The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-01-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ENTERTAINING DISSERTATION ON
SERIOUS SUBJECTS.
Lesson and Where IL May He Found-A
Learned and Concise Review Of tho

Learned and Concise Review Of tho
Same.
The lesson for Sunday. January @. may BIO
found in Mark /: LII.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES
The beginning If the Gospel. 1t is n man
OF faith who Is speaking. He knows that
he Is Just at the opening OF "A mighty move
ment going on TO the end OF time. and into
eternity. Luke stands alongside Of Mark in
his frequent use OF this word began and its
infections. Marks gospel containing thirty
Instances OF its employment. and Luke's
thirty-three. And you recall that signifi-
cant word from Luke also mt the opening OF
the Acts: "Of all that Jesus began both TO do
and 10 teach. The earthly life OF Jesus was
but the beginning OF his deed and doctrine.
Through the Holy Spirits guidance into the
doing ofthe greater things than these" and
the learning OF yet many things TO say I'M
TO you the church OF the Lord Jesus
Christ has been made growing church.
growing into the fulinvss "a Cha ist o. SO
great Is that gospel. so large Is that lifel
After all. have any OF us more than made "a
beginning with IL?
As a. is toritten an the prophets. The life OF
Christ In its attendant events was not only
beginning but fulillment. 1t took hold
OF all the past as well as all the future. Yes.
right at the center Of the worlds history
stands the cross.
All the light Of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime
There is one face shines in the pages OF
the Old Testament: IL Is that Face of Naza-
rein. All the personages OF prophecy ap-
pear for its sake. All the incidents OF
history are narrated as looking forward 70
this. all types and symbols. all priests and
kings anticipate this. the coming of Christ.
From Eden's proto- evangel Of Genesis to
Revelations trumpet OF angels. there is ono
major theme. Christ himself interpreted it
Tor us. They are they which testify OF me.
And IL was this same one. who, beginning
at Moses and all the prophets expounded
unto them the things concerning himself"
All things. the good and i'll togethe r. told Of
needed Christ. coming Christ. We say
1t boldly. there are but two figures on the
page of the Book. Christ and has prophet.
Ny messenger before nly face This was
john peculiar mission. He was the last
call before the rumble OF the royal chariot,
he was Just before his face; after him--Be-
hold the King!" Here stands the waiting.
expectant throng. Suddenly the sound OF "a
horses hoof shifting the earth. and there.
turning into the public thoroughfare. the
caparisoned steed of the royal herald.
Fall back now. hats off. the King is Just at
hand! John the Baptist was given the high
Office that he should announce the Christ.
and point him out as no other seer had
been permitted 10 do. Peerless prophet"
he has been called; for as Christ himself
said, Among them that are born Of woman
there hath not arisen a greater than John
the Baptist" But remember the "notwith-
standing" Discipleship is better than
prophethood. By that same word. "he that
is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater
than he" Have We made ourselves any
greater?
Make his paths straight. They are per-
haps grown sadly awrv You notice. it was
voice out of the wilderness, and quito
painless wilderness, too, morally speaking.
us we learn from other limitations. But
Notwithstanding. il is the place TO lift the
cry and TO make straight the path. The
King has decreed it: for right through this
worlds desert places he means to go. max
Ing the crooked straight. making the will
derness and the solitary place glad So
went Jonah; so went John. Are you in
hopeless wilderness. crooked place.
friend? Perhaps the Lord has sent you
there TO herald his coming Look not for
an easier roadway; announce the King.
Gear Nicholas proposed railway TO con-
meet st. Petersburg with Moscow. Which
Way" asked the Russian engineers. begin
ming TO study the obstacles of the course.
The Emperor took a map and laid ruler
upon IL, straight from one city to another.
They knew what that meant. and to-day
Petersburg and Moscow are joined as by
two parallel bars OF steel. The King
chooses his own course. but We pre- pare the
way.
The baptism of repentance for the remis-
sion OF sin. 1t is rather unto the remission
o. sins. That baptism did not remit. neither
did repentance remit. Only Christ can
forgive sin. Over in Acts 10 we read OF a
Johns baptism OF repentance. and had
by no means attained unto the salvation of
Christ. They must needs be baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus" John assumed
no power OF absolution. He expressly dis
claimed IT, and lifting his finger said. for all
time. even from out the waters OF baptism:
Behold the Lamb OF God that taketh away
the sin OF the world.
Confessing our sins. What more signi1-
cant way of making confession of SIM The
whole nature corrupt The whole head is
SICK and the whole heart is faint. From
the sole of the foot even unto the head
there Is no soundncss in it, but wounds and
bruises and putrefylng sores: they have not
been closed neither bound up. neither mol
lifted with ointment" No. they are past
modifying with the touch of ointment.
Great SHINING requires great cleansing. and
il here at the water we propose TO declare
our condition. nothing short of a complete
submcrgence will show It, To tell the truth.
do not lax views OF sin and lax views Of this
, ordinance go naturally together?
He shall bdptize yOu ,ciM the Holy Ghost.
Take il literally Have you experienced
such baptism? Or will you say like those
Christians at Ephesus. We have not so
much as heard whether there be any Holy
Spirit" II it is rs bad as that then your
baptism Of water. according to the context,
amounts to nothing at all. But ii is not so
bad rs that. You have heard OF Jesus. and
every one who has received of the Things of
Christ has been influenced of the Spirit. 1t
is this influence that alone gives validity
to the ordinance. But, now what of this
baptism Of the Holy Ghost? Not suffu-
sion. not sprinkling, but complete i'm
mcrsion in the Spirit. The whole nature.
body. mind. soul. filed with the fullness of
Christ. That is what the baptism of tho
Spirit means. After all. aren't there u good
many of us practically Pedobaptists on this
scorer
He sac the heavens opened. Parted
says one translation. rent asunder." say
the revisers. "cloven." we read in the mar
gin. The veil OF heaven was. as il were.
rent in twain by that fllial obedience OF
Gods Son. Standing as it did for all his
life OF atoning sacrifice. it made an open
way for all mankind into the presence and
blessing OF the Father; standing. IA it did.
as an example of meek submission to God.
who "resisteth the proud but givcth grace
unto the humble" il tells the way of en-
trance TO all of heavens preferment.
Stephen afterward saw through the cleft.
and his soul obedient unto death. beheld
the glory of God and Jesus standing at the
right hand of God" John. through tho
same curtain rent asunder. saw n great
multitude which no man could number. and
they had come up out OF great tribulaton."
and had washed their robes aud made them
white in the blood OF the lamb" We know