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NOT A DELUSION.
Sermon by Rev. T. De Witt Tal
mage, D. D.
How Millions of the Human Race Har*
Been “Delnded” Into Better Live*
and Brighter Hopes—A Few
Notable Examples.
Brooklyn, N. Y, Jan. 30.—“1s the Chris
tian Religion a Cheat?” was the subject of
Dr. Talmage’s sermon this morning. He
took for his text a part of the twenty-first
verse of the twenty- first chapter of Ezekiel;
“He made his arrows bright, he consulted
with images, he looked in tne liver.” The
sermon was as follows:
Two modes of divination by which the
Kingof Babylon proposed to find out the will
of God: He took a bundle of arrows, put
them together, mixed them up, then pulled
forth one, and by the inscription on it de
cided which city he should first assault-
Then an animal was slain, and by the
lighter or darker color of the liver the
brighter or darker prospect of success was
Inferred. That is the meaning of the text i
“ He made his arrows bright, he consulted
With images, he looked in the liver.”
Stupid delusion 1 And yet all the ages
have been filled with delusions. It seems
as if the world loves to be hoodwinked;
the delusion of the text is only a specimen
ol a vast number of deceits practiced upon
the human race.
In the latter part of the last century Jo
hanna Bouthcote came forth pretending to
have Divine power, made prophesies, had
chapels built in her honor, and one hundred
thousand disciples came forth to follow
her. About five years before the birth of
Christ Apollonius was born, and he came
forth, and after five years being speechless,
according to the tradition, he healed the
sick and raised the dead, and preached virt
ue, and, according to the myth, having
deceased, was brought to resurrection 1
The Delphic Oracle deceived vast mul
titudes of people—the Pythoness, seated in
the temple of Appolo, uttering a crazy
jargon from which the people guessed or
misguessed their individual or national
fortunes or misfortunes. The utterances
were of such a nature that you could read
them any way you wanted to read them. A
General, going forth to battle, consulted
the Delphic Oracle, and ho wanted to find
out whether he was going to be safe in the
battle or killed in the battle, and the
answer came forth from the Delphic
Oracle in such words that, if you put the
comma before the word “never,” it means
one thing, and if you put the comma after
the word “never,” it means another thing
just opposite. The message from the
Delphic Oracle to the General was: “Go
forth, return never in battle shalt thou
perish.” If he was killed, that was ac
cording to the Delphic Oracle; if he came
home safely, that was according to the
Delphic Oracle.
So the ancient auguries deceived the peo
ple. The priests of those auguries, by the
flight of birds, or by the intonation of thun
der, or by the inside appearance of slain
animals, told the fortunes or misfortunes
of individuals or nations. The sibyls de
ceived the people. The sibyls were sup
posed to be inspired women who lived in
caves and who wrote the sibylline books,
afterwards purchased by Tarquin the
Proud. Bo late as the year 1829 a man
arose in New York, pretending to be a Di
vine being, and played his part so we! 1
that wealthy merchants became his disci
ples and threw their fortunes into his dis
cipleship.
And so in all ages there have been necro
mancies, incantations, witchcrafts, sorcer
ies, magical arts, enchantments, divina
tions and delusions. The one of the
text was only a specimen of that which
has been transpiring in all agos of the
world. Nona of these delusions accom
plished any good; they deceived, they
pauperized the people, they were as cruel
as they were absurd; they opened no hos
pitals, they healed no wounds, they wiped
away no tears, they emancipated no serf
dom.
But there are those who say that all these
delusions combined arc as nothing com
pared with the delusion now abroad in the
world—the delusion of the Christian re
ligion. That delusion has to-day two hun
dred million dupes. It proposes toencircle
the earth with its girdle. That which has
been called a delusion has already over
snadowed the Appalachian range on this
side of the sea, and it has overshadowed
the Balkan and Caucasian ranges on the
other side the sea; it has con
quered England and the United
States. This champion delusion, this
hoax, this swindle of the ages, as it has
been called, has gone forth to conquer the
islands of the Pacific; the Melanasia and
the Micronesia and Malayan Polynesia
have already surrendered to the delusion.
