The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-04-24

SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY AND
ABLY CONSIDERED.
a Scholarly Exposition Of the Lesson
Thoughts Worthy Of Calm Rehec-
tIon-Haif AN Hours Study Of the Scrip
tures-Time We'll Spent.

tures-Time We'll Spent.
Tho lesson for Sunday. April %. may be
found in Lark ID: Lib
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
!. Went out. 1t was our Savior last visit
TO the temple. As Matthew says. he went
out and departed from the temple" And
his last word was OF threatened destruc-
tion.-Ihe temple. Herod's temple in
strength and magniicence was one OF the
wonders OF the world.--One of his dis
ciptes. IL matters not which. Tor as Mat
thew intimates CHS disciples came TO him
FOR 20 show him the buildings"). they were
all alike. one. perhaps. acting as spokes-
man. --WoSter. see tchat manner Of stones.
! We are TO connect this with the threat that
has Just gone before, found implicitly in
| Mark. AMI more fully In Matthew (20.
Christ has been predicting overthrow. His
disciples straightway call his attention To
| apparent strength aud stability OF all around.
2. Anslcerin0. He had been answering all
| day long. Now, as eve approach he must
needs meet the wondering inquiries and
surmises of his disciples. He was full Of
] grace and truth. "-Seest thou. The word
is bleDo. signiiying 10 look at or obserre.
! Christ says, 1t is great buildings you are
! looking aN-Throicn d0tcn. The word
! for dissolution thorough and final. The
destruction OF Jerusalem under the Roman
and Saracen was complete. One of the de-
tached stones of this stately ediflce is said
to have measured 24x4 feet.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Tell as tchen shah these things be? When?
Tell us when? In the privilege of privacy in
/ our Savior's unspeakably precious soiitudes
Peter and James and John and Andrew. all
OF them. are asking of seasons and signs.
/ when. Master. when shall those things
be?- o. we are all very like our early
! brethren of the cross. The church has
| troubled itself much over needless ques-
| tons. We made the wrong Inquiry. Dates
| instead of doctrines. doubts for deeds the
1rhen rather than the lchdt and the trhO. Ac-
tually, when we arise TO our better spiritual
moods. we are not asking this question. we
are letting the future take care of itself. and
arc asking only how We may please God
most in tue present moment. Our Joy il al
ready full. Already do we see the enemy
east down and the truth victorious. Up in
hcqven, even before the final denOuenient
John saw them singing the song OF Moses.
| a pean that belonged TO the farther side OF
the Red Seas wrathful flood. whose waters
were yet to fall. All at once in Psalm IL.
while David is praying to be delivered from
his enemies, his eye OF faith sees them al
ready overthrown, and he cries out. My
tongue also shall talk OF thy righteousness
all the day long; for they are confounded.
| for they are brought unto shame that seek
my hurt!- He asks not "when?"
Take heed lest any man deceive yOU. This
| is Christs first answer to the question.
"When?" just offered. BE careful, says he,
lest in your seeking TO know the time-hid-
den from mems eyes-you be led astray.
| And how many have been thus nlisted!
centuries. many now. The word more than
once. openly as here tacitly. rebukes { is
! disposition TO pry into the secrets of eter-
nifty. Watch, Christ says, and that is
enough. Watch in a two-fold sense. Watch
| lest we be led aStray by that which Is false.
and lest we be taken unawares. /. e., unpre-
pared. when the true Master comes. De-
ceired. led ostray. How prone we are TO be
misled! The word is the same as that used
Of the sheep gone astray" in the noun
| in
pietys name. being led astray from the
truth today The warning is applicable to
Us of this age. Shall we take heed?
These are the beginning OF sOTTOus. So
then we are just in the beginning of the
great upheaval The premonitions OF God's
Overturning providences ate all about Us.
but they are only the premonitions. When
the final conflict and catastrophe shall
come. the violence of overthrow will be as
much greater as the bursting of the storm
cloud exceeds its faint predictive mutter-
ings. We must needs keep the book Of
Revelation open before us as we read this
lesson. 1t Is noteworthy as the thrilling
symbolic images of the New Testament
book OF prophecy pass before Us how
slowly. and with what sober. stately step
pings the ultimate issue Is ushered upon
the view, When the seventh seal is about
to be broken there is Silence in heaven"
and the deliverance is for the time with
held. SO also when the seventh trumpet is
about to speak. And it is only when the
seven angels having the seven last plggues-
are hidden, "Go your ways and pour out the
vials of the wrath Of God upon the earth"
that we know the full meaning of the sew
enth seal and the seventh trumpet. What
we see to-day IN history is but the begin
ming of that war wherein "the Lamb shall
overcome.
And the gospel shall first be published
among all nations" And then cometh the
end" Matthew adds. The beginnings OF
sorrows" Tor palms, are very nearly PASSED.
a inc 70 nat
OF events which shall mark the end of
things. Not necessarily the sudden ter
mination Of life or Of earth's history. but
the terminal epoch wherein shall be mani
tested the might OF God in nprecedented
ways. and wherein shall occur those vista
tions, in1ictions and deliverances pro-
phesied as belonging to that eliminating
era of mundane history. with It's final exhi.
billions OF Gods might and mercy. Let the
gospel go forth and find every land. Not
that every people must accept. They need
onlv hear. Published" Is the word. The
testimony is TO be made on every shore. in
every cline; made faithfully. whether men
receive or reject. Ours but to witness. God
does the rest. and the word OF God shall DO
fulfilled" Let us hasten his day. Christian
by sending the people FORTH.
For IL as not ye that speak. but he Holy
Ghost why is it," our friend has lust
been saying TO us. speaking OF a certain
evangel.stic conference. that those simple.
uncultured men have such power with the
word?" And then We both paused and looked
at each other and answered the question.
soberly. each for himself: is il not the
Holy Ghostr" Christ has promised il. He
will guide you into all truth" He shall
testify of me-" He shall glorify me-" Over
in Acts they spake. AS the Spirit gave them
utterance." We can detect it to-day. When
one speaks to our hearts of Christ. and re-
veals Christ to us. IL is we know. the work
of that promised Spirit. ThesJ TO whom
Christ was speaking here were TO be wit
nesses. That did not forbid culture OF
soul and mind AMI speech. 1t did TO- bid
needless concornm snt as to rhetorical
finish. Prayer was to lie their best prep
aration. They were men OF the Holy
Ghost.
But pc that shall endure unto the end.
Here was the second and final answer TO the
query. When shall these things be-" Just
endure. This should be your chief care. TO
abide in the vine and SO endure to the end.
God will take care OF the times and sea, on a.
Do you give heed TO yourselves. Keep in
the faith. Draw nigh 10 God When the
disciples came saying exutantly. Why. even
the devils are subject unto us. Christ an
swered. Il saw Satan falling like lightning
from heaven" Hence. rejoice not that dew
lis are subject. Rejoice i'm this. that your
names are written in heaven.
Naxt 7 aaaon. THE Command To Watch. .