Bridgeton pioneer., 1907-07-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
fSTERNATIoNAL S1rsl'aS, LESSON co,.
MENTs FOR JULY % NV, CON.
REV. I. w. HENDERSON NE
subject; The Golden Calf, Ex 90.
3o-35-Golden Text. I 1oI
l-Memory Verses, "a u. .;
Commentary. oo--

commentary.
Moses was up on the no,
Ing with Jehovah for Israel TanC PLEAD.
thn hnew II. But in the perversitsf iatsfae!
.nelr nearts the people for wborSS Of
pleaa ana Tor whose welfare Un ba M ne
so soilcitous deliberately denied was
Knowledge OF his Whereabouts my
was an altogether ignoble actinn It
we nave seen its like since tba But
OF Moses and perhaps we shaI, lays
ness it analogy again. '"ii Wit
Inc lesson of the golden calf -
meaning and a warning for onr "asa "s
Grafton. 1t has a particular Iost sen
for America. 0i lesSon
III there is any one thing mora ~.
another that has made the Amonal slal
civilization and prosperity of ~ iSaa Sa
1t is the providence of God ana Jtay 4a
Willingness of Americans in tbo a Tue
erations that have passed away 10 sen
led, In some measure, by Him M
root OF righteousness that has a1r.al ne
been active and heard amonp +t;s
people with reverence and resneot tns ~
at the bottom of our national sucno.n s' ~
Whatever success we NAV bor.
achieved as a free people NAV ba' ",0 -"
created largely to the potency ~
that righteousness among us wb;oh
e&alteth a nation. That is tn s01'
that America owes it's success and as ;ts
international preferment to ~
guidance and the grace of Cod
careful student of history canro.
conclude that the momentous diSooo
cry OF these western lands simulto
heously with the regeneration of hn.
man ideas and ideals in Europe was
SIMPLY coincidence. 1t was provi.
oentlal. 1t was divinely planned And
dlylnely led. Likewise no careful
student of American history can como
to another conclusion so valid as this
that the progress of these United
States is founded upon the grace nj
GOD and the underlying purpose of
this people to keep close to His law
But some very superficial obsery.
ers OF the trend of events wouh
seem to have it otherwise. To read
the industrial reports one would ta
led to think that the industries and
the railroads and the balance of trade
OF this country are the fundamental
bases upon which our prosperity is
built II we believed the politicians
the central handspring of all national
prosperity is to- be found in political
systems. Some eminent millionaires
would evidently have US believe that
they are the real leaders of the peo.
pie on the march to greatness, power
and plenty.
A man coming from foreign shore
to- New York for the first time would
be pardoned if he assumed as he
gazed upon our temples of commerce
and of finance that we worshiped un.
adulterated materialism instead Of
the true and holy God For among
many peoples the shrfnes and the
temples which they have dedicatedN
the service of God are the dominat-
ing feature of the town and country
side
And too largely for her own good
America is erecting a golden calf
And our calf iS prosperity and mate
rial success. These be the gods some
say that have made America. And so
we perpetuate evils that prosperity
may continue for a, season. And so
we postpone reforms, am3 reforma-
ton for fear that in e4fectfng neces-
sary changes we may endanger our
prosperity for a time. There is no
worse idol worship than this There
is no idol worship more insidiously
dangerous, than this. For it is the
dedication of money, Of material sue
cess, above theright. To worship the
calf of prosperity is to exalt oppor-
tunism.
And this calf is not a dream calf
with many men. It is not a mere
academic conception. 1t is all to sad
ly a reality with many men. For
there is, many man who would glad
ly reform. the social order did he not
fear that in the process of revolution
however cautiously il might be car
ried on he would suffer in his world
ly estate; Many a. man there is who
is heartily Disguised. with the state of
things as they are who is unwilling
to lose, q little himself that the larger
cataclysm which is, sure to come as
surely as we delay to mend our ways
may be averted and the fortunes Of
the coming generations more eff
perhaps unconsciously, but more Of
ten consciously, worships the golden
calf Of prosperity.
America nG6uS ID TGCOSnlES tAns
God is at the centre of her being and
the motive of alb her phenomenal sue
cess. She needs to acknowledge HIS
sovereignty and her Indebtedness to
Him. She needs to exalt Him aud
proclaim her fealty to Him. She
needs to assert her allegiance to. HIS
prophets and to ally herself with. HIS
righteousness For our prosperity Is
not the gift of men but the gift OIL
God. We are entirely the architects
of our fortunes. We should not Do
able to be the architects of them al
all were it not for the beneficence Oh
the living God. We do not exist aparl
from Him and we cannot be secure
apart from Him. In Him we live ana
move and have our being is truism'
but it is one that we might well pom
der. For it states tersely the uHi-
mate fact in life. May God grant US
never to forget 1t. May we exalt HIN