Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-06-24
SUNDAY SChoOt.
\AAlESSON ~
BY BIN NEMSOlE

Lesson July l. Isaiah 6.
Isaiah was laboring under great
stress Of sorrow and dlsappoint-
ment. His career had up TO this time
been bound up in the fortunes of Uz-
ziah, the king who ascended the throne
OF Judah when but a boy and reignod
wisely and we'll but in his old age
departed from the path OF right ana
died a leper. The failure of UZziah
had deeply depressed Isaiah and In
this state Of mind he visits the house
of God FOR comfort Here he obtain
a miraculous vision of Jehovah and his
glory. In the presence OF this vision
this godly man feels and overpowe.
ing sense OF his own unworthiness
He esteemed himself "A man of unclean
lips which involves an unclean heart,
until purified by fire from the altar.
This is characteristic of intimate
knowledge Of God. We may compare
ourselves with other men and seq
where We are better than they, until
We come to believe ourselves pretty
good sort Of man, but let the vision OF
Gods holiness and purity burst upon
our sight and we Will be overwhelmed
with humility and shame at our i'm
perfections Every man has some
knowledge of his shortcomings. no
matter how much he may stifle con-
science, as dong as in contact with his
fellows, but one little view of divine
perfection brings him to his knees in
humble depreciation of himself.
No man is on the road TO purifica-
tion until he realizes the immensity
OF his own imperfection AS long
as a man thinks himself good there
is little chance for him to improve.
only when he gets a view Of the un-
cleanness of his own heart Is ne
ready and willing to seek the way 10
Improvement. When Isaiah cried
out woe is me- the serpah quicKy
came to him with the purifying lire.
Sincere repentance never fails to gain
a quick response from the pardoninS
power. Forgiveness Is never held
back from the pcnitent nor cleansing
from those who crave to be pure.
Not only is this true of those VINO
come to a throne of grace for for
giveness of sin. but it equally applies
TO men who claim to be Gods chit
dren but who have fallen into spirit
ual laZness and are trying TO get 10
heaven by the lines of least resistance.
They need to he reused from their
complacency by a great grief ana go
to the Lord for comfort and true
knowledge of how far they have fallen
short Of what God planned for them
to do and to be What the world
needs more than saving the heather
and the goddess is an awakening
among Gods own professed followers.
as Isaiah was awakened.
The first desire Of this good man
after his lesson was to enter Gods
service, not I'm lines Of mis- own chOos-
ing, but 20 obey orders. As soon as
he was cleansed from uucleanness he
was ready and anxious to go. We
cannot think Of any person who his
been saved who is not desirous or be
ing instrumental in the salvation Of
others. Gods gifts are not things TO
he selfishly hugged to our bosom, and
the man who thinks so has never yet
been cleansed of his impurities. Some
thing is wrong about us when we can
accept Gods gifts as matter of
course and not hasten to spread the
good to our fellow-men. Religion IS
not selfish; when God comes into the
heart selfishness departs. II God
wants somebody to undertake a COM
mission he will be the first to say,
Here am |; send me"
The message he was to carry 10 his
people was not pleasant one II
was Of going to a forlorn hope and
trying to save a remnant Of the faitn-
full among the thousands of stubborn
unbelieVers. 1t was as tho a man
were ordered TO pound what seemed
an impresnable brick wall in order
lndt ne might breuk II down piece
meal. Which reminds us that we do
much injustice in our estimates of
men. particularly of preachers II Is
not necessarily the man who swayh
audiences and makes a big mark on
the history of the day who has done
the work which ultimately counts
in the Lords program. William Carey.
the "conseCrated cobbler." was dep
recated and ridiculed when he un-
dertook TO evangelize India. and his
work never made good showing
until when he died, people began 10
take stock of his work and conceded
that he had accomplished almost mir
acles, A whole lifetime of conse-
Grated toll may fail TO show what the
world esteems success, but God Is
keeping n different record Many
man has preached for years with few
converts to reward his labors. vet in /
that time may have shown the seeds |
Of an awakening that later brings
thousands to Christ God sends the
results that he intends in that mans ,
life, altho men esteem him a failure
But 1t takes man with a clear sense |
OF his divine commission to pes ST !
in his duty when his every effort is
chilled by the unresponsiveness of
men; but If God sends us we are cow
ards II we do not do what is set before /
MS and leave the ultimate results in the |
hands of higher than human pow
cr. Whenever God shows the path to |
be trod, be not slow to say. Here am
I. send mo