THE Light of the world shines brighter and brighter
As wider and wider God opens my eyes;
My trials and burdens seem lighter and lighter,
And fairer and fairer the heavenly prize.
The wealth of this world seems poorer and poorer
As further and further it fades from my sight;
The prize of my calling seems surer and surer
As straighter and straighter I walk in the light.
My waiting on Jesus seems dearer and dearer
As longer and longer I lean on His breast;
Without Him I'm nothing, seems clearer and clearer,
And more and more sweetly in Jesus I rest.
My joy in my Saviour is growing and growing,
And stronger and stronger I trust in His Word;
My peace like a river is flowing and flowing,
As harder and harder I lean on the Lord.
—Selected.
Religious Statistics in the United States
It is said that in the United States there are 10,129,677 Roman Catholics, and 17,784,478 Evangelical communicants. There are over 100,000 Christian ministers, more than 145,000 church edifices, above 165,000 church organizations, and over $700,000,000 invested in church property.
The Effects of Porto Rico Occupation
MILTON J. GREENE, D. D., in Christian Work, quotes “an intelligent friend” in Porto Rico as saying: “Our American society will suffer physically ‘from this Porto Rico occupation for the next one ‘hundred years;’” and this because of the sexual sins committed by the soldiers and officers.
Growth of Medical Missions
A CENTURY ago there was not a single medical missionary or a Christian hospital in a foreign field; now there are more than 700 missionary physicians, 355 mission hospitals, and 753 dispensaries. In the course of the year 2,672,651 patients were attended to, and 6,647,840 visits were paid.
CIRCULATION OF LITERATURE.
The month of August has seen a greater quantity of tract literature containing the third angel's message placed in circulation than has ever gone out before in the same length of time from this office. Over one and a half million pages, or an average of over 60,000 pages for each working day, have been shipped during the month. It would be impossible to estimate the good that these publications will accomplish.
Foremost among those ordered has been the new leaflet, “Sound an Alarm.” Its history is an interesting story. Its publication was first proposed on Thursday, August 8. The idea was immediately seized, and a meeting of the publishing committee held that afternoon, when it was voted to proceed at once to write and publish it. While the author worked on his manuscript, the circulation department prepared and mailed 12,000 circulars, over 3,500 being sent to individuals, accompanied by letters. The postage used alone totalled over $100. The orders began to come in before the tract was ready; but on Thursday, August 15, just one week after its publication was the first decided upon, copies came from the bindery, and before Friday evening over 6,000 had been shipped. Two editions, aggregating 35,000 copies, have been printed and circulated, and a third edition of 30,000 is now in press, with orders on hand awaiting its delivery. To our knowledge, this record has never been equaled.
One brother writes asking for terms on 10,000 copies, desiring both to sell and to give them away. He says: “It is what I was looking for; the people ‘want it. They need a warning message, and it ‘must be given in short order. I have prayed the ‘Lord for just such a message; and as I read the ‘tract, I was very forcibly impressed to spread it.” Many others have written in the same strain. The world is full of honest inquirers for truth, who are earnestly seeking for light.
The only way to maintain one's own spiritual health is to help others, and there is no more effectual way to do this than the distribution of reading matter. Are you doing your share? In another column we have mentioned a few good tracts for personal work. There are many others, and we will be glad to send you full lists with plans for work, on your request.
The Parables of Jesus.
FOURTH QUARTER 1901.
NOTE.—In the preparation of these lessons all Scripture references, and the pages of “Christ's Object Lessons,” should be thoroughly studied first, then the questions. The questions are not the lessons. They are only for the purpose of finding out what we have observed while studying. More of the preciousness of these lessons will be obtained if the lesson is studied each day throughout the week. In the parables of Jesus there is salvation from sin for every type of sinner—from the Pharisee to the prodigal. The notes are wholly selected from such portions of “Christ's Object Lessons” as apply to each lesson.
“All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake He nothing unto them.” Matt. 13:34.
