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that we may teach. The pivot ? the
point upon which something of import
ance hinges and turns. We ordinary
teachers in the schools large or small
are that. Upon what we know and are,
live and teach, hinges what the chil
dren and youth who look into our faces
will be. May God grant us a vision
of the significance and privilege of it."
We need enthusiasm for our work.
Some one has changed the old proverb
so as to read that "Whatever is worth
doing is worth doing with enthusiasm."
Bible teaching should be viewed, not
as an obligation or a duty or a burden,
but as a glorious privilege.
There is nothing spectacular about
Bible teaching, it makes no stir in the
world, often it is not rightly appraised
by others, no medals are given it in
reward. It does demand sacrifice of
time and strength and energy, it does
tend to become monotonous, and there
do come times when it seems unprofit
able. Let us recognize all this, let us
not minimize the demands which our
high calling makes upon us, but then
let us think of its privilege and face
the work and discouragements with all
the enthusiasm we can muster. Would
the work be half as fascinating if it
were twice as e*?sy? Joy in attainment
is proportionate to the difficulties sur
mounted on the way.
If you do not realize the privilege,
force yourself during this year to real
ize it: if you do not habitually feel
enthusiastic about K, determine to be
come so, act as though you were, sit
i down to the preparation of your lesson
with a happy smile and a cheerful
heart, go to your class in the same
manner and mood, and before you real
ize it you will have become genuinely
aglow with enthusiasm and love for
your work, and your enthusiasm for
your subject will enkindle in your pu
pils' minds a like enthusiasm, for en
thusiasm is contagious.
We need consecration in order to ac
[ complish our work, for while religious
truths may be taught, the religious
spirit is rather caught, and therefore
we must bring to our work consecrated
personality. We must put our own lives
under the leadership of the Great
Teacher, and then we may ask our pu
pils to follow with us where he leads.
Sir George, one time president of the
Sunday-school Union of Bngland, put
consecration as the first element of suc
cess in Sunday-school work. "Rooted
in the profound conception of the value
of the soul, the matchless opportunities
for impressing young life of the suit
ability of the message to be delivered,
and fostered by earnest prayer, it stands
out in my experience as the one thing
needful," he says. "So fed, it. will burn
up as stubble the trifles which so often
mar your work. It will send you early
to school with a lesson well prepared;
it will give a message tc what might
otherwise be a stammering tongue; it
will fin your heart with the milk of
human kindness, on top of which rises
the cream of Christian love; it will
make a duty, otherwise Irksome, one
>f satisfaction and delight. Will you,
it th is time more than ever, say, 'This
ine thing I do'? Such a resolution will
pnd you to the mgre careful study of
ho Book, and above all, to the mercy
lat, with petitions for each scholar of
he class as well as for grace to lead
hem to Christ."? Martha Tarbell.
? GREETINGS FOR 1017.
I The year 1917 Bhould be the most
fruitful in the history of our Assem
bly, in soul-winning, in the grace of
Riving, in establishing and reviving
?amity altars, in definite Bible study,
in missionary endeavor ? In short, a
|year of Christianity in action.
We desire very earnestly to have
our resources fully used in every ac
tivity of tho Church and venture to
call attention to some material which
is at the service of all our ministers
and churches.
The mid-week prayer meeting is
about the moat unsatisfactory and dis
couraging problem of the average
church, and we do not offer a sover
eign remedy for a lifeless service.
We believe, however, there would bo
distinct gain in having the whole
Church adopt a program for a whole
year. We have prepared a list of
topics for 1917 which will be treated
in a suggestive way each week In all
our Church papers. A topic list
should be put In the hands .of every
member of the church which adopts
the plan. The use of this list will
restore to Its place of power the old
"monthly concert of prayer for mis
sions," and in turn every benevolent
activity of the Church will be studied
and prayed for.
Religion In the home is talked
about quite a ?bit, and we move in
the direction of the right type when
we establish or vitalize a family altar.
The Assembly strongly commends the
Family Altar League as a desirable
movement to promote, and we furnish
free of charge enrollment cards and
membership certificates. To aid those
who are timid Dr. James Power
Smith's little bojk of prayers is avail
able at 10 cents per copy.
