NO. 12
VOL.1
B u
President W. W. Moore, D.D., LL.D. Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia. I believe that Jesus Christ, who said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10: 30) and "before Abraham was I am" ( John 8:58), u very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost, that the Word made flesh was God Published Once a Month by : THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Bible Institute Press. — TWENTY - FIVE CENTS A YEAR. mjÊMlmSii&fm Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in Heaven.—Psalm 1 i 9:89 Itblr Institute 260-264 South Main Street (Second Floor) jfejWÍ L o s A n g e l e s , C a l i f o r n i a DIRECTORS: / J & t j f t^ ""i ? '' v . Lyman Stewart, President • - ; ' • Rer.À. B. Prichard, W V & p t ^ . ^ j g g g g » 1 T. C'Horton, Superintendent • B. C. Atterbury, M.D. Secretary-Trea». ' ^ R. A. Hadden, Supt. Extension Work E. A. KHackett W. E. Black.tone S. i. Menili W. L. Creen DOCTRINAL STATEMENT Church as expressed ; in the . Common including: The Maintainance of Go'od- Works. The Second Coining of Christ. ' The Immortality of the Soul. The Resurrection of the Body, v The Life everlasting of Believers. The Endless Punishment ,of the Im- j The Reality and Personality of Satan. M We hold to the Historie Faith of the Creed of Evangelica? Christendom and The Trinity of the Godhead. The Deity of the Christ. ; The Personality of the Holy Spirit. The Supernatural and Plenary au- thority of the Holy Scriptures. ' The Fellowship of the Church. , / The Substitutionary Atonement. The Necessity of the New Birth. The Institute trains accredited men and wome/>, free of eost, in the knowledge and use of the Bible. Purpose (1) The Institute Classes held dally except Saturé t (2) Extension Work. Classes and conferences held ¡9 neighboring cities and towns. J (3) Evangelistic. Meetings conducted by eompe tent evangelists under our direction. (4) Spanish Mission. Meetings every night for Spauish-speaking people and house visitation. ( 5 ) S h o p Work. Regular sorviees in shops and factories all the year. 11m .. (6) Jewish|Evangelism. Personal work in homes for the Hebrew people. ^¿rUtj ' • (7) Bible Women. House-to-house work and neigh- borhood classes. ' •. • (8) Aqueduct. Work among the men on the new aqueduct. , (0) Oil Fields. A mission to the mea on the oil fields. (10) Books and Tracts. Sale and distribution of selected books and tracts. ;> B Departments PRAY FOR THE WORK AND WORKERS OF THE INSTITUTE, If ye abide m me and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.—John 15:7. Keeping to the Main Issue T HE Christian Church becomes shorn of its power when it fads to keep clearly in view, and work steadily toward the distinctive object for which it exists. The Christian - flflBI m t h e w o r l d Primarily, through the plan and l e T c h 1 1 1 M W i t n C SS t 0 t h e S a V i n ^ « of the Lord Jesus Christ; to so lift Him up before all men that through Him all men may have salvation. This mission, clearly recognized, will save the Church from work f o r " W W - t A S l h C C h U r C h h a S * —n t i a l work foremost, and by prayer and the exercise of faith has striven to evangelize the multitudes, it has waxed mighty; but when it has exalted secondary and subsidiary objects, it has been incon- sequential and ineffective. The sum of the teaching of the New Testament is that the Chris- tian Church is ordained of God to so proclaim the Gospel that m e i W y be saved from their sin. The Church is called, therefore not to engage, primarily, in sociological effort; or in acquainting any class of men with the attitude of the Church toward them as a class; or in adjusting matters of difference between capital and m ° r . ; ° figg t o d o ¡ § 1 other things of minor importance, but to call all men to repentance and to faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. W r S r d i g i O U S P r C SS iS f u l 1 ° f a G C O U n ts o f subordinate and superficial efforts to lift mankind. These efforts are doubtless inspired by the fact that multitudes seem to be out of sympathy with the Christian Church. But this fact is the symptom,Tfs no" t h e d ®! ase - . T o d e a l W l t h the symptom, and not with the disease in un-Chnstian. | For example, effort to interpret the Church to any particular class of men, and any particular class of men to the Church is of but scant value unless the claims of the Lord Christ on every man as a personal Saviour are pressed home on the heart and conscience of every man. Look, for instance, at the laboring man, about whom much is now being said and written Like every other man, the laboring man, first of all, is a sinner He H E needs a Saviour. He needs to be led to understand that the first thing for him is to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteous- ness. When the Christian Church goes to the laboring man and preaches the Gospel in its fullness to the laboring man, there will be a spiritual awakening among laboring men and sinners will be converted unto God. And this applies to all sorts and condi- tions of men. The Church's inclusive mission is evangelism. When any man is regenerated by the Spirit of God, and is a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ', all subordinate needs of his life will be met. Hence evangelism is the all-comprehensive matter. When the Church is truly and continuously evangelistic in its spirit and work, no need of mankind will be foreign to it. When men seek first the Kingdom of God; when men are regenerated through the Spirit of God, when they follow in faith and obedience the Lord Jesus Christ, then all questions relating to their temporal well-being will be settled'rightly. The message of the Lord Jesus Christ to His Church is: "Preach the Gospel to EVERY creature; bear witness to My saving power to all men." EVERY CHURCH IN UNION W I TH THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH WI LL KEEP TO THE MAIN ISSUE.