The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-07-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INsTRUc-
TIVE LESSON.
Reflections of an Eievating Character
wholesome Food for Thought - study
ing the scriptural Lesson Intsiiigentiy
and Probably.

|
ING the scriptural Lesson Intsiiigentiy
and Probably.
The lesson for Sunday. July ~ may Do
| found in Luke IA: $3.50.
INTRODUCTORY.
Our Lord here speaks sober word OF al
| monitioD. IL Is not meant Tor ulssuasion'
ratner for eXhortation 10 right living. AZ Is
a timely apprisal OF those VINO are carelsss
! and unthInking that the lilo into wnich
| Christ IL leading is no idle trifing affair.
/ 1t is a serious business. Hate Is not tho
I spirit he wishes to inculcate' Out Whoie-
/ Aoaited love. "A love that VIII make all lesser
! loves 10 be- as compared with IL, desplseu
and forgotten. IL is TO be remembered that
! this was 10 be the institution OF new re-
/ ligion in hostile world. ana what through
! the growth OF the kim dom, taxi s the orin
of love now, was at that time, IN It's nrst
J broaching, at variance with the existing
order. liz manifested itself nrst OF all.
/ perhaps, in ali. nations from old asso-
: ciates.- And such IL is to-day whenever the
kingdom OF love is opposed. Whatever re-
sists the spirit OF truth is to be banished
from our affections, save as the afiec-
! tons can avail to break down the antag-
! onism and bring into sympathy and fellow
chip.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
And. Introducing another incident OF
! the Journey Jerusalemward. The ac-
count need not be considered "a strictly
consecutive one.-Great multitudes, or
crowds. Drawn along partly by curiosity.
partly by the popular enthusiasm. WIN
MIN. Journeying as he journeyed.-He
! turned. as the leader OF troop might 90.
To them. This is probably the SUD-
/ stance OF one OF his searching discourses
| by the way.
Come to me. The to ms" is a strong ex-
/ preston (pros mel sguifying something OF
iealty or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. the plain
( word for hatred the opposite OF love. The
SIX niiicance OF the passage. oracular In its
/ tone.as 10 be seen In Matt. 10: 3I.-tather
| and mother. IL was time when, ar more
| than now. the espousal OF the new faith
| meant a sundering OF all the social ties.
Yea, and his own life also. or even the
life OF himself. See Variations. This in
! dcates that the choice is 10 be between
| earth life and heaven-life. One Is TO even
| abandon that within himself and OF him.
self which initiates ainst the Kingdom.
! My disciple. Literally. a learner He
is tell NJ them what loyalty means in tho
new klngdom-not so cheap matter as
some OF them had supposed
! Bear his cross. Ills own cross. We
i must read this as 1t came TO them who
! looked upon the cross as the fea ful SYM
! Dol OF life's desertion and possible destruc-
zion. He virtually said tnut 10 come alter
! him was 10 court Jhe worlds eXecration
and 10 defy even death itself -Cannot lie.
Literally. Is not able 20 be. lacks the proper
conditions OF "iscipleship. falls utterly
| short OF the qualifications.
Sand. Has no power OF earthly nutri-
ment-Dunghill. No lertilizing power
Cast it out, j. g. Throw it away
Ears to hear A dis position TO profit by
what has been said.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
And there went great multitudes with
him. But not far. How deeply and
thoroughly they were with him he here
puts 10 the practical test. There are SO
many like that people to-day. still is it a
great multitude who go with him with
him. but not of him. And will ye also go
away" Said our Lord at one time. Ii was
one OF those moments OF closer scrutiny.
which resulted i'm wide separation. Some
preachers and teachers are willing 10 let
this non-committal condition OF things
abide. For the sake OF holding. as they
think. the great multitude ofunsurrendered
ones they refuse 10 use the searching word
OF truth. They speak not OF the blood
Not so Christ.
His own life also. Holy hate" this has
been called. Has hatred any place in the
Christian faith? Yes. The very love that
makes us to cleave to the good requires US
ais to hate the evil and to despise the gar
ment spotted by the flesh. 1t does not
mean personal variance with all men.
This last clause explains. 1t is whole
hearted abandonment OF the flesh and
acceptance OF the Spirit Father. mother,
wife, children. brethren. sisters, yea ones
self are to be - us as nothing. and worse
than nothing, compared with love Tor God.
We love them, but il is with a spiritual love,
one form OF which is despite toward the
flesh. Indeed. our hatred OF the merely
carnal in large degree. measures our graz
cous affection. Yonder / see the heaped-
up debris Of tho coal pit BY what has
been cast aside know. and it is my only
way OF knowing, the wealth OF that which
has been taken out and kept.
Cannot be my disciple. There is "can
not" with God. 1t Is. indeed. more OF
cannot with him than with us, Ours in
truth is a will not. While we will not God
IL Tmn
things there are TO which this strong -can
not" is applied. One is preferences: the
other is indifference. l. we prefer life
then God cannot. II we spurn the cross of
self iace-then God cannot God has
done his part He can absolutely do no
more for US until we are ready 20 do some
thing for ourselves. Discipleship, in an
important sense. is placed upon our own
responsibility. God accepting the act and
owning it by his grace. Learn OF me-" ne
SAYS. And there he stands. As truly "a
thou llvest until thou turnest TO him in
simple trust. he can do nothing more for
theei
Not able to finish. Here comes in our
inability; mans cannot is Mt this point.
Though of a truth Christ is the Alpha and
Omega OF our faith. and 1t Is God that
worketh in US. Yet no less truly man must
manfully yield himself ere that grace be-
gins TO work in US. IL has been working
for us. now i'm us. God i'm sense cannot
Of himself begin the work OF renewal.
There is Dorper llne OF choice he does not
cross. Man. or the other hand, cannot
finish II. In fact. he only let's il in. Saliva
tion is wholly Of grace. Consequently IL
begins with mans meek acceptance And
that is all. i'm reality, that man can do. God
does all the rest: he doe IL all-he finishes
IL. Men start cut to he saved. No one gets
10 tho finish who does not let God in to will
and do OF his good pleasure Where then
is our ability? Simply here. to confess our
inability and receive the finish ed work OF
Christ.
Salt is good. And this is the same as
saying that savOrless salt Is very bad
Here is n lot of white sand in the salt chest
1t looks like seasoning. w" apply it. and
10 IL is dead. fiat urprofltable What n
disappointment! Did you ever observe the
look on "A persons face who had un expect-
eddy taken bite 81 unseasoned food? And
are you surprised that the world should be
shocked-yes. shocked. by hypocrite
Christian profession loads one 70 come ex,