Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-05-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
DISSERTATION ON
SERIOUS SUBJECTS.

A Pleasant, Interesting, and Instruotivo
Lesson and Where It May Be Found-A
Learned and Concise Review Of tho
Same
The lesson for Sunday, May rs, may be
found in Luke 10: 1-16.
LESSON PARAGRAPHS.
The account of the seventy is given by
Luke alone, Matthew, Mark and Luke
writing in the narrative of the sending
forth of the twelve. Matt. 10: l-42)
The Savior was now on his way south
ward toward Jerusalem. Somewhere in
that journey he selected from among his
disciples as many as seventy, who should
90 before him and announce his coming
in the cities through which he was to
pass.
The mission of the seventy was more
specific than that of the twelue. 1t was
to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.
AS such it was but temporary. The
twelve were given permanent authority
and power. Theirs was an enduring COM
mission.
The whole language indicates rapidity
of movement. The first word of Christ,
swift and sharp. 60" zone word in the
Creek Behold, send you" might be
translated, Lo / dispatch you. They
were to carry neither purse nor shoes.
They were to stay not for the courtesy OF
salutation, slow and long drawn out;
neither were they TO go about fulfilling
visitation favors. "One thing do" their
motto.
Two by two. There is grace in it.
Have you made trial of the plan? There
was religious call to be made, one of q
serious and indeed critical sort. On the
way We stopped in and took with us a
Christian yokefellow, q brother full of
the spirit of his Master. The power of
that visit was not multiplied by two, but
more nearly by ten. And we have almost
invariably found it SO. Try 1t and see.
Take helper with you; but be sure, az
you go, it be ever before his face"
But the laborers are few. Harvest
great, laborers few. That is our ''labor
question" Not how shall we get work
for all2 But how shall we secure men TO
take care of the work already upon us?
1t is laborers we need, laborers. One
might care little how they come, whether
it be up the long road flom the factory,
where scyihes are thoroughly shaped and
ground, or whether they take the ''short
cut" and come ''across lots, seizing up
and wbetting as they run, such imple-
ments of husbandry as they find nearest
az hand. The harvest is FULL dead ripe;
and if workmen do not spring at once TO
the fields there will be much grain wasted.
Work for oil, the good, the better and the
best. This only is necessary, that every
hand hold blade and know how TO WELD
ii. o, to see it once so. the force of
laborers as great" as the harvestl
Peace be unto this house" was 10 be
their salut tion. 1t was tentative. test
ing. If son of peace WIS there ("the'
is misleading) The peace they spoke
was TO find lod ment If not, it was TO
return 10 themselves. 1t was as if they
said, Peace for you, if you will take it..
So goes the messenger to-day, say M.
Christ for you, for you. Who will take
spirit within will receive him; those who
have not will miss the blessing
Even the very dust Of your city which
cleayeth unto us we do wipe of against
you. For you, is the more accurate rem
dering. 1t was according 10 mems will
and wish. There was 10 be no pressure.
Simply proclamation of grace at hand.
If men declined the proffer the disciple
was to accept the decision and wipe off
for them, as being their deliberate choice
in the matter. the very dust of their city.
A fearful responsibility is ours. We can
effectual Y dismiss Gods an els from our
thresholds. If we so elect Gods over
lures of grace will be suspended for us.
And yet how near the kindgom! Not
wiihstanding be We sure of this, that the
kingdom of G God is come nigh unto you."
Sterner, sadder words were never spoken.
To those who accept and those who re-
fuse, the grace of God is offered.
Whether they take it joyfully, glance 1t
it indifferently, or reject it scornfully,
nevertheless let it be remembered that
the kingdom of God has been right at the
hearts door IF it goes from them they
are to know that they themselves have
sent it away. Il would-but ye would
not
More tolerable in that day for Sodom.
Then there is future for Sodom. There
are those that tell us that Sodom has had
its day; its judgment is past. But here
we are plainly told that there is another
day of Judgment in the far distant future.
u day when men shall be judged more
fully and righteously than here. accord
ing to the deeds done in the flesh, Are
you ready for that day to conner"
Woe unto thee, Chorazin, Chorazin?
We had not heard of such place before.
We did not know that Christ had been
there. But here it is with q woe pro-
nounced against it. because of Christ
m de manifest and Christ deliberately
rejected. All, Christ visited many towns
and ham let's of which we know little; but
we shall hear of them at the Judgment.
And around about us to-day there are
many hearts 10 WnOm GOu mas spoken,
alIet careless face is borne. However
indifferent they may seem, God is surely
dealing with them on close terms, and
some time this hidden controversy shall
be made startlingly manifest. Shall Il be
wee" or shall it be "blessed2" 1t is
for these 10 say.
He that heareth you heareth me. This
our comfort as We go before his face.
Christ identifies himself with his SER
wants. He that despiseth (rejecteth) you
despiseth me-tLis our source of trem-
bling. We bring TO mon the opportunity,
under God, for decision unto everlasting
life Pastors, Sunday-school teachers,
Christian workers, let us go forward rev.
erently, prayerfully. Think OF it, as this
word is spoken to-day, however weakly,
the kingdom of God is, through the Holy
Spirit, brought nigh TO men. This COM
munity, this church. this Sunday school,
this class, this individual, can to-day
take or refuse, as he will, the answer 10
the oft-breathed prayer, Thy kingdom
come" Why not open the heart right
now and receive it?