T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S service. The secret of abiding love for sp iritu al things is best secured by arous ing an in te rest in th e soul. An aged pastor took his grandson th rough th e beau tifu l Alpine glens to visit th e parish poor. When th e boy saw the poverty strick en homes th a t made it impossible for th e children to enjoy God’s wonder ful works, he said: “ Grandpa, when I grow up, I will tak e th e side of the poor.” This noble resolution was kept. It made Pestalozzi a fath e r to orphans and th e founder of universal elem entary education. His biographer said: “ He lived like a beggar, th a t he m ight teach beggars to live like men.” By having an in te rest in th e poor th e g reat re form er could never forget or abandon them . When we look on men th rough God’s eyes and love them w ith C h rist’s love, we can p ray and work for them in the Holy Spirit. FRIDAY, Oct. 10. Acts 20:17-24. Paul’s Ministry. Saul of T arsus th e bigoted, self- righteous, blood-thirsty Pharisee, was tran sfo rm ed by the grace of God into P au l the humble, gentle, p atien t, de voted m issionary of th e cross. He touched hum an life a t many points in o rder th a t he m ight d em onstrate under all circum stances th e all-sufficiency of Christ. He became a p attern and an ob ject lesson to all th a t should h ereafter believe, of th e attainm en ts and possibili ties of th e C hristian life. 1 Tim. 1:12-16. One of P au l’s biographers has said: “So perfectly was Christ formed in him, th a t we can study C h rist’s character in his, and beginners may perhaps learn more of Christ’s life in studying P au l’s life th a n from studying Christ himself. There was a blending and softening of the excellence in Christ th a t make his greatness elude th e glance of a beginner bu t in P au l a few of th e g reatest ele ments of Christian ch aracter were ex hibited w ith a decisiveness which no one can m istak e.” P au l was th e g reatest m issionary and th e g reatest theologian th a t Christianity has ever produced. In his letters, many of them w ritte n in prison, th e church has found m aterial for h er system of doctrine. He appro p riated th e m ind of Christ and became th e g reatest th in k e r of his age if not of any age. He identified him self w ith Christ and the love of Christ became the compelling motive of his life. As he neared th e end of his course, he stood before Nero, so litary and forsaken.
962 yoke of oxen and must needs try them out. If he had bought them w ithout seeing them he was a fool. If not he was a liar. The th ird made th e poorest excuse of all. He had m arried a wife. H is wife was doubtless included in the inv itation or would have been had her existence been known. Anyway she would have been welcome a t th e feast. The m aster of th e house had reason for being angry a t the discourtesy w ith which his overtures of hospitality had been received. He would not be thw arted bu t sent his servants ou t to subsidize th e poor, and maimed and h a lt and blind. The feast came off and every place was filled. The lesson we may learn from th is is th a t God will not be cheated of his royal bounty. Some may disdainfully ignore and others may scornfully refuse th e Gospel ;invitation. Very well, th e loss is only theirs. There will be no tenan tless mansions in the F a th e r’s house, th ere will be no empty plates or vacant chairs in th e celestial banquet hall. Heaven will be fu ll in any case and Christ shall see of the trav a il of his soul and shall be satisfied. If th e n a tu ra l descendants of Abraham repud iate th e ir fa th e r’s faith , Divine grace will soften stony-hearted Gentiles and pu t them in the place of A braham ’s seed. Matt. 3:9, Gal. 3:9. THURSDAY, Oct. 9. James 5:13-20. Praying and Working For Others. One is not saved because he prays and works for others, bu t he prays and works for others because he is saved. While salvation is a free gift, approval and rew ard are bestowed on th e basis of fidelity and service. Moreover, one’s own sp iritual life is enriched by such an unselfish m inistry. As th e physical h ealth is promoted, no t by constantly fussing over, m atters of diet, dress and exercise, b u t in self-forgetful and a lter n ate toil and recreation, so one’s sp irit ual health is conserved not by m aking it an end in itself th rough introspective self-analysis, b u t by in terest in and ef fo rt to fu rth e r th e well-being of others. Prov. 11:25, Job 42:10. In th e work of teaching it is th e doctrine of in te r est th a t enables th e teacher to arrest and guide atten tion . Inform ation can oiily be im parted by being related to some point of contact in experience. It is h ard to pray and work for one whom we do no t know. A general theory or an ab stract principle can not arouse enthusiasm or stim u late self-denying
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