Yea, it has conquered the Indian archi
pelago, and Borneo, and Sumatra, aud
Celebes and Java have fallen under its
wiles. In the Fiji Islands, where there are
120,000 people, 102,(XX) have already become
the dupes of this Christian religion, and if
things go on us they are now going on, and
if the influence of this great hallucination
of the ages can not be stopped, it will
swallow the globe.
Supposing, then, that Christianity is the
delusion of the centuries, as some have
pronounced it, 1 propose this morning to
6how you what has been accomplished by
this chimera, this fallacy, this hoax, this
swindle of the ages.
In the first place, I remark that this de
lusion of the Christiau religion has made
wonderful transformations of human char
acter. I will go down the aisle of any
church in Christendom, and I will find on
either side that aisle those who were once
profligate, profane, unclean of speech and
unclean of action, drunker, and lost. But
by the power of this delusion of the Chris
tian religion they have been completely
transformed, and now they are kind and
amiable, and genial and loving, and useful.
Everybody sees the change. Under the
power oT this great hallucination they ha ve
quit former associates, and
whereas they once found their chief de
light among those who gambled and swore,
and raced horses, notv they find their
chief joy among those who go to prayer
meetings and churches, so complete is tiiis
delusion. Yea, their own families have
noticed it; the wife has noticed it; the
children have noticed it. The money that
went for rum, now goes for books and for
clothes and for education. He is. a new
man; all who know him 3ay there has
b.'en a wonderful change. What is the
cause of this change? This groat Laliu-
TRENTON. DADE COUNTY GA., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4. 1887.
etnation of the Christian religion. There
is as much difference between what he is
now and what he once was as between a
rose and a nettle, as between a dove and a
vulture, as between day and night.
Tremendous delusion.
Admiral Farragut, one of the most ad
mired men of the American navy, early
a victim of this Christian delusion,
and seated, not long before his death, at
Long Branch, he was giving some friends
an account of his early life. He said t
“My father went down in behalf of the United
States Government to put an end to Aaron
Burr s rebellion. I was a cabin-boy, and went
along with him. I could swear like an old salt;
I could gamble in every style of gambling; I
knew all the wickedness there was at that
time abroad. One day my father cleared every
body out of the cabin except myself and locked
the doors. He said: ‘David, what are you go
ing to do? What are you going to be?’ ‘Well,'
I said, ‘father, I am going to follow the sea.’
‘ Follow the sea, and be a poor, miserable,
drunken sailor, lucked and euSed about
the world and die of a fever in a foreign hos
pital?’ ‘Oh, no,’ I said, ‘father, I will
not be that; I will tread the quarter
deck and command, as you do.’ ‘No, David,
my father said, ‘no, David, a person that has
your principles and your bad habits will never
tread the quarter deck or command.’ My fath
er went out and shut the door after him. and I
said then: ‘I will change, I will never swear
again; I will never drink again; I will never
gamble again.’ And, gentlemen, by the help
of God, I have kept those three vows to this
time. I soon after that became a Christian, arc’
that decided my fate for time and for eternity.”
Another captive of this great Christirn
delusion! There goes Saul of Tarsus on
horseback at full gallop. Where is hs
going? To destroy all Christians. He
wants no better play-spell than to stand and
watch the hats and coats of the murderers
who are inassacreing God’s children. There
goes the same man. This time he is afoot.
Where is he going now? Going on the road
to Ostia to die for Christ. They tried to
whip it out of him; they tried to scare
it out of him; they thought they
would give him enough of it
by putting him into a windowless dungeon,
and keeping him on small diet, and deny
ing him a cloak, and condemning him us a
criminal, and howling at him through tha
street. But they could not freeze it out of
him, and they could not sweat it out of
him, and they could not pound it out of
him, so they tried the surgery of the sword,
and one summer day in 68 lie was decap -
tated. Perhaps the mightiest intellect of
the 6,000 years of the world’s existence was
hoodwinked, cheated, cajoled, duped ky
the Christian religion.
Ah 1 that is the remarkable thing about
this delusion of Christianity, it overpowers
the strongest intellects. Gather the crit
ics, secular and religious, of this country
together, and put a vote to them as to
which is the greatest book ever written,
and by a large majority they will say
“Paradise Lost.” Who wrote “Paradise
Lost?” One of the fools that believed in
this Bible, John Milton.
