Newspaper Page Text
2
1 - -'■’
THE KORAN AND MOHAMME
DANISM.
BY B. W. WHII.DEN.
NUMBER 11.
There are different sects of Moham
medans. One sect believes that the
Koran is uncreated and eternal —sub-
sisting in the very essence of God.
Other sects contradict this, regarding
those believing thus as guilty of infi
delity—asserting, in fact, the belief of
two Eternal Kings. A prominent Mo
hammedan is regarded by some as
having reconciled conflicting opinions ;
he asset ted that the original idea of
the Koran is really in God, and conse
quently co-essential and co-eternal
with Him, but that the copies are cre
ated and the work of man.
The expositors and commentators of
the Koran are very numerous. In so
great reverence do the Mohammedans
hold the Koran, that they dare not so
much as to touch it, without being
first washed or legally purified. Lest
they should thoughtlessly touch it, they
write on the cover or label, “Let none
touch it but those who are clean.” So
great is their regard for it, that they
never hold it below their girdles.
They are in the habit of swearing by
it. On important occasions they con
sult it, by taking an omen from the
words which they first see. In war
they carry it with them, and inscribe
some of its sentences on their banners.
They adorn it with gold and precious
stones. They will not suffer it to be
in the possession of a different religious
persuasion, if they know it. There is
a mistake, however, in one point in
reference to their regard for it. Some
have supposed that they consider it
profaned by a translation. This is not
the ease. They have had it translated
into the Persian language and other
languages.
No one disputes that Mohammed
was the author of the Koran, though
it is generally supposed he received
considerable assistance from others.
The Arabians accused him of it, and
mentioned the names of persons whom
they considered as his assistants. About
this matter there is a difference of
opinion ; the charge itself has not been
proved. It is supposed that Moham
med took the precaution so to conduct
everything pertaining to it, as to .pre
clude the possibility of its being sus
tained. The Mohammedans believe
that the Koran was written in heaven,
on a table of huge size; that it was
taken by the angel Gabriel, and re
vealed to Mohammed by parcels, at
different times during the space of
twenty years, as the nature of things
demanded ; that every year the prophet
had the privilege of seeing the whole
once, and in the last year, the privilege
of seeing it twice. Very few chapters
ever were delivered entire; they were
revealed by piece-meal, and written
down from time to time by the proph
et's amanuensis, in such or such a part
of such or such a chapter, as the angel
directed. It is the general opinion
that Mohammed did not arrange the
chapters, etc., of the Koran in its pres
ent form, but that Abu Becur, his suc
cessor, was the compiler of it as we
now have it, except that Abu Becur
may have made some additions or cor
rections, reported to him by some of
Mohammed’s followers, who had mem
orized them. Abu Becur seems not to
have had any regard to time, but
simply to have placed the longest chap
ters first.
The various readings of the Koran
are owing principally to the want of
vowels in the Arabic language. Some
passages of the Koran are contradicto
ry, admitted to be so by the Moham
medans; but they answer the objection
to this, by what they call the doctrine
of abrogation— that God communicated
several things which were, for good
reasons, afterwards abrogated.
All passages are of three kinds: 1.
Those in which both the letter and the
sense are abrogated. 2. Those in which
the letter is abrogated, but the sense j
remains. 3. Those in which the
sense is abrogated, but the letter re
mains.
In connection with this subject, we
remark, that when anything perplexed
Mohammed, lie had recourse to a new
revelation. If all had been published
at once, the contradictions would have
been apparent, and he could not have
solved them; but ns he professed to
have received it by parcels, according
to particular emergencies, he had a
convenient way of answering these
objections, and meeting these emergen
cies. He conld, with honor, extricate
himself from any difficulty that might
occur.
