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Settember 30, 1914.
A FAMILY PAPER.
that unless we are prompted we forget we are to
watch because Satan is always reaUy to caicn us
Inthe Sabbath School
unawares. We are to watch because the trust
Lesoon ul.
^^''"^''' ^'' ^'>'^^- that has been committed to us in the care ol oui
By the Rev. Owen F. Thompson.
own soul and in the care oi the souls ol other and
LN THiii GARDEN OF GETJrlbiiMANE the honor o£ God is so great.
Golden Text.—Watch and pray, that ye enter Christ asked a great thing ol his Father here.
not mto temptation. Matt. 26:41.
He asked in laith not because he thought ol it as
Lesson Te.i.-14:32-42 (cl. Luke 22:39-46). being a reasonable thing that he was asking but
Time.-Apnl A. D. 30. Place, Gethsemane.
because he could say in perlect laith, "all things
Sui.able Psalms.-130., C9, 88, 22.
are possible unto thee."
Exposition.—Notice first Christ's steadJastneas
To me the central thought ol the passage and
of purpose. Aithough he knew what was before one ol the greatest sayings in the whole Bible is
him when he started he did not turn back or seek the words, "nevertheless, not what I will, but what
•,any other way to accomplish what he had to do thou wilt."
in the world. He lollowed the way that he saw before
him altnough it led to death. How many of recognize all these things to be true and that it
The "nevertheless" -means that although we both
usit we knew what was before us would always go is to be lully as hard as we had leared and it
ahead as steadily as Christ did One ol the hardest
blows that he received was when Judas, his nevertheless, in the lace ol all that, I can say,
will be as unbearable as it had seemed to be,
own disciple, betrayed him there in the garden "not my will but thine be done."
with a kiss. And Jesus knowing that it would So many times we go through things by not
come went ahead to that place trying to prepare looking at them. We are alraid to know what is
himself.
The next thing to notice is that Christ, as a
so we go into it blindly. Christ looked clear to
the end although it made him tremble and shrink
great leader always does, took the lead in that he was able to say, "nevertheless I am willing
struggle there in the garden. He had his friends to go."
with him for he needed their help but he went on When it means that we have counted all the
ahead and alone to meet the enemy and lelt his cost and are still willing to go then it has a far
friends to watch and pray. It is as though they different meaning to say, "nevertheless I am willing
were a regiment taken along lor support to be
to go—to China, or Syira, or to the semin­
called up in case of need. It was the moral supary.
Nevertheless I am willing to live a true
port of their presence that he needed. Christ
never sends his soldiers into places where he will
not go. You read of generals ordering battles by
telephone from several miles away. It was never
that way with Jesus. He led the way into the
darkness ot the garden. He was the leader who
gave his life in the fight and we can do no less
than follow. He has a right to ask of us what he
gives himself.
You read in the papers these days how the
Kaiser sends so many men into this place to die
and so many into another place to die and that
he is willing to give a hundred thousand men to
take a fort and so on, Christ does not purchase
his victories at the price of the lives of his followers.
He won his vtciory himself at the price
of his own life and lets us suffer with him that
we may be also glorified together.
Notice next that Christ resorted to prayer at
the crisis of his life as he had done in all other
times of trouble. Although he seemed to be farther
and farther Irom victory ne never lost his faith
in prayer. There are many ol us who could learn
our lesson Irom that, lor so many times we are
tempted to lose our laith when the answer does
not come at once or does not come as we expected.
Notice next that he took his closest Iriends
with him when he went out into the night to
meet his great trial. Too many times we do not
use the comfort and strength that is to be lound
in our friends. We do not expect enough from
tiem along that line. They are willing to give
more than we ask. We ought to let our friends
mean more to us—but do not make slaves of
them.
Notice next that Christ, and many another
great man in the world has been bowed the same
"ay, was burdened by the struggle that he saw
'''ead. So many times we heat advice and per-
'"'P'' give advice to others to take things more
easilv. Great resoonsibility is a burden that c^n
Dot be tome eas-'ly.
So many times through the Bible we are admonis^-ed
to watch. We are to watch because of
"T own weakness. We are naturally so neglectful
Christian lile." Can you say, "Nevertheless"
This is true consecration and I think that we olten
misunderstand.
Consecration is not deciding to be a Christian
or to be a better Christian. It is not deciding to
be a foreign missionary. It is not to give the
tenth for the Pharisees did that. You might give
all your goods to feed the poor and give your
body to be burned and get no profit. The young
man asked Christ what good thing he could do to
inherit eternal life. Christ virtuality said to
him. "You can not do anything good enough to
inherit eternal lile. "R'hat you must do is to give
up every thuig in your lile that holdsl you to the
world, every thing that leans toward sell, and come
and follow me. Make my way your way." It means
to count the cost and then to be able to say,
"Xevertheless, not my will but thine be done." It
means that you will no longer have a will ol your
own but that Christ's will be yours.
