Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-24

The efforts of Asa to stem the tide
were successful in part; he put down
gross idolatry, but he was not able to
rid the nation of all the places of
heather worship. Jehosaphat started a
travelling Bible conference and did much
to steady the nation: but in spite OF
these bright spots, the history of the
southern kingdom was, written with the
same word, failure. f SIS M
GODS WITNESSES. M,
Tsrael's down grade was so precipitous
that utter destruction OF the nation and
the individuals in it would have result
ed If God had not been. SO merciful.
Remember that He is trying to prepare
an instrument for His redemptive work:
remember that they have refused His
way; remember that He has not forsa-
ken them but is letting them have their
way for the time to demonstrate their
inability to govern themselves. Re
memrer how far, under Ahab, they have
wandered from Him. how previously
they have treated Him, how sorely they
have yexed him. Then note how gra-
cious He is. He does not check them vi
olently. He does not let them go on.
without warning, but sends His prophets
among thell to warn them. to instruct
them. to plead with them, if possible to
win them.
Elijah comes first. and his methods
are those of the sword; he brings fam
inc and drought. He murders the proph-
cts of Baal wholesale. He learns later
God is not in the storm. in wind, or
earthq quake, but in the voice singing in
the silence; and Elijah goes back to his
word changed man and words in a
changed way. DO not think that he fail
ed when he fled; his faith was not
gone; 1T was the result of physical
weakness, and God shows it afterward
by rewarding him with translation
instead of a modification. Like Enoch
he walked with God; and in his walk
learned many valuable lessons, that he
was spiritually wise enough to adopt.
Finally, after many years of compan-
ionship and fellowship with God and Eli
jah, Elisha takes up the work as Gods
witness. His was a gentle nature; / think
Llijah's vision on Horeb had good deal
to do with the gentle persuasiveness of
Elishas life. We shall study him more
closely in the coming weeks, and hence
we will leave him here But as you study
him. watch fer the influence of his com
panion's life upon him. These men were
not failures. In the midst of rebellion
and rejection, of division and disaffection,
tof corruption and idolatry of failure and
Efaithlessness, these men whom God sent
were successful. The efforts at self-gov-
eminent failed. but God in his mercy
failed them not
God has called you to such service now:
you are to be witnesses for him here and
unto the. uttermost parts. He will mot
fail you; can he depend on you not to
fail him?
N B. The selection of the passage in
Proverbs to, sum up the teaching of the
past quarter, and the utter disregard last
week of the chronology to supply pass
age for a special lesson, impress upon me
the conviction 1 have had for number
of years, in fact ever since / began to do
any Intelligent Bible study, that the sys-
tenn adopted by the committee for the
international lessons is unscientiic, I'M
WISE and actually harmful to the best
Bible study. 1t is time we were learning
that We can no more teach the small
children and the young men and women
the same lesson in the Bible than we can
teach them the same lessons in mathe-
mates. 1 propose therefore that We re-
quest the lesson committee of the Inter
national Sunday School association to
give us a properly graded system of les
sons believe this has already been un-
der advisement, but 1 have an idea that
Ia volume of requests from this section
would have a good effect in Fastening
that nuch-to- be-desired result. If you
agree with me in this win you not sign
the form below, cut it out and mail it at
once to me, care The Journal
Dr. Marion NIGH. Hull, care THE Journal,
Atlanta, Ga +
| I concur in the proposed request to the
lesson committee that better system of
lessons be selected, taking into account
the differences of the minds Of scholars
of different ages, and grading the lessons
properly.
(SignedD ,....... -. ..-..... -. .........