Studies in the Christ-Life at Brother Eldred's by Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · May 15, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 20.

Studies in the Christ-Life at Brother Eldred's

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Third Evening's Study.

"The sun is just sinking behind the hills," said Brother Eldred, the next Friday evening, as he smilingly regarded his little flock, "and I am glad to see you all in your places, ready to welcome the heavenly guest."

"Why, papa," said little Margaret, as she ran to the window and looked eagerly down the street, "are we going to have company this evening? Please, mama, what does 'heavenly guest' mean?" and Margaret turned her eyes questioningly toward her mother.

"We know, we know! don't we, Jack?" declared Florence eagerly, before her mother could reply.

"Why, yes," assented Jack, "I guess so; I think father means—"

"Angels, angels, of course—heavenly angels!" announced Florence triumphantly; "doesn't father mean that the angels are here, mother?"

Sister Eldred only smiled and said: "Perhaps father would better explain just what he does mean."

"What do you think about it, Alice?" smiled her father, continuing as he turned to Florence: "Alice is a little older than you are, dear, and she may be able to guess my meaning."

Florence, who always liked to talk about the angels, and greatly desired to see one, looked a little bit disappointed as Alice replied:

"I do not think father meant an angel, because I suppose the good angels are with us all the time, day and night,—at least, I hope they are;—but he spoke as if this guest wasn't with us all the time, so I am not quite sure—"

"Why father means the Sabbath! don't you, father?" exclaimed Jack; "and you called it a guest, because it only comes once a week; and it's heavenly, because God gave it to us; that's plain enough I'm sure!" continued Jack rather pompously.

"You are quite right, my son; but can you tell me the first time God ever sent the Sabbath to visit this earth, as a heaven-born guest?"

"O papa!" interrupted little Margaret, "let me answer that question, please; I believe I can. It was when Moses went up on top of the mountain, and the Lord gave him the commandments."

"H—m! I wonder what the people did for a day of rest, before that, if that's true!" said Jack. "I think that God gave the very first Sabbath to Adam and Eve, didn't He, father?"

"You are right, again, Jack; but we must get to our subject at once," said Brother Eldred, turning to his Bible which lay open on the table.

"Tillie, will you tell us where the first promise of a Saviour to come was recorded?"

"In the first book of the Bible," responded Tillie promptly.

"Please read Gen. 3:15."

" 'And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.' "

"Yes, this is the first recorded promise of a coming Saviour. Perhaps we should have mentioned this important fact before; but we must not forget that as soon as Adam and Eve sinned, God in mercy and kindness promised that some day a Child—the seed of the woman—should be born, who should bruise the head of the serpent. That wonderful Child was our blessed Saviour. Tom, you may tell us who first came to visit the holy Babe at Bethlehem; was it the shepherds, or the wise men?"

"Well, father, since Matthew gives the first account of Christ's birth in the New Testament, and mentions only the wise men, or magi, it is easy to think of them as coming first."

"Yes," said his father; "but really the wise men did not see the Babe until He was more than a month old. But Matthew seems to have addressed his writings to a class of people who, in his opinion, would naturally be more interested in a detailed account of the magi, than they would be in hearing a simple account of the humble shepherds. So he omits the story of the shepherds entirely, tho of course he knew that they came before the wise men. He relates the story most needed. Can you tell me, Tom," continued Brother Eldred, "what Mark says on this subject?"

"It will not take me very long, father," replied Tom, smiling, as he glanced hastily over the first chapter of Mark, "because the fact is, Mark says not a word about either the shepherds or the magi. I wonder why, father?"

"I think it is quite likely that each writer spoke particularly of those events—under the direction of the Holy Spirit—which would be most likely to be convincing and profitable to those people to whom he particularly addressed his gospel, as I before said."

"Luke tells more particulars than any of the others," said Sister Eldred, "about the birth of the wonderful Child. He mentions the only events which are recorded of the life of the Christ as a child. I wonder if Alice can mention the principal event?"

"Why," replied Alice, "His mother and father lost Him, and at last He was found in the temple at the feet of the rabbis, asking and answering many wonderful questions."

"How old was He at this time?" asked Brother Eldred, turning to little Margaret.

"Tillie told me that Jesus was just six years older than I am, when His parents lost Him; so that would be twelve years old," replied Margaret, glad to show mathematical precision in her reply.

"Just as old as I shall be in one year longer," observed Jack; "that is, if I live."

"Yes," said his mother; "and I would like you, my children, to realize that the dear Lord Jesus has passed over every year of childhood and youth, and that He knows just how to sympathize with you in all your little trials and difficulties."

"But, mother," objected Alice, "He did not know how it seemed to sin and then be sorry for it, did He? for you know He never did wrong. So how could He know how badly a little girl feels when she is tempted to disobey her mother, and gives up to the wicked tempter?"

"My dear child," said her mother, "tho Jesus never sinned Himself, yet He bore the sins of the whole world—the sins of every man and woman and child who ever lived or ever will live—He bore and suffered for all these sins."

"Let us hear what the Bible says upon this subject," interrupted Brother Eldred.

"Alice, my child, will you please read Heb. 4:15?"

" 'For we have not an high priest who can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.' "

(To be continued.)