The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-07-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ENTERTAINING DISSERTATION ON
SERIOUS SUBJECTS.

same.
The lesson for Sunday. July IA. may be
found In sam. 4: LIS.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Beside E0enezer. We shall not forget an
experience We had with this name one time
In personal Bible study. We find the name
used In connection with two prominent but
widely similar events In lsraels history.
namely the loss OF the ark. Sam 4: 1. 2: and
the defeat OF the Philisttnes, sam Z: IL.
That Is. IL marks at one time Isaaels van
punishment and at another time her victory.
Coming upon the instance OF the defeat at
Aphek. recorded In this lesson. and recog-
niZing the meaning OF the word. our first
impulse was TO say: Here is a defeat at the
very place marked uictOTU. Lesson: Old
experiences OF blessedness are not in them
relves sufficient. the scene OF victory may.
through ill-conduct. become the place OF
defeat Then we looked again and found
that the victorious battle OF Mizpah had not
yet been fought and that this nomenclature
at Aphek was simply an anticipation by the
historian OF "a name afterward given. and SO
the corrected lesson stands; the place OF
defeat may become the place Of victory.
Aphek may change TO Ebenezr.
Israel i1ds smitten before the Philistines.
IL was "A needed humiliation; Israel's Bull
Run: and "a second and more disastrous was
TO follow. God let's his people be smitten
at times. Or rather he smites them him
self. using Philistia rs rod. Is il not thus
he proves his love? Whom the Lord
loveth he chasteneth.- Israels very afiic-
tions in her days Of declension were a proof
oil the divine concernment. Sturgeon. COM
menting on the word OF Christ: In the
tcortd pc shall hare tri6ulation." says. Test
thou asking the reason OF this. believer.
look uplrdrd TO thy heavenly Father and
behold him pure and holy. Wilt thou easily
be conformed TO his image? Next.
Christian. turn thine eyes dorHDdrd. Dost
thou know what foes thou hast beneath thy
feet2 Dost thou think Satan will 1t thee
alone? Then look around thee. The
world Is not thy friend. Lastly, look
Ioithm thee. Sin and self are still within.
All, II thou hadst no devil TO tempt thee, no
enemies to fight thee, and no world TO en-
snare thee. thou woullst still find i'm tn yself
evil enough to be a sore trouble to thee"
Yes. and when we grow careless regarding
all these adversaries God sometimes sends
us a bitter defeat. What is it but his mes
senger saying. Watch"
Let us fetch the ark OF the cOrendnt of the
Lord. Irreverence is TO be read here. Ii
speaks in the very language used. Come,
let Us go fetch the ark OF the covenant OF
the Lord. Lend a hand; haul il along!"
How shocking the coilocation OF words.
hall sacred and half Droiane. 1t was like
Uzza laying his rude hand upon the ark. 1t
was worse, "A careless, sim polluted people
rushing in upon the sacred things OF God
and presuming TO use them "a a talisman,
or, indeed. as a barricade against threat
Titus besieA ed Jerusalem. and captured
point after point. the Jews still stubbornly
declined terms Of capitulation. and. pre-
sum.ng on the sudden Intervention of Je-
hovah. fled 70 the recesses OF the great
temple, using the ark again as a barricade
and Gods house as a stockade. But Gods
gates are a strength only TO those who keep
his covenant. Only he that dwelleth
Through faith) in the secret place OF the
Most High" can say of the Lord he Is my
.sat fort d.. l.t.
sitting on that hill over against Jerusalem
pronounced truths judgment here. as the
awful havoc OF the city's overthrow gives
testimony. And wnat shall We say OF cor
rupt church which while allowing and fol-
lowing itself the ways Of the world pre-
tends to secure immunity by "a resort TO
mystical rights and ceremonies? What Is
II but Saying with brazen irreverence, Let
US fetch the ark OF the covenant OF the Lord
out OF shiloh unto u.s." Blasphemy! who
shall ascend into this hill o. the Lord? or
who shall stand in his holy place?-He
that hath clean hands and a pure heart"
ont yourselves ike men. They did their
very best. Philistines though they were.
they are more cOmmendabl' in this trans
action tnan were the children OF Israel.
And for this simple reason: they threw
into The battle all the strength they mad.
Israel coming TO the engagement rashly,
prayerlessly, with the form OF godlness
but without God invited the discontinue
Snc IcctlNeu. III Is what AlflSt meant
when He said. g he children Of this world
are wiser in their generation than the
children of light" That l., SO fur as human
strength and sagacitv can go, they prepare
themselves for what is before them Gods
people, given larger and fuller armament
and enduement often fall far short OF put
ting on the whole armor and of going into
battle prepared TO prevail. I o simply equip
ourselves with the worlds weapons is TO
be less than a match Tor the world. We
must wait for the strength of the Lord ere
we can safely confront the world. Only
when. using in our way the same prudence.
we take what is prepared for us and say TO
each other in the Lord, Quit yourselves
like men and fight" is the issue victory.
That initial battle at Pentccost was but "A
specimen of what God will do for those
people who fulfill the divine injunctions Of
equipment and go forth with the sword of
the spirit which is the word of truth. o.
the world is using its utmost energies
against us! Can we meet it without a
ike zeal in the use OF the better armament
God has given US?
HIS heart h'embied for the ARR Of God.
Eli cared for the ark as the apple Of his eye.
His solicitude for II, along with his meek
ness toward God, was the saving feature OF
his life. There is something deeply pathetic
In the picture OF that old man sitting there
10Y the wayside Watching" He had let the
ark 90 doubtless with misgivings. over
persuaded by his hca1st' onG sons. Now
he waits in gathering anxiety for news from
the field. At last he describes the mcssen-
ger coming. His heart leaps as he waits.
and presently. himself not less breathless
than the painting herald. he listens for the
word: Israel is fed before the philis-
tincsl" His cheek blanches. but he waits
listening for more, perhaps already appre-
hensive OF such n report. Then like a bolt
comes the intelligence. Thy two sons.
also. Hophni and Phinehas. are deadl-
Alas. alas. his name departed. the prophecy
OF God fulfilled Lut still he looks and
listens. Then comes the last stroke: And
the AK OF God is taken!" IL is enough.
Eli falls swooning and In the fall his neck
breaks and he dies. o. pity not Eli. nor
condemn him. Let us think rather OF our
selves. Do we tremble for the Ark of God7
When the world at times invades the
church and laws unholy hands upon the
very Ark Of God. where is the spirit OF Eli
to feel as 1t were. n sword-thrust at the
heart?