2. What prediction was thus fulfilled? What did He utter?
“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.” Verse 35.
3. As a basis of His parables, from what source did He principally draw?—Nature and scenes from every-day life. Matt. 13:24-32; 25:1-12.
4. Why did Christ speak in parables?
“Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” Matt. 13:13.
5. What are people supposed to see in the things about them? Rom. 1:20.
6. In how many things is God revealed?
“Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” Jer. 23:23, 24.
7. Failing to see Him in each daily scene and event, what happens to the heart?
“For the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse; because that, knowing God, they glorified Him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.” Rom. 1:20, 21.
8. Was this the condition of the people to whom Jesus opened His mouth in parables?
“Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; and, seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive; for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should turn again, and I should heal them.” Matt. 13:13-15.
9. Then, in showing God in common things, what was revealed?
“I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.” Verse 35, last clause.
10. How do you express your thoughts?—In words and deeds. Does God express His thoughts thus?
11. When were the earth and all its contents an exact expression of God's thoughts?
“And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” Gen. 1:31.
12. At that time what do you think the man, created in the image of God, could see and understand in the things about him?
13. Give two reasons showing why the natural man sees so little of God now in His created works?
“Being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.” Eph. 4:18.
“And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.” Gen. 3:17, 18.
14. Are these parables needed, then, to-day? Why?
NOTES.
To Adam and Eve in their Eden home nature was full of the knowledge of God, teeming with divine instruction. Wisdom spoke to the eye, and was received into the heart, for they communed with God in His created works. As soon as the holy pair transgressed the law of the Most High, the brightness from the face of God departed from the face of nature. The earth is now marred and defiled by sin. Yet, even in its blighted state, much that is beautiful remains. God's object-lessons are not obliterated; rightly understood, nature speaks of her Creator.
In the days of Christ these lessons had been lost sight of. Men had well-nigh ceased to discern God in His works. The sinfulness of humanity had cast a pall over the fair face of creation; and, instead of manifesting God, His works became a barrier that concealed Him. Not only the things of nature, but the sacrificial service and the Scriptures themselves,—all given to reveal God,—were so perverted that they became the means of concealing Him.
Jesus sought an avenue to every heart. By using a variety of illustrations, He not only presented truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers. Their interest was aroused by figures drawn from the surroundings of their daily life.
In the Saviour's parable-teaching is an indication of what constitutes the true “higher education.”
Too often the minds of students are occupied with men's theories and speculations, falsely called science and philosophy. They need to be brought into close contact with nature. Let them learn that creation and Christianity have one God.
Christ's purpose in parable-teaching was in direct line with the purpose of the Sabbath. The Sabbath bids us behold in His created works the glory of the Creator. . . . On the holy rest-day above all other days, we should study the messages that God has written for us in nature. We should study the Saviour's parables where He spoke them, in the fields and groves, under the open sky, among the grass and flowers. As we come close to the heart of nature, Christ makes His presence real to us, and speaks to our hearts of His peace and love.
Lesson I.—September 29.—Quarterly Review.
Eleven of the past quarter’s lessons were selections from the book of Genesis, the twelfth being an independent temperance lesson. The titles, Scripture selections, and Golden Texts were as follows:—
Lesson I.—God the Creator of All Things.Gen. 1:26 to 2:3. Golden Text: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”Ch. 1:1. This simple statement of God’s own Word on the subject, corroborated by many others equally plain, is a sufficient answer to the varied theories of so-called science which ignore the Scriptures of truth. See Ex. 20:11; Ps. 33:6-9; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16.
Lesson II.—Beginning of Sin and Redemption.Gen. 3:1-15. Golden Text: “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”Rom. 5:20. The beginning of sin was disobedience of God. The continuation of sin is disobedience of God. This is all there is of sin—“transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4; Rom. 4:15; 5:13. The earth with everything in it is suffering under a curse because of disobedience. The remedy is in the faith of Him who gave us an example of obedience even unto death—the obedience of faith. Phil. 2:5-13.
