The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-18
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON
Copyright, Davis W. Clark.) !. s=s sssssA eE< e=s

steadfast in the teaching of the apostles and in preferring their company to that of any other, and in the ordinances or the church, and in the special seasons of prayer. The converts were fused into an unselfish brotherhood. Altruism dom- mated. The rich and the poor met to. gether. The strong bore the infirmities ot
 the weak. Eech in honor preferred the other. :. Such a church would nat,
 uraiiy be vocal with praise. It would command respect. 1t would draw mem- bers like a magnet.
 The Teachers Lantern.
 On the river bank we instinctiveiy s1uestion about it's source. The mind de. fiShts in origins. The Book of Genesis or any order of thought or action is ab- sorbingly interesting. So of Christianity as a system and an organization, We Tn. stinctively ask. Whence comes 1t? What was 1t like in the beginning?" It is mat tsf of large philosophic importance, for no true estimate of human history, past, current or future, can be made without the recognition of the Church as an i'm. portant if not a prime factor. It Is not a curious or speculative question. By comparing the Church of today with the Church of the apostles. we shall know whether the Church has advanced or ret rograded: whether 1t has preserved its original spirit and purpose or not. The second chapter of the Acts of the Apos- ties is the Book of Genesis of the Chris tian Church. It is a faithful. speaking pDOt0SrApn or Ine CHlTCn dt US OTiBiIt
 The characteristics of these apostolic converts were that they continued stead- fastly q In the apostles doctrine. viz. their oral teaching. They went to church. @ h the apostles fellowship. commun- ton or saints was not so much a matter of creed as of practice. ,0 In the break ing of bread. They neglected not the speaking ordinance Jesus appointed to remind them of the offering of his life. which he made in loving service. an of- rua fn initiate f1 Tn v- ers-literally. the prayers: prayers of fered at a specific time and a designated place; in other words, the prayer meet ing.
 Peter showed superb tact in disarming prejudice and obtaining a hearing. The pioneer preachers of an earlier day in this country did likewise. Need of 1t Is not outgrown yet. It admits of question whether more skill Is not required now than ever. Not in foreign or city mission field only. but among boys and girls and young people of our homes and colleges. consumnate art Is needed. Appeals to authority. treats of Girc consequences.
 are dead old methods are effete. Pioneer ways would be laughed out of counte- | nance today. The ethics of the case must
 be shown, and the philosophical princi- | pies universally applicable to life must he stated and illustrated
 The Church, no more than any other
 institution. can live upon it's past. It
 must be today. Like the Church of the Apostles. it can only inspire awe and | find favor by being of such character as
 to inspire awe and find favor. It Is ut
 teray useless to paint Hast judgments" | upon our church walls. People must be | induced to sit in. judgment upon them selves. to bring themselves to daily as-
 size. They must mend their ways con- | tinually.
 l Steadfastness is q word to conjure by | Columbus found the New World because
 he was steadfast in sailing due west. 1 Palissy redscovered the glaze because
 he was steadfast in firing his pottery | Stanley found Livingstone. Grant crushed 1 the rebellion. Elihu Burritt became the | lingrst. Bennett mounted from a base
 ment to The Herald building-each, all,