NOTE.—The temptation in the wilderness, while designed by the tempter as a means of destroying Christ and his work, was the crowning test in Christ's preparation for his work. It was a real temptation—not a sham battle against the hosts of evil. "Jesus knew that he could choose good or evil, and the result depended upon his choice. There was no foreordained certainty of victory."—Peloubet. "How is he an example to us, if his temptation is an unreality? No; they dishonor Christ's work who think thus."—Woolsey. The purpose of these temptations was in direct line with the purpose of Christ's assumption of the flesh of humanity: "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted;" also "that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest." Heb. 2: 17, 18.
1 "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered. And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written,
He shall give his angels charge concerning thee;
And in their hands they shall bear thee up,
Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.
2 Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him."
Golden Text: "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." Heb. 2: 18.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) After coming up out of the water at the baptism, where was Jesus taken? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) For what purpose? Same verse. (3) How long did he fast in the wilderness? Verse 2. (4) What was his condition? Same verse. (5) Who appeared to him to take advantage of his condition? Verse 3. (6) What did the tempter say to Jesus? Same verse. Note 4. (7) How did the Saviour answer him? Verse 4. (8) Failing in this what did Satan next do? Verse 5. Note 3. (9) What did Satan ask Jesus to do to prove that he was the Son of God? Verse 6. Note 4. (10) What did Satan then do in his attempt to induce Christ to perform this act? Same verse. (11) How did Jesus reply to this deceptive reasoning? Verse 7. (12) What was Satan's next move? Verse 8. Note 5. (13) What tempting promise did Satan then make? Verse 9. Note 6. (14) How did Jesus reply to him? Verse 10. (15) What commandment did the Saviour call to Satan's attention? Same verse. (16) Having completely failed in his designs, what did Satan then do? Verse 11. (17) How did the Lord show his approval of the course the Saviour had pursued? Same verse. Note 7.
NOTES.
1. To be tempted of the devil.—Christ had in him13the infirmities of the fallen flesh in which he was born. He was not deprived of appetites, desires, or the powers of pleasure and pain. It was this that made temptation possible; but their possession was not sin. To have yielded to a wrong gratification of them, as Satan tempted him to do, would have been sinful.
2. Command that these stones be made bread.—If Christ had performed this miracle to relieve his hunger, his temptation would not then have been like the temptations of men, for they have no such power. But the real wrong would have been in yielding to Satan's suggestion, in performing a miracle at his command; for Satan needed no proof that Christ was the Son of God. The Lord was able to sustain him, and Christ had the faith to trust him.
3. On a pinnacle of the temple.—The margin reads "a wing" of the temple. "Herod's temple had two wings, the northern and southern, of which the southern was higher and grander, hence probably the wing."—Vincent. "The roof was flat, and surrounded by a balustrade."—Peloubet.
4. If thou be the Son of God.—This is the second "if" that Satan uses in his attempt to thrust a doubt into the Saviour's mind of his divine mission.
5. Showeth him all the kingdoms.—It was Christ's mission to win back to God the whole world. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Ps. 2: 8. Satan would show Christ the glory of these kingdoms which would one day be his, and would then show him an easier way of obtaining them, and obtaining them at once, without his suffering, humiliation, and death. It was a temptation.
6. All these things will I give thee.—Satan had won from man all that he was now showing Christ, and it was his until Christ redeemed it. Christ calls Satan the "prince of this world." John 14: 30; 16: 11.
7. Angels came and ministered unto him.—"He who would not turn stones into bread was now fed; he who would not call upon angels to uphold him, in rash confidence, was now sustained by them."—Schaff.
23 "And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them 24 to the Lord, on whom they had believed. And they passed 25 through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. And when they had 26 spoken the Word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; and thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all things that God had done with them, and how that he had opened a door of faith unto 28 the Gentiles. And they tarried no little time with the disciples.
1 "And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the custom of 2 Moses, ye can not be saved. And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them, the brethren appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders 3 about this question. They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles; and they 4 caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God 5 had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.
6 "And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this matter. And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them,
"Brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear 8 the Word of the Gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth 9 the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and he made no distinction between us 10 and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why 11 tempt ye God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.
12 "And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them."
QUESTIONS.
1. Name in their order the places in which Paul and Barnabas labored after they were sent out together, up to the point where the last lesson left them.
2. What did they do for every congregation of believers? In whose care did they leave them? Acts 14:23.
3. Describe the course which the apostles took back to Antioch. Verses 24-26.
4. What testimony is given to the faithfulness of their labors? Verse 26.
5. When they arrived in Antioch, what did they do? Verse 27.
6. Where did they continue to labor? Verse 28.
7. Who came to Antioch while Paul and Barnabas were there? From what place did they come? What did they begin to teach the brethren? Chapter 15:1.
