The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-05-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY AND
ABLY CONSIDERED.
A Scholarly Exposition OF tho Lesson
Thoughts Worthy of Calm Heneo-
tion-Haif an Hours Study OF tho Scrip
turcs-Time Well Spent.


Thoughts Worthy of Calm Reneo-
tIon-Haif an Hours Study Of tho Scrip
tures-Time Well Spent.
Tho lesson for Sunday. May 10. may be
ound In Mark IA: 1926.
The two disciples who went before our
Lord 10 prepare for his triumphant entrance
into Jerusalem must have had strange sur
misses ms 10 what that event IN ght portend.
Similarly the two disciples who are sent
beforehand In this lesson TO make ready the
passover could not but have had anxious
anticipations regarding what the morrow
might bring forth. And those anticipations
were not iil-founded, though the den0ue-
nent was far from that which their human
aspirations and desires prompted them to-
expect. IL has been suggested that tho
disciples We're looking TO see our Lords
Messianic power displayed at this feast
And was IL not? There in that upper room.
in the broken bread and the wine poured
out, was given symbol which. with all IL
set forth OF mercy and might. was TO
abide TO remotest generations. the Lords
supper.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
And Hiev made ready the passover. They
were doing more; they We're preparing also
Tor the Lords supper. wnich should hence
forth take the place Of the former memorial
Both spoke of deliverance through the
blood, but the older rite only foreshadowed
and preflGured what was TO be taught in
rounded completeness by the Lords Sup
per. Thus the Old and the New are bound
together. Israel was ever making ready
for this. the true passover. IL was not
necessary that she should know 10 in full
God works, quietly and oitentmes through
hidings of power TO the accom- pli shment of
his designs OF grace. That Is "a significant
passage over IN the sixth Of first kings re-
garding the building Of Solomon temple,
type Of Gods spiritual building. And the
house when it was in building was built OF
stone made ready before it was brought
thither; so that there was neither hammer.
nor ax. nor any tool OF iron heard in the
house while it was building. The great
Architect OF the spiritual temple is build
ing, constantly building. Even when we
see not the marbles or cedars. back there
in some Lebanon they are being prepared
and shaped, and when Gods time is come.
quietly. man hearing no sound OF hammer
or AK. the great beams drop into their
narrowing rests" and the spacious house
OF God rises serenly toward the skies. IL
Is. after all. God who makes ready.
IN the ereniig ne cOmeth trith the tlcelue.
lt was an evening never 10 be forgotten.
See how full IL was OF meaningful words
and deeds. II we eat the Lords Supper as
the disciples afterward partook Of il. shall
We not be thinking of all that took place in
connection with it? 1t began as Luke tells
us. with n contention among the twelve
which should bs accounted greatest"
Think or 1t, right upon the edge OF that
great agony in the garden and on the tree
human pride and worldly ambition came
in. How humbling the thought TO the dis
cipes-and us! Then rs probably grow
ing out OF this, John says our Savior
poured water in n basin and began to wash
the disciples feet" The serving. self-for-
getiul spirit. Il. your Lord and Master-I
have given you an example" Doubtless the
disciples thought OF that rs they sat at the
table of the Lord. Do we? Next come the
terrible words. -One Of you which eateth
with me shall betray me-" In the light Of
that revelation of human weakness and
wickedness. knowing our hearts as we do.
can we ever lit the cup without saying
meekly, deprecatingly, with the disciples,
Lord is it II" A moment later and Peter.
all too self-conildent. hears the dread di-
vulgence. Thou shalt deny me-. q. let us
walk very softly before God and with much
of self-abasing prayer. Yet also very hope
fully. and trustfully. and Joyfully. Tor the
Let not your hearts be troubled" come
here with all the sweet comfort aud strength
OF the 18th. 18th. 10th. and 18th Of John. tho
whole closing with the assuring prayer OF
Christ in our behalf: That the love here
with thou hast loved me may be in them.
and ia them" o. brother. does the Lords
Supper mean to us all that II meant to those
disciples OF Christ?
Jesus took bread. Here was a moving
object-les and lasting. too. He took
the common loaf. such as we handle every
day. and ssnctlied it 10 the hottest uses.
Whenever we take bread now let us recall
that Jesus himself took it and by means Of
it taught the closeness Of his relationship
TO us who love him. We do not simply re-
ceiye Christ as one accepts cloak 10 put it
on loosely ready TO be thrown of again.
We take him as one takes lood that il may
become part and parcel of ourselves. 10 en-
ter into the very texture or essence both of
body and soul. In fact, We become very
largely of the nature OF that of which we
partake Mann ist." SAYS the Germans
sententiously. "tcdS en- iSSt." l. O.. man il
what he eats. Feeding upon heavens bread
we are built up in the heavenly image ac-
cording to Christ Jesus. Read the sixth of
John. For the bread OF Goa is he which
cometh down from heaven and giveth life
unto the world. Il am the living bread
which came down from heaven; il any man
eat this bread he snail live Tor ever. Alas.
how many souls there are starving TO death
where there Is bread and To sparel
THIS IS my blood Of the Nep Testament.
We like the old word testament" -Ccven-
ant" the word also means. hut covenant"
makes US think of the legalism OF the Old
dispensation. Testament" suggests to us
the pure love and full grace OF the Gospel.
1t means bequest. free-giit Moody says he
used TO think that Christ made no will prior
20 his death. but that he has changed his
mind since reading anew John II: ~.
Peace L leave with you, my peace gice
unto YOU" The Christian has a legacy and
rich one. Peace does not include it all.
Joy also is there. for he prays that mp joy
might remain tI you, and that your Joy
might be full" And love. Continue We in
my love-" ne says. Peace, JOY. love. these
Christ left behind him, as it were. the
mantle OF his grace and the pledge and fore
taste Of his peoples Inheritance in the
heavens. The cup continually brings this
TO mind. This cup is the New Testament
in my blood" 1t is the seal Of his bequest:
let us touch il reycrently. Only sons can
come to ii. For whatsoever shall eat this
break and drink this cup of the Lord I'M
worthily shall be guilty Of the body and
blood OF the Lord. But let a man examine
himself and so let him eat OF that bread and
drink ofthat cup.
He gaze 10 10 them. Do not lose sight OF
the HIND behind the cup and OF the Face
behind the bread. IL was Ire who was Civ
ing all the time. The last word from the
teachers lips was In keeping with all the in
struction of his life. lesson o e ace given.
The last motion of the Masters hands-and
how often the disciples must Lave looked
back 20 il with tender feeing?--was break
tng. BLESSING and 9iuin0. q. at sight of the
broken bread aud the pou ed-out cup. our
hearts should we'll up in gratefulness for all
that Christ has given out OF his heart OF
Lowell All we have and are IL through tho
love which 0ires 10 10 us. Hence Paul
could cry out rs his only plea 10 the Gala
tians. wno were seeking after salvation by
circumc sion and in ,ing more o the or
dnance than OF the ordainrr. The life