The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-10-09
THE N D SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON CON-
MENTS FOR SEPT. Is BY THE
REV. l.. w. HENDERSON.

SUBJECT: Moses Pleading with Is
raeI. Deut. 6:1-15-Golden Text,
Deut. 6:12- Memory Verses,
4-7-Commentary.
This speech of Moses to Israel, Of
Thich the lesson is only a fraction,
is, to the mind of the writer, one of
the greatest addresses in literature.
Profound in its philosophy and
searching in its call for the recoyni-
ton Of the rights of God in His re-
lationship to humanity it Is an i'm
p~erishable contribution to the litera-
ture of the world. It is majestic.
The whole book of Deuteronomy is
as majestic as this speech. Profess
sor Moulton, in his introduction to
the book of Deuteronomy, in the
Modern Readers Bible, says: ut is
not an exaggeration Of literature to
say that no work OF literature which
has ever appeared has produced a.
greater sensation that the book of
Deuteronomy. Everyone knows the
romantic episode Of it's first appear
ance in history discovery or a res
cue from oblivion which would be the
equivalent of a discovery. King
Josiah with youthful fervor is medi-
tating a repair Of the temple; the
treasury Is cleared out, and in it is
found a book. Whether this was
Deuteronomy itself or a larger roll
including 1t we have no means Of de-
termining; but 1t was certainly the
contents of Deuteronomy which pro.
duced the effect that followed this
discovery. The book was read before
the king; he rent his clothes as he
listened; a thrill Of horror went
through the nation at the denuncia-
tions of woe against idolatry coming
to light when the idolatry was fully
established in the land. There en-
sues the most sudden reformation
movement In all history. First, there
is the great gathering in the temple,
all the men Of Judah and all the in
habitants of Jerusalem, and the
priests, and the prophets, and, all the
people, both small and great The
book is read before them; they enter
into covenant with the Lord, the king
leading them from his lofty plat
form. Then they turn to a fury of
purging zeal; there Is breaking Of
idolatrous vessels, SCATTERING of ODE
lisks, defiling of high places through
out the land and the Staying of their
priests. Then with a recovered sense
of national purity the people feel
able to keep the feast; surely there
was not kept such a passover from
the days of the judges that judged
Israel, nor in all the days of the
kings of Israel, nor of the kings of
Judah" ..r.E
The lesson is so full of meat that
it is hard to cover it with justice In
a column. We shall consider three
points that are suggestive: /. Verse
five, Love for God. 2. Verse seven,
Teaching Children. 8. Verses ten
and eleven, Gods Gifts.
Love for God Is the one thing tIat
from the human standpoint, is neces.
sary to-day. Men will not much de-
/ sire to do Gods will unless they have
affection for Him. They will not love
their fellow creatures as they should
unless they have a thorough-goins
love for God. They will lend them
selves toNall sorts of wickedness and
practice every variety of meanness
if their souls are not surcharged
with such a love for God as shall
make them amenable to the control
of the divine DEGREES. Nations need
this as much as do individuals. We
shall never beat our ornaments into
agricultural implements until we get
the world in al attitude Of love to-
ward God. The world knows that
God loves it, especially the civilized
world. What we need is to secure a
reciprocity of affection from the man
ward side. Without it the world Is
doomed. "
It is not sufficient that men shall
be lovers of God themselves. It Is
necessary that they shall teach their
children the principles of moral and
religious truth that dominate their
lives. And the Protestant church has
much to learn along this line. The
Catholic church, however much we
may disagree with its theological
tenets, is the greatest success that
the world has ever seen in the matter
of the direction and control of the
child mind. And the Protestant
church might well learn a lesson from
that success. Proper direction and
| instruction during the first ten years
\ of the life Of a child will, almost in
variably, determine the movement Of
| it's mind during the rest of its life.
Our children are entitled to the most
cultivated, intellectual and spiritual
nourishment and guidance that the
world affords. To-day may direct the
destiny of tomorrow.
Another thing that we had well re-
member, especially in this land, is
that God has given US the land with
out any effort of our own. 1t is no
less true of US than it was of Israel.
America needs this message of Moses
to Israel beyond any nation in the
world to-day. We had best be care
full not to forget God in this gift-land
Of our inheritance. The religious
heritage Of America is her pearl be-
yond price. May she not barter
either her inheritance or her heritage
for a mess of pottage. The danger
Is that in our prosperity we shall for
get the Providence that four cen
turtles ago unveiled this land to the
gaze of Christendom. The danger is
that we shall let go our grasp on God.
The danger is that in the last an
alysis we of to-day shall forget that
we did not build the land, or fill the
houses with good things, or dig the
wells. The danger is that being filled
Ind satisfied we shall become self
satisfied; that being secured Of God
n our prosperity we shall become
;elf-suficient. Let US beware.