enced the joys of life (Luke 10:21), sympathy (Matt. 9:36). He shed tears (John 11:35; Luke 19:41). And yet, though He was in all points like unto us His brethren (Heb. 2:17) He was without sin (Heb. 4:15; II Cor. 5:21).

The sinlessness of Jesus shows His divinity. To Christ are ascribed the essentials of divinity, as divine names (John 1:1; Acts 10:36); divine attributes, e. g., eternity (Col. 1:17; Heb. 13:8), omnipresence Matt. 28:20; John 3:13), divine works (John 1:3; 5:21), and divine worship (John 5:23; I Cor. 1:2).

The question may well be asked: "Why this divine-human personality? Why these two natures in one person?" The answer brings us face to face with the mission of Christ.

II. His Mission.

The mission of Christ is denoted by the word "Saviour," the name by which He was called before His birth (Matt. 1:21), the word which means "He shall save." That this was His mission is emphasized by Christ Himself, when he said: "I am come to seek and to save the lost." "The Son of Man came to give His life a ransom for many." "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The ultimate reason for the Word made flesh is to be found in the sin of man. "For sin requires atonement, and atonement requires the God-man."

The Saviour came to save His people from their sins, from the guilt of sin, which exposes us to the wrath of God; from the power of sin, which enslaves us under the tyranny of Satan; from the condemnation of sin, which results in the miseries of hell. His mission is salvation. Who are to be saved from this threefold bondage of sin? III. His Field.

He is the Saviour of the world. God so loved the world. His command is, "Go ye into all the world." He further says, "I am the light of the world. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." John 12:47.

These passages reveal the extent of the missionary operations of Christ. His operations were not limited to His own people, for "He came to His own, but His own received Him not." The gospel was given to the Jews first, not as an act of favoritism to them, nor in order to keep it from others, but because they were the best point from which to start it on its world-wide mission. There must be a base of operations. Home Missions logically precede Foreign Missions, but we must not stop there.

"Ye shall bear witness of me, first in Jerusalem, then in Judea, then in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth."

The mission field of Jesus shows that Christianity is no national religion, that stops at geographical boundaries, or is limited by ocean shore, or racial lines, but it is international, universal, to envelop the whole earth. We cannot shut the Gospel up in our own lives and land, but we are bound, we cannot get out of it, to spread it over all lands and seas.

"Thou Leaguer, come with me till I, show thee the unevangelized lands, the lands without teachers, and in the showing thou wilt see the Far East, the Far West, the Far North, the Far South. They are peopled by millions and millions who know not of the true God. They worship the great Spirit, they worship their idols of silver and gold, they worship the things of the creature rather than the Creator. Do you not hear them sending the wireless distress SOS? They are words which tell of their need: 'COME; HELP; US.'"

"Lord, speak to me, that I may speak In living echoes of Thy tone; As Thou hast sought, so let me seek Thy erring children, lost and lone. "O use me, Lord, use even me, Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where; Until Thy blessed face I see,

Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share." Luther Leaguers, pray Missions, Give to Missions, Go, Preach Missions, so that Christ may soon become the Saviour of the World.

Saturday Morning, Matt. 20:17-34; evening, Gen. 46:1-34.

HINTS FOR LEADERS.

Have material well classified.
Imitate no one; be original.

Never monopolize entire program.
Train others for leaders.

Select previously Scripture verses and music apropos to topic.

Fortify your self with hours of previous prayerful study.

One thought expressed in your own words is better than a volume.

Remember always ""Tis the Blessed Hour of Prayer." "Living things move."

Epitaph of many meetings: An opportunity lost. Aim to stimulate your leaders to discussion. "Dead things are still."

Engage the worshipful attention of every individual. REVIEW, and other invaluable literature, not a prop, but an aid.

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed." Hymns, 18, 206, 217, 93, 225.