—Bible of Today. The Great Mistake. W. J. Erdman. I T is the fatal mistake to look upon Christianity as only a system of morals or source of high ideals, or the more equivalent of the Golden Rule. Christianity is more than conduct; it con- sists of facts, things done; ethics of things to do; and in the Christian life the things to do spring from a belief in things done, in essential realities. There are two facts, chief and supreme with' God, and which He regards with an infinite jealousy, the Deity of Jesus Christ and His death for sinners as His expression of the. deepest thing in God—even love. "Herei nis love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation of our sins." Apart from these facts there is no Chris- tianity, and there are no Christians. In the light of these facts, it is evident that merit from good works and humane deeds cannot avail before God; painful self- denials cannot be a substitute for the Son of God as the propitiation for sins; doble character cannot re-instate man in the lost fellowship of God. It is equally the great mistake, viewing Christianity as a code of ethics or the revelation of noble ideals, to draw comparisons fa- vorable to the systems of morals of non-Christian nations, and claim that their teachings can form as perfect a character and produce as good fruit in the individual and national life as Chris- tianity, and that there is therefore no need of the latter for such nations. Even if this were true, there is no more redemption for such peoples thereby, than for similar moralist is Christendom. Let Prof. Max Muller testify: "I have devoted as much time as any man living to the-study of the sacred books of the East, and I have found the one key-note, the one diapason, so to speak, of all these sacred books . . . the one refrain through all, to be salvation by works. They all say that salvation must be pur- chased, must be bought with a price, and that the sole price, the sole purchase money, must be our own works and deservings. Oul\own Holy Bible, our sacred book of the East, is from begin- ning to end a protest against this doctrine." Christianity is a redemption from God, not good works of men. —Institute Tie. A Solemn Message. T HE following words were uttered by the retiring Moderator of the National Congregational Council: "In this era of doubt and debate, we would utter no un- certain sound. We would speak in distinct, affirmative terms re- garding the things which we hold fundamental. We would ex- press what we hold to be essentially evangelical Christianity. Once more the center of theological discussion has shifted. Now, again it is the New Testament. Whatever the averments may be, the point of attack is the Personality of Jesus. This issue is not to be evaded. We shall have to continue to insist that culture is not salvation; that education is not new birth; that Socrates cannot take the place of Jesus. The gospel creates an everlasting crisis and solves it. With advent of the days of stress will come the Spirit of divine power. The Master lived on earth, not to approve, but to improve; He came not to bring peace, but the sword. He is both the cause of social desire and unrest and its consumation and cure. The church could not, therefore, dp other than to hold fast to 'the faith once for all delivered to the saints,' and to preach it with clearness and courage and consistency." Bishop Ryle's "Prophetical Creed." T HERE are many who have the greatest possible respect for the late Bishop Byle, and who thank God for his great and long-con- tinued testimony. These maj be willing to attach some importance to what he calls the chief articles of his "prophetical creed," which in 1867 he speaks of as having ' ' lived in the be- lief of them for a quarter of a cen- t u r y , " and in the belief of t h em ," he adds, " I hope to d i e ." And he did. I. I believe that the world will never be completely converted to Chris- tianity by any existing agency before the end eomes. In spite of all that can be done by ministers, churches, schools and missions, the wheat and the tares will grow together until the harvest. And when the end comes, it will find thé earth in much the same state that it was when the flood came in the days of Noah. (Matt, xiii: 24-30; xxivr 37-39.) | II. I believe that the widespread un- belief, indifference, formalism and wick- edness, which are to be seen, throughout Christendom, are only what we ought t-.> expect in God's Word. Troublous times, departures from the faith, evil men waxing worse and worse, love wax- ing cold, are things distinctly predicted. So f ar from making me doubt the truth of Christianity, they help to confirm my faith. Melancholy and sorrowful as the sight is, if I did not see it I should think the Bible was not true. (Matt, xxiv: 12; 1 Timothy iv: 1; 2 Timothy iii: 1, 13, 14.) III. I believe that the grand purpose of the present dispensation is to gather out of the world an elect people, and arate nation, restored to their own land, and converted to the faith of Christ. (Jer. xxx: 10, 11; xxxi: 10; Romans xi: 25, 26.) VIII. I believe that the literal sense of Old Testament prophecies has been far too much neglected by the Churches, and is f ar too much neglected at the present day, and that undei the mis- taken system of spiritualizing and ac- commodating Bible language, Christians have too often missed its meaning. (Luke xxiv: 25, 26.) IX. I do not believe that the pre- terist scheme of interpreting the Apoca- lypse, which regards the book as en- tirely fulfilled; or the futurist scheme, which regards it as almost entirely unfulfilled, are eitherof them to be im- plicitly followed. The truth, I expect, will be found to be between the two. X. I believe that the Soman Cath- olic Church is the great predicted apos- tasy from the faith, and is Babylon and Antichrist, although I think it highly probable that a more complete develop- ment of Antichrist will yet be exhib- ited to the world. (2 Thess. ii: 3-11; 1 Timothy iv: 1-6.) XI. Finally, I believe that it is for the safety, happiness, and comfort of all true Christians to expect as little as possible from Churches or governments under the present dispensation, to hold themselves ready for tremendous con- vulsions and changes of all things estab- lished, and to expect their good things only from Christ's second advent. I am well aware that the views I have laid down appear to many persons very gloomy and discouraging. The only answer I make to that charge is this: Are they Scriptural?