The reason it is so hard lor us to followChrist
in every thing and that we have so many hardship
and disappointments is because we still have
a will ol our own and to follow Christ we are constantly
giving up what we want to do and following
Christ's way. We are going where we do not
want to go and doing what we do not want to do.
Now consecration is to be so much in Christ that
there will never be any change like that or any
giving up ol what we want lor we will always be
going where Christ wants and doing what he
wants.
The question ol consecration would have to
be met in the foreign fieldjust the same as at
home unless you had met it before you went. Consecration
is a condition within, it is not a decision
or a change ol direction. Decisions and charges
ol direction will be likely to lollov/, but the perfect
peace comes as soon as perlect submission
is reached.
Christ lound those sleeping upon whom he had
depended for support. How often it Is true that
he finds us sleeping. How it must hurt the
Master to see his people sleeping, for he wants
them to be living examples of himseli to the
world.
How olten we sleep while the Son ol Man Is
betrayed. How many times he has lelt us with
responsible places and we have slept while the
enemy has come and taken away our trust. How
olten the Lord has given us souls to watch and
care for and we have slept waile the evil one
has come and stolen them away. -How olten we
have been left with the care of our onw souls and
we have slept while we have drilled away into
sin. In that way the LCrd has been betrayed, lor
we stand as representatives of him belore the
world.
What happens over there in Europe now when
a soldier is lound asleep at his post He is shot.
It is just as terrible and more terrible for a soldier
of Christ to be lound asleep at his post. And
how many ol us are sleeping away while the
enemy is doing his deadly work.
The golden text teaches the danger that we are
in constantly lor Satan is about us constantly
with his temptations and we are so weak to meet
them. You can be sure that the armies that are
fighting these days are watching and they are
praying too 11 the reports are true. How much
more important is the fightagainst sin and how
much more careluUy we ought to watch and pray
lest the evil one catch us and get the advantage,
He takes captives by the thousands and he drives
men to their death.
Lesson III. October 18, 1914.
LESSON FOR THE CHILDREN.
By Anna Pritchard George.
IN THE GARDEN OP GETHSEMANE.
Mark 14:32-42.
George, can you remember the saddest, hardest
time in all your lile, when everything in the
world seemed to go wrong, and you just knew
that no one loved you Today's lesson is about
one ol the darkest, saddest hours in Jesus' lile.
On the table pile up the sand lor the Mount ol
Olives. Here is the Valley ol Kedron, and on the
hill on the other side, is Jerusalem. Make the
wall ol the city with these stones. These boxes
are the houses, these sticks the people of the city.
This time of the year there is a great deal ol
water in the valley. How will folks cross, Buster
"Make a bridge." Lay this board across
the water resting on stones on either side. On
the slope ol Olivet, not very far from the bridge, is
the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden are
fruit trees and sweet smelling "shrubs. Stand
these leafy twigs in the sand for them. There Is
dense shade and ail so quiet. Pile these stones
around for the wall.
It is midnight. Lights carried by the people
hurrying to their homes, flickerhere and there
in the city. Jesus and his disciples sing, then
leave this house where they have had their last
supper. All are heavy hearted, for Jesus has
just told them he is about to die. As they silently,
sadly walk through the city, they pass the
guards on duty and the thoughtless people. No
one else suffers as they do. Now they leave the
city by this open gate called the Sheep Gate.
Jesus turns to his disciples. "All ye shall be
offended because of me this night." Then he tells
them that he will rise again and meet them In
Galilee. But they do not understand about rising
from the dead. They are worried about being
tempted to leave Jesus and proving untrue to
him. Is it sale to be too sure of yourself, Bud
Sometimes when you think you can surely ride
a certain horse or do something else real hard,
you find yourself mistaken, don't you Peter is
always sure ol himself. "Although all shall be
offended, yet will not I." Who knows best what
Peter will do, Ruth, Peter or Jesus "Jesus." And
Jesus answers. "Even in this night, belore the
cook crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." Still
Peter is sure of himseli. "If I should die with thee,
I will not deny thee in any wise." And ail the
disciples say tbe same. But we will see later
how the disciples run away and Peter, who is
surest of himself, fails Jesus.
here, darkness, where Garden, grows Jesus while heavier. Jesus and Peter and I his says ipray." and come Death disciples to Jesus James eieht to the very cross takes cf and his gate near. this with John. discinles, of bridge him "My the His into Garden soul "it In heart
the is ye