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WOMEN'S WORK. (Continued from page 7.) been stupendous movements the field." Leader: "Every element Ju the Mis sionary problem depends for its solu tion upon Prayer." (Sp'?-er.) Others: "It has been my practice . . . to make a study of the sources of spiritual movements which are do ing most to vitalize and transform in dividuals and communities. . . Where I have had time and patience to do so, I have found it in an intercessory prayer-life of great reality." (Mott.) PRAYER. Leader: Lord, teach us to pray. May each one here resolve today to enter thy school of prayer, with a daily time set apart; having the One Book as the school-book; the secret place as the school-room; and the Master Pray-er, Jesus Christ, himself, as the Teacher. In his name we ask this. Amen. SCRIPTURE READING. (In -unison.) Oh, send out thy light and thy truth. God be merciful unto us and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth, the saving health among all nations. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopa my suppliants . . . shall bring mine offering. Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee. I will gather all nations and tongues. Oh, praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise him, all ye people; for his mer ciful kindness is great. The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth. Bless the Lord, O my soul. CLOSING HYMN. (As a prayer. Sung with bowed heads.) Take my life, and let It be Consecrated, Lord, to thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my silver and my gold; Note a mite would I withhold; Take my intellect, and use Every power as thou shalt choose. Take my love; my Lord, I pour At thy feet its treasure-store; Take myself, and I will be Ever, only, all for thee. A Message to Women of Virginia Synodlcal. The Nashville office reports thirty two Presbyterian churches in Virginia as giving $000.00 to Foreign Mis sions. Will not every worker in whatever capacity in any society try to do a big "bit" in helping her Presbyterial secretary to get facts before these churches, no matter how small the membership? If they know, they will give. If somebody would only give $1, that would brlug them into the right list; or even a chicken. This, If dressed and sent to me, I will con vert Into gold and send it to Nash ville, crediting that woman's church with the gift. Let's bring over these thirty-two at once and make them happy in the giving. Carrie Lee Campbell, Synodlcal Secretary For. Missions. Richmond, Va. "Learn as If to live forever; live as if to die to-day." "A vacant mind la an invitation to vice." THE PRAYER MEETING CHRIST'S APPEAL. TO THE SIN NER. Week Beginning January 20, 1918. John 9:35-38. This is one of the most interesting of Christ's miracles and is well worth special study. One of the things to be noticed about it is that the man did not come to Christ, but Christ sought him out. The offer of healing was made without any expressed de sire on the part of the man. As Christ always required faith for the bestowal of his blessing, he gave the man the opportunity of showing his faith, sending him to the pool to wash off the clay. There must have been a sincerity and a confidence in the voice of Jesus that inspired faith in the man. When he had been healed it is in teresting to see how his faith grew. And it grew because he defended and exercised it. The Pharisees and the rulers of the synagogues were always ready to take up anything which they could turn against Jesus. In this, as in other cases, it was the charge that he had violated the Sabbath. They accused him of work in mixing the clay and putting it on the eyes of the blind man. There was no place for deeds of mercy in their system of theology. In order to get evidence against Jesus that would enable them to bring him up for trial, they began an in vestigation by calling first the man who had been blind and then his father and mother before them. Ab they questioned the man he be gan to give deeper thought to the wonderful miracle that had been wrought upon him, and to him who had worked it. In answer to their first questioning he spoke of Jesus as a man who did a simple human act in making clay and putting it on his eyes. ^ When the Pharisees pressed him as to his opinion of this man, he real ized that he was not Just an ordinary man. He knew that in the past the prophets had done some wonderful things, as he said he is a prophet. When the Pharisees spoke con temptuously of Jesus, saying they would not believe in him, because they did not know whence he could have received any power or authority to do any miracle, and accused him of being a sinner, the man boldly took up his defense, and argued the case with them. He recognized the fact that such power as had been used in opening his eyes could only come from God. He said to the Pharisees that this man Jesus could not be such a great sinner aa they claimed, olse God would not have heard the prayer he supposed Jesus must have offered in order to obtain the power he had used. He must be a worshipper of God, not a flagrant and wilful violator of His laws. The more he thought of the sub ject, the more he appreciated the greatness and the more than human character of what had been done. So he became convinced that Jesus was "of God," that he had been sent of God and that he had received his power from God. Thus far the man knew nothing of the divinity of Jesus. He did not know that he wfs more than man. though he recognized the fact that he had more than human power. But he stood by his faith in him, though it cost him ox-communication from the Synagogue. Th? ground of his faith w&g very practical: "Whereas I was blind, now I see." When Jesus found him and asked, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" he may have recognized the voice as the one that had spoken to him in his blindness. He evidently did not know that Jesus was speak ing of himself. This was one of the few times that Jesus declared him