—Things to Come. not to convert all mankind. It does not surprise me at all to hear that the heathen are not all converted when missionaries preach, and that believers are a little flock in any congregation in my own land. It is precisely the state of things which I expect to find . . . . This is a dispensation of election, and not of universal conversion. (Acts xv: 14; Matt, xxiv.13.) IV. I believe that the second com- ing of the Lord Jesus Christ is the great event which will wind up the pres- ent dispensation, and for which we ought daily to long and pray. " T h y kingdom come," "Come, Lord J e s u s ," should be our daily prayer. We look backward, if we have faith, to Christ dying on the cross, and we ought to look forward no less, if we have hope, •to Christ coming again. (John xiv: 3; 2 \ i m o t h y iv: 8; 2 Peter iii: 12.) V. \ I believe that the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be a .real, literal, personal, bodily coming; and that as He went away in the clouds of heaven with His body, before the eyes of men, so in like manner He will re- turn. (Acts i: 11.) VI. I believe that after our Lord Jesus Christ comes again the earth shall be renewed and the curse re- moved; the devil, shall be bound; the godly shall be rewarded, the wicked shall be punished; a i d that before He comes there will be neither resurrection, judgment, nor millennium, and that not till after He' comes shall the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. (Acts iii: 21; Isaiah xxv: 6-9; 1 Thess. iv: 14-18; Rev. xx: 1, etc.) VII. I believe that the Jews shall ultimately be gathered again as a sep- J i o t es by the Way. By J. H. Sammis Pantheism is " A l l is God, and God is All. " Dr. Hodge published that defini- tion in i860, nine years before Mrs. Eddy got her celestial inspiration. So then the fundamental principle of "Christian Science" is identical with that of Pantheism, viz: "God is All, and all is God." But Mrs. Eddy's ad- vertisement, in the Express of Nov. 6th, says ' ' Christian Science is not Pan- theistic." It defines Pantheism, after Webster, as "the universe taken, or con- ceived of as a whole, IS GOD." Now, pray, what is the difference between saying " t h e whole is Go d ," and saying " A l l is Go d ?" If the former is Pan- theism, the latter is ' ' Christian Sci- ence. ' ' Pantheism. The former views the uni- verse as idea, or as existing only in the mind, a wholly subjective thing; the lat- ter as material, or wholly objective; mind being only a phase of material manifestation. "Christian Science" borrows from the former. It is not Pantheism. It is Pantheistic. This Ed- dyite disclaims being Pantheistic be- eause Eddyism teaches that the All is Spirit. The Pantheist does not so teach because he knows that Spirit is per- sonal, and that if God is Spirit He must be a Person; and he sees with equal clearness that if God is All, He cannot be a Person. Any accredited psychol- ogist will tell you that; The "Scion- Varieties of Pantheism The extremes of Pan- theism are Idealistic Pan- theism, and Materialistic The Eddyistlc Put your finger 011 a God Impersonal flea or an Eddyite and he isn't there. Mrs. Eddy explicitly denies that God is per- sonal, and calls the I Am " t h e Imper- sonal." Her agent in a late copy of the Los Angeles Express, claims that ' ' Christian Science'' holds to the per- sonality of God. But Mrs. Eddy is "Christian Science." She calls God "principle, a thing, An It. Her doc- trine, ' ' God is All, and All is God,'' in- volves the denial of the Personal Diety. We are self-conscious personalities only because we distinguish ourselves from all other things and persons. If God is All, and All is God His identity as an individual personality is lost in the One Whole. He becomes an infinite IT. Without the mirror not ourselves we could not see and know ourselves. I can say ' ' myself,'' because I am not thyself. Without the object thyself, there could be no limiting subject, my- self. God being All, could not say " 1 " for want of a " Y o u " in contrast. God in eternity was Personal beeause of the Tri-personality; and to Him all per- sons uncreated or created were and are ever present in His consciousness. Eddyistic "Science" The slogan of "Christian Sci- e n c e" is • " God Is Pantheistic. is All, and All is God." is Pantheism — frdm " p a n " —all, and, ' ' theos''—God— literally — All-Godism. The Standard Dictionary, defining Pan- theism, quotes Dr. A. A. Hodge that That tisfc" is not a thinker. Her mental.con- fusion is seen in the claiming, and, again, disclaiming personality in God. And, again, calling Him Spirit, which involves personality,, as sugar .involves sweetness. And, yet again, naming Him "Principle" which is impersonal, and one of the very trade marks of Pan- theism. And more, again, calling God " M i n d , " which involves personality, and, in the next breath " Imp e r s o n a l ," which contradicts it. In fact "Chris- tian Science" is "the tohu vavohu," the chaos of thought. God cannot, at once, be personal and impersonal; per- sonal and yet All; " P r i n c i p l e ," which is impersonal, and, also, " M i n d " or " S p i r i t , " which are synonyms of per- sonality. To say with the " S c i e n t i s t" that " God is A l l ," " i s Principle," is I' Impersonal,''. is to say, with the Pan- theist, that He can know, hear, help, love no one; nor be, or do, anything morally, either good or evil; since He is bound by the very necessity of His being, without volition, to the eternal round of aimless evolving and involv- ing. In this same article Mrs. Eddy's mouthpiece says, that, she ' ' does not deny moral responsibility!" But there could be no responsibility to an imper- sonal IT. If we are accountable—to What? There is no Personal Judge; if we are accountable—for What? There is no real wrong; if we are account- able—then What? There is no suffer- ing. If we are accountable! just so— we are as much A!(iL as everything else. WE ARE GOD. If " A l l is God and God is A l l " we are Some of the All- God. And that, too', is "Scientific" and Pantheistic. "Mo r al responsibil- i t y " (!), nonsense. ally neither. Deductive reasoning is to reason from facts to conclusion. In- ductive argument is to argue from as- sumption to conclusion. Science is im- possible by this latter process; but this is the process of Eddyism; which argues 1. Major premise,. " A l l is Go d "; 2. Minor premise, " God is g o o d "; 3. Therefore, " A ll is good." . Here the first proposition is pure as- sumption, and manifest falsehood. We know that all is not God, that we our- selves are not God, but are free moral agents; individual, dependent personal- ities. The second proposition is true, beyond reasonable doubt. The third proposition is false, as it is based on a falsehood. We know that all is not good, that we are conscious of guilt, and are causes of evil, moral and phy- sical. The Pantheist is truer to facts, but still an inductive arguer. He argues: 1. " A l l is Go d "; 2. " A l l is not g o o d "; therefore, 3. " God is not good." He starts with the same false assump- tion. He proceeds with a truth, the facts as he, and we all find them, viz: that the All is a duality of good and evil, and, therefore, not God. He con- cludes with a lie. The evil is to be ac- counted for by the presence of free moral agents, human and other, and need not be, nor should it be charged to God. The Christian is "logical, de- ductive, AND SCIENTIFIC," He rea- sons: 1st. " God is good," " S i n entered into the world, and death by s i n ." Bom. 5:12. " A n enemy hath done t h i s ," Mat. 13:27, 28. Eddyistic Eddyism quotes Scripture Exigesis. to justify its positions. Scripture can be quoted fairly only when it is applied truly. 