who bow at His feet, and is spit upon by the Roman soldiers. He was truly God and truly man. He never stood at the Jewish altar to sacrifice, nor did He è'ver enter the Holy of Holies made with hands, yet He became a meTci- ful'High Priest. There was something lack- ing' in the Jewish priesthood, that the in- carnation of Jesus Christ supplied. They n^ver could know . the full extent of the need of their fellow sinners, but He trav- eled' the full length of humanity's dusty road and fathomed the depths of man's misery arid suffering. He did not take upon Him- self the. nature of angels; but He was en- shrined in human flesh and felt the pangs of the race. Think of the rashness of His experiences as in holiness of life He touched sinful, suffering humanity. In every tempta- tion ¿rid trial He was a victor. He over- came Satan in thé three-fold great tempta- Sunday, Feb. 4, Jno< 15:1-18. Topic: CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR IDEALS. Ideals are skill, achievements, attain- ments, or persons which we wish and strive to attain, or to emulate. This "I" beginning this paragraph stands for Iesu, or Jesus. He Himself is the Endeavorer's chief ideal (1 Jno. 3:2). Devoutness .is an ideal before us. To perfect ourselves in reverence to God and holy things.; in love and delight in His word and . service ; in warmth and earnest- ness in His worship (Rom. 12:11). Endeavor is the essential ideal, which liBé at the .base ,of, and is expressed in the name of our society. All' ideals here named we. should endeavor to attain. Be it our ideal to endeavor to be an Endeavorer (Jno. 2:17). . Attendance on all the assemblies of one's congregation should be his ambition, as it is his pledge. Hé should not absent him- self, without just cause, from church, Sun- day School prayer meeting or T. P. S. C. E. service. Love is thé ideal of ideals. To long to love God, arid our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30. 31) is to "covet the best gift" (1 Cor. 12:30, 31; 13), the ideal attainment which crowns all ideals, and makes us likest God (1 Jno. 4:8). " Soul saving is the ideal mission of all Christian endeavor. ' To bring our brother and our neighbor to the Lamb and Christ of God (Jno. 1:29. 41, 45). That we the mis- sion of Jesus (Luke 19:10) and must there- fore be the ideal calling. Old Japan worshipped its "Heaven child," the Mikado,, ancestors, idols', and Buddha. The . Jesuit missionaries were' expelled in 1638; their converts extermiriatèd, and it was' decreed: "So long as the sun warms the earth' let no Christian corné to Japan." They would admit not even a letter from abroad. But our Commodore Perry sailed into Teddo Bay,, went ashore, drew up his marines on paradé' and with his staff fol- lowed by "two sailors' bearing the Stars and Stripes'; two boys carrying a mysterious- looking red casket with golden hinges( in- side of it was a gold box that cost a thou- Sunday, Feb. 11. Ps. 22:27, 28. Topic: OLD AND NEW JAPAN.
tion and in every subsequent testing which oame to Him in the multiplied forms throughout the three years/ and a half of His earthly life. He is able to instantly help us. We will never know an experience in which the Lord will not be able to un- derstand, and meet our need. As, God, He will know us and our need, and as Man He will be touched with a feeling of our in- firmities. He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isa. 53). In all our af- flictions He was afflicted (Isa. 63:9). We yi impoverish and cripple our lives by not ap- propriating as a true fact, the conscious TK presence: of our loving Lord in our daily t j experience. How we should love Him. It V, was for us that He bore it all, endured it all, suffered it all, so that He might prove Himself a faithful High Priest. He is able to make all grace abound (2 Cor. 9:8). He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20). sand dollars, and inside of that was the President's letter!), and two stalwart ne- X* groes acting as guards," presented the let- ter to the Mikado; and a tiny train of cars, a short telegraph circuit, etc., etc. New Japan, The Mikado baby of that year, when he came to rule, decreed that "Khowledge should be sought round the earth.". Six thousand teachers, doctors, nurses, have responded, with schools, hos- 4 pitals, charitable institutions for the deaf and dumb, the blind, lepers and all unfortu- nates. But, best of all and chief cause of all, is the Gospel and missionary. Now many thousand converts worship Jesus in church, Sunday school and home, and the: , hideous old idols will soon be "cast to : ™ the moles and bats." The good news brings', new hearts, new ideals, and a new Japan, u Old Japan used to say "Revenge! no quar- ter!" New Japan waves the banner of the ' Red Cross. Sunday, Feb. 18. Luke 2:44-46. Topic: THE BOY IN HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. 1. Jesus was twelve. Which of you is f T' twelve? It was at that age He went first to the city of Jerusalem and its famous y ^ temple. No doubt He enjoyed the long ^ journey, the caravan company of neighbors and strangers going up to the feast and ^ picnicking on the way, just as any boy would. And Hie felt the same wonder, and found joy in the sights so new and fine „ « to a country lad. ' - ' v ' S H h 2. But even at twelve, Jesus' chief in- terest was in the knowledge of God. Pass- w ' j ing a hall in the temple courts, where the teachers of the Word discoursed to their pupils, He went in and sat down. He was so deeply interested that He forgot every- thing -else, and let the caravan and His parents go on without Him. 3. His parents missed Him and were in great trouble. God had commmitted this wonderful Christ to their care, and they had lost Him. It is a sad thing that so many never found Christ, but to have found and lost Him is most dreadful. They immediately went to find Him, and we should leave everything to seek and find Jesus. ' 4. They found Him with the teachers. Ha was seeking to know the truth. Not \ :
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