8. How did Paul and Barnabas regard their teaching? What did the brethren finally decide? Verse 2.
9. What is said of the journey to Jerusalem? What did the apostles do on the way? With what result? Verse 3.
10. How were they received at Jerusalem? What did they do there? Verse 4.
11. Who offered objections? What did they say was necessary? Verse 5.
12. What did the apostles and elders therefore do? Verse 6.
13. What was the nature of the meeting at the first? Who afterwards gave important testimony? To what did Peter first refer? For what had God a long time before chosen Peter? Verse 7.
14. What did God do as the Gentiles believed? What had he given them? Verse 8.
15. How had God treated the Gentiles as compared with the Jews? (What does God know which caused him to treat them thus? Verse 8.) What did he do for their hearts? How did he purify them? Verse 9.
16. What question did Peter therefore put to the assembly? In what way could they tempt God? Verse 10.
17. What did Peter say that he believed would be accomplished by the grace of God? Verse 11.
18. To whom did the assembly then give attention? What did Barnabas and Paul declare? Verse 12.
NOTES AND QUESTIONS.
1. "Certain men came down from Judea." Were these brethren representatives of the believers in Judea? See verse 24, especially in the Revised Version. What kind of men were they? Compare Gal. 2:4. What did these false brethren say was necessary? For what purpose did they claim that circumcision was necessary? Were they preaching salvation by faith or by works? What were they in reality teaching and doing? Gal. 1:6, 7; 2:4. "Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them." Why was this? Gal. 2:5.
2. The brethren "determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem." Was it in consequence of this decision of the brethren that Paul went up to Jerusalem at this time? See Gal. 2:2. Who was one of the brethren who accompanied Paul? Gal. 2:1.
3. As they went they declared "the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy unto all the brethren." Note that instead of dwelling on the new opposition that had arisen, they proclaimed "good tidings of great joy." "God, which knoweth the hearts, . . . put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." What can we learn from this as to the nature of the controversy? What all-important question was involved?
News and Notes
FOREIGN.
—Three French cruisers have been ordered to China, presumably to watch the Germans.
—The British troops in India have captured the positions of the rebellious Chamankis, after inflicting upon them a loss of thirty killed.
—A French force under Major Marchand has been massacred on the Kongo, near Bahrelghezel. The survivors of the party retreated to Bomau.
—The Italian cabinet tendered its resignation on December 6. King Humbert has intrusted to the Marquis de Rudini the task of constructing the new cabinet.
—A despatch from Bucharest, Roumania, states that a fanatical mob of 20,000, armed with iron bars and cudgels, attacked and pillaged the Jewish quarters of the city.
—The Catholic bishop of Havana has sent an urgent appeal to the American people to furnish food and clothing for the destitute and starving reconcentrados of Cuba.
—A German expedition sent out to punish the Mboulies, a warlike West African tribe, has met defeat, and a German war ship has been sent to that vicinity to re-enforce another expedition which is planning to carry out the object of the first.
—The schooner White Wings landed a cargo of 1,600 rifles and a large quantity of small stores and munitions, at Neuvitas, Cuba, on December 3. The schooner, which was in a leaky condition, was beached on the approach of a Spanish vessel.
—It is rumored that England is reaching out for control of the Panama canal, now in process of construction. The canal has been dug about one-third of the distance across the isthmus, and there has already been expended a total of $275,000,000.
—Heavy storms have prevailed for three days, ending December 6, over large parts of Italy. In the bay of Naples twenty-five merchant vessels have been wrecked. The storm was so serious on land that railway communication has been seriously interfered with.
—England has despatched a regiment of Bombay infantry to the island of Mombasa, off the east coast of Madagascar. The expedition is under the direct orders of the British War Office, and will be accompanied by 10,000 coolies. The object of this expedition is not stated.
—The army bill will take precedence over all others in the coming session of the British Parliament, it being the intention of the government to work strenuously for the increase of the army, as the fighting force of England is now considerably smaller than that of any of the great powers.
—The pope is reported to feel very despondent over the small collections throughout the world to the Peter's pence fund, and has ordered that a statue of St. Peter be erected in every church of prominence, with a small collection box beneath, into which the faithful will drop their pennies.
—The town of Guiza, Cuba, was recently laid in ruins by the dynamite gun of the insurgents. It is reported that the forts were literally blown to pieces, and every house in the town is destroyed. The garrison of 800 men refused to surrender, and all but 41 are said to have been killed by the bombardment.
—The Turks have not succeeded in quelling the disturbances in Albania, and the Albanians are reported to be committing great excesses in several districts. The wholesale arrests of Bulgarians by the Turkish troops on the opposite border of Turkey bids fair to bring about complications between these two countries.