2nd. " A l l is not good," 3rd. " God is not A l l ." - Eddyistic Our Eddyite claims that IiOgic. "Christian Science' 'is "log- ical, deductive, and scien- tific." It is neither. It is emphatic- Mrs. Eddy quotes Jno. 4:24, " God is Spirit, | ' to justify her f ' God is Spirit, 1' and then she denie s His personality, which is involved in His spirituality. Our Eddyite article quotes, I Cor. 15:28, ' ' that God may be all in all, V to jus- t i fy the ' ' A ll is Go d" assumption. But it ignores the facts that the same author, Paul, teaches that, "All things were created." (Col. 1:16), and there- fore cannot be God; and that " H e is before all t h i n g s" (v. 17), and was God before the all existed. So, too, the place in Corinthians does not bear the construction the article puts on it. Scripture can only be quoted fairly when it is applied wholly. If the ' ' Sci- e n t i s t" quotes I Cor. 15:28, as backing his position, why ignore the rest of the chapter and of the Scripture, which says, Christ was crucified for our sins; that He rose from the dead; that there is corruption; and treats all these as realities, not as "Christian Science" treats them; and calls Christ "Adam" (see v. 45) which Mrs. Eddy says means "the mortal mind," ' ' t h e car- nal mi n d . '' Scripture treats the world, sin, pain, death, all as common-sense is accustomed to view them, and practical life is obliged to view them, if ' ' the Science" falls back on the Bible at all, why not on all? No, but it "handles the Word of God deceitfully," I I Cor. 4:3. It comes in borrowed livery of light, I I Cor. 11:14. As you have to take the world for what it seems to be, so do with the Word, do not allow yourself to be flattered, coddled,' and cadjoled into the denial of common-sense, the common opinion of mankind, and the obvious teaching of God's word. g r i e f Thoughts For Busy Teachers. International Sunday School Lesson as Taught by T. C. Horton At the Bible Institute, Los Angeles. SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR DEC. 4, 1910. 'PETER'S DENIAL." Matt. 26:31-35; 69-75. Golden Text— 1 Cor. 10:12. i Outline. The parallel passages are found in Mark 14:66, 72; Luke 22:55-62; John 18:16-18, 25-27. These passages should be read Carefully in order to get the whole scene. SELF CONFIDENT. " Y e t will I not deny t h e e . '' The Lord had graciously warned the disciples after the supper. When their hearts were warm with the fellowship (1) The Self-Confident Peter, 31-35. (2) The Self-Contradictory Peter, 69-74. (3) Te Self-Condemned Peter, 75. | of the hour, He told them that they would all be offended because of Him, that night. The effect of this should have been to solemnize their hearts. Peter, the impetuous, with his big heart full of zeal, resents at once the imputa- tion. He lacked reverence for His Mas- ter. He practically says: "You don't know ME—the others may fail you, but I never. His position is parallel with the one which he took when the Lord spoke of His coming death and Peter rebuked Him, Mark 8:32, and when he said "You shall never wash my f e e t ." John 13:8. Peter meant it, but Peter knew as little about his own heart as most disciples do. Jer. 17:9. Peter loved the Lord, and He could not brook the thought of being unfaithful to Him. Poor Peter; he has a hard lesson to learn, and the schooling is just before him. Peter was self-centered, and there-' i fore self-sufficent. The strong swimmer takes great risks and is often caught by, the swift undertow. Samson was surd, he was safe, and so was David— both Veil. The Lord had said to Peter in the\garden, "Wa t ch lest ye enter into temptation," vs. 41, but Peter was off-guard. He was quick to say ' ' Though I should die, I will not deny Thee.'' Over confidence has brought many a man to a bitter failure. Israel suffered defeat before the little city of Ai. Sam- son said I will go out as at all other times, but he did not, Judges 16:20. We are only safe when we have no confi- dence in the flesh, Phil. 3:3. Peter said " N e v e r ." Christ saiu, " Th is very n i g h t ." SELF CONTRADICTORY. " I do not know the ma n ." When the Lord was arrested, Peter, who had armed himself with a sword, struck a swift blow in His defence, but when the officers led the Lord away, Peter fled. FEAR. The brave Peter has lost his courage. He thought He would be will- ing to die, but his courage oozed out when the tide turned against him. Pear means terror. Is not this often the first step to the betrayal of the Lord? FORSAKING. " T h ey all forsook Him and fled." Mark 14:50. What a contrast in the pictures. The pompous Peter on the run. We all know some- thing of this forsaking the Lord. We are long on profession. It is easy to sing " I Surrender All," but it is an- other thing to have all surrendered, or to say " T a ke my life and let it b e " and quite another to say " He re am I, send me.." The prayer meeting wit- nessing is easy enough, but testifying in the midst of opposition is quite dif- ferent. FOLLOWING AFAR OFF. Peter had not yet abandoned the Lord—he was only on the way. He was follow- ing, but he had no fellowship with His suffering, Phil. 3:10. He was a disciple but his heart was having a chill. He was out of touch—out of sympathy. There is so much of the far off follow- ing, and the Lord knows all about it— knows why we get out of step—why we shrink from walking with Him when He is in disrepute. FALSIFYING. He is getting towards the end. He sits without in the palace, and a maid says: " Th ou wast with Him." How quickly the lie springs to his lips. " I know not what thou say- e s t ." Peter is going at a f a st rate now. He goes out to the porch, and again he is charged with being a fol- lower of the Nazarene, and he quickly says " I know not the ma n ," and this with a false oath. The third test is met with cursing and swearing. Thus it is always. There is a downward tendency in sin. One sin leads to another, and usually to a worse one. There are many ways of denying the Lord. Loving of self; fear of the world; association with worldly companions; failure in testify- ing; but all grow out of the lack of real separation unto the Lord. FALLING. Peter's failure was in