Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-10-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.


| ENTERTAINING DISSERTATION ON
SERIOUS SUBJECTS.
A Pleasant, Interesting. and Instructive
Lesson and where IL May He Found--A
Learned and Concise Review OF the
same
The lesson for Sunday. Oct ~, may be
| found In Ps. 32s ILL
INTRODUCTORY.
We turn not far aside here 10 take up a
psalm OF David. the psalm Itself being a
confession that David was sinner like
others: and needing the unmerited favor of
God This scripture has for It's heading
the semeMhat ehigmatic words, "A Psalm
OF David. Mas chill" The margin translates
IL. A Psalm OF David. giving Instructions"
The Douay version Says. TO David him.
self. UNDERSTANDING. How far back these
they are an integral part OF the canon OF In
SEPARATION, IL is-not Tor any one perhaps to
say authoritatively. i his we know. how
ever. that they reach as fa back toward
tho sources OF tho original writing as We
be the work OF scribes and comp lsrs, the
directions seem to be such part OF the
ancient dlvihely approved temple service
that we dare not pass them by lightly.
The meaning OF this heading seems TO DO
that the psalm before US was OF number.
thirteen in all. used for didactc purpose.
ono OF the teaching or doctrinal psalms.
Certainly we can find in 1t for our class es.
to-day. divine Instruction and illumination.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
Blessed The psalm begins with words or
liesslng, but Il is In reality psalm Of con-
fession. The Douay version calls 1t The
second Ienitentlal psalm. -Transgres-
sion Is forgiven. AS may be seen tho
original is quit, ellpticai. more than half
OF the words in the English being supplied.
Moro literally 1t would road. Blessed. the
guilt pardoned. sin covered.---- Three
words. in fact, in the Hebrew, two Of them
compound.
Imputeth not The word means origin
ally 20 bind. hence flguratively. to think. to
count for or esteem. 1t is the same word
at Gen: 10: g. that is translated, He counted
IL to him for righteousness" and the Same
also az isa. So: 4. which is rendered. Yet
we DID esteem him smilten. "---Iniquity.
70 have no iniquity imputed or reckoned to
his account was TO be counted guiltless.
Spirit Literally, breath. hence dispo-
sitlon or character. See Job 20: 3. where
the same word occurs. No guile. No
deceit That Is. to be made, by Gods
grace what one claims to be.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Blessed Is he whose transgresion is for
given. The penitent's Psalm, our own
psalm. Christian brother. We quote the
beautiful first psalm. BLESSED is the man
that walketh not in the counsel OF the un-
nor stitch In the seat OF the scornful." But
who OF US knows that blessedness by native
claim, and as ito the manner born?" The
thirty second Psalm fits our case. That
DlessednesS we know--the blessedness of
sins forgiven; OF wicked counsel sinful
ways, scornful seats put away throu IN grace
ana the hayward past covered and for
gotten through Gods mercy. Here is
biossedness Tor tue poorest anu wretched-
est grace for the transgressor, favor for the
sinner. 1t is ours just because we are sin
ners, ours II through faith, we will take it.
But you are such a sinner-how can you
be savedY said the minister 10 the new
convert testing her, Didn't you say" was
her prompt reply. that Christ died for SIN
nersr Now you say I'm sinner and / can't
be saved. know better than that. IL you
don't. l tell you am saycdl" Can not wo
all Tor our own blessedness say It:
Il do believe now believe
That Jesus died for me;
That on the cross he shed his blood
From sin TO set me Free"
Blessed Is the man unto whom the Lord
imputeth not iniquity. We are seeking tor
definition Of true blessedncss; shall we
not nnl 1t herel The supremely blessed
man is he who feels that he has no iniquity
TO his account with God; true, downright
blessedness is the consciousness Of a. record
cleansed and spirit ransomed and made
hoy. In very truth. there is nothing like
H. The hHppiest man in all the world is tho
man who suddenly awakens to the appre-
hension OF redemption; the bliss th,t ex-
cceds all earthly bliss is that which comes
at tho moment when there las Il in upon
us the reality and greatness OF what Christ
Jesus has done Tor us-the conviction OF u
personal and complete salvation. Now.
pro'her, remember this that bliss is not
ephemeral 1t is TO last. Last Wednesday.
thursday, or Friday evening, peril apps YOU
rose in the prayer meeting, and told of tho
Joy thatw was once yours when first you saw
the Lord. Why not praise God with n pres.
ent and abiding Joy over sins forgiven?
Take renewedly the cup OF salvation and
call upon the name of the Lord. Bles sed
continuously and increasingly blessed Is
the man unto whom the Lord imput.th not
iniquity.
in a time when thou mayest be found.
When Is it'll Is ii not when he most needed
when tho cry Of the godly goes up. when the
hoods OF great waters are around about?
Jeremiah says; -le shall seek Tor me and
find me when ye shall etrch for me with
all your heat 1t is the whole heart that
goes forth in search OF God when the
agonized cry OF human extremity is heard.
Where human need is greatest right there
is God to give his aid. There Is vast
throng pressing ont with Christ from
Jericho's gate. 1t was the one who cried in
fullness OF want, Jesus. tn on son Of David.
have mercy upon me-. that gave pause to
those Llessed lcet. Moody calls our atten-
ton 10 the three Hopeless cases" Of lark
", the demoniac of the tom bs the woman |
who had many, physicians but rather grew
worse. tho lifeless daughter of Jairus. just
at this point OF mans hopelessness came /
the Great Deliverer. When is Christ to be |
found? When self Is lost, then Christ is |
found.
acknowledged my sin. Unto no priest. |
Unto God alone, against whom the sin has
been wrought. Against thee. thee only,
have l sinned, and have done this evil In
thy sight" cried David. In that wonderful
companion psalm. tho Fifty-flrst. Acknowl-
edgmcnt OF sin is the way out OF sin. Lord. /
be merciful to me the sinner" Confession
brings pardon, because confession I'm ITSELF
when rightly rendered is prayer. an en-
treaty for help. Read over the beatitudes.
1t Is the confessing. imploring spirit that
carries away the blessing Blessed are the
poor in spirit-they tba mourn-tho meek
they which do hunger and thirst 1t is
tho ready soul that finds succor. How can
God help those who will put foi tn no hand
for His delivcrance? How can He pour sal
walton in when the cup Is already full-full
OF pride and sels-love? We were driving
through the track OF q cyclone in the forest
miles and miles OF PROSTATE trees. We
noticed that those that stoo up straight
est and stoutost were the ones that were
surely taken. snapped of in their puny !
strength as though they had been stems OF
dry grass; while. II any escaped. IL was the
low-lying tree ard shrub. which. bending
with tho blast. acknowledged ut the same
time its own weakness and the strength OF
tho winds OF heaven. In this sense. too, is
there not truth for US In pauls word:
when am weak, then am strong"
Mercy shall compass him about. To be