Benjamin Franklin surrendered to this
delusion, if you may judge from th« le ter
he wrote to Thomas Paine, begging, h.ai -‘o
destroy the “Age of Reason” in manu
script and never let it go into type, and
writing afterward, in his old days: "Of
this Jesus of Nazareth I have to say that
the system of morals He left and the re
ligion He gave us are the best things the
world has ever seen or is likely to see.”
Patrick Henry, the electric champion of
liberty, was enslaved by this delusion, so
that he says: “The book worth all other
books put together is the Bible.”
Benjamin Rush, the leading physiologist
and anatomist of his day, the great medical
scientist —what did he say? “Tho#jnly
true and perfect religion is Christianity?”
Isaac Newton, the leading philosopher of
his time —what did he say? That man, sur
rendering to this delusion of the Christian
religion, cried out: “The sublimest
losophy on earth is the philosophy of the
Gospel.” *
David Brewster, at the pronuncia Jon of
whose name every scientist the worlJ over
bows his head—David Brewster said* “O,
this religion has been a great light to me,
a very great light all my days.”
President Thiers, the groat French
statesman, acknowledged that he prayed
when he said: “I invoke the Lord God in
whom I am glad to believe.”
David Livingstone, able to conquer the
lion, able to conquer the panther, able to
conquer the savage, yet conquered by thi3
delusion, this hallucination, this great
Swindle of the ages, so when they find him
dead they find him on his knees.
William E. Gladstone, the strongest in
tellect iu England to-day, unable to resist
this chimera, this fallacy, this delusion of
the Christian religion, goes to the house of
God every Sabbath, and often, at the invi
tation of the rector, reads the prayers to
the people.
O, if those mighty intellects are over
borne by this delusion, what chance is
there lor you and for me?
Besides that, I have noticed that first
rate. in fidels can not be depended on for
steadfastness in the proclamation of their
sentiments. Goethe, a leading skeptic,
was so wrought upon by this Christianity
that in a weak moment he cried oift: “Sly
belief in the Bible has saved me in my
literary and moral life.”
Rousseau, one of the most eloquent
champions of infiielity, spend iug his whole
life warring against Christianity, cries
out: “The majesty of the Bcripturos
amazes me.”
Altamont, the notorious infidel—one
would think he would be safe against this
delusion of the Chr stian religion. Oh, no.
After talking against Christianity all his
days in the last hour of his life he cried
out: “Oh, Thou biasphomed but most in
dulgent Lord God, hell itself is a refuge if
it hide ma from Thy frown I”
Voltaire, the most talented infiiel the
world ever saw, writing two hundred and
fifty publications, and the most of them
spiteful against Christianity, himself the
most notorious libertine of the country
one would have thought he could have
been depended upon for steadfastness in
the advocacy of infidelity and in the war
against this terrible chimera, this delusion
of the Gospel. But no; in his last hour lie
asks for t histian burial, ani asks that they
give him the sacrament of the Lord Jesua
Cii nst.
Why, you can not depend upon these
first-rate infidels —you can not depend upon
their power to resist this great delusion of
Christianity. Thomas Paine, the god of
modern skeptics, his birthday celebrated
in New York and Boston with great en
thusiasm—Tnomas Paine, the paragon of
Bible haters; Thomas Paine, about whom
his brother infi lei, William Carver, wrote,
in a letter which I have at iny house, say
ing that he drank a quart of rpin a day
was too moan and too dishonest, to
pay for it; Thomas Paine, the adored
of modern infidelity; Thomas Paine, who
stole another man’s wife in England and
brought her to this land; Thomas Paine,
who was so squalid, and so loathsome, and
so drunken, and so profligate, and so beast
ly in his habits, sometimes picked out of
the ditch, sometimes too filthy to be picked
out; Thomas Paine one would have
thought that he could have been depended
1 on for steadfastness against this great de
, lusion. But no. In his dying hour he begs
j the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy.