de- pending upon Peter, trusting to his own strength. He thought too highly of him- self. He loved his own life. He was occupied with self protection rather than shielding and savinc the Saviour. Peter really fell when he boasted of his fidelity. No man is stronger than the weakest place in his armor. Self con- followed. He speedily returned to fel- lowship with the risen Lord. Tradition says that whenever Peter heard the crow of the cock he wept. Steps in Peter's Fall: (1) Self Confidence, Matt. 26:33-35. (2) Ambition, Luke 22:24 (Comp. 1 Pet. 5:5.) ()3 Sleeping, Mark 14:37 (Comp, 1 Pet. 5:8.) (4) Rashness, Mark 14:47 (Comp. 1 Pet. 2:11-23.) (5) Following Afar, Mark 14:54 (Comp. 1 Pet. 4:13.) (6) Warming at World's Fire, Mark 14:67, 1 Pet. 4:1-3. POINTS PRACTICAL. (1) The most self-confident became the most definite in denial. (2) An ounce of performance is worth a pound of promise. (3) Peter was warned, weighed anck found wanting. / (4) Peter stood in with the crp-wd, in place of standing out with the Lord. (5) He was long on profession but short on power. (6) One look from the Lord and he went out weeping. (7) He learned a lesson which lasted a life-tme. The text of the lesson is too great for the limited period allowed to teach- ers. The lesson itself is one so sad, so solemn, so sacred that the approach to it should be in the deepest of humility and pra'yerfulness. With shoes re- moved and heads uncovered we should stand in the presence of the Cross of Christ and listen to the still small voice of the Spirit. No one is competent to teach this lesson. The parallel passages should be read carefully. There are four great actors at the Cross. fidence was Peter's snare. We are right in having perfect confidence in our standing in the Lord, but we must be modest about our standing with the Lord. Our salvation is sure because it depends upon His promises, but our walk depends upon our keeping in closest touch with Him. Peter departed from the Lord when the worldly fear crept in, and he ended with a public brazen denial of His Master. He warmed himself at the world's fire, but his soul was chilled to the marrow. To the man who once had declared " Th ou art the Ch r i s t" came the privilege of defending Him as the " S o n of the Liv- ing God," but he missed his oppor- tunity. He did not Watch and Pray in the garden, and now he fails to pray and watch in the palace. SELF-CONDEMNED. The Lord's prophecy came true. The last denial was followed by the crow- ing of the cock. Peter's conscience was stirred, and he remembered the words of Jesus, vs. 75. Luke tells us that .Tesns turned and looked upon Him, Luke 22:61, and Peter went out and wept. Peter responded to a look. He loved His Lord; he was weak rather than wicked, and his safeguard was the pa- tient graee of his Lord. He awoke from the stupor to consciousness of the enormity of his guilt, and he broke down under the. burden of his sin. His tears were a testimony of his contri- tion; regret filled his soul, repentance. LESSON XI. DECEMBER 11, 1910 The Crucifixion. Matt. 27:15-50. ' Golden Text —Isa. 53:5. Outline. Pilate and the Prisoners, 15-26. The Robe and the Reed, 27-32. The Christ and the Cross, 33-44. Darkness and Death, 45-50. The order of events at the Cruci- fixion as given in Schofield's Bible are as follows: ing, this bleeding, broken body would appeal to the sympathy of the Jews. A scarlet robe was thrown upon Him, a crown of thorns pressed upon His head and a reed placed in His hands. The robe was a symbol of royalty, the crown of kingship, and the reed of authority. They perhaps placed Him upon some rude seat and passed before Him and saluted Him as king of the Jews, smiting Him with their hands. Prophesy had declared it would be so. " H e was wounded for our trans- gressions, He was bruised for our in- iquities, the chastisement (scourging) of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed," Isa. 53:5. Covered with blood, bruised and with- ered by the scourging, Pilate presented Him to the people. ' ' Behold the ma n , '' Jno. 19:5. " A "man of sorrows and ac- quainted with g r i e f ." He was " d e : spised and rejected of me n ." " H e was despised and we esteemed Him n o t , " Isa. 53:3. The garb of mock- ery could not hide the real kingly bear- ing of the Son of God, but the cruel hatred of the Jews was not satisfied. They cried, " C r u c i fy H i m ." The Christ and the Cross. "And they crucified Him." Within the walls of the modern city, but outside of the ancient eity on Cal- vary, He was crucified. He carried the cross outside the city gate, Jno. 19:17, Num. 6:15-35, 1 Kings 21:21:32, Heb. 13:11. He was hanged upon a tree. It was a part of the reproach of a criminal that he bear his own cross to the place of execution. Cursed is everyone that hangeth upon a t r e e ," Gal. 3:13. The Cross is the lowest depths of Christ s humiliation. The Cross, is the death of the Curse. " H e was made a curse for us "• This awful cup He shrank from drinking, Matt. 26:39. It was on this cross that He bore our sin, 1 Pet 2:24. He was made sin for us. The title given to Him is the only ac- cusation. He is .Jesus the King of the Jews For being such He is associated with two robbers. They mocked Him. They reviled Him. Not the rabble only but the religious rulers. The staid chief priests, scribes and elders. Could human depravity go any deeper? No one mocks the two thieves. Yet the Man whose sin made it necessary. Satan whose hatred prompted its per- formance. Jesus whose obedience suffered it. Father whose love provided it. In the light of these actors every de- tail should be studied. PILATE'S PRISONERS. "Whether of the twain." Pressed by the Jewish rulers, Pilate was in desperate straits. The mes- sage from his wife concerning her dream filled him with superstitious dread and he sought by strategy to evade the real issue. He introduced the two noted prisoners, Jesus Barabbas and Jesus Christ in hopes that they would select the robber; but the chief priests and elders were not to be foiled and insisted upon the crucifixion of Jesus. Pilate washed his hands, Deut. 21:67, Psa. 26:6, but could not wash his conscience. Pilate was after all but ^ secondary in the matter of guilt, the L3*d Jesus thus f ar acquitting Pilate a n d \ p u t t i ng the blame where it be- longed John 19:11. " T h ou couldest have n». power at all against me except it were given thee from above; there- fore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater s i n ." The Jews were responsible and assumed the guilt. " H i s blood upon us and upon our children." They have never been able to escape the awful consequences of that great sin through the centuries, and throughout the world His blood has been crying out against them. The heart of man is revealed in this choice and it shadows the coming one of whom Jesus spoke in Jno. 5:43, and Paul speaks in 2 Thess. 