The Detroit times., 1915-08-20
The international Sunday School
Lesson for Aug. q 10 "Asa's Good
Reign.--II. Chron. 15:I-15.
(sY WILLIAM 7. ELLIs.)


Whom does the baby resemble ?"
is the question asked concerning al
most every new life. II we could
see into that potential soul, the an
swer would be more significant. For
should the BABY take after his
noble grandfather. rather than his
shiftless, characterless father. the
result would be important to the
world. The weakness of the argu-
ment about heredity is that a child
has SO many ancestors, OF such var
led sorts, and be often shows the
characteristics OF remote forebears
| whose worth overpowers the worth
lessness Of nearer progenitors.
There was Prince Asa, our pres
ent instance. Surely he was doom
ed to a bad life. with both heridfty
and environment to operate against
him. He lived In corrupt court
Rotten heather practices prevailed
all about him. His father. Abijam.
had yielded 10 them: and his grand
father. r . beam, whose folly had
split the kingdom. was more inter
ested in being "a good fellow" than
in being good king. One OF his
heather wives. Maacah, mother of
Abijam and grandmother of Asa,
was the most forceful personality
In the palace: and her influence
was wholly bad.
The outlook was dark for Asa.
Your modern sociologist might write
HIS case down in advance as hope
less. But stay Was not Solomon
Asa's great-grandfather and King
David his great.great grandfather
SO the strain was not wholly bad.
The virile qualities of these great
est kings of the Jews would surely
assert themselves.
And they did. Asa came TO the
throne OF Judah as young man. In
a time OF peace. He was good"
young man. God and religion mean,
most TO him. He loved his people
more than he loved himself. His
heart was aHame with passion for
reform: and all great reformers
must become such while young
Well nigh hopeless Is the case o.
the young man who passes the peri
Cd OF impressional ldealism with
out yielding to noble and unselfsi
ambitions. Like his shepherd-bo,
ancestor. who In boyhood sani
songs OF Jehovah and did battl,
with giant, Asa early became free
with resolutions OF righteousness.
The Harvest OF War.
A notable fact OF peculiar inter
est just now, Is that Asa came 4
his throne at the beginning OF
period OF peace for Judah. War ha
been the rule during the reigns o
his father and grandfather. No'
peace gave him an opportunity 10
internal reform. With the distraS
ton OF enemies at the gates, Asa
great work OF cleansing could no
have been done. IL needed quie
and determination 10 make pos
sible this purging OF the peopl
from pollution. Progress and peac
go hand in hand. Not on the bal
tlefeld. but In the quiet times q
industry, education, invention an
social consciousness. nation come
10 its greatest height. This trut
might he amplifed. with illustrs
lions from every days newspaper
Asa's reign was righteous. 4
times OF peace; war made him FOL
get bis holy purpose. Toward tn
end OF his days he even clapped
prophet into prison for telling hir
the truth, and he oppressed the pee
pie and permitted a return Of lido
airy. Good King Asa Is n strikin
instance Of wars deteriorating q
feet upon character. Other exam
pies may be gathered from recer
cablegrams.