The Washington herald., 1909-03-06
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
THE RELIGION OF THE HELP
ING HAND

excitement in most OF the past ten les
sons; dramatic incidents have at no time
been lacking. Now the quarter closes
with a peaceful. quiet. constructive les
sen comprising the two incidents OF the
healing OF Eneas. who had been paisied
for eight years, and the raising 70 life,
also by Peter. Of Dorcas. the woman who
was full OF good works and alnsdeeds
which she die
The lesson Of the lesson is twofold. and
it lies on the surface: The Gospel Of Jesus
is attested by its power TO transform fee
bleness into strength and death into life;
and the religion of the helping hand Is
the immemoriaI result CT accepting Christ
as Lord. These two teachings are for to-
day. In other fashion, but none the less
truly. the Gospel is at the present time
lifting up the broken in body and spirit.
and sending them, erect and rejoicing, as
witnesses 10 the supernatural power
which stiil resides in Christianity
WHEN CITIES ARE STIRRED.
The cities OF Richmond and Boston have
lately been stirred 10 their depts by the
CHAIRMAN evangelistic meetings. Espe-
cially in the conservative old New Eng
land city has the impression been pro-
found Thousands Of persons clamored In
vain for admittance TO gospel meetings
already overcrowded. Men and women in
all walks OF life publicly confessed that
they had been made new creatures by this
old-fashioned Gospel To them, and TO
their friends, it seemed as il they had
passed from death unto life.
How the city's many tongues wagged
over these wonders Of conversion Even
50 the talk ran AZ LYDIA, where Peter
healed the paraiytic. aed at Joppa. where
he restored life 10 Dorc2s- These events
were signs NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
the divine power which inheres in Chris
tianity. Made-oyer men and women are
the fnal and irrefutable argument for the
GospeI. The devil is less concerned over
the books Of Christian apologetlcs than he
is over the converted sinners who testify
10 the power that made them whole again.
This is the sort OF thing that sets COM
/ munity By the ears and turns men S
hearts 70 their Maker. The company OF
witnesses, Of which Eneas and Derc2s
we're early members, has been steadily
/ increasing one ever since
TIE HEALING CHURCH.
Dr.. Robert A. Hume. of India. calls him
self a Maker and nender OF men and
boys. by the power Of the Lord Jesus
In orher words. he is a missionary AS
II one day rode in tonga through the
CIV OF Ahmednagar with hinl. being
greeted on every hand by natives OF all
ranks. I realized that his great work has
/ been done, not by the books he has writ
/ ten or BY the sermons he has preached
/ IN his Oriental church, but b his being
a friendly. helpful neighbor IN the ordi'
/ nary relationship OF life. He Is touching
his Httle speck Of India with the helping
/ healing touch OF Jesus. 1 am satisfied C
accent him, and 1000 men and wcmer
/ Ike him. as being in the apostolic sue
cession because he displays an apostolic
character and does apostolic deeds. Simor
Peter. on his missionary tour. would have
found many a modern missionary con
genial companion
| The conception Of ministry which th'
I early Church held so strongly is agaiT
taking strong hold OF the mind OF th'
! Church OF to-day. The Emmanuel Move
ment and various notifications thereof L
permeating all denominations and al sec
tious OF the country. The ministry j
stressing Wilderness as well as holiness
Jesus. the healer. Is looming large IN th'
Christian thought Of our day. OF course
this fascinating theme often evOkes fl
balanced views. and Il is fraught witt
peril to be merely emotional and super
i fetal. None the less, through the scienc
Of medicine and the practice Of faith
the Church may DO for the afflicted wha
/ Peter did for Eneas. The medical mis-
sions which are centers Of light and heal
ing all over the non-Christian world ar
an fmmeasurable expression OF the Cos
peFs power.
A woMANs CAREER.
The name Of Dorcss has been adoPte
By thousands OF organizations Of helpful
women. Her example is a good one 1
! mediate upon In this day when there
such widespread discussion OF woman
sphere Some Of US are uneasy as we Sc
that woman is made the cOmmones
| problem OF the novel. the play. IN
essay. and the lecture The sign is no
a wholesome one. For when men begi
to regard woman as curious and com
pick social enigma, and try 10 analyz
. and dissect her. they cease 10 pay he
the oId-fashioned Difference which We Tx
TO regard as her unquesuoned right tn
less woman is considered as question
LElE HuLEL SliE wall DC ~ AAAAAiA AEA 4tdN-A 9
destiny. II this Sunday school lesso
leads older students 70 recall and re2S
sert the primary place Of woman in th
social organization it viii have done
service entirely germane to its origins
purpose.
Old-fashioned, indeed, was Dorcas Sd
had no other thought OF a career for hel
self than 20 be helpful up to the limit {
! her powers. She was not a famou
: church worker nor had she the gift {
prophecy Her Office was the simpl
J lowly one of helping the needy in humhl
womanIy ways. Nobody called her
= genius" but the poor blessed her upo
every remembrance OF her name ST
could not teach to edifcation, peFhap
but she could demonstrate her faith
: her works Many were the new babit
, whose first wardrobes came from h,
deft fingers. And even the praiseful liT
!. OF the friends who gathered about hs
bier could not call the roll OF all the sic
= and aged and poor whom she had clothe
All the while. doubtless. DoTcas locke
! with admiration upon such superior
women as Mary Of Bethany. Little d
she dream that her swift needle W
stitching her own name In letters Of fad
!. less gold upon the worlds brief roll
I ( inmortais.
5 THE sOLyERs OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEM
Echoing in the wailing os those Easter
women gathered about the bier Of Dorc,
II have heard that weird sound mo-
: than once, and never want to hear
. again-is one solution of the social pro-
lem These weeping friends seem not
: have been professional mourners. The
grief sounds too sincere nots for tha
A good Reighbor ard friend had die
and the world cannot be restrained fro
rewaTding its helpers. whether II be
humble Charleston negro, whose funer
was attended by q multitude Of whit.
l.