2:7-11. Three years and a half of ministry blessed by its beneficence and benevo- lence in which the glory of the Father was revealed in every act, was reward- ed by His own people with the sen- tence of death. THE ROBE AND THE REED. " A scarlet robe and a reed in His hand.'' Hered's soldiers had clothed Him with a gorgeous robe. Pilate had Him scourged. This no doubt was because He took the place of Barabbas. Pilate may have hoped that after the scourg- thieves dying on the crosses beside Him revile Him. They challenge Him to come down from the Cross. How won- derfully the prophecies meet in the Cross. " T h ey part my garments and cast lots for my v e s t u r e ," Psa. 22:18. This was never true of David. " H e was numbered with the transgressors,'' Isa. 53:12. He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver Him, Psa. 22:8. They testified that He saved others and thus set the seal to their own guilt in crucifying Him. In the midst of it all, the silent sufferer was dying to save his enemies. Had Jesus come down they would never have believed Him. He came forth from the grave but they believed not, Luke 6:28-31. They would not come unto Him that they might have life, Jno. 5:40. He could not save oth- ers if He saved Himself. He haved others by sacrificing Himself. THE DARKNESS AND DEATH. "There was darkness." "Jesus yielded up the Ghost." God gave them a sign from heaven. There was darkness over the whole land for three hours. It was not an eclipse, the paschal moon was full. This was the time of His awful grief; three hours segregated from all other hours in history; three hours in which the awful mystery of the atonement was The Resurrection. Matt. 28:1-20. Golden Text—28:20. Outline. (1) The Messenger and Message, 1-7. (4) The Meeting on the Mount (16 20. The theme is so great and the ac- counts so full when all are considered that we must confined ourselves to the Matthew story. (2) The Master Himself, 8-10. (3) The Money Bribers, 11-15. worked out. God veiled His face. ' ' God is of purer eyes than to behold inquity and can not look at s i n ," Hab. 1:13. The Son of God broke the stillness of that gloom with the heart rending cry, " M y God, My God, why hast thou forsaken m e ? " God is light; dark- ness is the absence of light. There was no presence of God in that horrible night of His suffering soul. He was treading the wine-press alone, Isa. 63:3. The prince of darkness and all of- the hosts of evil held carnival in those hours. He was then indeed made sin, '2 Cor. 5:21. His cry was the cry of a lost soul. This was the will of the Father, Luke 22:42, who spared not His own Son, Rom. 8:32. God laid on Him the iniquity of us all, Isa. 53:6. In that hour the Lamb of God bore away the sins of the world, Jno. 1:29, and sanctified His followers with His own blood, Heb. 13:12. In the closing moment, He cried with a loud voice and yielded up His life. The loud voice is the testimony that He had power to lay down His life, Jno. 10:18. The veil/ in the temple was rent, vs. 51. Gara could now come out of the thick dark- darkness and on the basis of the^ fin- ished work of His Son. manifest grace and blessing to lost men. At His birth the darkness was dispelled by the glory of the angels. At His death day was turned into night that our night might be turned into day. THE MESSENGER AND MESSAGE. "The Angel of the Lord." The two Marys are on their way to the tomb. There was a great earth- quake. The stone was rolled away and an angel sat upon it. The guards lay prostrate upon the ground as dead men, A.ets 17:31, Rev. 1:17. The stone was rolled away, not to allow Christ to pass out, for He was already gone, but to allow the women to look in. There is no description of the resurrection it- self. No mortal eyes beheld it, no pen records it. The facts are stated. The silence of the Scriptures is often as impressive as the words. LESSON 12. DECEMBER 18. The vision of the Angel. ' ' Counte- nance like lightning," " Ra i me nt white as snow," Eev. 1:14-15. What a mar- velous revelation of the glorious bodies which await the saints. If the guards were frigid in fright at the appearance of one heavenly visitant, what will it be when the Lord descends with His holy ones with Him. Angels attended the birth of the Lord, ministered to Him in the wilderness, comforted Him in the Garden and surrounded His tomb. The voice of the Angel. Fear not. No fear for them, but rather cheer. He is not here. They came looking for a body to embalm, but found a be- ing angelic, and heard a message bea- tific. He is risen. To the startling statement was added the positive proof. Come and see. Go tell. How short, how wonderful is the heavenly mes- sage. The whole gospel of grace and glory is told in a few words. He is. He is risen. He is king. He is Coming. , The seal is broken. The stone is dis- sipated. The Son of God has gone forth, having spoiled principalities and powers, and leading forth a troop of captives and the woman out of whom seven demons had been cast is the leader of that great procession which has marched down the ages singing the praise of Him who hath conquered Satan. The mortal hath put on immor- tality. The vanguard of Misions. The new faith is first to be published in Galilee of the Gentiles for His King- dom is to be a universal one. Jesus met them." The command had been, " Go tell my disciples and P e t e r ." Go tell my brethren. He was a man, their kins- man according to nature. He is not ashamed to call them brethren, Heb. 2: 11-18. While they were going. He met them and said: " A l l hiyil," which means, " r e j o i c e ." " T h en were they glad when they saw the L o r d ," Jno. 20:19-20. Just the same Jesus, but now in a new sense their Lord and God. He met them when they were in the path of privilege, carrying the message of the resurrection. It is blessed to meet His as we press along the pil- THE MASTER HIMSELF. "Behold, grim path and to hear His cheery salu- tation, ' ' Rejoice.'' THE MONEY BRIBERS. "They gave large money." The guards, awakened from their fright, hastened to tell the Chief Priest the story. A hasty council was called and a shallow story concocted to meet the emergency. They were to confess the falling asleep and to say that the disciples of Jesus stole His body. How could they have rolled away the stone without