(Topic reviewed by Rev. W. P. Christy.) The church at Rome became the great missionary church of the early Christian centuries because Paul the missionary had trained and inspired all that "went in unto him in his own hired dwelling" with missionary enthusiasm.

The dull ears and the closed eyes of his own nation turned him with all the greater enthusiasm to his God appointed task of preaching the Kingdom of God unto the Gentiles. This he prosecuted with such devotion and zeal that espousing Christianity under Paul's leadership carried with it the commission and responsibility of becoming a missionary.

The Missionary Church.

To promote missionary training a missionary pastor is the first requisite. "Like priest like people," is an old saying more truthful than elegant, and in no respect are people more like priest than in his relations to the missionary operations of the church. Congregations whose contributions to missions have caused them to be rated as wealthy are often found upon investigation to be composed of persons of very ordinary means, but whose liberality has been developed by a pastor who is not afraid that his salary will be jeopardized when he instructs his people in the work of missions, and encourages them in giving; whose ministerial efforts are centered not in selfishly securing his own support and comfort, but in developing within his flock the grace of giving; whose example eloquently preaches that "it is more blessed to give than to receive."

The Non-Missionary Church.

On the other hand, one does not have to look far to find congregations. which may or may not be wealthy, but which are unmistakably selfish and stingy, giving little or no response to the Macedonian cry, whose

glory is in their local achievements, which glory when it stands alone, should be their shame. Investigation will show that these people are no different than those in the missionary congregation. The difference is the result of training. The pastor who has had it within his power to shape congregational spirit and affections during the plastic stage of development failed in his duty toward missions. Now in its "fixed" state it cannot be impressed with missionary appeal.

Where to Effect a Change.

Pastors who are missionary in their spirit and labors are not always able to speedily develop missionary congregations. Previous training, fixed thoughts and habits are hard to change. But much can be done. A church is always growing within a church. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." This should be for him sufficient assurance that his labors, if not yielding missionary fruit, are not in vain in the Lord if they are employed in sowing missionary seed.

The Bible School

from primary to senior grades is always receptive ground and it is remarkable how soon missionary fruit will develop. Mission Sundays with the topics supplied by our boards should be observed monthly. All missionary festivals should be utilized to their utmost. The youth of the church delights in these and impressions lasting throughout life are formed. These festivals and entertainments if missionary in character will implant ideas of worship and giving that will bring forth much fruit. "The child is father of the man."

The Catechetical Class affords the pastor opportunity to impart missionary information and to create missionary zeal, which he should utilize to the utmost. Here are gathered the future Bible school teachers, Luther League leaders, and the Church supporters of the future. They are there not only to learn to "say the Catechism" but to imbibe the spirit of the Gospel, concerning which Christ's two words of command are "go" and "teach."

The Missionary Society.

The women's missionary society of the congregation, together with mission study classes, which the men may join and find profitable, supplied as it is with excellent programs and topics, is one of the best means for propagating missionary intelli

gence.

Missionary papers, tracts and reports should be carried to every home.

The Luther League. What has been said of other organizations is likewise true of the League. But the Leaguer feels that as such he should be a missionary Leaguer. He can first of all, by taking special pains, make the Missionary Topics a success. Acquire all the information on the subject that you can. put as much enthusiasm into the presentation of the topic as possible. Secondly, get your League to become interested in and support some particular mission or missionary. Get into correspendonce with your missionary and have his letters read at meetings. Finally, do all in your power to make your League a mission League and your League and your church will advance as your love and your gifts extend outward. Bible References.

Luke 27:44-48; Matt. 2:11; Matt. 24:14; Luke 5:59-62; I Pet. 2:9; I Pet. 4:10-11; II Cor. 8:5; Ps. 66:16; Acts 2:45; Mark 12:44; Rom. 14:19; I Thess. 5:11.

