The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-01
READING FOR THE DAY.



GENTlLEs SEEKING JEsUs-John xii, 20-36.
Golden Text-And I, if be lifted mp from the
earth will draw all men unto me.-John XIII ~.
The people who were present at the raising
of Lazarus from the dead, "bare record" OF the
great fact, ard it became matter OF common
knowledge to all the people present at the feast
So profound and widespread was the interest, that
for the momenu his enemies are filed with
terror, and. as they see that they prevail moth
ing against him. they says Behold the world is
gone after him." Jesus could easily have taken
advantage of the interest and excitement of the
hour, and been made a national king. But he
seeks to establish his kingdom in the highest
reason Of man. to build it in his conscience and
heart, that it may abide forever. And so he
goes steadily forward to his death, where he
would be lifted up on the cross and become a
great power to attract men to himself. At this
time occurs an episode described in the lesson,
when the Greeks who came from the West in
search of the same wonderful One sought by the
Magi who came from the East, and, as Stelr
saws, "They came to the cross of the King as
those to His cradle" This coming of the repre-
sentatives of the great Western nations seems
TO have made sure that the great final hour of
His history, had come, and that nothing remained
but to die.
PRACTICAL LESSONS.
who honestly desire to see and know Jesus 1t
is the business of His friends to lead all such to
the Master. ION to Jesus should be the motto
within as I'VE stand in Jesus stead" is for the
outside of the church. The youngest and hum
blest may lead to Jesus.
2. He that Loveth His Life Shall Lose It-This
contradicts the wisdom of this world and every
selfish view of life. The man who lives for
others and forgets himself is the man who has
the best pleasure of this world. The selfish lose
real a IN
3. Father, Save Ne from This Hour. Father,
Glorify Thveelf-In Christ we have the cry of
the human. This is the foretaste of the agony
OF Gethsemane, when he prayed that the cup
might pass from Him. He was tried, tempted
in all points like as we are, and yet without sim
1t is not strange that we shrink from pain and
suffering. This is not sin. We cannot hope to
reach higher plane than he did. We need not
condemn ourselves for like feelings.
4. Walk While Ye Have the Light-The sun
has its spots. but the sun is light. So they had
abundance of light, but they preferred to look
only at the mysteries. The darkness will
come to those who fail to become the children of
light
SPECIAL TEACHINGS.
l. For Belief-The one great thing that
Christ came into the world for was to die for
men. For this cause He came to that hour
that He might be lifted up on the cross, and
to draw all men unto himself. The mere phys
ical pain of death was little thing compared
with what Christ suffered. 1t was not this that
made Him draw back but it was the bearing of
our sins in His death that made the agony and
dread. We are saved through faith in His
death. that in dying He made an atonement to
God for our sins. There is a great moral infiu-
ence on the hearts of men in such death, but
It's great power is as satisfaction and reconcile
alton.
q For Practice-The great duty suggested is
to hold forth to men Christ crucifed to lift up
| the dying Christ that men may be drawn to Him.
va n lar q
and study over the life of Christ but we should
| in some way try to reach in every lesson as an
end that we are saved through His blood, through
His cross and death.