The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-01-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY AND
ABLY CONSIDERED.

tion-Half an Hours Study OF the Scrip
turcs-Timc Well spent
The lesson for Sunday. Jan. IS. may be
1ound in Mark l. 2l-3i.
INTRODUCTORY.
The lesson Is seasonable one. great
deal is being said just now about the Chris
MAN Sabbath. "A Sabbath in the Life OF
Jesus" ought TO teach Us something regard
1ng the right observance OF the Christians
day Of rest and worship. But why do we say
christians day? Why not the SEVENTH In
n word. because Of the resurrection. Christ
was greater than the Sabbath and so stu
pendous and divinely epochal was that
event in Joseph's garden that almost before
A The disciples knew ii, it had wrought "A
uplain and significant modification OF the
Hebrew calendar. Just as the assurance
from Egyptian bondage and darkness made.
AS 1t We're, n new and pious beginning OF
days TO Israel so this bursting forth from
the bars of death and the grave registers
itself on the dial-plate OF sacred history by
a marked and meaningful change in the
modes OF mems religious reckoning All
the sacredness Of that former day passes
over now into this. enllp htened as IL Is by
tho conduct of him who called himself the
Lord OF the Sabbath and whose life pointed
forward TO the better day that was TO come.
One such day in this eXempar lie is given
us here.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
And strdight,caV. 1t was always
'straghtway" with Mark. Forty times
over in his gospel he uses the word; nine
fimes. variously rendered. in this chapter
He sees Christ moving, in his vivid concep-
ton, from one stage TO another OF his eter-
nally predetermined career with n holiness
and readiness that are in themselves god
like. 1t is indeed n characteristic in the
life of the Christ and that word straight
way" is "A part of the new vocabulary
brought into mems speaking ana writing by
the advent OF Jesus No hesitating from
Iduty's path Straightway. when the hour
was come. from Nazareth" to Jordan;
istraightway. for gracious. victorious test-
ing into tho wildemess: straightway.
when Johns course was finished. preach
ing the gospel Of the kingdom of God;"
straightway he called" his disciples and
touched by his spirit "straghtway they for
sock their nets and followed him" straight
way he went Into the synagogue and
taught" straightway he entered into the
house of Simon" to heal. and straightway
"a great while before day, he went out and
departed into solitary place and there
prayed. Lord, teach US thy straightway
Spirit-the divine promptitudel
He entered into the synagogue. And yet
Christ was a reformer. He could be such
Without being furious iconoclast. He was
hll the moro reformer because he entered
into" the synagogue and began his renovat-
Rng work from within. Moreover. il was the
sabbath day. Doubtless he beheld how
men were reverencing days more than wor-
Shipping him who made the day, and we
may say he looked forward to the great al
teratfon which his own ineffable life. death
and resurrection should make in dates and
doctrines; yet, behold him quietly and
compliantly entering into the custom and
ceremony of the day, that from the very
heart of IL he might move forth to tell men
of better things Let him teach us by his
infinite tact, his gracious harmlessness.
Paul spoke II in strong. stirring words: Il
made myself servant unto all that might
gain the more-I am made all things 10
all men that i might by all means save
some.
and then lcere astonished at his doctrine
They are still-lce are still. When Christ
enters the synagogue it is always to bring
some new thing out Of his law. When the
preacher entertains Christ in his heart. in
unwonted measure. how astoniShingly new
the word of truth becomes! The pastor is
converted" we say; yes and no. Did YOU
not hear his sentence at the last, after all the
wonderful teachings of his earth-ife:
Il have yet many things TO say unto you.
but ye cannot bear them nowf" Then fol-
lows the no less stirring promise. "Howbeit.
when he the Spirit of truth is come he will
guide you into all truth" And remember
He shall testify OF me-" Owe need Christ
in the synagogue to-day! The world needs
to be startled and astonished in its levity
and the church in its lethargy. Only the
doctrine Of Christ can do it. Son of God,
teach our hearts wondrOus things out of thy
law
And he cried ont. strange place for the
cry of an unclean spirit in the synagogue.
Alas! in later sanctuaries the unclean spirit
is often present. and with no cry Of confes-
sion. Do you wish TO know what will bring
10 utterance? Let the Christ. the revealing
Christ, be made manifest in word and doc
trine. and the evil spirit will be heard from.
And whatever its cry. it will by its very pro-
test against the truth acknowledge its own
identity. Christs truth goes searchingly
out into the congregation like the fash Of
an electric light. uncoverng. bringing TO
divulgence. Let il break forth from the
word OF God in every pulpit. in every Sun
day-school class. There will be the answer
ing cry. and sometimes from strange locali-
ties. Those two bulging sacks in tbf
old fashioned barn. meeting suddenly. had
a voice when under the Spirits power the
preacher poured forth the burning truth of
GOD. and the two satanic intruders and
,would-be troublers were turned into con-
victed sinners crying out for salvation.
Eren ne uRctedn spirits. Yes, the very
worst. Christ attacked Satan in his strong
holds, shrinking not 10 take hold of the
hard cases OF demoniacal possession. Those
days were full of teaching for us. Satan
seemed TO have been given unwonted lease
and liberty with the souls of men for this
very reason that he might be overthrown
at his strongest and thus give token OF his
absolute weakness before Christ, Have we
brought as yet the worst TO Jesus in our
day? The reckless anarchist OF the back
wards. the not less hopelessly enthraled
igold-hunter Of the avenue. the blasphe-
nous cowboy OF the plains. What If God
has given them TO this generation but that
he may show in conversions from among
them how Christ Jesus has overcome the
world" and is able to save unto the utter
most completely all who come unto the
Father by him. Bring them to Jesus
even the lowest.
Immediately his fame spread abroad.
They are not speaking much about Jesus on
the street-corners and stores in your COM
immunity and ours. Why? Let there be great
work like this, the recovery of such soul ;
citadel. and men will begin to ask again.
What thing is ths?" They did il when Ma
son Long turned from the bar TO preaching
gospel temperance. They did il when tho
swearing Charles Jones went from his cups
TO herald the gospel among his shipping
mates rs Charles Jones. the great preacher.
Without doubt God means his work 20 go
forward mainly, and the language OF Christ
Indicates il here. by the quiet. steady wooing
land winning OF souls in church and Sunday
school But ought we not 10 pray also for
these larger and more astounding mani
lestations OF his saving grace? Whilst we
care for our Galilee. let US not forget the