Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-03-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON Kill, FOR MARCH 27-
A QUARTERLY REVIEW.
Golden Text: Thou Art Christ .
Son of the Living God"-From Book
Of Matthew, Chapter I6, and Verse 16
Explanatory Notes.


went thousand miles and back, and sup
ported himself at great expense, to be
with AgaSsiz a few weeks at his summer
school at Penikese. An hour with the
great naturalist would have amply repaid
the trouble and expense. To even see the
master of any department is helpful.
Christ is the master in the department
of spiritual life. We are to have six
months study with him and of him. Hap
PLY we do not have to go to Judea. He
says, II will come to you and make my
abode with YOU" and 10, ! am with you
Away, even unto the end of the WORLDLY
either as to time or space. 1t is not
nsh we experiment on, as did AgasSjZ,
bat souls, ourselves. So there can be 20
more interesting stud.
We have been studying the parts; now
we will study them as d whole. We have
been, as it were, looking at particular
stars through a telescope, revealing a
brightness and tints that no unaided eye
can perceive; now we will look at the
whole sky with all its beautiful constella-
tons showing the glory of God. The indi-
vidual events are like sentences written
on the sky in letters so large that we
can see but sentence at time, though
full of meaning and blessing. Note the
beginning and the unfolding of the life
of Christ during his first thirty years
Note how long the period of preparation
(thirty years. for three and one-half years
of work Note how the work of John
prepared the way, continued till Jesus
had been fully established, and then end
ed. Note the years of public ministry and
their characteristics. Note the steps in
the development of his work and how
they are all leading to the founding of
his kingdom when the time should come.
Note the three great ministries of Jesus
named from the countries in which he
wrought and taught.
We look at the life of Christ from
another point of view, and it gains
reality and vividness, if we trace out the
movements of Jesus upon the map. Like
the Greek scholar in Tom Brown at OK
ford" who traced on a map by means of
colored pins the famous retreat of the
ten thousand under Xenophon, we may
trace in the same way the journeys of
Jesus from Bethlehem and Calvary. At
each place we may call for a brief de-
scription of the town, and for the CHIEF
events which cluster around it. II we
have large map we may use pins with
fiers on them marking the name of each
place as We come to ii. ]. Thus we can
start with Bethlehem. g. Then go down
with Jesus and his mother to Egypt. 8.
Go UP to Nazareth, where Jesus lived so
many years. T. Take the journey to the
passover at Jerusalem and return. s. Go
with Jesus from Nazareth to Bethabara
to be baptized 6. To the wilderness to
be tempted forty days. 7. To Bethabara
again, where his first disciples joined
him. s. To Cana with his disciples, where
he wrought his first miracle at the we'd
ding. 8. To Capernaum and return, thence
to Jerusalem for the passover. TO- The
journey through Samaria to Galilee, Naz-
areth and Capernaum. And so on through
all his journeys belonging to this quar-
ter's lessons.
Moral Teachings Review.-We find in
these lessons certain characteristics to
cultivate, certain virtues to cherish, GER
tain good deeds to do.
All these help US onward and upward
toward the character of Christ, which Is
the character which makes heaven The
more we are like Christ the more fitted
we are for heaven. The way to heaven
is the best way for this life.
In seeking to be like Christ, and to at
tain the heavenly state, we need contin-
ual help from him, or we shall fail. In
these lessons we find some of the things
which he bestows for our help.
We may not climb the heavenly sleeps
To bring the Lord Christ down;
In vain we search the lowest deeps,
For him no depths can drown.
But warm, sweet, tender. even yet
present help is he;
And faith has yet its Olivet,
And love it's Galilee.
The healing of the seamless dress
Is by our beds of pain;
We touch him in lfe's throng and press,
And we are whole again.
Through him the first fond prayers are
said
Our lips of childhood frame;
The last low whispers of our dead
Are burdened with his name.
o Lord and Master of us ALL
Whate'er our name or sign,
We own thy sway, we hear thy call,
We test our lives by thine!
John G. Whittier.