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T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S ency. Jo shu a’s h e a rt m ight have failed him a t th e m agnitude of th e ta sk con fron ting him . In him self he was weak and helpless. Man is inefficient of him self to say, do* th in k or be any th ing h u t his sufficiency is of God. God s commands are God’s enablings. Respon sibility is m an’s response to God’s abil ity. The case of Jerem iah seems to have been sim ilar to th a t of Joshua. Je r. 1:6-10. God qualified each of these men for th e work he had to do. The God of Jo shu a and Jerem iah is our God also. He is able and w illing to do for us w hat he did for th em when our needs are th e same as theirs. SATURDAY, March 29. Joshua 23:5- 14. God’s Unfailing Goodness H istory dem onstrates th e fidelity of God to his promises. Whenever the Israelites were exhorted to re tu rn to God afte r a period of apostasy, th e appeal was streng thened by a reh earsal of th e ir past history. This would stir them to p atrio tic fervor and awaken lively feelings of g ratitu d e and praise. W e 'a re accustomed to laud th e piety of th e early church and a ttrib u te it to th e ir superior advantages b u t we are b etter off th a n they were. We have th e same Bible and th e same Holy Spirit th a t they had and in addition we have two thousand years of church history and C hristian experience. Ought we no t to surpass them th erefo re in piety and power? A knowledge of G od s dealing w ith H is people th rough the ages will streng th en our faith m God and our faith in th e u ltim ate victory of righteousness over- wrong. SUNDAY, March 30. Joshua 24:22-33. Jo sh u a’s L ast Charge The la st words of men are frequently significant and are cherished in remem brance. Out of th e abundance of the h e a rt th e m outh speaketh. The la st u tteran ce may reveal th e ch aracter and reflect th e ru lin g ' purpose of life. Jo sh u a’s solemn valedictory m u st have made a profound and lasting impres sion upon th e people. I t was doubtless treasu red in th e ir h ea rts as well as p re served among th e archives of th e nation. Jacob’s la st words, Gen. 49, and David’s la st words, 2 Sam. ¿3:1-5 are prophetic as well as rem iniscent. The la st words of Jesu s as he le ft th e ea rth invest th e g reat commission w ith a solemn sanction and a supreme importance. •
MONDAY, March 31. Matt. 11:24-34. God Our Heavenly Father S Men had conceived 6f God as th e creato r of all things, th e universe being His handiw ork; they h ad considered H im to be a K ing seated on a th ron e high and lifted up; they had though t of H im as Judge upholding th e sanc tions of th e m oral law, scrutinizing th e though ts and actions of men, rew arding th e good and punishing th e evil b u t it rem ained fo r Christ to reveal God as th e heavenly F ath e r. God is no t a vague ab straction somewhere in th e far- off blue, He is no t an impersonal prin ciple diffused th rough space, He is not an unknowable Somewhat th a t makes fo r righteousness, most of all H e is n o t an angry Moloch seeking the destruction of mankind. He is a kind, loving, heavenly F ath e r, who desireth no t th e death of th e wicked, b u t th a t he should tu rn from his w ickedness and live. He is n o t only th e creato r and preserver of th e universe, n o t only the king- of angels and men, no t only th e cham|pion and executor of th e moral law, b u t He is, the. Redeemer and Saviour who so loved th e world th a t He gave H is only begotten Son th a t whosoever believeth in H im should not perish, b u t have everlasting life. MOODY AND THE COBBLER Here is a little sto ry told about D. L. Moody in his younger days. I t is of a little different character th a n the usual ru n of stories abou t Mr. Moody and we p rin t it ju st because it gives a little glimpse into th e humorous side of his n atu re. He played a tric k on th e old cobbler th a t lived in th e back of th e sto re of th e Holton B ro th e rs' in Boston where he was a t work. This cobbler sa t on one of those leath er seats th a t swayed in th e middle, and Moody took a sharp knife and slit it clear across th e diame ter, and then set a pan of w ater under neath. The old man sa t down, and soon rose to see w here th e w ater was b u t could no t discover it. He though t he m ust be m istaken, and sajt down again, when he learned the situation from Moody’s g reat laugh.
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