It has been found that many peo
ple can be interested in the daily read
ing and study of the Bible by calling
their attention to the Pocket Testa
ment League. We send free on re
quest membership cards and leaflets
explaining the plan and purpose of the
league.
The study of Christian stewardship
is being given an increasingly impor
tant place in the program of all live
churches, and we are prepared to fur
nish without charge five new leaflets
just issued for the Assembly's Cam
paign Committee.
While encouraging progress has
been made in missionary endeavor,
we have only touched the border of
the opportunities confronting our
Church, and if the membership would
get a vivid and interest-compelling
view of the whole field, they should
subscribe for and read the Missionary
Survey, which we publish at 50 cents
per year. If they would have a heart
moving and a pocket-reaching inter
est in the workers who represent them
on the firing line, they should get? a
copy of the Prayer Calendar for 1917,
10 cents per copy, and pray for the
workers daily.
Last, but most important of all, is
the work for our young people. Our
superintendent and the editorial stafT
are putting their best blood and brain
into our periodicals and leaflets for
young people, and over a million cop
ies a month are now going to our
Sunday-schools. But yet we are not
satisfied. They are not used in every
school, and not always used in the
best way, where now introduced. We
want to help you make your Sunday
school and your Young People's So
ciety the best of its kind, and it always
gives us pleasure to answer questions
and advise you about your problems.
Please feel free to make use of our
resources, for they are all designed
and provided for the help of our
workers.
Cordially yours.
It. E. Magill, Secretary,
Publication and Sabbath-School Ex
tension.
Richmond, Va.
All wars are follies, very expensive
and very mischievous ones. In my
opinion, there never was a good war
or a bad peace. When will mankind
be convinced and agree to settle their
difficulties by arbitration? ? Benjamin
Franklin, in 1783.
YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES
OUGHT.
M., Jan. 8. Duty to obey. Acta 5:17-29.
T., Jan. 9. Duty to pray. Luke 18.1-14.
W., Jan. 10. Duty to servo. John 13:3-15.
T., Jan. 11. Duty to the weak. Acta 20:17-35.
F., Jan. 12. Duty to follow Christ. 1 John 2:1-6
S., Jan. 13. Duty to sacrifice. 1 John 3:13-24.
8., Jan. 14. Topic ? Ought. (A pledge meeting.)
Ps. 50:1-15.
Why do ire feel tn ought to act right 7
How may we discover our duty 7
What follow when we refute to do our rfufy?
Duty to obey (Acts 5:17-29.) Af
ter the death of Ananias and Sap
phira, Peter and some of the other
apostles had been put in prison be
cause of their preaching. God sent
His angel to the prison at night, who
opened the doors and brought them
out. The angel told them to return
to the temple and continue their
preaching as God should direct them.
Tho rulers of the Jews were very much
surprised the next day and called them
to account for not having obeyed their
commands, but Peter replied: "We
ought to obey God rather than men."
This is Just the position that should
be taken by every one. It is right
for us to obey those who are In au
thority over us, as long as their com
mands do not conflict with the com
mands of God; but if they do, we must
obey God, regardless of what may be
the consequences.
Duty to pray (Luke 18:1-14). By
the parable of the importunate widow
and the unjust judge, Jesus teache3
us the importance of being earnest
and persevering in our prayers. This
woman gained her point with the
Judge, not because she was right, nor
because he had any kindly feelings
towards her, but only because of her
importunity. We may be sure when
we go to God and ask Him for things
agreeable to His will that we will re
ceive them, because they are right
and because God loves us. We should
not be discouraged, if we do not re
ceive the answer to our prayer just
as promptly as we expect. In the
parable of the Pharisee and the pub
lican, Jesus teaches us the manner
in which to approach God in prayer.
The Pharisee went in a spirit full of
pride and merely told God how good
a man he was. The publican, how
ever, went as an humble, penitent
sinner to God, and God heard and
answered his prayer. So when we
go to the throne of grace, we should
go with all humility, confessing our
sins and unworthlness, and asking
God for the things that we need.