At the time that Mohammed was
born, many superstitions were intro
duced into the Christian religion, and
Christianity was very much more cor
rupted. These circumstances favored
his designs. The political state of the
world was also in his favor. Both the
Roman and Persian Monarchies were
weak, and the Grecians were sunk into
great luxury and degeneracy of man
ners. Any success which the Arabi
ans met with against these, they at
tributed to their new religion and the
divine assistance. Arabia was strong
and flourishing. Its political govern
ment favored the designs of Moham-
The Christian Index and South-western Baptist: Thursday, December n, 1879.
med. He was sufficiently shrewd to
take advantage of the position of pub
lic affairs ; he made the best of every
incident, and attempted what to others
might have appeared dangerous.
In Arabia, there were Christians,
Jews and idolaters. He aimed to unite
them in one. He did not deny the
existence of God, but he professed to be
his prophet and embassador. Since
God, in former ages, had given repeat
ed admonitions, promises and threats,
he said that it was his province to
propagate God’s religion by arms, and
to be acknowledged chief in both spir
itual and temporal things. The great
doctrine of the Koran is the “Unity of
God." Mohammed held that there
never was, and that there never could
be, more than one true, orthodox re
ligion; that there were some things
connected with it subject to change,
according to divine direction, but that
in its essentials, it was the same; that
whenever in its essentials it became
corrupted, God would correct it by
messengers, of whom Moses and Jesus
were the most distinguished before
him ; he was the chief, and none were
needed or to be expected after him.
He enforced his instructions by setting
forth by examples, in many parts of
the Koran, the punishment that fell
upon those that despised these messen
gers.
The followers of Mohammed treated
him with great respect. An ambassa
dor of the people of Mecca, when he
returned home from the camp of Mo
hammed, reported as follows : He had
been at the courts both of the Roman
Emperor and of the King of Persia,
and never saw any prince as highly
respected by his subjects as Moham
med was by his companions; that
whenever he made the ablution in or
der to say his prayers, they ran and
catched the water that he had used;
that whenever he spit, they immedi
ately licked up his spittle, and that
they also gathered up every hair which
they could find, that fell from him.
Quitman, Ga.
MERCER UNIVERSITY NOTES.
BEGINNINGS.
The Baptists came into Georgia later
than into the other Southern colonies,
and not without some show of perse
cution. This opposition, which they
met in most of the colonies, came from
a different source in different sections.
New England was settled mainly by
Puritans; who, under Charles L, had
felt the heavy hand of the intolerant
Church of England, and who, under
Cromwell, had visited on the same
Church,the same intolerance with com
pound interest. Fleeing to America, on
the restoration, they sought to keep,
from their new homes, all who did not
think as they thought. Roger Wil
liams was tlie most noted Baptist vic
tim of New England persecution. Most
of the Souti)ern colonies were settled
by adherents of the kingly prerogative
and members of the Church of Eng
land. This was the recognized Church
in Virginia, South Carolina and Geor
gia, while they were under the crown,
and the civil and ecclessiastical officers
did not scruple, at times, to exert their
authority upon the few Dissenters, who
had emigrated from Great Britain.
The first ordained Baptist minister
j that settled in Georgia, was the Rev.
1 Daniel Marshall. He was born in
I Connecticut, and was originally a
Presbyterian. With a burning z.eal
1 for souls, he passed from Connecticut
j to Pennsylvania, thence to Virginia,
(where he became a Baptist,) thence
■to North Carolina, thence to Horse
) Creek, South Carolina. From this last
point, he made two or three preaching
tours into St. Paul’s Parish, near Au
gusta, Georgia. On his last tour he
held meetings in a grove, and, while
at prayer, was arresteil by constable
Cartlidge, and had to give bond for
his appearance before a magistrate in
Augusta, the following Monday. He ac
cordingly appeared before a magistrate
and an Episcopal parson. The parson
hade him read a chapter in the Bible,
then used insulting language toward
him* and ordered him to desist from
preaching in the province. The intrepid
Marshall replied : “Whether it be right
to obey God or man, judge ye.” A
more effective reply was the removal
of his family to the same neighborhood
January Ist, 1771, and his organizing,
in 1772, the first Baptist church in Geor
gia, the Kiokec church in Columbia
county.