Powerful delusion, all-conquering delu
s on, earthquaking delusion of the Chris
| tan religion. Yea, it goes on, it is so im
: pertinent, and it is so overbearing, this chi
; nera of the Gospel, that having conquered
;he great picture galleries of the world,
the old masters and the young mas ters, us
1 showed in a former sermon, it is not sat
i isfied until it has conquered the music of
the world. Look over the programme of
that magnificent musical festival a few
years ago in New York and see what were
the great performances, and learn that the
greatest of all the subjects were
religious subjects. What was it one night
when three thousand voices were accom
pan.ed with a vast number of instruments?
“Israel in Egypt.” Yes, Boethoven de
luded until he wrote the high mass in D
major. Haydn deluded with this religion
until he wrote the “Creation.” Handel de
luded until he wrote the oratorios: “Jeph
thah,” and “Esther,” and “Baul," and
“ Israel in Egypt,” and the “ Messiah.” On
the closing night 3,000 deluded people sing
ing of a delusion to eight thousand deluded
hearers.
Yes, this chimera of the Gospeli s not
satisfied until it goes on and builds itself
into the most permanent architecture, so
it seems as if the world is never going to
get rid of it. What are some of the finest
buildings in the world? St. Paul’s, St.
Peter’s, the churches and cathedrals of all
Christendom. Yes, this impertinence of
the Gospel, this vast delusion, is not satis
fied until it projects itself, and in one year
gives, contributes, $6,250,000 to foreign
missions, the work of which is to
make dunces and fools on the other
side of the world —people we have
never seen. Deluded doctors —220 physi
cians meeting week by week in London, in
the Union Medical Prayer Circle, to
worship God. Deluded lawyers—the late
Lord Cairns, the highest legal authority in
England, the ex-adviser of the throne,
spending his vacation in preaching the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to the poor peoplo
of Scotland; Frederick T. Frelinghuysen,
once the Secretary of State of the United
States, an old-fasiuoned evangelical minis
ter, and elder in the Reformed Church;
John Bright, a deluded Quaker; Henry
Wilson, the Vice-President of the United
States, dying a deluded Methodist or Con
gregationalist; Earl of Kintore dying
a deluded Presbyterian. The canni
bals in South Sea, the bushmen of
Terra del Fuego, the wild men of Austra
lia, putting down tho knives of their
cruelty, and clothing themselves in decent
apparel—all under the power of this do
lusion. Judson and Doty, and Abeel and
Campbell and Williams and the three
thousand missionaries of the cross, turn
ing their backs on home and civilization
and comfort, and going out amid the
squalor heathenism to relieve it, to
save o until they
dropped into their griu with no appro
priate epitaph, when they might have
lived in this country, and lived for them
selves, and lived luxuriously, and been at
last put into brilliant sepulchre. What a
delusion I
Yea, this delusion of Christian religion
shows itself in the fact that it goes to those
who are in trouble. Now, it is bad enough
to cheat a man when he is well and when
is prosperous; but this religion comes
to a man when he is sick, and says: “You
will be well again after awhile; you are
going into a land where there are no
coughs and no pleurisies and no consump
tions and no languishing; take courage and
bear up.”
Yea, this awful chimera of the Gospel
comes to the poor, and it says to them:
“ You are on your way to vast estates and
to dividends always declarable.” This de
lusion of Christianity comes to the bereft,
and it talks of reunion before the throne
and of the cessation of all sorrow. And
then to show that this delusion will stop at
absolutely nothing, it goes to the dying bed
and fills the man with anticipations. How
much better rt would be for him to have
him die without any more hope than swine
and rats and snakes. That is all. Nothing
more left of him. He will never know any
thing again. Shovel him under!
The soul is only a superior part of the
body, and when tho body disintegrates the
soul disintegrates. Annihilation, vacancy,
everlasting blank, obliteration. Why not
present all that beautiful doctrine to the
dying, instead of something with this hoax,
this swindle of the Christian religion, and
filling the dying man with anticipations ofg
another life, until some in the last hour
have clapped their hands, and some have
shouted, and some have sung, and
some have been so overwrought
with joy they could only look
ecstatic. Palace gates opening, they
thought; diamond coronets flashing; hands
beckoning; orchestras sounding. Little
children dying, actually believing they saw
thc-ir departed parents, so that, although
the little children had been so weak, and
feeble, and sick for weeks, they could not
turn on their dying pillow, at the last, in a
paroxysm of rapture uncontrollable, they
sprang to their feet and shouted: “Mother,
catch me I I am coming!”
