Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-03

his life. 1t was this that made him SO
great a man; his willingness to be led.
I 1t is true there were promises given py
God as a reward for this obedience. Mar
Gus Dods says: There is always sufficient
inducement to obey God; because life Is
reasonable. No man was ever commanded
or required to do anything which 1t was not
for his advantage to do. Sin is a mistake
But SO weak are we. so liable to be moved
by the things present to US and by the de-
sire for immediate qualification, that 1t
never ceases to be wonderful and admra-
bic when a sense of duty enables man
to forego present advantage and to believe
that present loss is the needful preliminary
of eternal gain"
But behind the obedience shone the SUBJ
lime faith of this man of God. 1t was the
absolute faith, after all, in the guide that
caused the obedience. though it does al
most seem as if the obedience came before
the faith or the even for the future
promises.
Faith and obedience walk hand in hand
Is it possible then, that those of us who
nave not this perfect obedience have not
either the faith? To quote Marcus Dods
once more: IF you would be neither much
better nor much worse though Christianity
were a fable; if you have in nothing be-
come poorer in this world that your re-
ward In heaven may be greater; If you have
made no investments and run no risks, then
really the natural inference is that your
faith in the future inheritance is small"
1t was impossible to print in full all three
VI liie scripture SELECTIONS 1Or tniS week.
Hebrews. vii, Ito, relates to the far-reach-
ing faith of Abra ham, and it's reward in
his meeting with the high priest Mel
chizedek, who represented Jesus Christ to
Abraham. Jesus he recognized and bowed
before by giving tithes of the spoils, and
from Him received 1.-The blessing promised.
Abrahams faith was able to believe on
Jesus even before He was come.
The third selection Romans, iv,1-9, I quote
from the Twentieth Century New Testa-
ment. What, then. it may be asked. are
we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of
our nation? If he stood right with God as
the result of his actions, he has something
to be proud of. Yes, but not before God.
For what are the words of Scripture?
Abraham believed God, and his faith was
regarded by God as righteousness. Now
wages are regarded due to those who
work, not as favor. but debt; while
as for those who do not depend upon what
they do, but have faith in Him who can
make the goddess stand right with Him
their faith is regarded by God righteous
ness. In exactly the same way David speaks
of the happy position of the man who is
regarded by God as righteous apart from
actions. Happy are those whose wrong
doings have been forgiven and over whose
sins a veil has been drawn! Happy is the
man whom the Lord will never regard as
SINFUL! By whom. then, is this happy po-
sition enjoyed? By the circumcsed? or by
the unc!rcumcised well? We say that
Abraham's faith was regarded by God as
righteousness Under what circumstances |
then. did this take place? After his cir
cumcision or before it? Not after but be-
FORE
We need much this study back to Abra- |
hams faith to showSus how weak and poor
is our own.
Applied Truth.
Men say that when they know they will |
do; Jesus says that when they do they will !
know. He does not promise to manifest |
himself to the man who. dreams or debates, |
but to him who keeps his commandments. |
The seeds of truth sprout in the soil of |
obedience. The words of Jesus in the mind |
of disObedient man are no more vital than |
wheat in the wrappings of mummy. To |
know the divinity of Jesus teachings we |
must do His will with definite Intention |
Maltbie d. Babcock.
How to help the leader.-Tell what in |
Abraham is to you most striking and help |
full.
Parallel Passa ges.-Isaiah. i:19: Samuel, |
XIV %; Exodus, XIX; Jeremiah, vii:23 Acts
v:29; Hebrews II. vii:S-9; l John. va III |
Corinthians, vi; Luke xvii:5; Luke, xviii:S. |
Hints to the Leader.
1t would be well to start a conversation |
on the different traits of Abraham's char |
acter, the various incidents of his life and |
how they fit ours today. Prepare for this,
by asking half a dozen to take different |
points, but impress upon them to be brief |
Fifteen-minute essays will kill the meeting
No one should speak over a minute. Have |
some familiar hymns about faith and ODE
dence, and get some one to start them off |
at appropriate times between these |
speeches, singing without accompaniment |
or books, if possible.
Thy childlike faith, that asks not sight,
Waits not for wonder for sign
Believes, because it loves, Alright
Shall see ings greater, things divine.
Heaven IN that gaze shall omen vida
And brightest angels to and fro
o love shall glide