The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-13
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
ABLY ExPOUyDED BY REV. ED
WARD l.. PELL.
The Golden CaIf-The Broadcast Should
cred Man of His Day-A Type OF
Plety Too Popular.
Following is the international Sunday


School legson for to- morrow as expouna-
ed By Rev. Edward Il. Pell:
.Hlly l4-The Golden .Caf.-Exodcs
xxxii.. is. 3O-3O.
In the las, lesson we witnessed the CIV
fnr Of the Ten Commandments from III
nal These commandments, together with
a number Of enactments based upon
them. vsre formally accepted by the
peo,le and Immediately after the Gre
rtony OF ratification Moses went up into
the mount TO receive further instruc-
tiOns.
II ever a man needed 10 spend forty
DAYS I'm consultation with Jehovah, Moses
did He was the heaviest b.rfened man
Of this age. Notwithstanding ne was
the broadcast shoudered man OF amy aS''
His mission was TO a race or siee's
slaves. who were to be delivered out OF
bondage and made into nation worthy
IN represent God ia the world. When he
went to Egypt 10 lead them out. ne
found them IN a sfupor. from which IL
seemed impossible TO arouse them. 1hey
could not enter into his plans Tor teh
reclamation They preferred 10 be let
alone and allowed TO die I'm bondage rain
or than 10 make a venture for liberty
And he had 70 take them up In his arms
and bring them out
These people were no sooner lett 10
themselves than they began 20 grow
restless. They were not used to pelns
left alone. In Egypt the task-master T"
whip had never been out OF sight Nat
urallv too. as these days went by, they
became uneasy about the fate or their
leader They were afraid he had been
struck by lightning or devourcd b. an
earthquakc AS time passed fear gave
way to Indifference, and they ala not
care whether he returned or not IL was
natural. too. that. trained as they han
been. they should grow restless WIFI
ont a god I'm sight They had been used
10 craven images all their lives, AL the
world had craven images-it was iasu-
ionable to have craven images-ann u
was a hardship TO their week minds TO
have 10 worship an invisible Goa Wl."-
out any material thing 20 represent MN.
So long as Moses was with them, they
got along without an image. not AMY
because he would not let them nav"
them. but because he was to them IN the
Mace of the image. being regarded with
awe as the representative or JenoNah
But absence conquers we, and they no"
began TO speak CONTEMPORARY OF the
man who had stood between them ana
the Almighty. up" said the chlldish
mob TO Aaron, make us gods "mch
shall go before us, for as for TINS AoseS'
the man that brought us up ont OF the
land Of Egypt, We wot not what Is pc
come of him" CThis M1sesl one Of the
first symptoms OF hdeNshdihs Is the
decline OF reverence
Aaron ohcyed. IL is useless TO under
take To- whitewash this priest. He knew
better. but. like PLATE, he feared the
people A man of peace. he was not equal
10 a fuss There Is no evidence mat ne
Undertook to uphold the Jaw, or the
honor Of Moses or the honor Of Coo,
he Immediately went 10 work TO please
the people. lie knew the kind OF Wof-
shin they wanted. and DE provided a sou
that would suit their appetites. Nhethtr
the golden calf was intended 10 repre-
sent the true God or an Egyptian god
does not natter: IN either case the COM
mandments were broken, not only by
worshipping the image. but by the man
ner OF their worship. And the people
sat down 10 eat and drink and rose up 70
play" 1t was a licentious reVelry OF
tho lowest type, such as was common
in idol worship In that day.
In the midst OF their rcvelry Moses
atpeared upon the scene. We DO not
wonder that when che saw tie calf and
the dancing" his anger waNcd not and
be cast the tables out Of his hands. and
broke item beneath the mount aaron
would not have done Il. he would nave
taken il coolly. Let not tho anger OF
my lord wax hot" said he. and there
are great many sentimental Nhflsl-
ians to-day who are partial 10 bis type
of picty. They think that 10 be holy one
must be rid of flesh. blood, and back
bone-that We are sanctinei by blood
lefting-tlat Christian should De as
cool and Indifferent when God - dis
houored as n 10 were not a matter OF any
interest TO him a all. But % Is - not
the sort Of piety that the Bible incul-
Gates. Religion does not disintegrate
the spinal column nor turn blood io wa
ter Watch Jesus I'm the Temple with the
whip of small cords. There are tnita
when Gods people ought TO show indig-
nation. 10 is because We take the SINS
of the day so indincrenuy that the
world thinks sin cannot bee a very sefi-
ous matter after all. We keep cool and
go softly. and speak mildly until men
conclude that we are not Jealous Tor
Gods honor as We profess To De. We
need less nholy anger. hut we need q
greater capacity for righteous indigna-
ton.
IL must not be supposed that Moses
broke the tables of stone In iit ol tem-
rer. lie broke them as an expression oI
his indignation and because the pc0-
ole having dissolved the covenant had
no right 20 them.
II the punishment which the children
OF Israel received for their sins seems
severe IT is because we have failed TO
realize the Nervousness OF their crime.
IL was meet that they should be- made
10 "eat the fruit OF their own doings.
4 terrible disease had broken out, and
IL called for heroic treatment. IL was a
time when If any man was on the Lord
side he should show his face and mis-
hand. II WAS time when no servant
of the Lord could stay back I'm the crowd.
II was a time when the only question 20
be asked was not, is IS pohucf IL 70
popular? but. "WhO is on the LORD q
aide2
There is ercouragement I'm the fact
that Notwithstanding the whole camu
seemed to have gone wrong, few were
found ready TO answer the call and 60
make a stand for Jehovah. God Is never
without reserve force
When IL was all over Moses went back
TO God As We see him climbing the
mount we think Of a brOkcn-hearted
old man whose sons have all gone
wrong and who has gone 10 plead for
them. ready 10 lay down his own life .n
their steadi If thou wilt. forgive theil
sins. and IL not, blot me, l pray, out
of the Book which thou hast written.
What a heart had this man of fire. And
what a heart has God. And the Lord
said unto Moses, Whos0eyer hath sinned
AGAINST me. him VIII l blot out OF my
Book. Therefore, now go, lead the peo-
pie into the place Of which, have spoken
unto thee" EDWARD l.. PILL.