And to show the immensity of this de
lusion, this awful swindle of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, I open a hospital and bring
into that hospital tho death-beds of a great
many Christian people, and I take you by
the hand this morning, and I walk up and
down the wards of that hospital, and I ask
a few questions. I ask: “Dying Stephen,
what have you to say ?” “Lord Jesus, re
ceive my spirit” “Dying John Wesiey,
what have you to say?” “The best of all
is, God Is with us.” “Dying Edward
Payson, what have you to say?”
“I float in a sea of glory.” “Dy
ing John Bradford, what have you to
say?” “If there be any way of
goit-g to Heaven on horseback, or in a fiery
chariot, it is this.” “Dying Neander,
what have you to say ? ” “I am going to
sleep now—good-night” “ Dying Mrs.
Florence Fostei, what have you to
say?” “A pilgrim in the valley, but
the mountain tops all a gleam from
peak to peak. ” “ Dying Alexander Mather,
what have you to say ? ” “ The Lord who
has taken care of me fifty year* will not
cast me off now; glory be to God and to
the Lamb! Amen, amen, amen, amen 1 ”
“Dying John Powson, after preach
ing the Gospel so may years, what
have you to say?" “My deathbed
is a bed of roses.” “Dying Dr. Thomas
Scott, what have you to say?” “Boys, I
am going to the front. ” Dying telegraph
operator on the battlefield of Virginia,
what have you to say?” “The wires are
all laid, and the poles are up from Stony
Point to headquarters.” “ Dying Paul,
what have you to say!” “I am ready now
to be offered, and the time of my departure
is at hand; I have fought the good fight, I
have finished my course. I have kept the
faith. O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory? Thanks bo
unto God, who giveth us tie victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.’*
O, my Lord, my God, what a delusion;
what a glorious delusion I Submerge me
with it, fill my eyes and ears with it, put
it under my dying head for a pillow—this
delusion; spread it over me for a canopy,
put it underneath me for an out-spread
wing—roll it over me in ocean surges ten
thousand fathoms deep! O, if infidelity,
and if atheism, and if annihilation are a
reality, and the Christian religion is a de
lusion, give me the delusion!
The strong conclusion of every man and
woman in the heuse is that Christianity,
producing such grand results, can not be a
delusion. A lie, a cheat, a swindle, an hal
lucination can not launch such a glory of the
centuries. Your logic aad your common
sense convince you that a base cause can
not produce an illustrious result; out of
the womb of such a monster no such angel
can be born.
There are many in this house this morn
ing, in the galleries and on the main floor,
who began with thinking that the Chris
tian religion was a stupid farce, who have
come to the conclusion that it is a reality.
Why are you here to-day? Why did you
sing this song? Why did you bow your
head in the opening prayer? Why did you
bring your family with you? Why, when
I tell you of the ending of all trials in the
bosom of God, do there stand tears in your
eyes—not tears of grief, but tears of joy,
such as stand in the eyes of homesick chil
dren far away at school when some one
talks to them about going home? Why
is it that you can be so calmly
submissive to the death of your
loved one, about whose departure
you once were so angry and so rebellious?
There is something the matter with you.
All your friends have found out there is a
great change. Ami if soma of you would
give your experience, you would give it in
scholarly style, and others giving your ex
perience would give it in broken style, but
the one experience would be just as good
as the other. Some of you have read
every thing. You are scientific and you
are scholarly, and yet if I should ask you:
“What is the most sensible thing you ever
did?” you would say: “The roost sensible
thing I did was to give mv heart to
God.”