Duty to serve (John 13:3-15.) Our
Saviour wished to teach the disciples
a lesson showing the duty of serving
others, no matter what it costs them
to do it. Washing the feet was the
duty of tBTe" humblest servant in the
household, and was performed for the
guest when he flr3t came In. The dis
ciples and our Saviour had no one
to wash their feet when they came In
that evening, and so Jesus performed
that duty for the disciples. If he who
was their master could do that for
them, they ought certainly to be will
ing to do anything in their power for.
one another. So we shouM be always
ready to serve those who need our
help, it matters not at what co3t or
Inconvenience to ourselves.
Duty to tho weak (Acts 20:17-35).
Paul in speaking to the elders of
Ephesus tells them that they should
take caro of the flock over which the
Holy Ghost had made them overseers
and feed tho Church of God. He
speaks to them as officers in the
church whose duty it is to look after
the welfare of all those in the church,
or who ought to be brought into the
church. They should supply them
with spiritual food, and protect them
from all enemies who would injure
them in any way. This is especfally
the duty of officers of the church, and
yet it is likewise the duty of every
member of the church to do all he
can for the good of his fellow-mem
bers or towards bringing others into
the church.
Duty to follow Christ (1 John 2:1
6). The apostle John in writing to
the Christians, whom he calls his lit
tle children, tells them that they
ought to walk even as Christ walked.
That is, that their lives should be pat
terned after his life, just as far as it
is possible for the human to pattern
after the divine. This can only be
done if we abide in him, and we can
only abide in him as we trust him as
our Advocate with the Father and
keep His commandments. Day by day
we should make earnest effort to keep
close to the Saviour that we may be
able to walk in the way in which he
walks.
Duty to sacrifice (1 John 2:13-24).
John says that one of the evidences
that we have passed from death unto
life is that we love the brethren; but
love, if it is real, will be shown in
some outward action. Our Saviour
showed his love by giving his life for
us, and we should, if necessary, be
willing to lay down our lives for the
brethren. It is not often that Chris
tians are called upon to do this. This
is the greatest sacrifice that we could
make, and we ought therefore be will
ing to make any lesser sacrifice when
ever occasion arises. Oftentimes in
speaking of sacrifices we look at only
one side of the subject. We think
only of it as bearing some burden
or suffering from some cause, but a
sacrifice is anything given to Ood.
It may not necessarily cause us suf
fering, but it should be an act in
which we would take delight, even
if it does cause us pain, because it is
done for God and in accordance with
His will.
Ought (Ps. 50:1-15). At the be
ginning of the New Year it is very
easy to make good resolutions. The
great difficulty is that we frequently
make them, but fail to keep them.
Every good resolution made is really
a vow to God that we will do what
is right in His sight, and what He
wants us to do. The Psalmist enjoins
upon us to pay our vows unto" the
Most High. That Is, to keep the
pledges which we have made. It is
better to make only a few vows and
keep them than to make many and
break them.
Why do we feel we ought to act
right? Because right in right. When
we do right we act in accordance with
God's will and in obedience with His
laws.
How may we discover our duty?
We may learn what our duty is by
studying God's Word, by going to Him
in prayer, by considering His provi
dential dealings with us, and by
studying the lives of other Christians.
What follows when we refuse to do
our duty? When we refuse to do
our duty we fall into sin, we lose
our love for God and His service, and
we lose the joys of salvation. We also
lose the opportunity for working for
God and for the salvation of souls.
A PRINCE OF MERCHANTS.
John Wanamaker earned his first
money ? seven cents ? by working in his
father's brickyard. He turned the
bricks every morning as they lay dry
ing in the sun? he was too small to
do anything else. Later he did hard
er tasks around the brickyard, but his
father died when he was fourteen and
he went to work in a book-store at a
salary of $1.25 a week. He walked four
miles twice every day and lunched on
a.\ apple or a roll. All his earnings
were turned over to his mother. He
was so ambitious to make money that
an offer of twenty-five cents a week
more took him away from the bookshop