From this mother of churches, went
out such a missionary spirit, that, not
withstanding the horrors of the Revo
lutionary war, there were five Baptist
churches in that region, in the year
1784. These churches formed them
selves into the Georgia Association in
that year. The Georgia Association
was the first Baptist Association in the
State. First, in order of time, this old
Association has held the front rank in
numbers, in soundness of doctrine, and
in zeal in the cause of missions, tem
perance and education.
The Georgia and Ocmulgee Asso
ciations organized, in 1822, the Gener
lal Association; which name was
i changed, in 1828, into the Baptist
; Convention of the State of Georgia.
Such were the beginnings of our
denominational organizations in the
State of Georgia. In process of time,
under Divine Providence, these little
i ones have become a multitude; and
the 200,000 Baptists in Georgia to-day
can scarcely recognize their fruitful
mother in the little band, that began
to “keep house for the Lord," about a
century ago, on the banks of the Kio- 1
kee Creek.
But, we are more concerned in These
“Notes,” with the origin of our edu
cational institutions. To understand
some of the details, we must go "back
to the year 1784. The Virginia Bap
tists were divided into Regular and
Separate Baptists—or,as we would now
call them, Calvinistic and Arminian
Baptists—from the year 1766 to 1787.
Overtures toward a union were made
from time to time. In the year 1784,
the Separates organized what was call
ed the General Committee, made up
of delegates from the various Associa
tions. The duties of this committee
were to try to harmonize thetwo di
visions of Baptists, to memonMtt the
Legislature for the repeal
sive laws, bearing on reiigton, the com
pilation of a history of Virginia. Bap
tists, and the establishment of a. semi
nary of learning. This committee ac
complished the first three dHtisg, and
was dissolved in 1799. They seem to
have taken no steps towards foiling
a Baptist Seminary. In imitatio’n of
them, general committees were ap
pointed in South Carolina and Geor
gia. The Charleston Association, of
South Carolina incorporated, in 1792,
a General Committee, for the manage
ment of the Charleston Baptist Educa
tional Fund. The General Committee
of Georgia, and its work in the csflßc of
education, are thus spoken of by Drs.
Benedict and Campbell, in their His
tories of Baptists.
In his biography of Rev. Henry
Holcombe, D. D., brother Campbell
says of this eminent divine: “His
efforts to promote union and concen
tration of effort among all Christians,
and especially those of his own denom
ination, were worthy of the man, and
were productive of good results. He
was in the conference of Baptist min
isters which agreed to found the Mount
Enon Academy, in 1804, and adopted
a constitution as a Missionary Society,
called the General Committee,in 1806,
and exerted his utmost powers to pro
mote these objects. He selected the
site, purchased the land, and was ap
pointed the agent to collect funds to
carry it on, in which he was
cessful.”
Benedict, in his history of Baptists,
published in 1813, has the following:
“MOUNT ENON ACADEMY.”
“This Academy is not far from the
city of Augusta, in Georgia, 140 miles
from the Atlantic. It was begun
about 1806, principally by the exer
tions of Dr. Holcombe, now of Phila
delphia, by whom collections, to a con
siderable amount, were made in differ
ent parts of the State. This Acqdgjny
lis under the direction of a boara of
■ trustees, who have obtained an mt of
| incorporation. They have -to
I the amount of about three 'thiTOtffrd
' dollars, besides unsold lots on Mount
I Enon, supposed to be worth about a
I thousand dollars. The President of
( this Institution is Mr. Thomas H.
Dixon, the number of students is about
I forty. Should the Georgia brethren
increase in their relish for literature,
I and contribute freely of their pecu
niary means, this Seminary may, at
some future day, arise into a college,
according to the original design of its
founders.”
Brother Campbell gives the result:
| “In about 1806, the Mount Enon Acad
emy (a literary and theological school)
| was opened, and was continued some
I five or six years. It had funds, sup
| posed to be worth some three or four
thousand dollars, and for a short time
j enjoyed some prosperity, under Mr.
! Thomas H. Dixon, and subsequently
under Rev. C. O. Screven. But, from
causes unknown to the writer, it was
finally abandoned.”