(Topic reviewed by Rev. John C. Bowers, D.D.) God never had a child without sorrow. He had only one without sin and that was Jesus. We cannot escape sorrow; it is one thing we all must experience, for "Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward." It was in this world of sorrow and care that Jesus lived a sinless life. About Him He saw the pernicious effects of sin continually. He declared "I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance," and His enemies sneeringly said He was a friend of publicans and sinners. His

mission was such as to bring Him into close contact with sinners, yet He sinned not. He only could live a sinless life in a sinful world. Because God was His Father He could not sin. The angel declared to His mother that He should be holy and should be called the Son of God. He was free from original sin, and had no natural inclination toward that which is evil such as we have. We are born in sin and our inherited disposition is to transgress the divine law in thoughts, words and deeds. How prone we are to do the things we ought not and to neglect the things we ought to do. It was not so with Jesus. He always did the things that pleased God. He obeyed Him perfectly. He never departed from the divine law. His life, therefore, was holy, for sin is the transgression of the law. Of Jesus only could it be said, He was "altogether lovely." In Him were no defects He was perfect in His thoughts, purposes words and deeds. We are familiar with the names and lives of men and women whose names adorn the pages of the Bible and we admire them for their faith, thei unselfishness, their devotion to God and their unswerving fidelity to His cause, but of not one can it be said that he or she lived an absolutely holy life. We may with grateful and affectionate hearts recall the love of our parents and their self-denial for Theirs may have been saintly characters, but we cannot pronounce them holy as Jesus was. You will invariably find in your most esteemed friend some deficiencies of character that you would remove and replace by desired qualities. In Jesus only we find blended in perfect harmony all the attributes of God. He was the "fairest among men." He declared He was equal with the Father. He who hath seen Me hath seen the Father. I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. To the Jews who boasted that they were the children of Abraham He said "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?" There were many things about His disciples and their work that we must admire, yet Jesus told them, when ye have done all that is commanded you say, we are unprofitable servants. Those who knew our Lord intimately, lived with Him, were His closest friends, watched His actions and studied His motives, testified that His life was holy. John states with positive conviction, in Him is no sin. Peter affirms, He was without blemish and without spot. Jesus never spoke of His relation to God as imperfect, nor did He intimate, even faintly. (Continued on page 34.)

us.

New Year's Day, 1918! May every Junior and Intermediate, every superintendent and assistant, have a blessed and happy life in the service of the Master throughout the whole year.

Now let every Leaguer go to work to make 1918 the best ever in League accomplishment. There is much to do; for we have not exhausted our resources. Plan definitely. Execute thoroughly. Achieve concretely. Build substantially. Pray fervently. Rejoice continually.

FEBRUARY 3.

"The Saviour of the World."

By Rev. Conrad Wilker.

Scripture Lesson-I John 4:13-15.

General Truth--The apostles knew that God dwelt in them because they had received the Holy Spirit. They saw the Lord Jesus-they knew that he was sent by God the Father to be the Saviour of the world.

Point of Contact-We love God because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. He did not give an angel-He gave His Son-who is God. He came as a man, a baby, a boy, a man, the God-man. We marvel that God was made man for us, but what shall we say of this, that God will dwell in us?

Lesson Developed-The wise men from the East came to see the Infant Jesus in His home in Bethlehem. They fell down and worshipped Him. They gave Him gifts. You know what these gifts were and what they meant.

Do you boys and girls confess that Jesus is the Son of God in your homes? Do you worship Him there? To confess that Jesus is the Son of God means to worship Him by prayer and Bible reading. God dwells in boys and girls who pray in the name of the Lord Jesus in the home. They manifest Him to the world.

When God dwells in boys and girls they will be Christians at home. We pray "Come Lord Jesus be our guest." Should we not live up to this prayer? If we do then we are not going to be mean and disobedient and unloving. With Jesus, the Son of God, as our constant guest in our homes, we will try to please Him and do those things which He did when He was a boy at home. He will dwell where there is love and obedience.

