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