But there may be others here who have
not had early advantages, and if they
were asked to give their experience, they
might rise and give such testimony as the
man gave in a prayer-meeting when he
said: “On my way here to-night, I met a
man who asked me where I was going. I
said: ‘1 am going to prayer-meet
ing.’ He said: ‘ There are a good
many religious, and I think the
most of them are delusions; as to
the Christian religion, that is only
a notion, that is a mere notion, the Chris
tian religion.’ I said to him: ‘Stranger,
you see that tavern over there?’ ‘Yes,’
he said, ‘I see it.’ *Do you see me?’ ‘Yes,
of course I see you.’ ‘Now, the time was,
as every body in this town knows, that if I
had a quarter of a dollar in my pocket I could
not pass that tavern without going in aud
getting a drink; all the people of Jefferson
could not keep me out of that place; but God
has changed my heart and the Lord Jesus
Christ has destroyed my thirst for strong
drink, and there is my whole week’s
wages, and I have no temptation to go in
there; and, stranger, if this is a notion, 1
want to tell you it is a mighty powerful
notion; it is a notion that has put clothes
on my children’s back, and it is a notion
that has put good food on our table, and it
is a notion that has filled my mouth with
thanksgiving to God. And, stranger, you
had better go along with me, you might
get religion, too; lots of people are getting
religion now.’ ”
Well, we will soon understand it all.
Your life and mine will soon be over. We
will soon coine to the last bar of the music,
to the last act of the tragedy, to the last
page of the book—yea, to the last line and
to tho last word, and to you and to me it
will either be midnoon or midnight.
WORK AND RECREATION.
How the Tired Wire and Mother Can
Jkightcn the Daily Hound of Cares.
Often the tired housemother feels her
ortHt sink within her and the burden of
petty care seems too heavy to be borne.
At such times she should strive to look
upward and outward. An hour spent in
communion with some favorite author will
do wonders toward freshening the mind,
while the rest taken will strengthen the
body. Let no time be spent in bemoaning
that which can not be helped, for more
strength is lost in this way than would
seem possible. If the work laid out has
not been accomplished, never mind; con
sider that you have attempted too much,
and next time plan for less. Much of the
trouble that weighs upon the heart of tha
conscientious woman is caused by her
having striven to work beyond her
strength. It is a safe plan for her to lay
out only as much work as she can accom
plish in half the time at her disposal. In
this way weariness is avoided, and, bv a
systematic arrangement, the daily round
of cares becomes lightened, and mind and
body become fresher and hotter able to
cope with the various trials that arise
from day to day. Let not the hou ©-
keeper forget the reviving power of fresh
air. As soon as consistent with Ler daily
duties, let h r take gentle exercise out of
doors. The vapors and mists that so often
rise and becloud the mind’s horizon will be
dispelled by the bracing atmosphere and
the sun’s bright light.— N. T. Commercial
Advertiser.
Charity likes to come in and supply tho
wants which would never have been felt
had there been equity. An ounce of justice
is sometimes worth a ton of charity.— l>r.
A. Maclarm.
Never think that you can make yourself
great by making another less ,—iiev. J,
Vaughan,
VOL. 111.-NO. 50.
LOT’S CHOICE.
International Sunday-School Lesson for
February 8, 1887.
[Specially arranged from S. S. Quarterly.]
Gen. 13:1-13; commit verses 8-11.
1. And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and
bis wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him,
into the south
2. And Abram was very rich, In cattle, in
silver and in gold.
3. And he went on his journeys from the
south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his
tent had been at the beginning, between
Beth-el and Hai;
4. Unto the place of the altar, which he had
made there at the first; and there Abram
called on the name of the Lord.
5. And Lot. also, which went with Abram,
had Hooks, and herds and tents.
6. And the land was not able to bear them,
that they might dwell together; for their sub
stance was great, so that they could not dwell
together.
7. And there was a strife between the herd
men of Abram’s cattle and the berdmen of
Lot’s cattle; and the Canaanite and the Periz
zite dwelt then in the land,
8. And Abram said unto Lot: Let there be no
strife. I pray thee, between me and thee, and
between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we
be brethren.
9. Is not the whole land before thee? separ
ate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt
take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or
if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go
to the left.
10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all
the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered
everywhere, before the L’ord destroyed Sodom
and Gomorrah, even as the garden, of the Lord,
like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto
Zoar.
11. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jor
dan ; and Lot journeyed eajt, and they sepa
rated themselves the one frdm the other.
12. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and
Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched
his tent toward Sodom.
13. But the men of Sodom were wicked and
sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
Time— About B. C. 1918. Two or three
years after the last lesson.
Place—Egypt to the south of Palestine,
thence to the altar near Bethel. The valley
of the Jordan, in which were Sodom and
Gomorrah.