There is also another way to confess that Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and that is by going to church. You remember the story of Jesus in the temple? You recall what he said when his parents found Him there after a long search? "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" He was there in the midst of the teachers to learn and confess. You attend the Bible school to learn about Jesus. Do you attend church service to confess Him? "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, etc." When you attend service you are letting the world know that you are about your Saviour's business-you are confessing that He is the Son of God whom you worship.

If you will read the rest of the Gospel lessons for the Sundays in Epiphany season you will find that Jesus manifested Himself as "the Saviour of the world" by healing the sick, stilling the tempest, etc., and that finally He was glorified and transfigured upon the mount. You may confess Him as the Son of God by living in the world like a child of God, doing good, growing in favor with God and man.

FEBRUARY 10.

Missionary Training in the Congregation
By Rev. Conrad Wilker.

Scripture Lesson-Acts 28:28-31.

General Truth-This is the final scene of the book of Acts. It shows the great Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul, informing his countrymen that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles (all who are not Jews). He is a prisoner in his own hired house, but he is a missionary prisoner preaching and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. A most inspiring scene.

Point of Contact-This man Paul, whom some people called "an ugly little Jew,' was one of the greatest men who ever lived. He was a great man because he was a great missionary. The Jews, the Greeks, the Romans had many great men, kings, conquerors, emperors, scholars, philosophers, but the greatest of the Greeks and the Romans are not half so well known as St. Paul. He may have been an ugly little Jew physically but he was the greatest of them all because he had the true missionary spirit. No matter what happened to him, no matter where he was, no matter what men said or did, he was a missionary first, last and all the time.

Even now, though he was a prisoner, chained to a soldier of the praetorian guard, he preached and taught and wrote epistles and comforted his friends. He is our missionary hero-we glory in what he has done for us and the world. Shall we imitate him?

Lesson Developed Paul was a missionary before he became a Christian. He was a mission

ary Pharisee. He persecuted Christians. He was the wrong kind of a missionary because he did not have the right kind of training. Where did he get the right training? In the Christian Church.

But first of all he saw the Lord. We cannot be true missionaries until we have seen the Lord Jesus. We cannot show. manifest Him to others until we have seen Him ourselves.

Ananias was Paul's first Christian teacher. You know Ananias and what he told Saul? What did Paul do after he left Damascus? You see he had to be trained in the Christian congregation.

Boys and girls get their missionary training in the Bible school and in the church. Do you have a mission Sunday in Bible school, mission study classes, etc., missionary literature of all kinds? Paul did all sorts of mission work. He was a home missionary, he preached to the Jews, his own countrymen. He was an inner missionary because he healed the sick, collected money for the poor, preached in prisons, even converted a warden (jailor of Philippi). He was a foreign missionary, preached to the Gentiles.

Now he was preaching for two whole years in his own hired house. His congregation consisted of many different kinds of people. What did he tell them? Why this, of course, "that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles and that they will hear it." He was training missionaries to go out and preach Christ to others. Special Study-Paul the missionary and his missionary friends. What missionary work can be done by boys and girls in their own church? FEBRUARY 17.

"Jesus' Holy Life."

By Rev. Conrad Wilker. Scripture Lesson--John 8:42-47.

General Thought-"Jesus was in all points

tempted like as we are, yet without sin." He challenged His bitterest enemies to point out even one sin. "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" They could not. He was "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world"-Himself without spot or blemish.

Point of Contact-All men have their faults. The greatest saints were sinners, too. Men like Abraham and Moses and David, Peter, John Paul were not without sin, therefore they never could be saviours of the world. They could not even save themselves. but all are saved by the holy sinless Jesus. You and I also are saved by Him. He is our Saviour and He has left us an example that we should follow in His

steps.

Lesson Developed-Jesus loved the truth. He was the truth. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life," He said. Because He loved the truth and was the truth His life was true and holy. His enemies hated the truth; therefore they did not believe Him and because they did not believe Him they told lies about Him and said, 'Say we not well, etc.," v. 48. His friends who knew the truth said about Jesus, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." We must know the truth and love the truth about Jesus before we can lead holy lives in accordance with it.