—A report from Egypt states that the khalifa at Khartoum is disposed to conclude peace with Egypt, to evacuate the Nile valley, acknowledge the suzerainty of Queen Victoria, and open his domain to British commerce, on condition that he be granted hereditary rights over Cordovan and Darfur, and that his followers be pardoned.
—The conference between the committee of striking English engineers and their employers has resulted in failure, no agreement having been reached between them. As a result of this the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has issued strike notices to 120,000 of its members, and the cotton weavers also threaten to strike. If the two latter organizations go out, great suffering this winter will be unavoidable.
—Two German school ships arrived at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on December 5 to enforce the demands of Germany for reparation in the case of the imprisonment of a German citizen. The Haitians were given eight hours in which to comply with the demands, which included a salute to the German flag, and the "gracious reception" of the German minister, as well as indemnity. Haiti complied, and the incident is closed.
—Another combination of nations in Europe is being consummated which is worthy of attention. It is between Turkey, Germany, Bulgaria, and Roumania, against the influence of Russia. King Charles of Roumania is a member of the same family as Emperor William of Germany, and it is said that his sympathies are German rather than Muscovite. If this combination is effected, it will form a strong factor in the politics of Europe.
—An attempt is being made by the Austrian legislators to harmonize the discordant factions in the government by a compromise over the language question, but the attempts are meeting with little success, and rioting continues. A movement is now on foot, headed by Francis Kossuth, for the independence of Hungary, and with the animosity between the different peoples constituting the empire, a disruption of the Austrian nation seems imminent.
—At the Paris exposition in 1900 there is to be constructed a mammoth revolving palace, 350 feet high, divided into twenty-five stories. The palace will be covered with nickel plate, aluminum, ornamental tiling and glass, and will be decorated with 20,000 incandescent lights and 2,000 arc lights of varied colors. The whole gigantic structure will turn upon a pivot, making one complete revolution every hour. The object of the construction of this palace is to illustrate the superiority of the mechanical and inventive genius of the opening of the twentieth century over that of the past.
—It is stated that the pope is about to afford a special proof of his good-will toward the United States. Heretofore ecclesiastical affairs in the United States have been under the supervision of the Propaganda, as this nation has been regarded as a missionary field, or heathen country. When the new order goes into effect, the United States will be on a footing with full-fledged Catholic countries of the Old World, with whom the pope deals direct. This would indicate that America's course during the last few years has been more pleasing to the pope than the integrity of its institutions would warrant.
—The German force in the vicinity of Kaiouchau Bay has marched inland eighteen miles and captured several villages. The garrison of one village fired upon the Germans, but fled at the first reply. China, in the hope of securing the immediate evacuation of Kaiouchau, has agreed to all of Germany's demands, which includes an indemnity of about $785,000. This will leave no valid excuse for the retention of Chinese territory, altho the German consul at Shanghai had been ordered to proceed to Kaiouchau and establish a regular German administration there, while the number of volunteers for the second China expedition has been increased to 1,000 men.
—Toru Hoshi, the lately recalled minister of the Japanese Government, has returned to Washington, with orders from his government to preserve the same attitude toward the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands as that expressed by Japan before his recall. His special charge now is to see that Japan's interests in the Hawaiian Islands shall receive the respectful attention of the American government.
DOMESTIC.
—The Christian Scientists have dedicated a new church building in Chicago, at a cost of $108,000.
—The government has put up $900,000, the sum necessary to qualify it as a bidder in the sale of the Kansas Pacific Railway.
—The Nicaragua Canal Commission sailed from New York, December 5, on the gunboat Newport, for Greytown, Nicaragua.
—Mrs. Nancy Alison McKinley, the President's mother, is reported to be sinking fast. President McKinley left Washington immediately after the opening of Congress to be with her in her last hours.
—The twelve Alaskan prospectors, who were reported drowned last week between Dyea and Skagway, were driven to sea and picked up by another vessel, after having drifted around for several days.
—It is reported that an agreement to consolidate has been entered into by all the manufacturers of wire nails and iron rods in the United States. J. Pierpont Morgan has been selected as president of this new trust.
—At the late general conference of the Mormon Church, statistics were read which show that during the past year the increase in church-membership was greater than for any previous year in the history of that church.
—Professor Perrine, of the Lick Observatory, has been awarded the Lalande medal, a prize given annually by the French Academy of Science for conspicuous achievements in astronomy and astronomical research.
—Rev. John Atkinson, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Haverstraw, New York, and author of the well-known hymn, "We Shall Meet beyond the River," died at his home on December 8, at the age of 62.
