April 1927
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
236
a yellow streak on the horizon. They knew it was a prairie fire. ■There was no escape as it travels faster than any horse could run. It would be futile to try to escape. ,;It meant sure death. . Suddenly one man came to his senses. Ordering the men in great haste, he set them to lighting the grass near the camp. They fanned it on, starting another fire going on from them. Then he yelled, “Men, come over on the burned part, and you are safe.” The sinner looks out on the horizon in a time of cool reflection and realizes that the sure judgment of God is coming. He cannot help himself. “Whither shall I flee from the wrath of God?” He looks aroünd the other way: ; He sees Jesus on Calvary’s cross, and there upon thé Son of God another judgment is being poured but. He hears a voice, “It is finished”— then the invitation, “Come over where the fire has been. Get on ground with Jesus and find the only way of escape from the on-coming judgment.” He steps over and the fire passes. There is no other place of safety. gfe MS’ B y D r . A. D. B elden J AME humanity was outside the beau tiful gâté. There it was, crippled and bégging, fawning pitifully upon its fel lows for a paltry pittance, bereft of dig is a compliment to religion since it means that humanity in its need finds the shadow of religion, on the’ whole, more kindly than that of the world. But it is much more a testimony to the' Sad failure of all faiths as yet to wipe away the curse and reproach of human poverty. When we see gorgeous and wealthy cathedrals ris ing from the midst of miserable, rack- rented hovels; when we see a sight such as used to be common in Russia-'jcrowds of hungry, ill-governed, hard-pressed peasantry, always living on the border-liné of poverty, worshipping in churches lav ishly decorated with gold and precious stones of all kinds, the scene before their eyes being literally ablaze with the wealth that would mean for them freedom and opportunity really to live ; when we mark the beautiful gate, and the neglected hu manity we cannot but wonder whether God can be pleased that the religion which professes to exalt His name should so far forget His nature as to esteem His living human temples of less value than temples of stone ! It does our hearts good, therefore, and corrects our perspective, to read of those first disciples of the Lord going up to the temple to pray and halting upon its allur ing threshold to take heed of crippled hu manity. Doubtless the beggar had often looked wistfully through the beautiful gate at the holy inner courts t>f the tem ple, but the cruel necessity of his liveli hood, as well as his lameness, kept him outside. What a picture he presents of the multitude of our own day! They, too, nity, bèautÿ and pow er ; a poor, mean; broken and battered thing, outside God’s ternpiè. What a con trast ! Infinite beau ty' and c o l o s s a l wëalth in stone and metal, ugliness; and privation in life! In One sense this
church unless souls are being happily saved and prayer is being answered. When the shout of new life ceases in a church, it means that the church is ready for its funeral, for no prayer 'or personal work has been going on. There is one fellow in the story who is often overlooked—the •man who carried the lame man and laid him daily at the temple gate (v. 2). If we cannot our selves point a man to Christ and lift him up to' God, we can. at least carry him to some one who can. If we cannot work like Peter,- If we cannot preach like Paul, We can show the love of Jesus, How He died to save us all. P ith and P oint Peter and John on the way to church . and in , the line of duty came oppor tunity. There, áre times when we may well postpone devotions to lighten the misery of a soul. Lame sinners will look on us with in terest when we look bn them with lové.. “Silver and gold have I none”—empty pockets" may go .with the truest wealth. “I n .the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk”—the hand of compassion is powerless unless, it is extended in that name. “What I have give I thee.” He Ts the poor man who has, nothing but money. _ It is a bad sign when, a new-born Chris tian has lungs so. weak he cannot be heard (v. 8>: w ê ê K ê êê ê ê i ■ ■I I “Peter filled with the Holy Ghost” (4 : 8) . Peter by himself was a straw blown by the wind, but 'Peter plus power was a mighty mart of God. I —o— S uggestive Q uestions , Comparing the results of the miracle by Peter and John, to what may the man’s leaping up (v. 8) be likened ?i:(Eph. 2:1, 5). Noting the next step (he stood, v. 8), what did’he have beside new life? (Eph. 6:13, 14). “He walked” (v. 8). To what may this progress be compared in a young Christian’s life? (2 Cor. 5:7). “He entered with them into the tem ple” (v. 8). What is suggested by this fellowship with the disciples? (1 Cor. 12:12, 13). ' T T ; , . - V : He kept on walking before them all (v. 9) . What does this suggest concerning a Christian? ' (Rom. 8:4). ' . What is suggested by his leaping before them all? (v. 8) (cf. Neh. 8:10). What is the parallel concerning his praising God? (Heb. 2:12). .—o— G olden T ext I llustration Golden Text: “Neither is there salva tion in any other : for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). A party of hunters were crossing a prairie. At evening they had encamped, and were cooking supper. Suddenly a man who sat in the tent door looked toward the west. His eyes bulged and he turned ashen pale. Not a word could he speak. Others saw the look of horror on his face and gazed in the same direction, only to take on the same terrified expression. There, stretching from east to west, was
ministry of the eyes, “Peter fastened his eyes upon him” M^hat do you see in the path of duty? Many had passed this poor fellow and turned up their noses at the deplorable sight. They cared to see only the beautiful gate, the stately Tem ple, the gay costumes, Peter and John saw a man afflicted, a soul lost. What we see indicates the depth _of our religion. A young physician helping in an east London mission was turning out the lights one night when he saw a boy hiding in a dark corner. . The .lad begged to be allowed to sleep there. The doctor took him home for the night. He learned that the. boy had been sleeping with many other boys in a coal bin. The doctor went through many muddy alleys, and peering through a hole in the .wall, saw thirteen boys, huddled together. Dr. Bar- nardo’s eyes took in .something that night. Children to the number , of 80,000. were cared for, up to the .time of his deatli, under Christian influences in the homes which he had started. Next comes the ministry of the lips. “Peter with John said, Look on' us’’ :(v. 4). They proceeded to testify of Christ, and in the name of Jesus Christ of Naz areth bade him rise up and walk (vs. 6, 7). Christ has no silent partners. Our prayers for the salvation of men are bit ter irony when we refuse to open our lips: in testimony, exhortation and praise, Some say if we live Christianity it is not necessary to talk it. If we do not speak of Christ, who gets the credit for our good living? Self only. Along with the ministry of eyes and lips went the ministry of the hand. Peter “took him by the right hand and lifted him up” B 7). The combination for reaching men is prayer and pull. The right hand of fellowship and power had much to do with putting this man on his feet. The; extending of the helping hand was some thing Peter learned from Jesus (Mk. 1: 31). The hand is peculiar to' the human being. Its touch is often more eloquent than words. Robt. Murray McCheyne, Scotch soul winner, died at 27 and all Scotland wept. An American preacher supplying in Dundee years afterward, found one of the old parishioners still liv ing. He tried to learn from him some thing about McCheyne. No sermon or text could the old man remember. One thing remained with him. He was a boy by the roadside. McCheyne came along, placed his hand on his ''head and said, “Jamie, I must have you for Jesus.” The old man could not forget the trembling of the young preacher’s fingers in his hair. No more eloquent gesture did he ever make. The action of the man who was instant ly healed is typical of what should ever be taking place in a Church that is do ing its work. “Leaping up he began to walk and entered with them into the tem ple walking and leaping and praising God” (v. 8). H I . Is there no one in these days who is getting happy over salvation? If a man has been redeemed, body and soul, must he restrain his feelings? Happy Chris tians are God’s advertising. The elo quence of the pew is worth more than that of the pulpit “All the people saw him walking and praising God” (v. 9), then they all be came happy. There can be no joy in a
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