May 1929
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May 18. Because of His Exaltation. Phil. ' 2 : 1 - 11 . C hoice N uggets The Christian world has a Leader, the contemplation of whose life and suffer ings must administer comfort in affliction, while the sense of His power and om nipotence must give them humiliation in prosperity.;—S’ teele. Unlike all other founders of a religious faith, Christ had no selfishness, no'desire qf dominance; and His system, unlike all other systems of worship, was bloodless, boundlessly beneficent, and—most mar velous of all—went to break all bonds of body and soul, and to cast down every temporal and every spiritual tyranny.— William Howitt. The “wise men” were journeying to the manger—we to the throne. They to see a babe—we to look upon the King in His beauty. They to kneel and worship—we to sit with Him on His throne. That trembling star shone for them through the darkness of the night, lighting their way-—Jesus is always with us, our star of hope; and the pathway is never dark where He leads, for He giveth “songs in the night.”— A. E. Kittredge. Across the chasm of eighteen hundred years Jesus Christ makes a demand which is beyond all others difficult to satisfy. He asks that for which a philosopher may often seek in vain at the hands of his friends, or a father of his children, or a bride of her spouse, or a man of his brother. He asks for the human heart; He will have it entirely to Himself; He demands it unconditionally, and forth with His demand is granted. Wonderful! —Napoleon I. Other sages have spoken to me of God. But from whom could I have learned the essence of divine perfection as from Him, who was in a peculiar sense the Son, representative, and image of God—who was especially an incarnation of the unbounded love of the Father? And from what other teacher could I have learned to approach the Supreme Being with that filial spirit' which forms the happiness of my fellowship with Him? From other seers I might have heard of heaven; but when I behold in Jesus the spirit of heaven, dwelling actually on earth, what a new comprehension have I of that better world!— W. E. Channing. “In 1859 Garibaldi’s volunteers, some rich, some poor, were near Alessandria, on May 23. ‘The camp of the Alpine Huntsmen’ was in complete confusion. The improvised soldiers rushed to arms at the Sound of the trumpet. ‘Quick, quick,’ said the officers, ‘we are to start.’ ‘Where are we going?’ queried the soldiers. ‘That is the mystery. Garibaldi knows where, and that’s enough 1’ Garibaldi went through the ranks with words of encouragement to the weary and sym pathy for the disheartened, and in person saw after every need. This motley host drove the Austrians in a twenty-four- hour battle twenty miles up the Stelvio Pass—over the glaciers of the Ortler and back into Tyrol. Not only the most im prudent but the most unkind thing it would have been to tell these volunteers what lay before them. This ■belonged alone to Garibaldi, and so much of it as he cared to reveal to the officers who were to give his commands. The silences of God as to the future life, and our lack of knowledge as to the tomorrow are upon the same basis. It would be no
to show it. The boy who will stand up for the right, stick to the truth, resist temptation, and suffer rather than do wrong, is a true hero. Here is an exam ple. A drummer-boy who had become a great favorite with his officers, was asked by the captain to drink a glass of rum. The boy declined, saying, “I am a tem perance boy, and do not touch drink.” “But you must take some now,” said the captain. “Y'ou have been on duty all day, beating the drum and marching, and now you must not refuse; I insist upon it.” But the boy stood firm. The captain then turned to the major, and said, “Our lit tle drummer is afraid to drink; he will never make a soldier.” “How is this?” said the major in a playful manner. “Do you refuse to obey orders?” “Sir,” said the boy, “I have never refused to obey orders, and have tried to do my duty; but I must refuse to drink rum, for I know it would do me harm.” “Then,” said the major, in a stern tone of voice, in order to test his sincerity, “I command you to take a drink; and you know it is death to disobey orders!” The little hero, fix ing his eyes on the face of the officer, said, “Sir, my father died a drunkard; and when I entered the army I promised my mother I would not taste a drop of rum, and I mean to keep my promise. I am sorry to disobey your orders, sir; but I would rather suffer anything than dis grace my mother, and break my pledge.” Was not that boy a hero? He had learned when to say No. The officers could not help admiring the conduct of the boy, and ever afterwards treated him with great kindness.— Gough’s “P l a t f o r m Echoes.” Next to God, thy parents.-— William Penn. Children, honor your parents in your hearts; bear them not only awe and re spect, but kindness and affection; love their persons, fear to do anything that may justly provoke them; highly esteem them as the instruments under God of your being: for “Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father.”— Jeremy Tay lor. Parents must give good example and reverent deportment in the face of their children. And all those instances of char ity which usually endear each o th e r- sweetness of conversation, affability, fre quent admonition—all signification of love and tenderness, care and watchful ness, must be expressed towards chil dren ; that they may look upon their parents as their friends and patrons, their defense and sanctuary, their treasure and their guide.— Jeremy Taylor. —o— May 19, 1929 Why is Jesus the World’s Greatest Leader? John 15:9-16; 12:23-27. D aily S cripture R eadings May 13. Because Great Servant. Matt. 20:25-28. May 14. Because of His Ideals. Matt. 5: 1 - 12 . May 15. Because of His Life. 1 Pet. 2: 21-25. May 16. Because of His Sacrifice. 1 Pet. 3:18. May 17. Because of His Love. John 13: 1-13.
May 12, 1929 Appreciating Our Parents as Leaders Eph. 6:1-9; Luke 2:41-52. D aily S cripture R eadings May 6. A Mother’s Choice. 1 Sam. 1 : 24-28. May 7. A Father’s Love. 2 Sam. 18:24- 33. May 8. Gentle Leading. 2 Tim. 3 :14-17. May 9. Parents’ Wisdom. Prov. 4:1-9. May 10. Wise Guides. 1 Tim. 3 :4, 5. May 11. Leading to God. Deut. 6:7. C hoice N uggets “Parents need infinite patience. Wesley said to his wife, T marvel at your pa tience. You have said that twenty times to the boy.’ ‘Yes,’ she replied; ‘it was the twentieth time that got him.’ ” “A merchant wanted a boy in his estab lishment, and quite a crowd of applicants appeared. He therefore inserted this ad vertisement to sift them : ‘Wanted—A boy who always obeys his mother.’ The next day only two lads applied for the place.” “General Washington, w h e n q u i t e young, was about to go to sea as a mid shipman ; everything was arranged, the vessel lay opposite his father’s house, the little boat had come on shore to take him off, and his whole heart was bent on going. After his trunk had been carried down to the boat, he went to bid his mother farewell, and saw the tears burst ing from her eyes. However, he said nothing to her, but he saw that she would be distressed if he went, and perhaps never be happy again. He just turned round to the servant, and said, ‘Go and tell them to fetch my trunk back. I will not go away to break my mother’s heart.’ His mother was struck with his decision, and said to him, ‘George, God has prom ised to bless the children who honor their parents, and I believe He will bless you.’” When General James A. Garfield was inaugurated President of the U n i t e d States, he insisted that his aged mother should be at his side when he took the accustomed oath and delivered his in augural address. As soon as he had been invested with the powers of the high office he turned to his mother and kissed her. And when, a few months later, the bullet of the assassin had laid him on a bed of great suffering, his mother, then necessarily at a distance, was often in his thoughts, and loving, comforting mes sages he often sent to her. The last let ter which he ever wrote was to hersf*®: Thayer’s "The Way to Succeed." Can a boy be a hero? Of course he can, if he has courage, and opportunity
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