self to be the Son of God, and he did so to strengthen the faith the man already had, and to give him ground for the highest form of spirit ual faith. When the one who had done so much for him told him that he was the Son of God, there was nothing for him to do but believe him, and he said simply, but earnest ly, "Lord, I believe." Surely he could now say of his soul what he had said of his body: "Whereas, I was blind, now I see." THE SUNDAY SCHOOL JESUS FORGIVING SIN. January 27, 1918. Mark 2:10. Golden Text. ? "The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins." Capernaum was situated on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee, though its exact sight is not known. Jesus seems to have made his home here for some time. He taught the people and worked many miracles for the good of the people. But few of the people seemed to have bel!.ved in him. One of the severest condem nations he pronounced upon any place was that which he uttered against this city: "Thou Capernaum, which art exalted Into heaven, shall be brought down to hell; for If the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day" (Matt. 11:23). In the midst of such conditions It must have been a comfort to the Sa viour to have found such an instance of faith as that recorded In this les son. After our last lesson, in which Jesus healed Peter's wife's mother and many others, he went away from the city for a time. How long he was gone we do not know, but it was not long enough for the people to forget his wonderful works. When he re turned they crowded the house where he was. All could not get in, so they blocked the door. They were eager to hear what he had to say and see what he would do. In the city was a man with the palsy, probably a bad case of paraly sis. Unable to go to Jesus, four of his friends carried him on his bed, which was in all probability a thin mattress or a quilt. The fact that he was willing to go in this way showed that he had faith in the healing power of Jesus. His friends showed their faith not only in carrying him, but in overcoming the obstacles that seemed to prevent the success of their undertaking. The crowd at the door kept these m?n with their helpless burden from getting into the house. Theic selfish ness made them unwilling to give place for a little while to this poor diseased man. They were more con cerned about satisfying their own cu riosity than they were about making a little sacrifice for another. Many men would have given up and said there was nothing they could do. It Is so easy to let obstacles in terfere with religious or benevolent work. This was not the case with these men. They determined to overcome the difficulties. On the outside of this house, as was very common In those days, a stairway ran up to the roof. Up this they climbed, carry ing the sick man. Going to the place just over where they found that Jesus was, they tore up the roof. It may have been made of slabs or stone or tiles or hard beaten earth. They soon had an opening large enough to let the man through. As they lowered him into the room we may well be lieve he attracted much attention from the crowd, and no doubt they com plained that he was interrupting Jesus in his talk or sermon. We can almost see the eager ex pressions of his friends as they looked down through the hole in the roof, first at him and then at Jesus, to see what would happen. Jesus did not resent the interrup tion. When he looked upon this dis eased body he saw more than any one else. Others might have seen evidence of his faith in Jesus as a healer. Jesus saw his faith in him as a Saviour. So he said to him: "Thy sins be forgiven thee." He would supply his greatest need first. Among his hearers were learned Pharisees, who knew that no man had the right to forgive sins, so in their hearts they condemned him, charging him with blasphemy for pro fessing to do what only God could do. They must have been very much surprised when Jesus told them that he knew what they were thinking about. What he said amounted to about this: "You say I have no au thority to forgive sins. You say only God can Jo this. You cannot see that this man's sins are forgiven. I will do something else that only God can do, and which you can see. If I can convince you that I have the power of God to do one thing, you ought to grant me the power to do another." He then turned to the sick man and said: "Arise, and take up thy bed and walk." The man Immediate ly arose, showing that he was healed. This ought to have convinced the Pharisees that Jesus was divine, but they were not willing to be convinced. They were not seeking for truth, but for an occasion to find some charge that they could bring against him. - Jesus told the man to take up his bed probably for two reasons. One was that he would need it at home, the other was that all those who saw him might have it fully impressed upon them that he was entirely healed. Jesus is always ready to reward faith, whether the blessing Is sought for ourselves or for others. YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR GOALS. M., Jan. 21. Winning others. Acts 8:20-40. * T., Jan. 22. Training. Rom. 12:3-8. W., Jan. 23. Fellowship. 2 Cor. 6 1-18. T., Jan. 24. Confession. 1 John 2:21-29. F., Jan. 25. Worship. Jsa. 12:1-6. S? Jan. 26. Consecration. Ps. 40:1-11. 9., Jan. 27. Topic ? Christian Endeavor Goals ai?) How to Reach Them. Rom. 12:1-13. (Christian Endeavor Day.) What Christian Endeavor goal most appeal* to you"! B'Aj/T Why thoulrl church membership be a goal ? Why thould definite nerrice be a goatJ He who has no goal will win no race. He who starts out to travel with no destination in view will not get where he wants to go. He who works with no object in view will not accomplish anything. Paul speaks of "the mark (or goal) for the prize of the high calling of God In Christ Jesus," and he says he presses to wards it; runs directly towards it with all his might. Every one ought to decide what goal he will set be fore hlmMlt, and then he ought to