Evening star., 1923-09-29

| us.-Heb. IL. 1. ,-..- -,.. i
During the last six months We have
been enjoying one of the most in
teresting and profitable lines Of Bible
study as week by week we have con-
sidered the immortal list of great
| characters, which are set forth in the
Scripture. The notably Great Men
and Women of the Old and New
Testaments'' rest their title to enduring
fame, not upon military prowess, states
manship or literar achievement, simply,
but rather upon the moral grandeur OF
their characters and the spiritual
qualities of their personalities. which
were marked by their faith in Je-
hovah and unhesitating obedience to
the. will of God.
"It is said that a certain library in
Brooklyn contains a copy of the
American Constitution so delicately
shaded in the copperpIate that it
brings out in relief, as the observer
familiar features OF George Wash
ington, the founder of the American
republic and the man who made that
great charter OF liberty national
and enduring fact. From one point
, of view II is a chapter OF political
history: from another. 1t is the por-
trait of the father Of his country"
In our studies of these outstanding
personalities we have been impressed
with the power of the Lord Jesus in
fuencing and molding the lives of
these heroic figures so that during
the Old Testament period they pre-
| pared the Hebrew nation for His
coming and during the New Testa-
ment period revealed the transform
! ing power of His life in making men
and women who were ordinary peo-
pie into great personalities.
The period which we have been
studying for the past three months
covered the first century of the
Apostolic Church history Every
great period in history ceRters about
some outstanding personality and
! produces great men and women. This
was especially true In the :epech-
! making century that was introduced
| by the advent of the Lord Jesus and
the descent of the Holy Spirit. at
Pentecost. One has well said that
Never in the history of the world
has there been a generation which
and women as those biographies we
have been studying for the past three
months"
| We commenced our study with the
brave John the Baptist, whose fear
| lessness made him powerful
preacher. The forerunner's messages
] in the Judean wilderness prepared
| the way for the entrance of Jesus
into the public ministry as the Mes
siah. We followed our study of the
f, one, whom the Lord said: Among
them that are born of woman there
hath not arisen greater than John
the Bsptist," with a lesson. devoted
| to the highly favoured" mother OF
our Lord. People of all creeds re-
| we're the Virgin Mary, whose trust
in the angels annunciation resulted
in her being honored as the mother
of our Saviour. Mother has richer
! meaning since 1t was spoken by the
| child Jesus TO the quiet and devoted
soul, whom He loved as His mother.
In thei next three lessons we
studied the careers and characters OF
three Apostles who played pron1i-
| nent part In establishment. exten-
sion and training of the Apostolic
| Church. We saw the fmpulsiye Peter
who. was the first to confess that
| Jesus was the Christ. develop spirit
lating person into the rock through
| the Transforming power of the Holy
SPIRIT sent by the Risen Christ to
comfort and direct His church. we
tion of john. who in the commence
ment of his discipleship twas envious,
resentful, and selfishly ambitious, - into
"the beloved disciple" whose life and
that he. preached. In the fifth lesson
we had a study in. the conversion
OF Matthew, the publican, that re-
Vealed the breadth of the Masters
| sympathy sand His passion for the
souls Of the outcasts. and despiced
among men. The Lord was the only
One, who saw. anything goodrin Mat
thew, whose ready response and sery-
first gospel proved the correctness OF
Christ's knowledge of men. :: ~: =.
Three women were eonsidered., in
the next two lessons; The nrst was
acter of Mary Maedaiene, who was
one of the last persons. to leave the
cross and one of the first to reach
the open grave on the FIRST Easter
that Jesus had cured her Of aeterrible
disease. She revealed her gratitude
by devoting her wealth to His: cause
and her life to His service. Bethany
be. One home there was. q favortte
4 with Him. He riskea Il His life to
| bring. Lazarus. one .member-of the
household back, from the dead. He
Mary and Martha. The latter min
| istered unto Christ by supplying Him
trying hours of His last week. Mary
\
understanding of the struggle through
which He was passing and her en-
couragement by her generous an
nointment Of His body at the feast
| stephen, the first Christian MARTYR,
died because he faithfully preached
1 that the gospel of the Risen Christ
was, for all mankind. It. caused the
death of this good man, who. filled
with the Holy Spirit had caught the
visino of his Lords program to
4 evangeliae all. nations. He. did not
die in vain. The generous Barnabas
who discovered Saul Of Tatsus, and
1 John Mark. while pastor of the An
1 tioch Church. heard the call Of tbs
Holy Spirit and undertook with Saul
latter called Paul, the missionary pro-
gram Of Jesus that Stephen !. had
| testified to with his blood.f .
+ Paul. who was one of the greatest
4 men OF his day, was mastered 8 By
the Lord, who turned the persecutor
! of the church into the Apostle to: the
GentiIes and the planter Of modern
civilization in Europe. Three of his
the subjects for the last three. les.
sons John Mark, who had failed, We
saw making good through Divine
lGrace. In Luke the beloved phyYtcfar
we observed how frtendshlp. for tht
Il = III, -