The principal cause, doubtless, was
the removal of Dr. Holcombe from the
State. From failure of his health, he
resigned the pastorate of the Savannah
; church in 1810, and removed to Mount
I Enon, where he intended to spend the
i remainder of his days in retirement,
i But by the affectionate importunity of
the First church in Philadelphia, he
consented to leave his retreat, in 1811,
■ and become their pastor.
Mount Enon Academy was the first
Baptist Semin&y in the State of Geor
gia. It failed to realize the hopes of
its founders, that it would grow into a
literary and theological college. The
I day had not come for such an enter
j prise. But the founding of the Semi
j nary was another illustration of the
love of education entertained by Bap
tists everywhere. The desires of the
i Baptists of 1804 re-appeared in 1833 in
! the “Mercer Institute,” and were real-
I ized in 1838 in the establishment of
Mercer University. Ernest.
1
I What the Index Wants.—We
! want all our old subscribers to renew
| their subscriptions as soon as they see
i their time has expired, and we want
( each one to send us a new subscriber
I with their renewal. All who have
i read The Index for a year or longer,
I must, we think, feel a certain amount
of pride in keeping it up to its present
standard, and the best way to do this
lis to give us prompt material aid. Do
j this, and we shall feel exceedingly
(grateful to all who assist us, and will
add new features of interest to The In
dex, as our ability to do so increases.
Let all assist us to make a better In
dex in 1880 than has ever yet been
made. Our “Portrait Gallery” as a pre
mium to subscribers, will make it an
easy matter for all of our present sub
scribers to obtain a list of new ones.
TEACH THEM THE DECALOGUE
The editor of The Baptist Teacher,in
a recent number, speaks of his aston
ishment on going into a Sunday-school :
room not long ago, and finding there :
“the tables of the law” hung up con- j
specuously on the walls ; and his won- \
der was not lessened by the discovery
that this law was not only hung upon
the walls, but had been drilled into the
memories of the scholars.
The astonishment, it must be con-1
fessed, was natural enough,for w’e have
known but few’ schools in which the
Ten Commandments were either dis
played on the walls or instilled into
the minds of the scholars. We know
of a Baptist school, in which the su-1
perintendent, wishing to include a
public service, on a recent occasion, a
recitation of the Commandments,found
to his dismay that, beginning with
himself, hardly a member of the school
could repeat the ten in order, ■ ithout
mistake. The repetition of the Ten
Commandments has been made, for
the present, a regular exercise in that
school.
And should it not be a regular exer
cise in every school, at least, until all,
teachers and scholars, have learned by
heart, these brief and solemn “slialts”
and “shalt nots” of the mighty God?
So long as men swear, and steal, and
covet, and forget virtue, and desecrate
the Sabbath, and bear false witness, so
I long will there be a necessity for re-
I minding them constantly that these
things are offences, not against man
only, but against God, and that in
commitingt them they are incurring
the just displeasure of Him who is able
to cast both soul and body into hell.
It is a terrible mistake to regard these
Commandments as obsolete. They
i are as binding to-day on every con
science as when first proclaimed on
Sina; and as a fundamental part of
the divine law should be taught to our
children as regularly and carefully as
any other part of that law. Society
needs, and sadly needs, a large infus
i ion of the moral tonic of the Decalogue ;
1 and there is no better way of getting it
into’the social frame than through the
minds of the children in our Sunday-
I schools.— Examiner & Chronicle.
I OPEN TO THEM THE SCRIP
TURES.
Dr. John Hall advises all ministers
to teach Bible-classes. “There are a
I hundred things,” he says, “that you
I would not think of making the subject
! of a sermon that could be used in the
I Bible-class.” The advice is good : but
I why not, once every Sunday, turn the
whole church into a grand Bible-class
; for the familiar exposition of the Scrip
tures? There are a good many hun
dred things that never get into a regu l
larly constructed sermon that the peo
ple ought to know, and that no one
can tell them so well as the pastor.
