The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-10-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY AND
ABLY CONSIDERED.


The lesson for Sunday, October Il, may
be found in Joshua iv. 1924
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Unth everything toas finished. Staying
quality" Col. Banes. of Philadelphia, calls
II. Having done all. 10 stand" embraces.
he says. the highest manifestation OF true
courage" They took their stand and held
their ground until the work in hand was
fully accomplished. and the people had all
been cared for We have been wondering
whether some pastors and some teachers
would see one very obvious suggestion in
all this. Will the under shepherd stay by
his flock until they are all. so far as he is
concerned; attended to. and his work with
them is done? Will the Sunday school
teacher hold on. tarrying. 1t may be. In the
very midst OF some stormy Jordan until his
class Is all clean passed over? The writer
knows or a teacher or two, and not simply
OF the Sunday-school guild. who have made
1t their habit to stand by until every soul
intrusted TO their care has been brought in.
IL Is blessedly well worth the doing.
The people hdsted and passed ouer. 1t was
seemy haste. There stood the walled
waters, an ample pathway miraculously
opened beneath. Yonder on the other side
was their promised land. Do you wonder
that the people hasted? The wonder to US
Is that with the lucid apprehension OF the
living way, so many should halt in mock
meditation on the brink. Is there n stranger
y
OF souls under the great proclamation? Our
pulpits ring out the call TO the open way.
The Sunday school teacher points to the
parted current. The Spirit within says:
Go forward. But alas a multitude pausing
on the edge. tarrying for more light. wait
ing for greater conviction. God grant
us more expedition in accepting the Won
drous proffers OF grace.
The children of Reuben. There must have
been inspiration in the sight. There goes
the banner Of Reuben. Yes. and here. right
after. come Cad and Manasseh. They have
their possessions already secured. but they
are going with us on the way to aid in bring
ing US TO our own. Come let us hasten onl
Help Is what 1t means, the grace of helps"
You recall Pauls catalogue of Christian
gifts. Miracles. then gifts Of healings.
helps. governments. diversities of tongues. 4"
Do notignore the helps" II you have an
opportunity TO go out of your way to help
some brother into the kingdom. do it. You
are serving Christ. and responding TO his
Spirit as much as if you were preaching, or.
for that matter. healing. Utter your testi-
mony walk part way home with the uncon-
verified nearer rise when the pastor or evan
gelist asks for Christians TO show them
selves. do anything you can 10 help your
fellow-travelers to their gracious posses
sions. That is the way TO make yourself to
be of the children of Reuben"
Prepared for todr. When you enter the
new land 90 prepared for war The trou
bic with the Westerners who left their relig-
ion at the Mississippi is that while in other
respects they went forward prepared TO
fight their way religiously. they were who'll
ly unequipped. and the first adverse circum-
stance turned them aside from old vows and
fealties. Brother the Christian life every
where is battle. Go up armed. Did you
ever read IL: Put on the whole armor OF
God2" 1t is Christ's direction 10 his enlist
ing soldiers. There is "A fight before us. and
he who would not suffer discontinue must
go prepared. Once in a while you are
shown man who has fallen out of the
ranks. You know the reason. He went in
prepared for-well, something else than war,
as his miserable capitulation indicates.
Give us a battle front for the Lords host.
They feared ham. That is. they respected
him. obeyed his word. accorded him due
reverence. Gods man he was, and no one
could gainsay him. Said that wonderful
event at the Jordan: Touch not mine
anointed." When we were in Kansas a few
years ago there lived a man some distance
away from the more thronged thoroughfares
in the town OF Girard. He was meek and
modest old man waiting for his Master s
call TO higher attitudes. but all men rever-
enced him, feared him" as was Joshua
Even from our distance. we felt like lifting
the hat. 1t was Eugenio Kincaid. the hero
missionary. The recollections of how God
once used him. as he has used others of his
brothers In the work abroad, insure for him
respect and love among men for all time to
come. But what a pity-we have often
thought-that we had SO little opportunity
TO express that love?
Come ye up out of Jordan. The obedient
spirit led them down into the Jordan. and
the same spirit led them up out of il. 1t is a
blessed thing when both the hither and fur
ther shores are trodden in implicit loyalty.
Too often the only downright self-surrender
is at the entering of the waters. We need to
face Canaan I'm the obedient spirit TO come
a Jordan randy n hpar I
is baptism unto faith and feality. 1t is not
up and out OF loyalty and devotion, as some
have seemed to think. We sent it 10 the
printer. Who hath redeemed us from all in :
iquity.' in good Scripture language. And.
do you know, he set IL up, good worldly
phrasing. who hath redeemed us from all
integrity"
Returned unto their place. The ordinary
resumes its sway, the natural after the SUI
pernatural. II is something of test TO us.
| There is certain room where you met. as
il were, and talked with God; a stream
| where you put on Christ I'm baptism. You
go back there o-day, and remembering the
great change that came to you there, the
mighty work that seemed 10 be wrought in
your life and destiny, it seems strange to
you 20 see the waters Of everyday life re-
! turned unto their place. There is the edge
OF certain field in a rural ncighborhood OF
the West where once in days OF quiet So
lourn the writer paced out great question
very ordinary clover patch when last we saw
it. After all. the record that abides must be
made in heart and mind. Jordan stands the
same there with open stream as in the days
Of the wonderwork.
Israel came oUer this Jordan on dry land.
Can we not always make such response? IL
is, In reality, what every church and Sun
day-school stands for God who brought
Israel over will surely bring his people
through. The God that saved of old. saves
to-day. We go on the record he has made
and the promise he has given. He thinks
too much OF that record and promise to fail
us. But, auntie." they said TO the trustful
old Scotch woman. what IL after all God
should fail to keep his word and should send
you to hel2" Quick came the significant
and sufficient answer. Then he'll lose more
than do"
The hand Of the Lord. Could any OF Israel
doubt henceforth that il was mighty? BY no
means. In that might they went forward
assured. and nc man stood before them.
God is with us. brother. Let us trust him
more. Our friend is right about 1t. You
! tell me-" he says. referring TO the uprooting
of the evil of intemperance. 1T can't be
! done. Then want you 10 quit praying the
Lords prayer: Thy kingdom come. The
hand that began in might is working still in
might and will so work for faith till the Lord
shall reign supreme in all lands and In all
| hearts.
Next Lesson - The Fall Of Jericho.