Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-29
International Sunday. School Lessons.
THE BELIEVERS INHERITANCE,

my testimony nave L taken as q heritage
forever.-Psulnls cIir. 3.
Other men have labored, and we have
entered into their labors. Ours is the
wealth of all the ages. In this land es-
pecially we may truly say that "the
lines have fallen to US in pleasant places,
and we have a goodly heritage" But
better far than the almost boundless
beauty and fertility of the Western con-
tinent is that blessed inheritance which
is given US in the pages of the word of
God, if we will only take it as our por-
ton. Let us consider a few of the char
acteristics hat distinguish this inheri-
lance.
1t comes to us not by the labor of our
hands, but as the bequest of one that
loves us. All the best and wisest sages
that ever lived could never have made
such a book as the Bible. 1t is the
priceless gift of a hand divine.
An inheritance is devised by means of
a will, and this book is the "last will
and testament of our gracious Lord.
"Now where there is a testament there
must needs be the death of the testator,"
and all the precious treasures enshrined
in this book are made over 10 us by the
death of Christ. The earthly friends
that leave us lcgacies die because they
have to, and not at all on our account.
Christ voluntarily ~relinquished His life
for u sakes, that we might inherit the
Kingdom of God.
There is this beautiful thing about
u Inheritance in the word of God
there can not be occasion for conten-
ton and jealousy among the heirs, as
too frequently there is over an earthly
estate, for each of us has a title to the
whole of it. Everything here belongs
to me as absolutely as if the Lord had
not another child i'll the world. Another
beneticent feature Of it is that it is not
liable to be lost as earthly inheritances
SO easily are. We remember the prodi-
gal in the parable who wasted his sub
stance in riotous living, and all of us
have known such prodigals, who, be-
ginning with N amSle fortune, were
ultimately reduced to the most pitiful
poverty. If, however, Gods word he
our Inheritance, it is ours to keep, to
have and to hold, to use and 10 cnioy,
to feed upon and to give away, and the
more we give away the more we have
lett, in conscious, joyous possession.
Other forms Of possession we become
accustomed to. so accustomed to that
by and by we cease to appreciate with
our earthly zest the objects that once
were our ministers of pleasure. And
many a rich man surrounded bv all the
appliances of wealth and luxury is
ready to die of ennui, and at a time
when his ~nelghbors are regarding him
as the happlcst OF men. But the treas
ures of Gods word grow upon our ap-
probation, SO that they are increasing
ly precious to life's latest hour.
And yet again, other forms of posses
sion are good for some things, but not
for everything. Gold and silver and
precious stones, houses, lands, bonds
and mortgages, these have their uses,
but their uses are comparatively limit
cd. There are ten thousand conditions
of heart and life where such as these
will no suffice. And these are the very
conditions when the word of God comes
with sweetest power to minister to orr
deepest needs, and to give us beauty
tor ashes, the oil of JOY for mourning.
ana the garments of praise for the spir-
it of h~eavinesS." One may be poor as
Lazarus in earthly goods, and yet if he
have made Gods word his portion he is
rich beyond all that Cresus ever
dreamed of. He carries with him nm
Aladdin's lamp which when he touches
all Heaven at once is tributary to his
wants. And we shall not be Obliged to
ole and leave our inheritance behind
aS are the possessors of mere worldly
wealth.
"He left a large fortune.n So the
papers tell us, Aye, and he had to, for
naked he came into the world, and
naked he must 60 out of it. We can
carry nothing with us of material pos
session. ''Truly, these are the thinos
that make it hard to die" said a friend
70 ii rich man, whose palace and
pleasure grounds he had Just been sur
'eylng' tor all these things had to DO
left behind. 0o
But the treasures of Gods tr,tb