The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-02-25
RELIGIOUS
WORLD
Farming q Famous Namc-The Inter
national Sunday School Lesson Tor
March =, Is Gods WITH
Abraham" Gen. Is: 1.:1-lS.
i,y WILLIAM II. ELLIS.

fIlFId thi popbA 49,. |
or nickname. is that OF the friend OF
God" The appellation has persisted
through the ages, just as We always
say Richard the Lion Hearted, AIfea
the Great, and Mohammed the Con
queror. Few persons in history WIN
"A distinctive adjective to their names
although nearly all have ii among
their IA antilles.
Abraham is most notable as the
friend OF Cod" That is he great
truth about hina. Not the number OF
his focks. not Hrs journcyings. not
his victorious battle with the three
kings, not even the fact that ne Is
the father OF the faithful. distin-
guishea him SO clearly as the title the
friend Of God" Last month the mag
azines were full Of articles by or about
persons who knew Lincoln; that was
their claim to a public hearing. The
distinctive Characteristic about Abra-
ham is that he knew God, as friend
knows friend.
Back in the part OF the world where
ne lived the people then, as now, pc
lieved in covenants. To this day tne
covenant of salt keeps one safe amid
the Arabs. The most sacred OF all Is
the covenant of blood. This lesson
narrates how Abraham and God made
A covnant together which has been
kept to this day.
The Rig Fight.
Abraham needed heartening. We
loft him last week At the parting OK
the ways. when Lot chose the cities
OF the plain. Tha. scRpegrace neph-
ew had got Abraham into further
trouble. Chedorioamer and his two
allied rulers from the East had at
tackled Sodom aud the surrounding
peoples. and had carried OF prisoners
and booty In their big raid. They won
q great victory down In the plain OK
the Dead Sea, and among the captiyes
carried away was Lot. who was at the
time y dweller in Sodom.
Some relatives might have said OF
Lot. well. no has made hrs bed, let
him lie In IT," Certainly he had done
little to carr loyalty. Yet
when q oreathleSs messenger rough
to Abraham. sitting in his tent door
under the oak OF Maulre the news OF
tho catastrophe ut Sodom. he was
quick to take action. He gathered his
own three hundred fighting men to-
sether. and with two n~eighboring al
lies whose friendship he had won
started in pursuit Of the three kings.
over the full length OF the land We
call Palestine he chased them, until
up la the region Of Dan, north OF Da'
mascus, he came upon them n smOtt
them to q complete defeat. The at
W&O - o0A - NC 0AN AN eASs~
were caught unawares. Abraham ane
his forces not only defeated the army
homeward bound with It's spoil. bu
they recovered the prisoners and tn
loot that had been taken from the cit
les Of the plain, and bore It all bacl
60 its rightfui owners. Jealous eve
for his personal liberty. Abraham re
fused to take any share OF the spoil
lest one Of the kings OF the plain
should say. II have made Abraham
rich"
II was on the hoIneward journe
after this notable battle that Abraham
n Meichizedek at the ancient fo1
tr~ss Of Salem, which we now kno,
AS Jerusalem. We know little abou
his mysterious figure. except that b
was a priest OF the God Most High an
TO him Abraham rendered q tenth {
his spoil as a religious Offering.
After tho Battle.
Depression follows Fast on tt
heels OF achievement. The man WI
high deed IL likely to suffer a corr
spending reaction. Blue Monday q
the preacher Is bluest after he n;
done the greatest service. Thus Y
find the triumphant Abraham back
his home at Hebron. lonely al
DISCOURAGED. To hi9p came the wo'
OF the Most High. Fear not, Abr
A~AHs 4 0Ti my SIllctu 1uU tUy cXCcC
Ing great reward"
There was no need OF tho spoiis
Sodom for that man.: and no need
alliances with the armies Of the plal
lie had God Tor his helper and G.
for his satisfaction. The coufden
that his times were in Jehovah.s ha
was better than any league wi
mighty fighters. In his depression
was heartened by tho promise Of
protection and presence Of .Jehoval
The OPicntal's Desire.
It Is surprising. and a bit tragic,
learn. as those who see into the In
mate depths OF the character OF tn
friends do learn. the number OF m
and women those deepest sorrow
that they have no children. They
not herald this abroad. and often
misunderstoOd by The communi
BraveIy they put on a cheerful Il
n try to content themselves with
tomobiles and travel and work q