S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
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THE CHRISTIAN NATION.<br />
Vol. 59.<br />
ed for the further prosecution of the work,<br />
and to inspire the membership for active participation<br />
in the work planned.<br />
' The special subject chosen for this year is<br />
"The Immigrant." The magnitude and the<br />
importance of the subject will at once suggest<br />
itself to every thoughtful person. When<br />
we consider the number of immigrants that<br />
come to our shores every year, the character<br />
of those that are coming, the place they<br />
occupy in our industrial system, their educational<br />
and religious condition on their arrival,<br />
the influence they and their children<br />
are destined to have on the character and<br />
life of our country, and the duty that the<br />
church owes to them, it will at once be seen<br />
that there are few questions of greater importance<br />
demanding our consideration. Believing<br />
as we do that the principles that are<br />
held and propagated by the Covenanter<br />
Church are capable, when rightly understood<br />
and applied, of solving all the problems that<br />
exist, or may arise in our national life, and<br />
that without the applications of these principles<br />
these problems cannot be rightly solved,<br />
we certainly ought to be awake to this call<br />
to consider existing conditions and to discover<br />
how our principles may be applied to<br />
the solution of these problems that gather<br />
about the immigrant.<br />
But first of all we must come into possession<br />
of the facts that are involved in the<br />
problem, and know the conditions that exist<br />
as a result of past and present immigration<br />
conditions. How many of us really know<br />
tbe facts relating to this subject of immigration<br />
? The number who are coming annually,<br />
and the number that become permanent<br />
residents of the country? The countries<br />
from which, they come, and their religious<br />
and social condition ? Their distribution<br />
throughout the country, and the place that<br />
they occupy in its industrial life? The influence<br />
we are having upon them, and the<br />
influence they are having upon us, for this<br />
question is one of mutual influence? Are we<br />
bringing to bear upon them the influences<br />
that will fit them and their children for a<br />
part in the social and political life of the<br />
nation, and for citizenship in the kingdom<br />
of heaven? How should the government deal<br />
with the immigrant question? Should our<br />
gates be wide open to him, or should there be<br />
still further restrictions placed about his coming?<br />
The study of these questions will probably<br />
convince us that the problem is a bigger<br />
one than we have been thinking, that it<br />
is one that has a far larger place in moulding<br />
the life and destiny of the nation than<br />
we have been thinking. The big question is.<br />
What influence is the immigrant having upon<br />
our national life, and future condition, and<br />
what are we doing to fit him for and help<br />
him to his proper place in our national life,<br />
and to prepare him' fur citizenship in the<br />
jkingdom of heaven?<br />
(Concluded next week.)<br />
Inthe Sabbath School<br />
Lesson I\'. October 26, 1913-<br />
By the Rev. W. A. Aikin.<br />
THE SIN OF MOSES AND AARON.—<br />
Numbers 20:1-13.<br />
Golden Text.—Let the words of my mouth<br />
and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable<br />
in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock and<br />
my Redeemer.—Psalm 19:14.<br />
Psalms.—95 :s-9. C. M.; 141:3-6. C. M.<br />
Time.—Near the close of the period of<br />
thirty-eight years which Israel spent in wandering<br />
in the wilderness.<br />
Place.—^Kadesh.<br />
ANALYSIS AND COMMENT.<br />
After thirty-eight years of wandering in<br />
the wilderness, the children of Israel again<br />
take up their journey to the land of Promise.<br />
I<br />
This period is almost a blank in the history<br />
of Israel. The account of it in scripture<br />
is very brief. Only two incidents of the<br />
whole time are recorded, viz.: the punishment<br />
of the Sabbath-breaker and the rebellion of<br />
Korah and his associates. Yet if all the<br />
events of this period had been recorded it<br />
would surely have furnished a melancholy<br />
chapter in history. The wilderness was<br />
strewn with the dead bodies of the generation<br />
that had rebelled against God in refusing<br />
to enter the land of Promise when they<br />
heard the report of the spies. All who were<br />
