Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-11-14
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY AND
ABLY CONsIDERED.

Thoughts worthy OF Sahh AAohoo-
tIon-Half an Hours Study OF the Scrip
tures-Time Wen Spent.
The lesson for Sunday. Nov. II. may be
found In III. Samuel xxiii.. IL
INTRODUCTORY.
We are in the midst OF a sort OF appendix
to the book OF Second Samuel, beginning
at chapter xxi. Several important items
OF history are added. including some
omitted exploits OF David. list OF his
brated hymns. The first OF these hymns.
David's triumphal song. Is to be found In
the chapter preceding. Here we take up
the second, called familiarly. "Davids Last
Words" And it is fittingly named. giving
as 1t does the central and animating spirit
OF IsraePs poet-king. We may well pray as
we read its lofty utterances. Let me die the
death OF the righteous. and let my last end
be like hisl"
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
Spirit OF the Lord, The breath OF the
Lord.-By me, or. In me. No clearer
declaration Of the doctrine Of inspiration
Qnbreathing) is given In sacred writ
His word. Gods speech or revelation. The
divine method OF communication.-lnm my
tongue. Better. on my tongue. Mans
tongue used as the vehicle OF the heavenly
message.
Tho God OF Israel said. David has no
doubt of the source OF the message, hence
the liberty with which he declares himself.
the speaker. 1t is Gods deliverance not
David's. He that ruleth. The revision
makes It refer, and quite properly. to David.
thus: "One that ruleth. Must be Just
The must be" is supplied by the transla-
tors. We prefer the most literal rendition
OF the reviser's "one that rueth over men
lighteously. Ruling in the fear OF God.
The same word and precisely parallel with
the phrases Just before: 1t brings out the
manward and Godward relations OF right
rule, righteously toward man; reverently
toward God.
And he shall be- That is. let him rule
thus righteously and reverently, and he
MI MI h. M StStai SShhd q poetic 5 snsHHGSsST STfs Gle
blessings of such a reign When the sun
rlseth. or at the sunrise. What more beau
tlful than the earth at -rise?--Without
clouds. Significant OF a pleasant day to
follow.-As the tender grass. An in
volved sentence. The Cambridge Bible for
schools. following the order OF the Hebrew.
translates 1t: when from sunshine, from
rain. grass springing from earth" The eye
is carried from the cloudless brightness
above to tho fresh. rich verdure beneath.
These simies would have special force with
the people OF the Orient
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
The man who was raised on high. He
did not grow up from beneath; he was
raised up from above. Great as were
David's natural endowments. high as were
his native abilities, he was. after all. great
because God made him great. He was not
a man after Coils own heart" and hence
chosen" but first chosen and after that
man after GoPs own heart. Read his
Psalms. They are the tributes Of PEN
slonor. Grace, grace was David's plea.
I he flower gots something, as has been
said, from the earth beneath it; there comes
infinitely more, for strength and beauty.
Fl on Il o sun above it. Man is lifted up be-
cuuse God has stopped down.
Ms "vru ""o On my tvnBuo. fhi~h-ot
tho condescension OF it. Mans poor. stam-
mering tongue made the convoyor OF
heavens messages. God who speaks
through the thunders aud the roaring
winds deigns to converse with man by the
u.s. OF tho human tonIue. How weak the
vehicle. how wondrous and mighty the
communication! Never was there such
burthen rs that with which the tongue Is
freghted. The significance OF the great
and gracious doctrine of inspiration who
can estimator But there is a lesson also
for tho mon of to-day, the living epistles
read and known OF all men. God submits
to us his word, makes us his messengers;
with us is intrusted the proclamation OF
his matchloss messages. the dissemination
OF his blessed truth. Shall we not pray de-
Voutly: 20, ord. open thou my lips and
my mouth shall show forth thy praise"
The Rock OF Israel spake to me. A rock
that speaks. God is not only rock OF
refuge. OF shadow. shelter. home; He is
voiceful rock OF commune alton. AS such,
how SAFE the word He speaksl lie who
trusts in that word is like the house built
upon the rock How surel Taking that
also out OF an horrible pit. out Of the miry
clay. and set my feet upon n rock, and es-
tablished my goings." How solid and en-
away but WSFd and qsEaa HTh nd psss sss Always Sss
Has the Rock OF Israel spoken to your
You need that speech for safety, for assur-
ance, for enduring rest. Yes, that voice
has spoken, In divers manners, plain and
strong. Then are other questions certain
ly pertinent. Have you answered the voice
that spake? Have you part in the rock2
Euling In the fear OF God. To be ruled
we'll is % rule well. David was good ruler
because he acknowledged higher Ruler.
TIE people feared David because David
feared God. That man who has first gov
ernod his own spirit by putting 1t in subjec-
| tion to higher Power is the best fitted to
lead others. Where shall men learn to be
Just save by finding tho source OF infinite
| justice2 This old world ha1 forgotten right
cousness and was sinking farther and far
ther into cruelty and barbaritv when Christ
came. How much our modern humanita-
rian governments owe TO the Christian re-
ligion. in its Indirect IL not it's direct infiu-
ence, who can tell. When men begin TO
fear God they will both rule and be ruled
better.
morning without clouds. What a thrill
Of delight comes at times with such mani
We had been travelling oil afternoon through
the rain and mist OF an October day. But
in the night as we rested we could hear the
regular rhythmic clank, clank OF the wheel
] upon tho rail familiar to all who have
crossed the continent telling us that we
were climbing the hills into the higher alti-
tudes. Whom at last the day broke and We
looked forth, what u change from the mar
rowness and gloom OF the preceding dayl
Above the clear blue sky and yonder. lift
ing their snowy reaks high in air, above
the rolling landscape, the everlasting hills.
We realized then, as never before. the serene
beauty of "a morning without clouds" the
ineffable Joy OF clear shining after rain
Have you not known such a day-break in
your spiritual II Q?
All my salvation and all my desire. All
In God. Present salvation, expectation OF
good. ultimate glory, all are hid for us with
Christ in God. That everlasting covenant,
ordered. sure. stands for our defense and
/ encouragement When days are dark it
gives us light; when burdens are heavy, it
rests us; whe n foes oppose. 1t strenethens.
God is for us. who can be against us 2 They
hurried the devoted bishop of to his death.
the rcd-handed commune. Afterward on
his cell-wall they found inscribed a
straight. strong square. on whose four sides
were written. distinctly. Length. Breadth.
Depth, Height" The eternity land magni-
tudo OF God we're for him. What cared he
for aught that might set itself against him.
Next Lesson-"solomon' Wise Choice"
Kings 3: 5-15.