Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-05-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON CONsIDERED.

@~V'D>faA~
and Proitably.
The lesson for Sunday; June 2. may be
found In Mark IA: 55-65.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS
The chief priests. The religious rulers
OF the Jews. There were twenty-four in
all. one for each OF the priestly orders
AH the council. 1t was composed also OF
seribes, who interpreted the law. and elders
chosen from among the people. in all some
three score and ten men.-SOught I'M
perfect tense. Kept seeking. In the process
ses OF their investigation.-W Witness or
testimony tndrturidn) To pat him TO
death. Literally. unto his death (eis), /. e.,
reaching to the death penalty. sufficient to
condemn him to death. See variations.-
Aud found none. The Greek is: and they
did not find. They were seeking not for
light but for an excuse for a deed already
determined upon.
For. This word refers back to the sought
rather than to the found; otherwise Ii
seems misleading. They kept seeking wit
ness against Jesus, for many were bearing
false witness against him.--Edlse tciness.
Perhaps telling absolute falsehoods. Such
witnesses we're often met with in the Orien-
tai courts. and even among the Jews
agreed not. Literally. The eridence aoas
not consistent OsOs). The Mosaic law pro-
tected Christ two independent testimonials
being required. one agreeing with the other.
practical safeguard against deceit.
AL The council sought for UitnesSes. 1t
ought not to have been hard to find evidence
as to the character OF the accused. Th ere
were great many in Jerusalem who knew
him. There was the impotent man who had
had an infrmity for thirty and eight years
and lay at the Pool of Bethesda. He could
testify about Jesus; yes. and now he could
come when summoned, though so long
time unable to move hand or foot. There.
too, was the man blind from birth. He was
native OF Jerusalem and well known. He
knows Jesus. and needeth not any longer
that any one should lead him. Why not call
him? Just outside the city there Is little
Bethany. wherein are Lazarus and Mary
apa ea MSfRR %RR tRRs@ n6 the sea sRsr and aaess sss
their testimony? There is the great multi
tude that heard him day after day, and were
thrilled by his word and work. Why was
it so difficult to get evidence? All. it
was because OF that little word against"
Witness against Jesus there was none.
Satan and the world have the same
diffic ulty to-day. Which of you convlnceth
me OF SIM" A great silence.
Many bear false acitness. or false wit
ness es the world Is full. Think of 1t. Chris
tian, whether you testify for Christ or not.
there are multitudes ready to bear false
witness against him. No matter whether
the testimony is according to fact or not, 1t
is rendered, and unthinking. world-faring
men are Influenced by it. Many OF us are
not aware that the battle Is on or that the
question is being raised. But it is There
are thirty infldel clubs in East London
alone. Dr. ii. l.. Hastings speaking before
the Chicago ministers meeting. states that
there are as many as n hundred such socie-
Ties in England, sending out millions OF
false witnessing publications every week.
Miss Macpherson, whom some OF US met in
her late visit to America, says that there
are whole streets in London that are infi-
del But that Is not the worst. On the
continent they grow more and more God
defying. L came here" said French
minister before the Presbyterian Assembly
in Edinburgh. "to find you agitated over
fho Of els To-, Dorto
we are discussing the question, Is there
God?'"
But neither so did their ,citnesses agree to-
0ether. That is the difficulty with the ad-
versaries. Their witnesses do not agree.
Even when they speak OF those things
which arc in some degree actual and true
as. for example. regarding biogenesis and
evolution. their evidence is contradictory.
save as it falls in line with Gods eternal
truth AS with the presumptuous archi-
tects OF Babel, their tongues grow con-
fused. and they destroy each other. Let
the Christian apologist understand here his
immense advantage under God. He has
only to speak testimony already given to
him. The word of God is inherently true.
thoroughly consistent with itself. The
more we study it the more we find it agree
ing with itself. 20, fools, and slow OF heart
to believe all that the prophets have
spoken" "One jot or one little shall in no
wise pass" Against the yagaries OF men
preach the Gospel of Christ. Send 1t
broadcast, that the world may knolo that
thou hast sent me-"
1nswerest thou nothing? There is time
for silence. as surely as there are pearls as
we'll as swine, and the proper place for
EACH When men are bowling in futile rage;
when they are gnashing their teeth in inef-
fectual wrath, we may let them alone. They
are wounding themselves. destroying each
the other. Why should Christ speak here
when their witnesses agreed not together.
and they were overwhelming themselves in
humiliating defeat? But the time comes to
break the silence. 1t Is at the putting OF
the main question. There he speaks. and
not indistinctly. Let the servant of the Lord
know that there is time to speak as well
as time 10 keep silent. Silence. then.
would be disloyalty. Think of 1t. At the
very time when the disciple was miserably
denying his Lord, Jesus was with divine
courage acknowledging himself. and by that
acknowledgment condemning himself to
the tree.
recently published upon the II Ans of
Christ" Study them. Il am the way" Il
am the door," Il am the bread" L am
the vine" They are many and bea uti-
full. They all go back to that grand. per-
sonal query. Whom say ye that am?'
with its truthful answer. Thou art the
Christ" Yea. farther back still to that
voice saying, Il am that am. Before
Abraham was l am" 1t is the word Of the
Eternal. Whenever that voice speaks it is
Him who Is from everlasting to everlasting.
His Scripture is one great and gracious
voice saying that / am. AS some one says;
Every little while somebody starts up and
upsets this book; and 1t is like upsetting
solid cube OF granite 1t is just as big one
way as the other; and when you have upset
1t. it is right side up. and when you over
turn 1t again, it is right side up still" It
has one word OF credential to the world.
the word given to Moses. Thus shalt thou
say, II am hath sent me.
What need ace any further Icitnesscs. No
man ever claimed for Christ in power and
divinity more than he claimed for himself.
II he is on trial for declaring himself to be
the Son OF God. then il is from his own lips
that the chief testimony shall be taken.
Hear him: Il came forth from the Father
and am come into the world. again 1 feave
the world and go to the Father" Again:
Father. glorify thou mo with thine own
self. with the glory which had with thee
before the world was" There is never a
moments hesitancy. When asked as to his
head he never falters, but declares
openly the truth art thou tho Christ.
the Son of the blessed?" The eyes OF the
council are upon him. Il ami" True. thepo
is no further need OF outside testimony.
Let one go to Christ and he hears 1t for
himself-T am.
Next Lesson-"Jesus Before Pilate.--
Mark 10: 1-20.