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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
the center of attraction . He was so pained by an observer praising th e ex quisite beauty of th e chalice in the Saviour’s hand, th a t he took his brush and erased it from th e canvas th a t th e re m ight be nothing to keep th e eye from the Saviour’s face. “L et me aee His countenance and h ear His voice for sweet is His voice and His coun tenance is comely.” THURSDAY, October 18. I Cor. IS ti l l . Divine vs. Hum an Wisdom. W hat has man ever accomplished by his own unaided wisdom to bless man kind? He h a s discovered no way of salvation. When hum an wisdom reach ed its highest apex in ancient Greece and Rome, th e world touched its low est moral depth. The ligh t of the Gospel has proved th e philosophy and religion of th e world to be u tte r folly. In science men have announced count less theories and discoveries only to have them overthrown and swept away by th e theories and discoveries of the next generation. God gave men four thousand years for th e ir wisdom to have a chance and to do its best. A t the end of th a t time they were no bet te r off. Then th e cross was set up and Jesus died upon it. A few humble men were sent out to tell th e simple story. By this men were lifted out of condem nation, transform ed into Christ’s like ness and exalted to glory. FRIDAY, October 14. I Cor. 2:12-16. God’s Building Material. Many years ago an apprentice boy collected bits of broken glass which had been been rejected and thrown out of his m aster’s studios as unfit to be used for any purpose, and made them into a stained glass window which was th e finest in all the beautiful building. God is building His sp iritu al and eter nal kingdom out of m aterial which the wisdom of th e world finds no use for. Nevertheless His kingdom will outshine and ou tlast th e g reatest kingdoms of earth . We are saved by grace. All th e glory of our salvation must be given to God. T here is nothing for human hands to do. The wisest, w ealthiest and m ightiest must be saved through th e mercy of God. “Not many m ighty are called.” Lady Huntingdon thanked God for th is one le tte r “m” because it told her she was no t excluded by her rank. Salvation m ust be received as a free unm erited gift and th e way of the cross ig the only way.
epistles were occasioned by local cir cumstances th a t needed counsel or cor rection b u t they are applicable and adaptable to all other churches of w hat ever locality or time. The first epistle to the Corinthians was w ritten from Ephesus in 57 A. D. The apostle had heard th a t divisions had come into the church and although th ree years had intervened since the founding of the church, he addresses them as babes in Christ and in structs them in the first principles of Christianity. He mani fests th e tender solicitude of a wise and loving father. W ith a firm hand and consummate skill he not only dis cerns the need bu t perceives th e rem edy. TUESDAY, October 11. I Cor. 18:1- 13. The Remedy fo r Church Trouble. This chapter is not a dissertation upon an ab stract them e bu t a panacea for th e dissensions of th e Corinthian church. The w riter clearly distin guishes a t first between gifts and grace and draw s the conclusion th a t gifts alone do not make one acceptable un to God bu t th a t the graces of th e Spirit are indispensable. In th e rem ainder of the chapter, love is set fo rth as the only thing th a t will patiently p u t up w ith failings and a t th e same tim e be kindly helpful in th e correction of faults. It dem onstrates th a t a tru e friend is one th a t knows all about you and loves you ju st th e same. This analysis of love serves as a check upon those who would walk in th e Christian way.- The exercise of th is love would prevent those divisions which bring d isaster to a church and would go far toward correcting the fau lts of society a t large. WEDNESDAY, October 12. I Oor. 1: 17-81. P a u l’s Preaching. P au l states his conception of his mis sion in th e words “Christ sent me . . . to preach th e Gospel: not w ith wisdom of words lest th e cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” A cool crystal spring beside th e road may be covered w ith flowers and buried behind ornam ental shrubbery so th a t it is completely hidden from th e eyes of those who pass by. The cross is th e saving Gospel message. It may be ornam ented to th e point of obscurity by rhetoric and learning and so fail of its desired effect. An a rtist painted a pictu re of th e la st supper w ith the in te n t of making th e face of th e Saviour
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