Lesson III.—Noah Saved in the Ark.Gen. 8:15-22. Golden Text: “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”Ch. 6:8. Because of the persistent transgression of God’s law, judgment came upon the world, but Noah was saved by the obedience of faith in the word of God. This judgment was a type of the final destruction of the wicked, and the ark was a type of Christ. The condition of the people before the flood is typical of the conditions when Christ shall come to judgment. Matt. 24:37-39.
Lesson IV.—God calls Abraham.Gen. 12:1-9. Golden Text: “I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.”Verse 2. Abraham was called because God knew him in advance. Ch. 18:17-19. His greatness consisted in his obedience by faith. Rom. 4:3; Heb. 11:8-10; James 2:21-23.
Lesson V.—Abraham and Lot.Gen. 13:7-18. Golden Text: “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”Matt. 7:12. God had wonderfully blessed Abraham, temporally and spiritually, but it did not exalt him in his own estimation, or make him selfish and avaricious. But Lot manifested a far different disposition, which in the end proved disastrous at least to his worldly ambition and the welfare of his family.
Lesson VI.—God’s Promise to Abraham.Gen. 15:5-18. Golden Text: “I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.”Verse 1. Abraham had not looked for reward in this world; hence his indifference to a choice of pasturage between him and Lot. His was a life of faith in the promise of God, and now the Lord repeats and enlarges upon the promise, for the further encouragement of His chosen pioneer.
Lesson VII.—Abraham’s Intercession.Gen. 18:23-32. Golden Text: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”James 5:16. Abraham suddenly found himself in familiar conversation with the Lord through his characteristic hospitality to strangers. And the Lord’s condescension emboldened him to ask a great favor, and it was granted. “Ask, and it shall be given you.” is our Saviour’s gracious invitation.
Lesson VIII.—Abraham and Isaac.Gen. 22:1-12. Golden Text: “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.”Heb. 11:17. The offering of Isaac was the real crisis in Abraham’s life. The promise of a multitudinous seed, which had been a source of anxiety to him and his wife for nearly fifty years, was placed in the balance with his faith. Not only was Abraham’s faith tried, but also that of his young son, Isaac. The result was the victory of faith. “And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4.
Lesson IX.—Isaac the Peacemaker.Gen. 26:16-25. Golden Text: “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.”Matt. 5:9. Isaac’s whole career was one of peace; at great inconvenience and apparent loss he yielded to his persecutors. And for his self-sacrifice in the interest of peace, the Lord greatly rewarded and encouraged him, and gave him peace with his enemies. See Prov. 16:7.
Lesson X.—Jacob at Bethel.Gen. 28:10-19. Golden Text: “Surely the Lord is in this place.”Verse 16. Through great sorrow, fatigue, loneliness, and penitence, Jacob found a present help in time of need. Just when he thought he was alone and forsaken of all friends, he was shown in a dream a way opened to the Source of all grace. Here he found strength for every emergency through which he was to pass. The way to the throne of grace is still open; come to it boldly, and find mercy. Heb. 4:16.
Lesson XI.—Jacob a Prince with God.Gen. 32:24-30. Golden Text: “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”Luke 18:1. Jacob was now returning to Canaan, not alone, but with a numerous family of wives, children, and servants; also immense herds and flocks. Like Abraham on Mount Moriah, he had here his supreme test of faith, and came off conqueror. He was no longer reckoned as a “supplanter” (Jacob), but was afterward known as a “prevailer with God” (Israel).
Lesson XII.—A Temperance Lesson.Prov. 23:29-35. Golden Text: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”Ch. 20:1. Temperance is one of the high characteristics to be attained in the Christian life. Gal. 5:22, 23; 2 Peter 1:6. We are not only to be temperate in eating and drinking, but “in all things.” 1 Cor. 9:25. “Drunkards” are in the list of those who “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Ch. 6:9, 10.
(See article entitled “The Book of Genesis,” on page 6 of this paper.)
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