The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-04-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Notes on the Lesson for April
10" Christian Watch
fuIness."
From the Chicago standard.l

TuInoSS.
From the Chicago standard
The lesson for above date may be found In
the twenty fourth chapter OF Matthew, from
the forty second 70 the fifty-f verseA
DAILY READISGs
M-Ths Lesson Matt "a: 42-5l
T.-Luke's Account Luke 81: 1881
W-An Early Prophecy. Amos 5: Ala
IAN Apostolic Exhortation Heb q:
12-l9
IA Prayer. Hab 1: 5-lS
h-The Pounds Luke 10: il-H
"a Last Word Rev. y: lV-2L
INTRODUCTORY.
A short sermon from our Lord on tho word
@watch;" or rather q series OF tour brief dis
courses on one and the same theme for the
three lessons which follow this are kindred in
thought The Christ is sitting upon Ohvers
leaiy eminence overlooking tho city, his dis
ciples clustered about ~Tell us, they say,
with something of a child's inquisitiveness,
when shall these things be-" They are
thinking OF the temple and its phophesied
overthrow. He is looking farther, and pres
entity he has led their thought onward 70 that
august event at the end OF time for which,
with them, we watch and wait The convers-
alton continues through two chapters, notable
indeed, the oath and 18th OF Matthew.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Watch. Not count up, reckon No, keep
your eye on the door rather than on the
slate; or rather keep your eye to the front
and your hand to the pillow. Those good peo-
pie over there in Battle Creek are not the
only ones who are watching" Indeed, much
as we honor the piety and devotion OF many
OF them, We doubt whether they are truly
carrying out this injunction. They are meas
uring, computing watching for signs rather
than for the Lord And yet that is far better
than indifference. Are not the majority OF
the church OF Christ in danger Of going to
the other extreme? Are we going TO relin-
quish all watchfulnessg Can we safely aban-
don In this respect the apostolic mood and
motive?
For ne kno,c not Do you see? 1t is not
because We know, but because we do not
kn0l0, that we are TO watch. 1t is watching IN
uncertainty. 1t is not as If he said, Il will be
with you in the third hour Of the night, there.
fore look for me then" That is the way
many are esteeming Christian watchfulness;
But Christ says lit Is not known when l shall
como, therefore, i0dtch" Now, a query. ~Ye
know not" Is the word. There is perhaps a
pre-milenarian tendency TO set that day as
near at hand There is another, . post-mil-
lenarian fashion, which seems to the writer
scarcely innocent, of postponing that day.
Suppose we just take Christ at his word here
~Ye know not" What then? Therefore,
wdtch. 1t is not knowledge, but obedience,
that makes for righteousness. The watching
church Is the orthodox church.
Ready. good commentary on the word
swatch" What is il to watch? IL is to be
"ready." And what is it to be @ready?" 1t i:
simply TO keep watching. All, then, Christian
watchfulness and Christian readiness are
very nearly, IL not quite, interchangeable
Both mean action Not white robes and folded
hands, but girded loins and hands free foI
service. To be ready for Christ is TO be ready
for every good word and work. When Pau
was ready to depart he was at the same time
watching for opportunities to do good. The
true watching church has been the working
church, and the working church the watch
ing. God graft we may keep in the watching
spirit, for therein is genuine Christian service
abeness.
The Son of Han conetA He is coming!
Our hymn-books are full of it; our prayer
books, our Bibles also. Let the pulpit speak
IL Better still, let 1t be seen in loyal lives.
Live as expecting the coming Of the King. In
a sense He is already come. Yet still we
pray, ~Thy kingdom come" Let all these
lesser comings DO out harbingors OF the great
Browning day that's coming by and by.
With what spirit we meet these earlier vista
tons will we hail at Last that glorious day.
Sister Dora, the Christian nurse, had a bell al
the head OF her bed, and when II rang IN the
night Is the sick came or sent Tor her, break
ing In upon her rest, she used to say, as she
arose: @The Master is come and calieth fol-
thee"
Faithful and tcise Wise not with the wisdom
of this world, wise to win souls; faithful with
servants faithfulness, who gees straight TO
| his master for his orders SWhy don't you do
more vlsiting?" wrote the watchful secretary
to the frontier missionary, whose tabular
statements did not come quite up to the pre-
scribed mark "The letter that came" said
the Secretary in open session, was one OF the
| severest rebukes ever received" @Yes, re-
| piled the humble-spirited woman, toilins
away at her obscure post, Il know l don't dc
as should, and fear the master will cal
me at the last but slothful servant, but
when / started cut found poor sick family,
ragged, unfed, nnwashed stayed with them.
l nursed and gave medicine to the sick
| could not leave them hungry, so cooked for
them and fed them. / washed and mended
their soiled and tattered garments. spent &C
much nme with them that fear have ne
| elected mn york" Work neglectedg We ask
It again: SWho, then, is the faithful and wise
servanty" 1t is for the Master to say.
so doing. Caught in the act, as il were.
Come upon suddenly by his Master and found
doing his duty. Upon how many an earnest
servant has the Lord thus suddenly come tC
summon him TO q higher estate? Kingman
Mott in New York, Lyon, and Rayl. and Pink
erton abroad Men in the heat of their Ia
bors giving TO their people their meat in due
season. Pity them not Remember the words
/ BLESSED is that servant whom the Lord when
he cometh shall fluid 30 doing" Happy the
Christian thus translated Rev. IL Wood.
small giving his life for the emancipation OF
the colored people, as nc. patriot in blue evel
gave it, wrote 70 his friend in Chicago, =
have work to do and hope may hold out un-
| ill April, when il will be completed" But God
| purposed otherwise One evening over hii
papers he looked up and said, Light the
lamps, IL is growing dark" In five minutes
he was with those who 1need no candle,
neither light OF the sun" He went mp from
the midst OF the very doing"
Deldyeth his coming. 1t is what the nine
teenth century is saying; not in word, TO be
sure, but in plaln-spoken deed. The strong
man of the market with his hand on the throat
of the weak is saying, my Lord delayeth hi;
coming" The gay lady OF fashion, with hei
little soul entirely occupied with the german
and the progressive" Tor, as DR. Lorimei
calls il, the Excessively euchre party, Is say
ing, my Lord delayeth his coming The
trader putting poison to the lips of the South
African (or to the North American), and the
State allowing IL, are both saying, @My LORD
delayeth his coming" Thieves murderers,
the sensual, the selfish, the soulless, are al
saying, @My Lord delayeth" Now mark you.
Where has the world learned its lesson OF dis
dang Has 1t been from the church? Has
some servant ~evil," but servant STILL giver
the unwholesome intimaton? Are we really
acting as If We were momentarily expecting
our Lord?
With the drunken A drunken world that
is what II IL. When you give IL your hear
and eat and drink with it, You are eating anC
drinking With the drunken 1t has taken thu
cup of fury and called il pleasure, ii hal
STEPPED it's senses in the brain bewildering
heart-benumbing, withdrawing, dead,
potion, and il is wild and beside itself. /
apes sanity, il mimics sobrety, but in realit,
| a.. id tnat fata IL u drunk HrnnE