awakening the guard? If they were asleep how did they know what happened? If asleep they surely could not know whether it was His disciples or some one else. Every argument for the discrediting qf the resurrection of Christ fell flat in the presence of the facts. THE MOUNTAIN MEETING. Into a Mountain. In Galilee—not in Jerusalem, for there he had been rejected—just when we know not, the eleven and others met Him. That there were others is evident from the fact that some doubt- ed. Perhaps the 500 brethren of wiom Paul speaks were gathered 1 Cor. 15:6. They worshiped Him. Twelve times in Matthew it speaks of worship ac- corded Him. Here the Lard empowered them to make disciples. Sixty words comprise the message, which has with- in its scope the message of the Church throughout the world and through the age. power is given unto me." As the eternal Son, power was given him from eternity. He speaks now as the risen God-Man. " A l l things are delivered me of my F a t h e r ." He pre- sents himself as Lord of heaven and earth and declares that universal lord- ship is in, his hands. As Son of God, nothing could be add- ed to or taken from him. As Son of Man, he purchased authority, by his UNLIMITED AUTHORITY. "All Son of God, who has authority, says go. A soldier never questions the authority of a command of the Lord. The world is the parish of every disciple. ..The need is urgent. Two-thirds of the field without the message. The church can never fulfill its mission by ringing bells and singing "Come to J e s u s ." It must go or be recreant to the most sacred trust ever committed to men. While a single being remains outside of the fold of Christ, the demand is im- perative." " G o . " " Ou rs not to rea- son why; ours not to make reply; ours but to do or die.". It is the imperial command of the all-powerful risen Son of God. THE UNMISTAKABLE MESSAGE. "Make disciples of all nations." In Mark we are t61d hpw it is to be done. " P r e a ch the gospel." Paul de- fines the gospel in the 15th of 1st Corin- thians.. Christ died for our sins (atone- ment). He rose again the third day (resurrection). He is coming for His followers (blessed hope). This is the gospel. Sin separates from God and needs atonement. Christ died in the sinner's behalf and paid the penalty for sin. He arose from the grave in order that the sinner might be justified, have the new life impart- ed. He is coming again to give him a place with Himself, where he will be forever with the Lord. The acceptance of this gospel was to be sealed by an outward profession of baptism. They were to baptize into the name of. the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Confession of Jesus Christ puts the sinner into Christ. " I f any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.'' Baptism is the acknowledgement of the work already wrought. Baptism does, not add anything to the finished work of God, but in that rite man sets his seal to that which God has done. The Lord here sets his own seal, to the co-equality of Father, Son and Spirit. These disciples are also to be taught all things which are commanded. They are to be instructed in all truth. How simple is the work committed to the followers of Christ. They were never commissioned to civilize nations, to build and perpetuate institutions. Ten thousands of blessings were to flow from the work they were commanded incarnation, death and passion. The words, properly rendered, would read " w a s g i v e n ." It was the eternal pur- pose of God that he should assume the* mediatorial reign, and now, having ris- en from the dead, he is invested with the authority. He will exercise the power until all enemies are put under his feet, and death itself is destroyed. As God and man, his reign will be absolute and everlasting. He has au- thority over all forces of nature, as was manifested in his miracles. He has power over all spiritual forces. He will send the Holy Spirit', as the divine agent, to bestow this power upon them. He has power to forgive sin and will authorize them to declare sin for- given. He has power of revelation, and will appear to Saul of Tarsus and to John,' the beloved and show them things to come. He has power of judg- ment and before Him shall be gathered all nations. He has power in heaven, so that all the heavenly hosts do his bidding. The church needs to keep looking to Him, in place of looking to human force. He has power in earth and will bring to pass whatever pleases him- self. He has power in hell. He has taken the place of power, at the right hand of God. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. UNIVERSAL MISSION. "Go teach all nations." The gospel is for the whole world. The whole world is lost, f ' God so loved the world." Jesus came into the world and for the world God sent His son into the world. He died for the world. " G o ye into all the world." The world liéth in wickedness." " T h e field is the world." God gave no limited parish to the Church. The command is to every disciple. The obligation is upon every disciple. He says ' ' come'' to the sinner but " g o " to the believer. He means go. I t is not enough for the church to have charitable feelings toward the last; it is its duty to go to them. It is not because the heathen are lost,; not because they are wretched in their ignorance and blindness; not because civilization will follow the promulga- tion of the gospel, and untold temporal blessings will flow to the nations. I t is because He says go. Go, because the to do, but this work was specific. The snare into which the church has fallen is that she has turned aside to reform and refine, to minister luxuries, and has evaded the definite command of her Lord. The gospel of Christ has proven its effectiveness. Wherever it has been proclaimed it has been found adapted to all conditions of men, in all climes. Whoever has believed has been saved, and whoever has rejected it has been lost. UNQUALIFIED SUPPORT.' "Lo, I am with you." How comforting and consoling these words! As the universal ruler, he gives the command, and as such He promises to go with every disciple. They do not go upon their own charges, but upon His. They do not go alone, but with Him. This promise accounts for all of those splendid deeds of heroism with which the pages of the church's his- tory is resplendent. This accounts for the breaking down of the Jericho walls of unbelief and superstition. This encourages to action. This in- spires devotion. " L o , I am with y o u ." We never go alone in the least service which we are permitted to perform for Him. He is with us. There are the church in