The principal of one of the best schools
for boys in this country, himself a
Presbyterian minister es rare scholar
ship and good pulpit ability, after at
tending a series of expositions for
teachers of the Sunday-school lessons,
conducted chiefly by laymen, said to
the writer: “The laymen are teaching
the pastors of our churches a lesson, in
earnest study and clear exposition of
the word of God, which they would do
well to heed. Unless they have a care,
the ministers will find their occupa
tion as teachers of the people gone.”
Os one thing pastors may be sure :
a congregation that will grow impa
tient after thirty minutes’ listening to
an ordinary sermon, will give close at
tention to a familiar (not off-hand) in
structive, earnest exposition of the
Scriptures an hour long. What does
this mean? It means simply that the
people enjoy discourse that makes the
Bible plainer to them—that opens it to
their minds, so that they can see more
clearly the hidden treasures of wisdom
and knowledge it contains. And it is
by this knowledge of the Scriptures
that Christians grow in spiritual
strength and stature.
Let not pastors think any matter
that makes the Bible plainer to the
understanding of their people unsuita
ble for pulpit use. If there were more
of the Bible-class style of exposition in
the ‘sacred desk,’ there would be a larger
number of Bible students in the pews
—and a good deal less complaint about
“long sermons.”
THE TECHER’S IMPLEMENTS.
1. The sculptor must have chisel
and mallet, the architect, paper,
draughting-board and pencil. The
teacher needs tools for his work as
well.
2. First of all, a Bible—a teacher's
Bible, with ample references, full mar
gin, numerous and accurate maps,
good paper, clear type, and substantial
binding.
3. On some blank page of that Bible
have every name in your class record
ed. It will be a profitable page to
open at while at your study or on your
knees.
4. Have a blank-book—a dozen of
them. It will encourage the habit of
observation. It will catch and record
many random thoughts, illustrations,
etc. In it you can draw out plans of
lessons. Here, too, your sacred per
sonal experiences as teacher may be
registered.
5. Then a scrap-book. The periodi
cal press, secular and religious, teems
with facts, incidents, condensed state-
ments, poetic gems, etc., which, ar
ranged and classified in a scrap-book
might be invaluable to the teacher.
6. The teacher needs a library.
Every Sunday-school, or Sunday-school
Association, of every town, should have
its teachers’ library, located at some
central point, accessible at all hours of
the day during the week. But, with a
little economy, any teacher could soon
collect a few of the choicest commen
taries, cyclopedias, etc., for his private
library. He needs work on the princi
ples and art of teaching, and especially
works on the Sunday-school.
7. A series of maps and pictures,
illustrative of Bible subjects, such as
are published by T. Nelson & Sons,
London, may be successfully employed
by the teacher. A small slate may
serve as a substitute for the black
board ; and lessons and illustrations of
many kinds may be given in the class.
—Helpful Hints.
THE BIBLE VS. QUES TION BOOKS
AND LESSON PAPERS.
In another place will be found some
admirable words upon the subject of
memorizing Scripture, which suggests
now, what we have to say. Try as
( much as we may, the fact cannot be
denied that the words of scripture are
not learned in many of our Sunday
i schools as they should be. The dif
ficulty cannot be net by saying, that
I “to understand the meaning, is much
1 more important than to know the
words of Scripture.” Both are impor
; tant. “This ought ye to have done
I and not left the other undone.” We,
i by no means, insist that the language
• and not the meaning of a Scripture
I lesson should be learned, but we do
most earnestly insist that the meaning
and the language should be learned by
i every scholar, as far as practicable.
Not long since, when asked by the
superintendent of a school to teach the
i lesson of the day, we first asked all,
' teachers and scholars, who had com
l mitted the lesson to memory, to hold
!up their hands. Not a single hand
' went up. We then asked all who had
learned as much as three verses of the
lesson to hold their hands up; not a
i hand was raised. Not one teacher or
; pupil had committed to memory, a
single verse of the lesson' Os course
i a teacher can hardly expect or require
■ of a pupil, what he is unwilling to do.
