Show WEEKLY Y SUNDAY SCHOOL SUNDAY SUNDA V SCHOOL LESSON AMOS PLEADS FOR JUSTICE The International Uniform Sun Sunday day School Lesson for Nov Nay 6 6 Amos Pleads for Justice Amos 51 5 By WM E. E E GILROY D DO DD D. D Editor of The Congregationalist In the last lesson we considered Amos the herdsman prophet in his denunciation of sin sin It is a satis tion tiou to go further In the consider consideration of Amos as a pleader for jus jus lice tice The denunciation of oC sin is not always alwa's accompanied by the high highest est sense of Justice Men who have been great sinners them themselves themselves selves have hare not always been above e denouncing the sins of others Not only has there been repeatedly in life elemental hypocrisy In the way In which men particularly In I their public utterances have con condoned condoned cloned their own sins bins while hile they have he denounced the sins of others I that that Is sins of oC essentially the lie same sort sort but but there has also been a constant tendency on the part lart of men to condemn some sins sinsin In n others while whilo they themselves have lave been as deeply dyed in other sorts of oC sins One recalls the re reproach against the Puritan as j I Compounding sins he be was inclined to By damning those he had no mind to I But BuL Amos was not ot oC that thaL sort He lie saw with wills a clear vo oye not only the tho sins and corruptions of oC his own day but lUt he lie perceived with wills equal clearness the foundations of righteousness and social welfare lie He is essentially a constructive prophet True frue life for society a as asfor for the individual is a quest Life comes only through seeking the highest things s. s Seek ho the Lord and je ye e shall live Life LICe more more- moreover moreover over is established in righteous judgment It is in following good and not evil e that true truo national prosperity can be established hate the evil and love lo the good and establish judgment in the gate Can there be any improve improvement ment merit upon this ibis for modern moll ern times The mere show of prosperity has hasin hasin hasIn in it nothing of permanence THE INNER BEAUTY What are houses of stone suggests Amos Amo if Ie the life within them be rotten rolten What are aie hewed cities with their grandeur of build building ing log their great churches their pre pretentious pretentious places of amusement and their enormous palaces of com commerce commerce merce if the life of tho the city be benot benoL benot not noL true to the plumb line of justice and righteousness How long would the great greaL buildings last If they had not been built upon se se- secure secure secure cure foundations and with regard for the level le and plumb line How lIow Howlong howlong long suggests Amos can the structure ture lure of society itself last if there hero be not the same regard for up up- upTightness upTightness' uprightness rIghtness Tightness These things seem self self evident evident and yet it is amazing how the world goes on neglecting the deep deep- deeper er and truer foundations of life and disregarding d the requirements for the highest welfare elating truth In ill its material and scientific forms but neglecting the rigid demand of true standards in inthe Inthe inthe the matter of those relationships of man with man which determine I Ithe the character of society both in inthe inthe the present and arid in the future I EVERY AGE NEEDS AMOS Every prosperous age needs its men inca like Amos exploring around the roots of things and likewise bringing to men the sense of sky Here was no mere muckraking prophet but a a. preacher of the highest way of true rue and attainment The golden text might ht well ell be carved in deep and splendid let let- lets teis over every structure of our modern business and anti social life both national and International Let judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a a. mighty stream A mighty stream stream refresh refresh- refreshIng Ing life life giving giving purging cleansing true true wealth health and welfare are ultimately for individual and I society righteousness concerns of justice and I r I Iv v f 4 9 f 1 I i k TEXT AMOS 51 15 Hear jc ye 0 this word which I take up against you jou ou even a lamentation O 0 house of Israel The flie virgin of Israel is fallen she sIte shall no snore moro rise sho ne is forsaken upon her land there thero Is none to raise her up For Tor thus titus saith the Lord God the city that went vent out by a thousand shall a hundred and that which went forth by a hundred shall leave ten en to the house of Israel For Tor thus saith the Lord lArd unto the house of Israel Seek je ye e me and arid je ye e shall live But Dut seek not nol Bethel Beliel nor enter into and pass not not- notto to Beer Deer Beersheba Beersheba sheba for Gilgal Gilgai shall surely go into captivity and Bethel shall come to nought Seek the tire Lord and aud ye shall live lest he break out like liko fire in the of Joseph and devour it and there be none to quench it in Be Be- thel Ye who turn judgment to worm worm- wormwood wormwood wood and leave off righteousness In the earth seek him that mak- mak eth the seven stats stars and Orion and the shadow of ot death into the morning and the day dark with night that for forthe forthe the waters of the sea and arid them out upon the lie face of the earth The Tho Lord is 15 his name That strengthened Ih the tho spoiled against tho strong so that the spoiled shall tome conic against the fortress They Irate hate him that in inthe the tho gale gate and they the abhor him that uprightly For as much as is lS' lS your jour our treading is upon the poor and ye take from rom him burdens of wheat je yo have built houses of hewn stone but we shall not dwell dwelt In them ye have ha planted pleasant vl vineyards but ye shall hall pot drink wine of them For Toi I know your jour our manifold transgressions transgression and your our mighty sins they afflict the just they take a bribe and they turn aside abide the poor in the gate from their right Therefore the prudent shall keep silence lu In that time fc f for r it is an anevil anevil evil time Seek good and aud not evil that je ye jemay e emay may live and so the Lord the God of hosts shall be with you as ye have spoken Hate the evil and love the good and establish judgment in fu the gate it may be that the Lord God of host bost will wilt be gracious unto the rem rem- remnant nant of ot Joseph |