The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-11-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ENTERTAINING DISSERTATION ON
SERIOUS SUBJECTS.

Lesson and Where II May Bs Found-A
Learned and Concise Review Of the
same.
The lesson for Sunday. December 2. may
be found In Judges H.. 11-23
Erit in thc sight Of the Lord. Right un-
der the eyes OF Jehovah. One gets a new
sense OF the Nervousness OF this sin by
glance ut the original language employed.
1t does not mean merely sin In Gods esti-
nation. as We have been sometimes inclined
to suppose. but open sin in the face OF
heaven. Israel was aware OF Gods love OF
holiness and his hatred Of iniquity. She
knew also OF his careful guardianship and
his watchfui eye. and in spite OF IL all she
went right on TO do evil. When pupil
commits bold and whiting sin right beneath
transgression. When child impudently
dlsobeys before the face OF parent he Is
child no longer. he is IA rebel. wild and will
full Think OF IL. friends. all sin is contempt
OF God: transgression Is not simply impru-
the sight Of the Lord Thou. God. seest
me- Alas. that we should forget il so. the
word OF his mouth. his eye ever upon US.
"A very short memory he seems to have"
said the stranger on the highway. asked as
Sabbath morning why do you say that?-
was the query. God says. Remember the
Sabbath day TO keep IL holy the stranger
quietly responded. 1T looks as though he
had forgotten that" But God had not. and
he never will. His eye behodeth.
And served Baalim. All life is service.
We either serve righteousness or upright
eousness. Christ or Satan; no man ia neu-
tral. And hence when the children OF Israel
departed from God and did evil they by
that same step passed over on to the side OF
Baal and served him. There are many init
nations OF the character OF this seductive
worship OF Baal in Scripture. All we need
say about 1t. for IL was religion OF atrocity
and indecency, Is that il was the dedication
OF sensuality and selflshness. the direct an
tpodes OF the pure and self denying wor-
ship Of the most high God. Men may talk
about the beauties and amenities of such a
religion. but when you come to the heart OF
IT. as TO all idolatry IL is bcstiality and rot
tenness, nothing more. And in this direc-
tion the enthronement of self always leads.
The steps may be very gradual. but as soon
as God is renounced all sign posts begin 10
point 10 Baal. II Is first self-ward. then
Satan ward. then straight down the hellish
abyss. Alas. that so much OF Baal- worship
should yet abide. Yes. even under the
guiSe OF religion. There are too many do
ing worship much after the fashion of that
artist who built monument at the Kings
orders clarifying the King. but the Kings
name in the superficial composition soon
wore of. and there in the real rock under
meath was the name Of the artist himself
put to stay. Whom in our heart OF hearts
do we intend TO glorify-Christ or sell? Are
we serving Christ or Baal?
They forsoOkt the LORD God Of their fathers.
Here is the third step in Israers decline.
They become deserters from the covenant
Of grace. guilty of high treason before the
courts OF heaven. Presently we shall read
OF them as n God-forsaken people. but as
ever in our dealings with Jehovah. they
were first a Collaborating people. They
deliberately turned their backs on God and
heaven. choosing earth and self. They
forsook the Lord" we have struck the very
Keynote OF Judges. The secret ii was OF
all IsraePs opprobrium and oppression. the
clew TO all the distresses OF Gods covenant
people-they forsook God. In doing that
they cut themselves of from their wonted
power; they threw themselves defenseless
into the midst OF n wolflsh world All
ISraels career was marked by such defcc-
lions. Only occasionally was she in such
relations TO God as in the days OF Moses.
Joshua. David, Ezra. that he could do his
mighty works through her. They were like
that variable soul Of whom we heard the
other day that had been oft and on a
Methodist for twenty years" moving
picture Israel presents us, telling us both
the secret OF strength and the source OF
weakness. Forsaking was their own doing.
for TO forsake was 10 be forsaken. Remem-
Der the dread double forsaking of Deut. 81:
16, IL. They will forsake me-" said the
Lord. and. fearful words. Il will forsake
them" Forbid it, Lord.
They could not longer stand before their
enemies II was the lesson of All repeated,
-turned-down leaf" in Israels life. By
themselves. cut off from God by sin, they
are the weakest OF mortals. and to prove
this TO them God not only lets in the enemy
upon them. but compels them TO do battle
for while in their own strength. which is
impotence. 1t Is n truth which bitter eX-
perience has taught the church of God more
than once. Holding faith in God and 10y
atty to his righteous laws we are mighty.
false to him we are in the eyes Of the world
the most contemplate of things on the
earth. and Satan makes laughing stock Of
apostasy. Better to DO as the Lords foot
stool than Satan's football. 1t is good
thing for us to understand this. and God
leaves us by ourselves and TO our own empti-
ness sometimes that we may know just how
weak we are in wickedness and without him.
You recall the nobleman who was denounc-
ing, before the bishop, one who had abused
him. Presently they knelt to pray. Our
Father who art in heaven, they said in con-
cert. But when they came to the sentence.
Forgive us our trespasses as we" the
nobleman suddenly stopped short. with the
consciousness that he was being left TO say
1t by himself. and at once he realized that he
was not able TO make that prayer. nor could
he go on until he had gone out and forgiven
his brother.
The hand Of the Lord lcas against them.
This means positive opposition. The Lord
has at last set himself against His own
people. And now it is useless for them to
endeavor to elude. AS with Saul. fighting
against God. all i'll betides them. I'm all TO
which they went out" says the Septuagint.
-whithersoever they meant TO co." says the
Vulgate. the hand OF the Lord was over
them" They could not escape ii. AS all
things work together for good to loving
and loyal people. so all things are made TO
work together for evil to those who sin and
scorn. Pentecost we'll illustrates IL when
he says, The sun and rain will give vigor
and growth TO living tree. but the same
sun and rain will increase the rot and decay
OF dead tree" warning needs to be-
uttered The Church Of Rome will doubt
less seek in such passages as this for JUS
LITIGATION OF accommodation and the ban.
But to no man or institution was this pre-
rogative OF deity ever transferred. God
alone can speak the word OF acceptance or
of rejection, DIR. Charles S. Robinson calls
attention to that awful word spoken by the
Papal legate TO brave Savonarola at his
execution. Jerome Savonarola, / separate
thee from the church militant and the
church triumphant" From the church
militant you may divide me" was the calm
response. but from the church triumphant
mol that is above your power.
Next Lesson--Gideon's Army" Judges
q: Is.
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