The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-02-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY AND
ABLY CONsIDERED.

A Scholarly Exposition of tho Lessor
Thoughts Worthy OF Calm Reicc-
tion-HaIf an Hours Study of the Scrip.
tures-Time Well Spent.
The lesson for Sunday, Feb. "A, may he
found in Mark vi. lis.
INTRODUCTORY.
When Eudocia enjoined Chrysostom
with threatenings, the bold preacher said
Say TO her fear nothing save sim" We
say that with God all things are pos
sible, yet there is one thing that hinders
His gracious aud mighty working, one
thing before which Omnipote lce pauses
1t is unbelief. HE could there do nc
mighty works. says the lesson before US.
Was not q bic, DIR. Conant puts il in his
luminous translation. Remember the
truth, deep, grave, startling; in simple
consistence with His own holiness and
the free will with which He has endowed
man, God cannot do contrary to the
choice of single human soul. With jus.
these wills of ours we can stay our re.
demption and forfeit heaven. A few weeks
ago we we're studying of the people of
Decapolis who banished Jesus by theiI
beseechings. Here We have Him driven
out by doubt. unbelief 1t is the most
ueSperhIe, uesplcdDle, ueNlllbu tnluB III
al the universe. Beware of it!
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Into his olcn country. Christ loved His
boyhood town of Nazareth This was the
second effort He made to secure its eternai
good. Before, He had been rejected with
violence; but now He comes again, TO be
again repulsed. Assuredly the hardest
field for labor is sometimes closest homo.
How difficult for sons TO speak to fathers.
wives to husbands, brothers, sisters, bosom
friends to each other When you are be-
ing entertained III a home, brother, LEI
your Christian testimony join in heartily
with the witnesses for Christ in that
household. Your word may be all that is
needed to add itself to the faithful lives
being lived under the roof. Lip and life
together may bring TO instant decision.
Are your sons all converted?' said an
evang elist once as he sat at humble
Eastern freside. Yes" answered his
host, and then he added, ~all but De-
witt" The evangelist turned to the son
and simply told the story of the lost
sheep. 1t was enough. Dewitt Talmage
became Christian.
He could there do no mighty arork.
That is, it was morally impossible. Do
you recall the barrister who came to the
prisoners cell wi b the papers of par
don in his pocket. What would you do
if YOU got free?" he askel In hot rage
the convict responded that he would forth
with shoot the Judge who sentenced HIM
and the witnesses who bore false testi-
mony against him. Was it wholly strange
that the p rdon remained unopened?
There Is a pardon ready to be delivered to
any of the sons of earth. Can a righteous
God give it to an unrighteous and re-
bellious soul, to one who, at his heart,
says he will not take it save to do with il
greater wickedness?
He mdrueled because of their uabelief
Does not that same Christ marvel much
over the unbelief of to-day? There are
said to be two hundred prophecies direct
of Christ and fifteen hundred of an indi-
rect sort in the Old Testament. And yet
they doubted him. No wonder ne mar
veled. But what must Heaven think OF
us, who, besides these promises fulfilled
in Christ's life on earth, have the testi-
mony OF eighteen centuries of the career
of the church, animated as it is by his
Spirit? Marvel the angels we'll may. How
far wrong is Moody when he says at North
field, "Hundre Is of people right in this
town don't knoW Chist ~ out Of J0seph's
sepUIcheT?"
Gaze them poioer. Christ was the
source. AS the disciples started forth He
kept giving them power, is the sense.
They had no power or authority In them
selves, their virtue was all il Him, and
they used whatever He gave them. So is
the disc pie to do to-day. Whatever
power God designs rs to employ in this
spensation, as we abide in Him He will
continually impart to us. Christ Himself
gave US the pattern in His own voluntary
subsection: The Father that dwelleth in
Me, He doe h the works" Paul puts it in
true do .trinll form for us who rest in
Christ: Who hath blessed US with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places
(heavenly attitudes, heavenly realities, en-
epOurdniOis) an Christ Let as not be
anxious about signs and powers let US be
only SOLICITORS that we abide in Him. In
that abiding will be found all the gifts and
graces requisite for the work of to-day.
For remem Der, HE that hath put all things
under HIS feet" hath also given Him to be
"the head over all things TO the church."
The dust under votsr feet for testi-
mony Think of it. When one is filed
with the spirit of the Master and wholly
devoted to HIM more than one thing wit
nesses for the truth of his message, eUen
the dust Of has feet az tetimony. Draw
the net, draw the net, says our friend of
the Pacific Garden Mission, whether souls
respond or not; the very fact that they
have had another opportunity and refused
it will make is appeal to them" Every
time the Bible is closed in the classroom,
every time the last hymn is sung n the
church service, every time the pastor or
teacher or Christian brother turns away
after an earnest appeal, there is n new ar
row winged by the Spirit straight at the
heart OF the impenitent. May We keep in
the witnessing atmosphere.
Preached that men should repent IL
is not all the gospel, but surely it is
largo part of the gospel proclamation; a
part, too, it is that seems just now some
what neglected.. Have you read DR.. Ash
more's article in the current Missionary
Magazine? Tho gospel, no says, has
twofold errand TO apiiness and TO build.
The witnessing was to come first" And
is he not right in urging that we put it
6rst again to-day 1t is the fist sharp,
swift message, the shot d the picket line,
the declaIatio of war, as DIR. Ashmore
sails it, against the gates of hell, the
summons to surrender; the simple word of
testimony is, as DR.. Gordon has pleaded,
q large part of the preaching of the Cos
pei. When Christ fitted out that early
,orps of disciples and gave them their 'tin-
srant outfit, he set the church an example
a.