The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-02-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON CONsDERED.

wholesome Eoou fof AnOuE NJ - otuoy-
ing the scripturai Lessons Inteliigentiy
and Probably.
The lesson for Sunday. Feb. 10. may DO
found In Mark v. 100.
INTRODUCTORY.
This lesson will find not few churches
and Sunday sch ols In the midst OF special
meetings and Christ is present to bless
What shall be the treatment he receivesS
Three voices answer in the verses before US.
illustrative of the different elements that go
TO make up every community and which
make themselves distinct and conspicuous
In all times OF special revival. First. the
voice OF the devils crying out In protest.
What have we 10 do with thee?- Art thou
come 10 torment us?" Second. the voice OF
the easy-going. world -faring and mercen-
airy. who pray him to depart out OF their
country. Third. the voice of the soul. de-
lvered by Christ. praying him. like Peter at
the TRANSPORTATION, that he might stay
with him" who. being shown a better way.
great things the Lord hath done for him..
Our Lords response TO each is no less strik-
ing than are the petitions themselves.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Over unto The other side. And it was a
long. hard journey. boisterous. wind
tossed sea lay between. and ere the boat
could make landing Christ must arise
from the pillow OF the ship and in his divine
power bid the raging elements be STILL" So
comes the Lord Jesus TO our sim cursed
earth. so presses he over unto the other
side" OF Gods universe where sin Is and
where we find ourselves. Through night OF
humiliation and storm Of passion the divine
One hurls himself till he touches on our
desolate coasts. Herein is love. not that
We loved God but that he loved US and sent
his Son."
/ Neither could any man tame him. But wa
try TO do il. We attempt all sorts OF human
expedients TO exercise the evil spirits that
creep into men. Medicine will not reach
all maladies. letters Will not lay all devils.
culture will not subdue all demons of the
heart The conqueror has not yet come.
No man could or ever can tame that spirit
OF demonacal possession which seizes on
all self-centered hearts and is here typihed.
No man. But Christ can. Let the smitten
soul turn TO Jesus. We can imagine the
solctude OF this mans friends as in his
frenzy he breaks his chains and fees again
-out OF the city" into the desolate region OF
the tombs. Yet right there Jesus finds him
given up by his kinsfolk and neighbors.
Right there wandering souls are still found
by him who came 10 seek and to save that
which was lost"
Sdlo Jesus dJar OF. Satan recognizes
Jesus. He often discovers him before the
very elect and begins TO prepare for his ap-
proach. He sees him afar on There is a re-
vival spirit springing up. Church members
have been moved TO pray and labor more
heartily for the conversion Of sinners. They
are in earnest. but they scarcely see that
Jesus of Nazareth is drawing nigh. Satan
sees it. Straightway variety of socialipar-
ties and diversions are planned. There has
been no convention except among the evil
spirits themselves. in their unseen coun-
sells. bat the dance, and whist. and various
forms OF dissipation and gayety, some OF
them wholly innocent. IL seasOnaby placed.
others questionable. others positively bad.
all are crowded into that narrow limit of
time when special effort is being made for
the unsaved. We are making no endeavor
10 describe any particular community, but
how far short does it come, brother. of rep
resenting the situation with you. now or in
the near pastP
What hare I to do NTH thee? Not much.
to be sure; but have somewhat TO do with
thee. thou adversary OF souls; am come to
destroy thee! All that Satan desires is To
be let alone. and much OF this modern cry
for license and liberty is simply the DEVILS
protest against interference in his fell work.
There were two spirits to be dealt with here.
the master-spirit Of the devil which cried
out SO querulously. and the subject-spir OF
the man which came and Frustrated itself
in lowiness. II was for the sake of the lat
ter more particularly that our Lord crossed
the lake. They were rs one spirit at the
first. Torment me not" was the voice OF
the demoniac. who did not yet realize that
the despOt demon was his torment. Christ
spoke and the two were separate. Satan
fleeing down the steep in the frantic swine
and the man sitting subdued and sweet
tempered before the Christ. That is what
Jesus has in his heart to do" with all de-
Come ont of the man. thou unclean
spirit When Jesus comes the unclean
spirit goes out. At Northfleld a few years
ago DR.. A. j. Gordon asked the question.
How can we be filled with the Spirit2- and
answered very truly, Well. we can't fill
ourselves. But there is one thing we can
do; we can empty ourselves. III we can
make vacuum in our hearts the Holy
Spirit will I'LL them" 1t was a strong. elfec-
tive plea for self-humiliation and self
surrender. But when Mr.. Moody spoke on
the same theme in the afternoon he said Il
think / could have said Amen TO almost
everything in this mornings service; but
couldn't quite agree with DR.. Gordon when
he said n man could empty himself.
Well. know l can't empty my heart.
can't get the pride out OF my heart. But
If man desires above everything else
that he shall decrease and Christ increase,
then / believe the Lord will pour the water
down so that il will C, ovid out all these
things They were both right; two sides
OF the same truth-the truth limited at
above.
They began to pray him TO depart out of
their coasts. This was one effect of our
Lords wondrous ministry, a fear which is
! sued In rejection of Christ rather than in
his acceptance. Sclcitude is not salvation;
alarm does not always lead to repentance.
! There is fear that is other than -godly
fear" We see il so to-day. Men are startled
by the advent of Jesus to the coast Of their
hearts; but, alas. what stirs them most is
Q !
when you get at the bottom Of their dismay
you find IL merely a selfish. mercenary
anxiety least they be deprived of certain
lusts Of this life. The cry of such. perhaps
unspoken. but winged toward God. is: De
part. depart" And o. saddest words of
gospel narrative. as recorded by Luke: And
he went up into the ship and returned back
again" He took them at their word. Christ
will hear your cry impenitent. You may
send your Lord and Saviour away. You
may be doing il this moment.
Prayed him that he might be toih him.
This was the other way OF receiving the
miracle. Some men besought Christ TO de-
part. This man. feeling Christ's gracious
power I'm his heart, besought him that no
might remain ever with him and rejoice in
his fellowship and service. The request was
refused and yet granted. The personal
following OF the Lord Jesus was turned to "A
spiritual following and fellowship. Go
tell said Christ. that Is the way to love
me and serve me-" Brother. do you mind
the word go We into ali the world-and
10. am with you Away" This is n voice
not simply for the delivered Gadarene. but
for every saved soul: and IL we feel his
power In our hearts we shall begin to pub
lish It. every one of us. i'm our Decapolis.
O what n marvel" it would be just to soc
n l.