuch and his Bible was a fully
organized Bihle school.
II. Teaching the Lesson.
1. His manner.?"He opened his mouth."
He had something to say, and he said it. Positive
convictions, a clear understanding, and
forceful expression, are the marks of a good
teacher. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes the
importance of the "open mouth." In prayer:
"Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." "Let
us therefore come with freespokenness unto
the throne of grace." In singing: "Praise the
Lord with a loud voice." "Open thou my lips;
and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise."
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SO
Tn teaching: "Philip opened his mouth," in
clear, energetic, lively expression.
2. Ilis method.?Note his treatment of the
lesson: "Began at the same scripture, and
preached unto liim Jesus." It was biblical.
now many otner tilings might. those two remarkable
men, in those stirring times, ami
under such peculiar circumstances, have talked
about, llis treatment was also evangelical;
lie unfolded the gospel which was unfolded in
the prophecy. And it was evangelistic, with a
view to soul-winning. In every lesson, something
of the Saviour, something for the sinner.
But note especially his treatment of the
scholar. Most teachers are satisfied with a
good treatment of the lesson, lie first got the
point of contact: "What is that you are reading?
Can you understand it?" "No, come up
here and give me a start." Learn your pupil,
his studies, thoughts, impressions, difficulties
Then came a personal and timely application
of the lesson. "Whom is the prophet talking
about?" Then Philip began at the same scripture,
and preached unto him Jesus. lie met
his pupil at the point of difficulty and interest,
seized the opportunity, and applied to him personally
the saving work of Christ.
III. Following up the Lesson.
1. He evoked a confession of faith.?"Why
may I not be baptized right now?" "If you
believe with all your heart, you may." "I believe
that Jesus Christ is my divine Saviour."
Teacher, what must I do to be saved? Am T
lit to be a church member? Do you sincerely
repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your
Saviour? I do indeed.
2. lie brought him into the Church.?Stopping
the chariot, Philip baptized him then and
there.
How far-reaching were the results of that one
Bible lesson! "The eunuch went on his way
rejoicing." Another bright star was added to
Philip's crown. "The eunuch saw him no
more"j but what a meeting in heaven! Tradition
says that this man "of great authority"
preached the gospel with great success in his
own country. All the future preachers, missionaries
ami Christian workers are now in
our classes.
Greensboro, N. C.
REV. J. M. P. ATKINSON, D. D.
By Ilenry E. Shepherd.
In the "Memories of Dr. J. M. P. Atkinson,"
contributed to your issue of July 7th by Professor
Addison lloge, there is a delicate and
graceful reference to his own father, the late
Dr. William J. Iloge, which carried me back
in the retrospect, almost to the dawn of in
telligent or assimilative remembrance of years
and eveuts that have passed into "the dark
backward and abysm of time." In November,
1856, the Synod of North Carolina
neiti us annual session in my native town,
Fayetteville, and among those in attendance
from beyond the limits of the State were the
two Hoges, then in the white flower of their
early manhood, the one marked for an early
passing into the world of light, the other having
in reserve a career of expanding fame and
consecrated usefulness extending half a century
into the future, then hidden behind the
cloud. The oratorical power and fervor of Dr.
William J. IToge appealed to my childish imag
ination with a force and vigor which has preserved
its freshness during all the complex
struggles and vicissitudes that have formed
part of my riper and somewhat varied life.
His reference to the Atlantic cable, then projected,
but not attaining assured suecess until
a decade later than the time of which I speak,
UTH. ' [August 25, 1915
possessed the charm of novelty, adorned by a
fascinating but in no sense a flamboyant or
meritricious rhetoric. The eye of the Church
was fixed upon his development, and by unaui.
mous concurrence of judgment, lie was re.
garded as one of the most brilliant rising lights
in a ministry which reckoned among its leaders
such masters of thought and utterance as
Thornwell, Palmer, Dabney and Girardeau. Yet
in the morning of his days
"Came the blind fury with the abhorred shears.
And slit the thin spun life."
lie fell like Lycidas, idealized by Milton's
peerless eulogy. That bis rare and broadening
gifts of eloquence would have assigned him a
foremost rank in due season, with the historic
names which have illustrated our Presbyterian
annals, admits of no rational doubt. Yet for
all this there comes the resistless pathos of the
poet's lament:
"His leaf has perished in the green,
And while wo breathe beneath the sun,
The world which credits what is done
Is cold to all that might have been."
May it not be justly assumed that the devoted
clergyman, unheralded, unappreciated.
ill 4 In* rmiifamnlnf Inn 4
a-. v..v vv..kvi..|/.?mu.i \*M. til*. * Ulllttll Uitril
when he wrought the classic line,
"Fame is no plant that grows on mortal soil?"
Baltimore, Md.
"A LOOK AT A LOOK AT THE
ASSEMBLY.' "
By E. W. 1 )ohl>s.
Rev. Ivanhoe Robertson's criticism of some
of the advertisements in the Sunday-school literature
of the Assembly and of some of the
hooks advertised by the Committee of Publication
should receive the careful attention of all
the Presbyteries to the end that these evils may
be discontinued. A vear aaro I wrote to the
publishers that the advertisements of gifts of
cheap watches and jewelry for the sale of a
certain number of almost worthless articles
should he discontinued. Before I knew it my
little boy had some of the stuff trying to sell
it. He never did sell it all, hut was so anxious
to get the premiums that he sent on the required
amount of money and now has the
worthless premiums. I am glad to say that
the publisher wrote me that all such "ads"
would be discontinued as soon as the contracts
expired. But I am sure that a careful look at
many of the volumes on the latest list sent me
by the Committee to make selections from for
our congregational library will disclose a lot
of trash, and I think positively harmful stult
for boys and girls to read. I do not go quite
as far as to say that the Committee should
"restrict its advertisements and sale of literature
to that known to be of a strictly orthodox
religious character," for there are many
good, wholesome books that I think our Church
libraries should have in them, especially in the
country districts. But I do most heartily agr"e
that if the books are of a religious trend, they
should be "strictly orthodox."
The organization of the Apostolic Church
does not show that it was strictly spiritual, for
they "had all things common and sold their
possessions and goods, and parted them to all
men, as every man had need," and later appointed
deacons to minister to the needs of
their poor. Christ himself went about healing
the sick, feeding the hungry and ministering
to thf pleasures of his friends as at the mar
rmge in uana, out it is a far call fro nisucn ?
ministering to our necessities to supply the
demand and creating an appetite for much of
the trash that is called literature. T was overwhelmed
when I tried to make selections from
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