The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-29
Sabbath Lessons.
Notable Days.

man and the brevity of human life Be
fore the mountains were brought forth
or ere Thou hadst formed the earth and
the world even from everlasting to ever
lasting Thou art God - This of God, but
of man: Our days are passed away in
Thy wrath. We spend our years as
tale that is told. The days of our years
are threescore years and ten, and If by
reason of strength they be fourscore
Years, yet is their strength labor and
sorrow, for it is soon cut off, and we fly
away
The consciousness of the breVity of
life suggested to the psalmist the prayer
TO COD, so teach us to number our days
that we may apply our hearts unto wis
dom. Well may we all bear in con-
slant remembrance the important fact
that life is short and that we may, we
should, pray to God to teach us to num-
Der our days. Man often fails to appre-
ciate the brevity and uncertainty of life.
He lives as if he were always to live
amid his present surroundings.
"A short life and a gay life'' is the
motto of many. The breyity of life is
made an excuse for folly for a sinful,
wasted life. But this is not the idea in
the mind of Moses. He would have God
remind US of the brevity of life that we
may wisely use our lives. Life being
for Wastefulness. You have only a few
years to live said a physician to hard
Worklnss eminent scfergyman15 and should
cease from your arduous labors 2 If that
+ besth essease,' replied the servantzof God.
Il must work all the harder since L have
sl1ttlesti time ito do my life work in. =
Numbering our days, let Us be wise.
- AFRICA FOR CHRIST.
,1,l,- r-,--
found IN Acts wifi, 20. go near1and join.
thyseif-to this chariot Gods work calls
Philip and all other true disciples to go
wherever human hearts are in need The
revival in Samaria gave greater results
IN numbers than the trip to the South;
but, judged by after influences, the con-
version of the treasurer of Ethiopia was
ones of the most important events of
apostolic times The Abyssinian church
may not have made the progress it
should have made, but it has never be-
come extinct. # - -
F The gospel was early carried to Africa
but even to this day Africa has net been
Won to- the gospel because no determined
e attemptahaS ever been made until recent
years to accomplish such a purpose.
"A generation since and the only parts
known to- civilized nations were scarce-s
ly more than fringe around the out
slutzoIaIHe continent. NOW AL IS open to-
commerce and Christiantty
Nothing can exceed in + asei1a Ion tffeg
story of the opening az the dark. con-
ti1lent to the knowledge OF the oatslee
world A short time since, and there
were almost mo- books OF value to4be
found on the subject, Now the litera IRE
is immense in volume.s *
Since the beginning of the Boer war
new interest has BEEN awakened in cur
. missions la Southeast Africa, and their
. Importance for the fntiireSis more fully
recognized. However the war may Fro
gress, there must before many years lie
great advance made in that land. The
dream of a railroad from Cairo to the
Cape'sswill not long lack fulfillment. The
engineering enterprises of Great Britain
on the Nile are the most stupendous TN
dertakings the world has ever seen. The
effect on Egypt in every way must be
profound. Changes less startling are
rapidly altering all the institutions and
people of Central Africa. Railroads and
steamboats, are everywhere carrying
trade and travel. Our missions are Well
located and efficiently manned.
In the forward movement of the league
for missions intelligent interest should be
taken in Africa.
NOTABLE DAYS OF THE WEEK.&
Dec. 20 is the first Sunday after Christ
mas In the church, calendar. 1t is also
the anniversary ofsthe birth onsa Friday,
in 1909, of William EWart Gladstone. Also
of the birth in 1903 of Andrew Johnson,
seventeenth president, and Of Charles
Goodyear, in 1860, American inventor. ~
Dec. 80 is the anniversary of the birth
of Stephen H. Long, in 17S4 American
engineer and explorer, for whom a Color
RADIO mountain is named.
Dec. is ST. Stephens dapsin the Ro+
man calendar He was an early bishop
of Rome. The eve of his day is extern
sively celebrated in European countries.
The last hours of this day are observed
by some of the American churches as
watch night, seeing the old year out
and the new one in 1t is also the an
niversary of the birth in 1915 of Gen.
George G. Meade.
Jan. is New Years day, and observed
as a legal holiday in all of the states
except Massachusetts,, Mississippi and
New Hampshire. 1t will be on Wednesday.
It Is the anniversary of the taking eff
feet of Lincoln's emancipation proclama-
ton In 1863. 1t is also the anniversary
of the birth in 1870 of Edmund Burke.
Jan. is the anniversary of the birth in
1920 of Gen. James Wolfe; Of Hugh G..
Iegare, American statesman and journal
list, in 1897.
Jan, is honored in the Catholic church
for st. Genevieve, patroness Of Paris. 1t
is also the anniversary of the birth in 119S
of Lucretia Mott. the Quakeress re-
former; of Douglas w. Jerrold, in 1903,
English hunorist and writer. ~
Jan is the anniversary Of the birth
Of Jakob Ludwig, eldest of the noted
Grimm brothers; of Isaac Pitman, inven-
tor Of one of the former most popular
systems Of shorthand.