Some people get puzzled about the truth. They do not know where to find it. Some look for it in science. They get what are called facts and facts are supposed to be truth. Then somebody comes along and upsets the facts and find they were not true after all. Some look for the truth in philosophy and do not find the whole truth. Others, like Pilate, get disgusted with what they see and read in books and people and say with him "What is truth?" A great many people are like Pilate today. They are the world in turmoil. They see lying and stealing and hatred on every hand and they become disappointed and despairing and say, "Where is truth?"

We know where the truth is to be found and we know that the truth of the Bible and the principles of Jesus will stand forever, no matter what men may say and do. If we know the truth we must live it or Jesus will have to call us "liars" also. We profess to be Christians, therefore we must practice what we profess. The world is watching, especially Christian boys and girls. just as His enemies watched Jesus, and will be only too glad to be able to say "that boy's or that girl's life is a lie because it does not square with the truth."

You cannot be perfect like Jesus but you can try a little harder each day to bring your life a little nearer to the pattern of Jesus' holy life.

This is especially necessary right in our day. In time of war many things break down, immorality breaks in, temptations surround you. Boys and girls must be steady, true, loyal and faithful to the truth not only to keep themselves pure but in order to keep others straight and true. Your friends need you! Be steady, be strong, be true!

FEBRUARY 24.

He did it gladly because of the joy that was set before Him of drawing many many souls to salvation.

Point of Contact--He fulfilled the law for us. Without Him we would still be under the law. Do you know what that would mean? We would be judged by the law and not by the Gospel. The judgment of the law is death. That judgment works out like this: "Sin is the transgression of the law." "The wages of sin is death." "For as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin, so death has passed upon all men for all have sinned." "The soul that sinneth it shall die." (Find these Scripture passages.) "The law hath included all under sin."

Lesson Developed -What is the Royal Commandment? What did Jesus say to the lawyer who tempted Him, Luke 10:28? If we could fulfill that law, we would not require a Saviour. But we cannot do that. Take any one of the commandments and test yourself. What does the fifth commandment say? It forbids hatred, anger, etc. "He that hateth his brother is a murderer." We will soon find "that there is none that is good, no, not one." All would have had to die. But Jesus came to save men from this death. To save men He had to do two things. He must fulfill the law of a just and holy God, who hates sin. He had to die, for "without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins." We had to have such a Saviour in whose name we could pray to God. "forgive us our sins for Jesus sake." God can then look to Jesus and say. Here is One who fulfilled the whole law, which I could not and would not change. He fulfilled it not for Himself because He was without sin, but for these boys and girls and men and women who believe in Him and love Him as their Saviour. For His sake I will forgive them.

"When the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons."

As a little child Jesus was circumcised and received the name of "Saviour." Those first drops of blood were the surety, the payment on account of the whole debt which men owed to the law. which He paid in full on the cross. When He said. "It is finished," the debt was paid. When the soldier thrust the spear inte his side. the last drops of blood were given.

He paid in full. He fulfilled God's holy law for us. Let this mind also be in you. to obey God's holy law even unto death. "If ye love me keep my commandments." Surely we love Him, surely we will not grieve Him by disobe dience!

JANUARY 27. "Temperance."

By Rev. Arthur T. Michler. Scripture Lesson-I Cor. 9:24-27.

Parallel Scripture Readings-Eph. 6:10-17: Acts 24:24-27; Gal. 5:22-24; II Pet. 1:5-7; Titus 1:7-9; 2:1-2.

Lesson Developed-In the Scripture lesson before us, St. Paul has in mind the picture of the race course. He knows very well that the athlete who is very anxious to win the race inust deny himself many things so as to be in the best of physical condition. He therefore says that such a one is temperate in all things. And he does this to win, not an eternal crown but one that will perish.