In many cases, teachers do not do it,
j nor require it of their scholars. This
i is all wrong, and we most earnestly
| and solemnly invite superintendants
and teachers to consider the import
! ance of this matter, and beg them to
adopt some plan, by which, at least, a
[Hirtion of the lesson shall be commit
ted to memory, every week. We rec
ommend < the following: 1. Let the
; pupils know that it will be expected,
j 2. Let the teacher do it himself. 3.
Ask the class to learn one verse every
; morning during the week. 4. When
the class is ready for the lesson, let the
. teacher say, “Now let us close our Bi-
I Ides, and see how inu«h of the lesson
■we can repeat.” The teacher will
then recite the first verse, and ask
some member of the class to recite the
I second, and so on. At first, a failure
1 may be the result, but continual effort
will be crowned with success. 5. The
i superintendent might ask, from the
j desk, “How many have learned all the
i verses in our lesson to-day?” and
again, how many can repeat the mem
ory verses—those are usually printed
in different type from the rest. 6. If
the response is not general, he might
ask, “How many will try to learn the
verses of next Sunday’s lesson?”
In some such way, it would not be
' six months before nearly every class
would be able to recite the whole
Scripture lesson. It should be borne in
mind that we come to Sunday-school to
study the Bible and not Question
Books nor Lesson Papers. These are
merely helps to the one object before
us, and ought always to be so regarded.
When we fully grasp this idea and act
upon it, we shall have no use for any
book in the Sunday-school room except
the Bible. The Question Books and
papers will be studied at home, and the
Bible will be taught in the school. Oh!
for more teachers and better teachers—
teachers who know their duty and de
termine to do it as for eternity.
—Church and School.
For the last three years the Sunday
school Evangelist has asked for a
Christmas gift for his work from his
friends throughout the State.
Quite a number of schools and in
dividuals have responded to his appeal,
and his heart has been made glad
! thereby.
He will be very grateful if the same
i kind thoughtfulness will be repeated
j this year. It is hoped that superin
j tendents, teachers and scholars will
( bear this matter in mipd, and take
I such steps as will secure an offering
from all those who desire at that time
!to aid us in our work. We have care-
■ fully filed away the names of all those
( who contributed in this way last Christ
(mas. and their liberality is held
in most affectionate and grateful re-
I membrance. It will Ire to us the sad
dest Christmas of our life, but the ex-
I pressions of regard and tokens of ap
preciation on the part of our friends
are as balm upon our distressed heart.
Our daily prayers ascend to God for
His blessing upon all the pastors, su
perintendents, teachers, officers and
' scholars in Georgia.— Chhrch and
I School.
The Sunday-School.
Znternational Sunday-School Lessons,
Lesson Xlll—December 28, 1879.
REVIEW.
Jesus has been the great theme of the
twelve lessons of the quarter. We propose,
in this closing lesson of the year, to gather
up what we have learned during the quar
ter about our Savior. We suggest to the
teachers who are accustomed to read these
articles,that they take such of the representa
tions of the Savior, given below, as most at
tract their own attention, and present them
to their classes. It would be well to tell the
class on the preceding Sabbath what you
propose to do. During t.ie quarter Jesus has
been represented as
1. Our great High Priest.
2. Fulfilling in himself the Old Testament
types.
3. Giving victory to believers.
4. Our perfect pattern.
5. Our perfect Savior.
6. The grand exhibition of the Father’s
love.
7. Our glorified Savior.
8. Caring for bis churches.
9. The theme of the heavenly song.
10. The light of the heavenly city.
11. Inviting the thirsty.
1. Our great High Priest, passed into the
heavens, touched with the feeling of our in
firmities, tempted like as we are, yet with
out sin, having compassion on the ignorant
and on them who are out of the way, ap
pointed by God, a priest forever.
2. Fulfilling in himself the Old Testament
types, opening the way into the holiest of
all, oflering his own blood, obtaining eter
nal redemption for us.
3. Giving victory to believers. Faith ac
cepts the declaration that the worlds were
framed by the word of God;|offers an accep
table sacrifice, brings man into fellowship
with God, makes one an heir of righteous
ness, teaches the transitoriness of earthly
things and the permanence of heavenly, and
shows itself by works.