connection with the evangel- ization of the world, but the answer to every fear and doubt is, " L o , I am with y o u ." There will be dark days. There will be fiery trials. Sacrifice of self and worldly interest will be necessary; bodily discomfort and loss of life may result, but in every experi- ence, in every emergency, He will be there. As God promised Moses, and fulfilled to the letter His precious Word of His personal presence and help, so with the disciple whose ears hear the word go, and whose feet take up the errand ol gospel-giving, there is this most precious assurance, " I am with you." If He with us, what more do we need? He is all power and He is all love, "Let us go forth." from Nazareth to Bethlehem upon the part of Joseph and Mary. The proph- et said, Daniel 9:6: " U n to us a child is born, unto us a son is given.'' This was true of Mary but true also for the whole world. " T h e Word became flesh," John 1-14, truly human. " God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh," Rom. 8:3. Truly di- vine. From a throne on the circle of the heavens to a cradle in a manger was the tremendous sweep of the Son of God in His work of lifting men from the lowest depths to the highest heaven. This is a big world, but there has never been much room for the Savior. He was erowded into a stable at His birth and crowded to a cross in His death. Hearts and homes have been shut to Him through the centuries. There" has been no room. Even at the Christmas time there will be meagre thought of Him who made the Xmas possible. He will be crowded out. As we study and meditate upon His won- derful birth may we open wide our hearts to Him and give Him a joyful Christmas time. Christmas Lesson. Luke 2:6-20. Golden Text —Luke 2:11. Outline. (1) The Son is Given, 6-7. (2) The Seraphic Vision, 8-14. (3) The Saviour Found, 15-19. (4) The Shepherds' Message, 20. The Christmas lesson will never grow old; will never lose its interest. Some of us have read and studied it for years, yet we come to it with the same eager interest because it is so full of joy and cheer. May the Lord help us to make it new and fresh to our classes. THE SON IS GIVEN. "She brought forth her first born." ' ' It came to pass in those days.'' Days in which so much of prophecy centered—"the fullness of t i me "— which the rulers of the earth had com- bined to bring about. Augustus ordered the census. Herod urged Jewish meth- ods, compelling the eighty-mile walk the sacrifice; as such He is the Priest. Lord, the God-man who is both mas- ter and man combined; as such He is King. He is both Prophet, Priest and King, combining Redemption, Messiah- ship and Lordship. The Sign Given. The sign of the king is threfold—a manger, a babe, swaddling clothes... First a sign of His humility, lying in a manager. What a place to find the long looked for heav- en heralded Messiah and King. Not in a stately palace, but in a stable. He became poor that we through His poverty might become rich, 2 Cor. S:i>. His royal attire was laid aside for the garments of humanity and His earthly home was among the humble. Second a sign of weakness. Divine power was swathed in weakness. What hope could there be that a fcabe with such a birth could gain the victory prom- ised over the enemy. Third, a sign of power. The babe was the seed of the: woman, the babe of virgin birth, whose- heel should crush the head of the ser- pent and give deliverance forever to the sons of men. . J This is the one who had emptiep Himself, had become of no reputatiqA. His humiliation was as complete as/His final exaltation. He had a lowly iiirtli, a lowly life and a lowly death. THE SAVIOUR FOUND. "The babe lying in a manger.'' They found the words of the angel true. They were the words of God and God's word are always true. What God says must eome to pass. God's word tells us that we shall see Him sitting upon the throne of His glory and as surely as the shepherds- found the babe in the manger will we find the enthroned son. The shepherd did not go to verify the Word but to see the thing that had come to pass,- to view their Saviour. God spoke it and they believed it. They hastened. Would that there was more alertness and alacrity in seeking the Saviour. They found Him. Even as afterwards Philip found Him of whom Moses in the Is*w and prophets did speak, Jno. 1:45. They feasted their eyes and filled their famished hearts with a sight .of the holy child Jesus. The Silent Heart. Mary was silent, but she treasured these things in her THE SERAPHIC VISION. "The glory of the Lord." The scene is laid with historic set- ting The plains of ±>ethlehem. Here Ruth gleaned. Here David watched his flocks and here was David's well. The Shepherd Watchers. —Shepherds were outlawed by the rabbis. They were barred from being witnesses. There was no succor for shepherds or heathen. The life of a Shepherd was a lowly and lonely one but it was con- ducive to meditation and piety, to self sacrifice and watchfulness. The Lord has taken upon himself the humble title of shepherd and forever identified himself with the task ol leading and feeding his sheep and car- rying in iHs arms His lambs These shepherds seemed to belong to the rem- nant that looked for the Messiah—as did Zecharias, Simeon, Anna and Mary. The time was right suggestive of the moral character of the lost world. THE SHINING VISITANT. While they were abiding in the field, doing their duty, the heavens were opened. Visisons are for the vigilant. If you are looking for the fulfillment of the Scriptures light from heaven will illumine your soul. Many a man has missed the music of the angel voices and failed to see the signal star be- cause he was out of place. Without warning there stood over them a heav- enly visitor in human form; glory gilded the gloom of the night and fear fell upon them. It was the angel of the Lord. Great truths from God are attested by heavenly witnesses, Ihe Bible bristles with supernatural mani- festations. Angels foretold His com- ing to Mary, announced His birth, at- tested His resurrection and gave as- surance of His return. God's truth is by revelation. Scientists may seek to find and know God but they seek in vain until they open the Book. But to simple minded watchers the revelation comes naturally. The messsage is a practical and personal one. Unto you, it is a joyful one. A savior is born. It is a universal one, to all people. Three titles are accorded the child. Saviour, > one who is to be sin bearer and sin purger; as, such he is a Prophet. Christ, the anointed man to minister
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