The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-12-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON CONsIDERED.


wholesome Food for Thought - Study
Ing the scriptural Lessons Inteiliscntly
and Probably.
The lesson for Sunday, Dee. 80, may be
found III Numbers g: IA.
TEMPERANCE LESSON.
l. Aud the Lord speak unto Moses,
saying:
2. Speak unto the children Of Israel.
and ga, unto them, When either man or
Woman shall separate themselves to vow a
vow of Nazarite, to separate themselves
unto the Lord,
3. He shall separate himself from wine
and strong drink, and shall drink no vine
gar OF wine or vinegar of strong drink.
neither shall he drinknny liqnor of grapes,
nor cat moist grapes. or dried.
4. All the days of his separation shall
he eat nothing that is made of tho vine
tree, from the kernel even to the husk.
GOLDEN TEXT.
He shall separate himself from wine
and strong drink. Numbers 8: 3.
LESSON PARAGRAPHS.
Individual conservation is what it means
for this generation The Nazarites of
Old Testament DAYS were few and far be-
tween. So We're the priests, so were the
kings. But just as to-day we are all
priests and kings unto God, so we are all
Nazarites, separate unto the Lord.
When We became Christ's we vowed the
VOW of the NaZarites. We were no longer
our own or the worlds; we were Christ's.
Hence Paul could say of himself "For
me to 1.-Two is Christ" Hence, also he
says TO all who believe, Il beseech you,
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that We present your bodies q living
sacrifice (the gift of life, holy, accept
able unto God, which is your reasonable
service"
Now, as then, the VOW is voluntary; but
now. as then, the matter and methods of
its observance are not voluntary. He who
makes the pledge and covenant accepts of
the law of that pledge and the limitations
OF that covenant. He is devoted, conse-
Grated. After one has given his heart to
Christ his sole question henceforth is,
what is the will of Christ concerning me?
Christians have strange notions as TO mat
tiers of option. The only real alternative
for choice is to serve Christ wholly or not
to serve him at all.
Temperance is necessary correlative of
this, and temperance here means total alb
stinence. The Bible principle of temper
ance has been defined as moderation in
regard to things useful and right, total
abstinence in regard to things hurtful and
wrong" The Nazarite stood forth in the
days of ignorance and indulgence as q re-
buke thereto and a prophecy of better
days of righteousness TO come. 1t is
shame for Christians to plead any weak
inabstinence on the part of the Jew. In
the day of Christ, when once a thing is
known to be wrong or prejudicial to
the cause, the Christian, the tire Chris
tan, is thoroughly done with it-"from the
kernel even to the husk.
AO1 in, Will ha
principle is the same. There is but one
attitude that the Christian can righteously
assume toward that which is against God
1t is uncompromising protest That
whether the protest accomplishes any
thing or not. o. We get dreadfully mixed
when we depart from this safe ground.
For instance, ii never seemed to have oc-
CURED to Virginia, as n gentleman from
the South reminds us, 10 make slavery an
institution to be tolerated and regulated
rather than eXtirpated until the price of
human flesh was raised. But when a
slave brought in the market $500. the cost
Of an Ohio whisky license; or $500, the bill
of Illinois liquor sellers; or 1000, the
same as Nebraska or Minnesota saloon
pays the State. it did not take the people
long to say, We can't get rid Of At, yoa
knOW.
grapes nor ent moist grapes, or dried" A
Iauatic, shall We say? Yes, if now as then
to be thorough going is to be fanatical
See how our idea of total abstinence is
growing. First, no whisky; then, no beer
or wine; presently no cider; finally, no
alcohol in medicine. Exactly, that is
where it may lead. If the thing has de-
! structon III it, it must 60. And the re-
markable record of the W. G. T. L. Hos
pital, in Chicago not one case among the
multitudes OF cases treated resulting in
death. goes long way toward proving tnat
the possible deprivation may not he so
grievous ms some have thought.
He shall separate himself. All the
days OF his separation. When either
man or woman shall separate themselves. "
Evidently there was no distinction of sex
there. The essential thing was separation.
Doubtless the Nazarite seemed very much
like a man of one idea, everlastingly pro-
testing against strong drink. Well, in
days of excess ID is we'll 10 have an out
spoken dissenter. I'VE want to hear Won, "
said the committee 10 John b. Cough,
but dolt speak on temperance. Choose
what subject You please, gentlemen, was
his reply, and I'll lecture on it; but re-
member, Whdt / say lciU be on temper
dnce. And it was to his dying day.
1t is for the sake of the children of the
land, the one hope in all reform, that this
lesson is put in How shall we help them
TO separate themselves from strong drink
First of all by right teaching. Temper
ance less ons, lectures, sermons, pledges,
bands OF hope, cadet organiz3tions-let
all means be used to commit the young
against the cup. And second by right
protection How can we be wholly separ-
ate from plague or pestilence while we al
low the pest house in our very midst? Our
children are compelled TO accustom them
selves to the rank fumes on their way to
school and to church An insolent grog-
shop is perhaps, on the nearest corner or
just beyond the edge OF the alley. Said a
biight-faced youth in our hearing once, Il
never saw drunken man until was six
teen years old" He was Maine boy
How many Of our pupils can say the same?
Carthage deiendd est!' they used to cry.
The word which we must keep sounding,
without cessation, in the ears of the young
who some time are to rule is just this-ls
II not-The saloon must 90,
MISSIONARY LESSON.
Psalm "a LII
/. His foundation is in the holy noun
tains.