4. Our perfect pattern, patient when suf
fering wrongfully, sinning neither in act nor
in word, reviling not again when reviled,
committing himself and his cause to God,
suffering for others.
5. Our perfect Savior, giving us fellowship
with God, filling us with joy, leading us into
light, cleansing us from all sin.
6. The grand exhibition of the Father’s
love, sent by God, though his only begotten
son, sent into the world, sent that’we might
live, sent the propitiation of our sins.
7. Our glorified Savior, clothed in priestlv
garment, girded with a kingly girdle, his
glory and purity indicated bj his white head
and hair, and bis omniscence by his eyes
flaming as fire ; his activity among his peo
ple shown by his glowing feet.and his power
by his voice like the sounds of many waters.
Ministers are the objects of his care, his word
is like a two edged sword and his appearance
as the sun shining in his strength. He re
assures his trembling apostle, with the asser
tion, that though put to death on Calvary,
he now lives, holds the key of death, and is
the sinner’s friend as when upon earth.
8. Caring for his churches, reproving the
worldly church in Sardis and commending
the faithful one in Philadelphia; urgingthe
former to rouse itself and repent of its fail
ures, and yet carefully cheering the few
members who bad not defiled their gar
ments; telling the latter that it should
be protected in the time of impending
. persecution, and that even its enemies
should be compelled to acknowledge
that it was the object of the Savior's
love. He promisees to him who overcomes
sin amid the Sardian decline, that he shall
be clothed with holiness, and be acknowl
edged as his friend and companion before
the Fat he and the angels. To the conquer
or among the more faithful Philadelphians
is promised that he shall be honored forever
as a pillar in the Savior's spiritual kingdom,
be one of God’s people, a citizen of the New
Jerusalem, and asharer in Christ’s glory.
9. The theme of the heavenly song as he
opens the sealed book and is about to reveal
the coming glories of his kingdom, a song
never before sung, now first sung by the re
deemed from earth, repeated by unnumber
ed angels, and echoed through heaven and
earth and sea.
10. The light of the heavenly city, a city
of glorious splendor, where God himself is
found and the Lamb is the light thereof. All
the redeemed are gathered there. Nothing
of earth’s darkness or impuritv shall be
found there. Every want shall be supplied
as symbolized by the river of water of life
and the tiees bearing fruit every month.
Forever the Lamb and his servants shall
reign.
11. Inviting the thirsty, a joy-inspiring
ending of the Bible, God’s book, given in
mercy to man.
IVe finish the quarter, the year, and the
seven years of our lessons with the invita
tion, “Let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of
life freely." Amen and amen.
PR A YER.
1. To study God’s word well, we
must have the help of God’s Spirit.
“The only successful study of Scripture
is the devotional study of it.” Mix
well all your thoughts on the truth of
God with prayer to God.
2. You must have Christ-like love
for your scholars. This love for souls
is really God’s love in us, and is shed
abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is given in answer to
prayer.
a. Pray daily for your scholars.
Open your class-book, and on your
knees in the closet, name each one be
fore God. Before, at, and after school,
pray. The truly devout teacher, says
the Rev. James Inglis, of Scotland, is
one “who goes from his closet to his
class, praying, and returns from his
j class to his closet, once more to pray.”
4. Prayer brings you to the place of
power. The devout teacher has untold
influence over his scholars. Said an
English boy of his teacher, “I can
stand anything but her prayers, they
do me up.”
A foreign Methodist, in speaking to
me recently of one of the bishops of
our church, said, “I have mot with
him frequently. I have even been in
timately associated with him. He is a
man of prayer. And somehow,” he
added, “we always have a profound re
spect for a man of prayer.”
Sunday-school teacher, love prayer
and pray much. Let me recommend
the three records of a teacher, in her
private journal, as embodying a trio
of resolutions suitable for you. First
she wrote, “I must pray for my Sun
day-school scholars.” A week later
"I must agonise in prayer.” Still,
later, “I must agonize and expect my
class to be converted.— Helpful Hints.