The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-05-15
Sunday School
Lesson
1 Sam. t7:2-17.


er must have to understand this one.
There we see the Philistines had
taken the precious little ark of God
away from its home-the Children of
Israel-and it caused trouble, disease
and death among them wherever 1t
went. This little box indicated the
presence of God. So they at last
saw they didn't want it at all and
they hitched two milk cows to it and
turned them loose, after taking their
calves home. Then their heather
priests said Now we'll see if that has
anything to do with it; if the cows go
home to their calves it has not, but
If back to the Israelites then it must
be kept away from here Away went
the cows. taking the Ark of God back
to the people Of God. Then they knew
it was bad thing in theirmidst.
They had put this Ark on their heath
en- throne by the side Of their heather
god and bad luck came to their god
every time.
Now. let us spiritualize this: In
End Cor. 2:16 we read: ITO the one
he is the savior of death unto death,
and to the other the Savior Of life un.
to life And Heb. 1899: For our
God is a consuming fire." Outside Of
Christ we learn from other scripture
Can't you see it sometimes? We see
church people putting members out OF
the church as they call it. As in
this lesson, If the church is living
where God wants it to live, the pres
ence Of God will be there and that
other fellow will go. I've had fellows
say: II started to be Christian but
couldn't get away from my old asso-
GATES" I don't understand that at
all. I'd 60 in one end Of my caboose
and they'd 60 out at the other So
very seldom have I been able to catch
mine.
Samuel at this time was the sec
ond Moses Of Gods people and he saw
clearly that it was not large army
they needed but the living God of
Israel And to get back to him they
must repent ard turn to God with all
their hearts. My reader will notice
the IF" is on their side, not with God.
The dead sinner is not ask to do any
thing-not ask to come to Jesus; to
be a Christian, but it is the back
slider as in this case. He loves his
people too much to go into anything
cheap with them.
Samuel, the child Of prayer, was
now the man of prayer and was
called upon to pray for them (verse
81. When one gets in trouble and he
starts to look for some one to pray
for him they don't look to the dance,
shw or any society, but the prayer
meeting. And now Samuel knew they
needed repentance, so that is what he
prayed for Some get conviction and
repentance mixed up. One has said
that conviction is being called for
o'clock and repentance is getting up
at g..
"The opportunity to repent is onA
Of the highest privileges that God has
granted to man.
Easy, indeed, to know when fell
low is in earnest; he looks for those
who can pray. An old sea captain told
me Of prayer meeting one night in a
storm. He said: There were all
creeds and the infidel, too. There had
been some red hot debates; some
great scofing, but that night the
worst storm ever saw, and the pray
ing, pleading and begging and the
promises made, shall never forget"
One day on siding my engineer
had lot of fun with me about my
religion. as he called it-and called
the Bible an old woman's fable. etc.
But about ayear after he ran into the
rear end of another train on a very
dark night. The engine upset down IL
sand cut and he was down under
the whole thing, with his jaw broken
on one side and fracture on the 9th
err, beside being bruised all over his
body, and only God knows why he
was not killed outright. Well down
in that place and condition he did a
first class job of praying. Afterward
at his home after he could talk 4
right again, / went up to see him
After talking over the wreck, I said
to him: Now you know how l stand
on the Bible and l know where you
stand, so we don't need to talk that
over any more, but for my own infor-
nation want to ask, what did you
pray for, since there is nothing in it.
Well, he lay there for long time
with his eyes shut without a word.
had plenty of time and let him have