—Governor John W. Griggs, of New Jersey, has been tendered and has accepted the office of Attorney-General of the United States, which will be left vacant by the appointment of Attorney-General McKenna to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
—The battle for the recognition of Cuban independence or belligerency began in the Senate on December 8, by a bill introduced by Senator Allen, of Nebraska. A bill for the prohibition of pelagic sealing by Americans in Alaskan waters was also introduced in the Senate and a similar one in the House.
—A poll of the United States Senate has developed the fact that the advocates of Hawaiian annexation have not friends enough in that body to ratify the annexation treaty, which requires a majority of two-thirds. The Morgan Bill, which was introduced at the last session, will therefore be taken up and rushed through both Houses as speedily as possible, bringing the islands into the Union in the same manner that Texas was acquired.
—Mrs. Charlotte Smith, president of the Woman's Rescue League of Boston, has prepared a memorial to the President and Congress in behalf of unmarried women. She proposes the establishment of a national marriage bureau and the enactment of laws which shall compel unmarried men to take wives, or pay a yearly fine equivalent to the support of a family; or in case the bachelor is not able to do this, that he be sent to jail until he shall comply with the law. Marriageable women who refuse to marry are to be dealt with in a similar manner.
—At the convention of the National Prison Association recently held in Austin, Texas, a report was read from the committee on criminal law reform, which stated that the progress of crime was something frightful. The report made several suggestions for checking the increase, some of which are as follows: Greater severity of punishment; abolishment of juries and technicalities in trials; abridgment of the right of appeal to a higher court; sterilization of defectives both moral and physical; prohibition of the use of intoxicating liquors; development of scientific motherhood; the colonization of criminals, etc.
—William G. Hubbard, president of the Peace Association of Friends of America, has issued the following announcement to clergymen throughout the country: "It has been decided by the World's Peace Congress and the great national peace societies on both sides of the Atlantic, that the third Sunday in December shall be Peace Sunday, and that ministers of the Gospel be invited to preach on peace and arbitration on that day." The sermons are to be principally appeals for arbitration treaties, and are to be followed by resolutions to the President and Secretary of State upon that subject.14(Continued on page 15.)
News and Notes—Continued.
—The first regular session of the fifty-fifth Congress of the United States was called to order by Speaker Reed in the House and Vice-President Hobart in the Senate at noon, December 6, and the message of the President was read simultaneously in both Houses. The message was long and dealt with many questions of national interest, especially the currency question and the matter of our relations with Spain and the island of Cuba. In the latter the recognition of either the independence or belligerency of Cuba was looked upon with disfavor, and the recommendation was made that Spain be given time to carry out her reforms in the island. The President advocates the annexation of Hawaii; the completion of the Nicaragua canal; a better merchant marine; more large docks for the use of our large war vessels; the purchase of the Kansas Pacific Railway in case the bids of private parties are not satisfactory; the establishment of a more thorough government for the territory of Alaska; and international arbitration.
—The Italian Government has recently closed a number of Franciscan monasteries, and this has induced the pope to advocate the establishment of a large Franciscan monastery in Washington, D. C. The Franciscans are one of the oldest and most powerful orders of the Catholic Church, and their American headquarters will be established in close proximity to the Catholic university in Washington, where they have purchased forty acres of ground. The colony to occupy this monastery will come direct from Italy under the instruction and with the special blessing of the pope, who has contributed largely from his own income to this undertaking. It is the design to make the seat of the American Government the center of Catholic influence in America.
THE TALENTS. By M. C. Wilcox. A brief essay on "The Parable of the Talents," showing that the talents represent the various gifts of the Spirit which God bestows as he will upon those who are consecrated to him, with the duties and blessed privileges involved therein. Bible Students' Library, No. 77; 16 pp., price 2 cents.
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C. P. BOLLMAN, Atlanta, Georgia;
M. E. KELLOGG, Battle Creek, Mich.;
W. N. GLENN, Oakland, California.
Address all Manuscript to the Editor.
Terms of Subscription.
Per Year (50 numbers) post-paid . . . . . . $1.00.
Six Months, 50 cts. Three Months, 25 cts.
To Foreign Countries, per year, $1.50.
SPECIAL TERMS.
a. One new yearly subscription and one renewal, or two new yearly subscriptions, sent at one time, $1.75.
b. Two new yearly subscriptions and one renewal, or three new yearly subscriptions, sent at one time, $2.50.
c. Three new yearly subscriptions and one renewal, or four new yearly subscriptions, sent at one time, $3.00.
d. Any person ordering under sections a, b, or c may thereafter send us new yearly subscriptions at 75 cents each, and new six months' subscriptions at 40 cents each.
Sample copies sent on application.
All orders sent direct to the publishers, either for single subscriptions or for clubs, must be accompanied by cash. If credit is required, please order through your State Tract Society. Club rates and terms to agents sent on application.
