Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-04-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Notes on the Lesson for April;
15-" Christian Watch
fulness."
From tho Chicago Standard.

DAILY READINGS.
M.-Ihe Lesson. Matt "A: 42-5l.
T-Lukes Account Luke VI: 33-37..
Wan Early Prophecy. Amos :: Ale.
20 Ian :, Apostolic Exhortation. Heb 8:
IA Prayer. H.b. 1: 5-13
s.-The Pounds. Luxe 10: 1877.
S.-A Last Word Rev. -: 1O-2l
INTRODUCTORY.
A short sermon from our Lord on theiword
"watch;" or rather series of tour brief dis
courses on one and the same theme, for the:
three Lessons which follow this are kindred III.
thought The Christ is sitting upon Olivets
lsay emneace overlooking the clsy his DIS
when shall these things be-" They are
thinking OF the temple and its phophesled
overthrow. He is looking farther, and pres
entity he has led their thought onward to that
with them, we watch and wait. The convers-
alton continues through two chapters, notable,
indeed, the gath and 18th of Matthew
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES
WV MatM. Not count up, reckon, No. keep
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
az we honor the piety and devotion of many
OF them, we doubt whether they are truly
carrying out'this injunction. They are meas
/ nrlng, computing, watching for signs rather
| than Tor the Lord. And yet, that is far better
t than lndltference. Are not the majority of
inc church of Christ in danger Of going to
the other extreme? Are we going TO relin-
| qulsh all watchfulness? Can we safely aban-
| motive?
| For ye k,,ow not Do YOU see? It. is not
| because we know, but because we do not
| Rno" that we are to watch. 1t is Watching IN
uncertainty. 1t is not az if he said, II will be
with you in the third hour Of the night, there
lnnlr F0r 4, n.
many are esteeming Christian watchfulness.
But Christ says sit is not known when shall
| come. therefore, acdtch." Now, query. aye
know not" Is the word. There is perhaps
millenarian 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:
sYe know not" What then? Therefore,
that makes for righteousness. The watching
church is the orthodox church.
{. 1teddy. Agood commentary on the word
watch What is it to watch? tits to be
ready" And what is it to be aready?" 1t is
watchfuIness 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 for
service. To be ready for Christ is tobe ready
for every good word and work. When Paul
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
aDleness.
TIE Son of. Nan cometh He is coming!
Our hymn-books are full Of it; our prayer
books, our Bibles also. Let the pulpit speak
it. 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" Lot all these
lesser comngs be but harbngers of the great
browning day that's coming by and BY"
With what spirit we meet these earlier vista
tlona will we hail at last that glorious day.
Sister Dora the Christian nurse, had bell at
the head Of her bed, and when it rang in the
ing in upon her rest she used to say, rs she
arose: The Master is come and calleth for
thee"
kaA4titl and .cise Wise not withthe wisdom
of this world, wise to win souls; faithful with
d his master for his orders. sWhy don't you do
more -Elsiting?" wrote the watchful secretary
to the frontier missionary, whose tabular
statements did not come quite up to the pre-.
scribsd mark. @The letter that came, +" said
the Secretary in open session, was one Of the
! severest rebukes ever received" Eyes, re-
piled the humble-spirited woman, toiling
away at her obscure post, Il .know l don't do
IS should, and fear the master will call
when started out I found poor sick family,
ragged, unfed nnwashed. stayed with them.
y Unused and gave medicine to the sick 1
could not leave them hungry so cooked for
their .soiled and tattered garments. spent so
much ame with them that I.tear IMave ne
elected my ,uork." Work neglected? We ask
It again: sWho, then, is the faithful and wise
q seEvant?" 1t is for the Master. to say.
so doing! Caught in the. act, IS it we're.
Come upon suddenly by his Master and found
| doing his duty. Upon how many an earnest
servant has the Lord thus suddenly come to
summon him to higher estate? Kingman
erton abroad. Men in the heat Of their la
bors giving to their people their meat in due
season. Pity them not Remember the words,
BLESSED is that servant whom the Lord when
be- eometh . shall . find 50 doing Happy the
small. giving his life for the emancipation of
the colored people, as no patriot in blue ever
Il gave it, wrote to his friend in. Chicago, Il
have work to do and hope may hold out i'm;
purpcsed otherwise. One evening over his
lamps, it is growing dark" In, five minutes
he was with those who sneed no candle,
neither light of the SUM-" he went up from
the midst Of the very sdoing."
De!ayeth has coming. It is what the nine
teenth century is saying; not ia word, to be
sure; but in plain-spoken Decd. The strong
man OF the Market Win la64 lanQ ON the tnrOaG
of the weak is saying, my Lord delayeth his
coming" The gay lady Of fashion, with her
little soul entirely occupied with the sgerman7'
and the progressive" tor,, as Dr. Lorimer
calls it. the Excessively euchre party, is say
ing, sMy Lord delaYeth his coming" The
trader putting poison to, the lips of the South
African (or to the North American), and the
State allowing it, are both saying, sMy Lord
delayeth his coming" Thieves, murierers
the sensual, the selfish, the soulless, are all
saying, shy Lord delayeth" Now mark. you.
Where has the world learned its lesson of dis
dain? Has it been from the church? Has
some servant, sewl, but servant STILL given
the unwholesome intinlation? Are we really
acting as if Va were momentarily expecting
our Lord?
With tie e1s"msk,,. A drunken world! that
is what it is When you give it your heart
and eat and drink with it, you are eating and
drinking vttlHtAe dssake,. 1t has taken the
cup of fury and called it pleasure, 1t has
stepped it's senses in the brain-bs widering,
heart benumbing, will-dethronins deadly
potion, and it is wild and beside itself. 1t
apes sanity, ii mimics sobriety, hut in reality
tits frenzied inebriate. 1t is daank, drunk
Next lesson, THE Ten Virgins"-Matt 81
IS.
THE 0pera-bag. which has becoma All