The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-04-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
A Pleasant. Interesting, and Instructive
Lesson and Where IL May BE Found--A
Learned and Concise Review Of the

Learned and Concise Review of the
Same.
The lesson for Sunday. April II. may be
found in Mark IL: 2s-34
INTRODUCTORY.
1t was one OF the Masters feld-days. At
the opening Of Mark we had the record OF
one day OF blessed preaching and healing.
And how full OF kindly ministries il was.
that day at Capernaum with its message and
It's miracle OF the synagogue. the healing OF
Simon's wife's mother. coming directly af-
ter. with the gathering OF the sick and evil
possessed-of "all the city at the door at
even when the sun did set"-"and he healed
many" This third day OF the week.-Mrs.
last week In the fiesh-to which we have
now come. Is another season OF thronging
events. But this time he is in the heat OF
battle. and IL Is the flash of the sword that
we see piercing now and again between the
Joints OF the harness. The fig tree withers
up from the roots" the arrogant query rn
the temple. by what authority doest thou
these things?" is met. the crucial parallels
OF the vineyard, the two sons, and the mar
riage feast are spoken. the Pharisee with
his piece of tribute money and the Saddu-
Gee with his insidious questions regarding
the resurrection are in turn put TO coIfu-
sion, close upon their heels coming the law
yer with his inquiry answered in the present
lesson: and yet the day is but halt gone. The
cross was not far distant. and every mo-
ment had its weighty erraDd to the Master.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES
and one OF the scr1bes came. 1t Is the
scribes turn now. Ore by one our Lords
enemies came forward in this last passage
mt arms In the temple. each 10 be- signally
discounted and put TO shame. First the
high priests are asking his credentials and
authority for preaching as he does. Christ
answers them with a series OF parallels that
exalt the will OF God as the ground of ODE
dience. and the word OF God as the basis
Of auth GRITTY. conyicting his interlocutors OF
unfaithfulness to that will and disloyalty To
that word. They go away. Then comes the
Pharisee. asking slyly about the tribute TO
Caesar that they might "entangle him in his
talk" and with his discriminating reply.
Render unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars and to God the things that are
Gods. in their ears they can only marvel
and hold their peace. Next the Sadducee.
cleverIy asking regarding the wife OF seven
husbands: In tho resurrection. therefore.
when they shall rise. whose wife shall she
be OF theml" Christ proves, TO their con-
fusion. that they know not the Scriptures,
neither the power OF God" And now. last
of all come the scribes and pharisees.
There is the same result Presently we SEQ
them standing shame faced before him.
and no man was able to answer him a
word" The defeat of the skeptic and the
caviler is complete. Why should We fear
to- day?
Which is the first commandment Of all?
The word was an echo from the vain and
fruitless disputations of the day. What
piece OF work-righteousness will count the
most? IL Is again the question Of the Young
man: What good thing shall | dO?" There
is the same encounter in these latter times.
Mans morality, so-called. sets itself over
against the righteousness, which is OF God
through faith. How shall the churches be
made more useful" the papers are asking.
and NJ. j. Savage, of Boston, and DR..
of hn limit arin ma
I'VE wrote it first. in significant inadvert-
ence. Unirersdiists) OF Cincinnati are re-
plying in one breath: Preach the divinity
OF human nature" The divineness Of the
race" etc. Yes. the world still wishes to
know how IL can whiten the sepulchre OF
this dead carnality n little more. and, dis
carding penitence and confession. reach
Heaven by II ladder OF good works. How
can the church be made more useful" to
this end? Alas! that there should be any
announcement Tor such u tendency from
church or pulpit.
Thou shalt lore the Lord thy God. 20 yes.
good Master. we do love the great Father
of us all. for. do you not see, we fast in
Lent and give aims. and keep the law and"
Go SELL" SAYS the Master interrupting
the glib tongue OF the young ruler. give
and come follow me-" righteousness is more
than "A matter OF the law. IL is downright.
hearty. supreme. self forgetting love. Love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul.
Is here taught, complete, all embracing. is
what the world needs to-day. 1t Is as Kant
said. acting 50 that the maxim of thy will
may be the principle of a universal legis
lation." But who has ever been able TO do ?
that who but One? If we had no other
proof of mans fall we should have ii here
when we compare human life. at its best.
with this sweeping divine law. Some one
once defined total depravity TO be simply
and solely this. the complete failure OF man
TO love God with all the heart. We need "A
Redeemer.
Thou shalt lore thy neiohbor as hyseG.
Men do not seem TO be much in love with
themselves. according to this test-they
love their neighbors so little. But the
trouble is that the golden rule. OF which
this is but another version. is not being OBJ
served TO any great extent. There would
be less oppression. less exaction, less dis
honesty. ii men loved each other as they
should. There would be more wages and
more work put into the day. were there
moro neighbour love in the business and
my barn for?- Two dollars and "a half a
day. sab" How much for the jobT" We'll.
take de white wash and de wear and tear.
dar's no oney in il by the job" Our col
ored friend let's out good-sized secret
here. In ordinary commercial intercourse
there are innumerable hedges reared 20
compel that which love itself ought TO con-
strain. All. love. true, DISTINGUISHED love, is
still very rare commodity.
No man after that burst ask him any more
questions. 1t proved very dangerous work
to assail the truth. 1t always does. Better
! leave il alone. When Lyman Beecher went
| from Litchfield to Boston. then the hot bed
of Unitarianism, all but one OF the old
| churches having adopted the new Christ
| destroying tenets. he was like a man sent
| of God and it was las tn ough in him one OF
the old Puritans had risen from the dead.
| OF course there was opposition and heather
rage. Read DIR. Beecher's autobiography
Showers of lies were raised about us every
! day But the old hero answered with the
truth. God sent him revival after revival.
Presently we find him saying. All this
malgnity did us no harm. They only rang
| the bell for me-" In a little while the oppo-
siton had changed their tactics and con-
| cluded to let Lyman Beechcr and his or
thodox preaching alone. Lift up Christ.
In the face of gainsaying world. teach
! Jesus. When they ask questions give
| them Jesus for an answer. 1t IL enough.
/ Ere long we shall find 1t Is OF old. They
dare not for their lives ask any more
questions.
Next Lesson--The Destruction OF the
| Temple Foretold. Mark IS: 1-13.