Introduction—ln the last lesson we be
gan the study of Abraham, the father of
the chosen people, and followed his jour
neyings to the Promised Land, and his en
campment near Bethel. After a time he
went further south, and in a time of the
famine he went down into Egypt. This
lesson begins with his return from that
country after no very long sojourn there.
. Helps over Hard Places— l. Abram
... out of Egypt: Abram, in his fear of the
great despot, Pharoah, deceived the King
to save his life, and got into trouble; but
God helped him, and he soon loft Egypt
for the land to which God had sent him.
The south: a proper name, the Negeb, the
country south of Palestine. 3. Beth-el:
twelve miles north of Jerusalem, llai: Ai,
five miles to the east. Tent ... at the begin
ning: his first dwelling-place, the place
from which he started for Egypt. He
probably did not stop long at Shechem, his
first station in Palestine. 6. Land . . . not
able to bear them: not pasturage enough for
such large flocks and herds. 7. Strife: to
get the best pastures and wells. 8. Brethren:
Lot was nephew and brother-in-law to
Abraharn. They were also brethren
in religion, in feeling, in race. 9. Is not
the whole land, etc.: this land was
all promised to Abraham, but he
yields every right of his own. He is gen
erous, loving, self-denying. 10. The plain
of Jordan: the wide valley through which
the Jordan runs. Garden of the Lord: the
Garden of Eden. Egypt: the most fertile
land then known. Zoar : rather Zor, not
the Zoar to which Lot afterwards fled, near
the Dead Sea, but tho border land of Egypt,
its richest portion, through which Lot came
on his way from Egypt.
TnE Unwise Choice— (l) Lot’s choice
was selfish. Ho should have been generous
toward his uncle, instead of greedily tak
ing the best fur himself. (3) The choice ;
was made in the wrong spirit; for worldly
advantage, without regard to spiritual
things. (8) By this choice he left the com
pany of God’s people, lost the influence of
their daily lives, the atmosphere of love
and piety. (4) He went into the company
of sinners. He chose it voluntarily. One
is safe with wicked men so long as he is en
deavoring to make them good, but is never
safe when he chooses their company. (5)
Apparently he gained the end he sought.
His worldly circumstances at first were
improved. (6) But he was not happv, for
he "vexed his righteous soul from day to
day.” (2Pet. 2:8). (7) He became tainted
in his own character, as we see by his later
history. (8) He soon lost every thing, first
by war, and when that did not cure him,
by the flames. In reality his choice of the
world before goodness and duty was the !
means of losing both worldly and spiritual
happiness.
Subjects for Special Reports—Abra
ham in Egypt. The wealth of Abraham. A
church home. The cause of the strife.
Brotherly love. Lot’s choice, and why it
was wrong. Character of Abraham as
shown in this lesson. Abraham’s reward.
Passages of Scripture illustrated by Lot’s
conduct. Passages illustrated by Abra
ham’s conduce
Golden Text —Seek ye first the King
dom of God, and His righteousness. —Mate
6:33.
Central Truth —Brotherly love brings
peace to the community aud blessings to
the soul.
New Testament Light on Old Testament
Themes— Show how the following Script
ares were fulfilled in Abraham: Matt. 5:9;
Prov. 15:1; Rom. 12:10, 18. 21; 1 Cor. 13:4-8;
Heb. 13:1; Ps. 133; Mate 6:31-34. Show
how the following Scriptures apply to Lot:
1 Cor. 15:33; 2 Thess. 3:6, M, 15; 1 Oor. ;]
5:9-ll; Ps. 1:1; Prov. 1:10-16; 4:14; 13:30;
22:24, 25 ; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Rev. 18:4.
LESSONS FROM LOT’S CHOICE.
1. God can make of our errors a Jacob’s
ladder by which to climb Heavenward.
3. Worldly r prosperity brings peculiar
temptations and dangers.
3. The remedy for quarrels is brotherly
love.
4. Nature’s beauties and charms are not
able to make men good.
5. The choice of worldly ail vantages at
the expense of religion is a fooiish choice.
6. Such a choice loses this world as well
as the next.
7. It is never safe to pitch our tent to
ward Sodom.
8. No one can choose to dwell with evil
companions and not be contaminated.
9. God’s blessing is upon those who give
up the world for the sake of love, religion
and peace.
