scattereth." Each of these texts Is t he complement of tKe other a nd t h e re is n o t h i ng inconsistent between t h em. Both of these passages, as all texts of Scripture, are to be t a k en in connection with their context. The Lord does not intend to teach t h at because people are not in opposi- tion to you t h e r e f o re you can count upon t h em as friendly. The lesson first of all concerns Sectarianism. We a re not to expect everyone to join o ur as- sembly or follow o ur mo de of baptism, or to t a ke our interpretation of Scrip- ture. The S ama r i t an would n ot receive t he Lord because He was intent upon going up to J e r u s a l em and according to their theology no good t h i ng could come out of t h at city. We have a perfect r i g ht to our view of Scripture and to our mode of church doctrine a n d life, b u t we are not permitted to i n t e r f e re with t he other ma n 's rights. The main t h i ng is t h at demons a re being cast out in t he n ame of our Lord Jesus Christ. P a ul could say, "Wh at t h e n? notwith- standing, every way, wh e t h er in pre- tence, or in t r u t h, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." Phil. 1:18. We can well afford to a sk the ques- tion, "Wh at is it, to be with H i m ?" Those a re with H im who confess Him to be t he Wo rd ma de flesh, "Wo u n d ed for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities," delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification. Those a r e with Him who acknowledge His r i g ht to their lives and who s u r r e n d er all to Him. Those are with Him who at His bidding go whithersoever He com- mands, who leave the dead to b u ry t he dead, who cut all of the cord t h at binds or hinders, who put their h a nd to t he plough and r un a straight f u r r ow t h r o u gh to eternity without looking back. Being with Him is not a negative life b ut positive living, positive identity, following where He leads, pasturing where He feeds, doing His own deeds. Be i ng with H im me a ns being a soldier, a pilgrim, a worker, being wh at He wa n ts you to be, being wh e re He wa n ts you to be, being all He wa n ts you to be. Lesson 1, J a n u a ry 5 Golden Text: Genesis 1.1, " In t he beginning God." This is the first Sabbath in the year. This is the first lesson in a new series and this is the first sentence in t he Bible. This is an appropriate begin- ning. Wh at a wo n d e r f ul book is t he Book of books. Wh en we begin with
t he Bible we begin w i th God and when we come to t h e end of t he Bible He confronts us t h e re as God, and between t he beginning a nd t he end it is all f r om God. In t he beginning Go d—b e f o re we come to t he creation, before t he f o rm- less world b u r s ts upon our view, b e f o re t he man appears, back of it all, it is God. Th e re is no o t h er place of begin- ning! "All things were ma de by Him a nd without Him was not a n y t h i ng ma de t h at was ma d e ." Jno. 1:3. Beginning with God insures a satis- factory conclusion. " He which h a th begun a good work within you will go on to perfecting it in preparation for the day of J e s us Christ." Phil. 1:6. " I n the beginning God." Th e re He stands in t he foreground. Your t h o u g ht cannot go back of that. Back beyond every imagination, God, and if you pro- ject your t h o u g ht into t h e f u t u re beyond the last reach of the mind t h e re is God. Th e re will never be any difficulty in believing wh at is written in t he Book, if we keep t h at one fact before us—-God. The impossible t h i n gs are all. possible when we t a ke God into a t c o u n t. The greatness of the Book, its marvelous preservation, its wo n d e r f ul revelations are all accounted for by one word—God. He re is wh e re every t h o u g h t f ul per- son should stand to view his own life in t he sight of God, to view time a nd eternity, to look upon life's activities Wh at shall I do? Wh e re shall I go? Wh a t profession follow? Wh at posses- sions seek? In wh at pleasures and pastimes shall I indulge? In the be- ginning of every account and t h o u g ht of life—God. And to who a nd wh at He is, the Bible, in its unfoldings, gives us all needed revelation. We shall learn to fear, revere, love, worship, and fol- low Him. We shali come to say, with David, " The Lord is my Shepherd," with Paul, "Blessed by t he God a nd F a t h e r of our Lord Jesus Christ," and with John, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quick- ly." We shall come to know Him as t he same yesterday, today and forever, the great God and Saviour. Lesson, J a n u a ry 12 Golden Text: " L et ns m a t e man in- c u r ima g e ." He re is the voice of t he Godhead. T h e word God used in t he first chapter of Genesis is Elohim and is a plural noun. We a re t h us p r e p a r ed f r om t he beginning for the mystery of t he Trin- ity. In t he third chapter a f t er t he Fall, God says, "man is become as one of ns.' ?
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