above twenty years of age, at the time of that<br />
incident, had fallen in the wilderness, save<br />
Joshua and Caleb, and Moses, Aaron and<br />
Miriam. These dark pages are omitted from<br />
the history of Israel. But in the account of<br />
today's lesson we find a blot in the record<br />
of the life of Moses and Israel.<br />
I. PASSING AWAY OF MIRIAM, (v.<br />
T-)<br />
"And the people abode in Kadesh; and<br />
Miriam died there, and was buried there."<br />
The hundreds of small bands, that had been<br />
scattered in the region both to tbe west and<br />
east of the eastern arm of the Red Sea, assembled<br />
now at Kadesh to set out once more<br />
for Canaan. And while they tarried here<br />
making ready for their new start, Miriam<br />
died. It had been one hundred and twenty<br />
years since she watched over the ark of bulrushes<br />
that contained Moses, the babe. She<br />
had now lived to a good old age, and had<br />
seen many wonders of the Lord in the land<br />
of the living. Save for the spot on her life<br />
envying Moses at one time—the story of her<br />
life is resplendent with honor and glory. She<br />
was honored by the position of a counselor<br />
to Moses and a prophetess in Israel. She<br />
wrought great things in Israel by playing her<br />
part just at bhe psychological moment. Her<br />
suggestion to Pharaoh's daughter just at the<br />
opportune time, secured for Moses, the leader<br />
in Israel, that early home training which<br />
laid the basis for his life of usefulness in<br />
Israel. By her example, when the joy of<br />
triumph was at its flood-tide in Israel, she<br />
led all the women to celebrate the praises<br />
of God in the song of victory which Moses<br />
had written. This is one of the happiest<br />
scenes in Israel. And at Kadesh-barnea,<br />
when all Israel was set against Moses and<br />
ready to choose a new leader to lead them<br />
back to Egypt, and the Lord was ready to destroy<br />
Israel, who knows but that the moral<br />
support which Miriam gave to Moses, in that<br />
critical hour, was the means by which his<br />
hands were upheld, enabling him to gain the<br />
greatest victory which he ever secured for<br />
himself or Israel!<br />
II. PROVOCATION AT MERIBAH.<br />
(v. 2-S.)<br />
"And there was no water for the congregation<br />
; and they gathered themselves togeth- .<br />
er against Moses and against Aaron. And<br />
the people chiode w'ith Moses,, and spake,<br />
saying, Would God we had died when our<br />
brethren died before the Lord!" The shortage<br />
of water was nothing more than wha:<br />
Israel might have expected at this time. It<br />
was in the dry season of the year, being midsummer.<br />
Besides this, Israel had all come<br />
together at one time in this one place. Bui<br />
none of these things seem to have entered<br />
into their considerations. When men are inclined<br />
to look on the dark side of things,<br />
they vvill overlook all explanations. And<br />
when they are prone to distrust Cjod, their<br />
eyes are closed to all His manifestations of<br />
love and mercy both in the past and tihepresent.<br />
It is also evident from the conduct of<br />
this new generation in Israel, that "evil propensities<br />
are transmitted; the birth follows<br />
the progenitor; the wild asses breed wild<br />
asses; the children of the raven fly to the<br />
carrion," and human nature does not improve<br />
from one generation to another. Israel<br />
"turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their<br />
fathers."<br />
III. PRAYER OF MOSES, (v. 6.)<br />
"And Moses( and Aaron went from the<br />
presence of the assembly unto the door of<br />
the tabernacle of the congregation, and they<br />
fell upon tbeir faces; and the glory of the<br />
Lord appeared unto them.'" This act of<br />
Aloses was most commendable. He made no<br />
attempt to reply to the people; but betook<br />
himself to the Lord. The posture, which he<br />
took in the presence of the Lord, shewed<br />
that he was deeply moved, and that he had<br />
a sense of the awfulness of the sin of Israel<br />
at this time. He knew that what had transpired<br />
at this time was but "tlhe same old<br />
story" in the conduct of Israel. There was<br />
no audible petition in his prrayer. It consisted<br />
in groanings which could not be uttered.<br />
Finally, the glory of the Lord shone<br />
forth from the seqret place pf jthe '/Mto'St<br />
High, and Moses knewj that the Lord had<br />
heard his prayer. But alas, he did not give<br />
good heed to the answer which the Lord<br />
made. In the s.ame manner God's children<br />
sometimes mistake the answer which God