Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-02-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ENTERTAINING DISSERTATION ON
SERIOUS SUBJECTS.

Lesson and Where It May BE Found-A
Learned and Concise Review OF the
Same
The lesson for Sunday. Feb. 16. may be
found In Luke ILL.,. 7-22.
INTRODUCTORY.
IL was the tiiteonth year Of Tiberius
Caesar; the period in the reign OF the sec
ond Caesar. when that flower OF the Roman
civilization went aside. a self-exiled volup-
tuary, to plunge into luxury and wanton-
ness at Capre@. Just at this time of no.
torious wickedness in high places came the
rebuking voice ut the Jordan. Rebukia0,
and yet. at the same time. reassuring. For
while it laid bare mems sins 1t also ointed
iorward-the "refiners fire" become a
beaeon--to an escape from the sins and the
dawning OF a better day. In any case. 1t
etokened the att weakness OF human
strength and the total worthlessness of hu-
man greatness or goodness. The only hope
for lost man was in the verifying OF the
prophetic m .ssage, brou yht by this man oil
the wilderness. And the verihcation is at
hand.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
The axe is laid. Is lying. As II ready
Tor instant work.-Unto the root. Rather.
ut tae root. 1t has not yet been applied to
cut. ---Brin yeth not forth. Same word as
above in v. 3. Do. A trees doing is in its
fiuitage. fire. More accurately. in
to fire. No particular fire. except the anal
ogy.
Askel. Or were asking. kept asking.
This, like the then said he" w. the was
sayin9). is in the imperfect tense. implying
frequentative action. What shall we do
then? Ses the original. Using the sam
word as John employed In VS.. 8. 8. but
translated bring forth. What shall we
bring forth.
He answereth and saith unto them. A
close rendition into idiomatic English
might be. Answering. he would say to
lN m hU nj
ments was sufficient In that cline. 1t was
equivalent to saying he that hath an extra
coat.--Impart Literally. TO share with.
Meat. rood.-Likewise, /. o.. share
with the needy out of his abundance.
Publicans. Tax gatherSrs under the
Romans; much desplsed by the people,
NJ aster. Teacher.
Unto them. Exceedingly personal preach
ing. The Greek represents hi II as speak
ing straight at them (pros autous). Tx
act. No mere searching word could have
been spoken to the tax-gaiherer-Ap-
pointed you. Prescribed. The publ .ans
were accu ustomed to extort amounts larg ly
beyond the legal requirement. Tue same
word Is used by Paul. Cor g: |. "CCn-
cernng the collection for the sa. g, as
have given order" etc.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Briug forth there r. fruits worthy OF re-
pentance. John was the truth telling
prophet. We might suppose that sucl au
vpers" would offend and turn the people
from the preacher. 1t did of md. but Il Il q
not Dive his congregation away. Why
Bocau 20 1t was the truth. Like very nest
o; serpsnts they were. 81 pping out OF Il cir
dens, warned, as it were. stirred up by
sJme molssting instrument This sudden
apprehension. or fri2ht. John says. is not
enough. Do something. he says; esin to
live AS II you had really epente OF tn
past Jlpl. -ab -pdoped. -it~-Apd-, TO such
L. Il
band. said the Ch. istian sister TO our
noghbor pastor. Il am glad OF It," said
the pastor. he next day the man him
self called. you hurt my f., lings. la I
night" Yes, but IL was Il g truth. was il
notY" Thea followed an earnest personal
conversation and the m. went fortI "a
oonye. ted soul. Tell men the truth about
them ,elv-s. 1t will do them Dol.
These ston ,s Sermons in stones. in
deed. What multitude o. helps 10 the
pre- lcher o. righteousness are lying about
him and at his vsiy Ieet; nature mutely
waiting to b. used for diving hom, the
truth. These stones are used 10 shatter the
dogma OF traditional righteou sness
Children OF Abraham the men about
John were calling themselves. as il that
were any exoneration for il-doing or any
plea for acceptancs. Look at these stones,
said John; God is so far from being de-
pendent upon you or under obligations to
yoI that he can, as at the first. tak5 these
anu TdISt UP lTOm lHt 0dTlu u Now CuOSbU
generation. There Is just an intimation
mere Of the new disr ensation. Dull. II O.
less, hoIel sss-very stones the Gentiles
seemed to be. in the eyes OF the solr-right-
eous Jew. Such indeed. in n sense. they
were. But ont of these very stones. quoth
John, G. cd Is able, by renewing grace, to
lily. What hope Tor these Jews. t1em-
selves. were this not SO?
What shall we do then? They are not
asking. as did the three thousand at Pents-
cost or the iailer at Philippi, What shall
do TO be saved2" 1t Is dou ,tful whether
John coul have answered such aquestion;
certainly not as Peter answered IL with the
power OF the resurrection and the mighty
demonst alton OF the Spirit. The question
here is what shall We do to repent? how
shall we p owe our slncerity2 A query it Is,
not TO be forgotten to-day, and to be as
carefully and truthiully answered. as by
John. In fact. it is included In the
APOSTLES doctrine" at Pentecost us a
sort OF subsidiary inquiry. Repent and be
baptized" said Peter. II baLtism DO the
immediate token OF such repentance. then
the life outlined by John here Is the per-
petual declaration OF the change within.
Let us take the Bible as our lamp and light.
step by step IL guides US on our way an
swering. one by one, every sincere question
OF the soul
He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
Christs coming meant, not new Spirit.
but n w importation OF the Spirit. The
Holy Ghost was in the world from the be-
Ri ming. else how should the prophets OF
old have looked forward to Jesus? John
himself was speaking by that Spirit. Ever
since the oundation OF the world IL has
been his Office to testify OF the Son. first, as
he that was to come; now, with power, as
he that Is come and is raised up to ST upon
the right hnd OF the Majesty on high.
Hence Christ is said to baptize with the
Holy Spirit, and just here we place the ac-
cent. Christ pours out the Spirit with such
strength ami iullness as TO overwhelm and
engulf: tho whole being lost, as it were. in
the new bestowment. Is IL not to this that
Paul refers in the thrilling language OF Eph.
3: 10. that ye might be filed with the iull-
ness OF God2"
voice came from heaven. Does not
God give to US similar tokens OF assurance
When we have obediently and trustingly
accepted OF him, does not thV Spirit descen
upon us, noiselessly. indeed like the dove,
and with the doves peace LETT resting in the
soul? Yea. more. tho voice from heaven IL
ours also. For whence Is that voice ''cry-
ing Abba Father" within? Well we know.
"Ood hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts, crying Abba Father.
And so. as Paul here at Gal 4: z, saws
Thou art no moro a servant. Lut son.
Christ gives his brethren "a testimony from
| on high like unto tlRt which was his. Only
1t US remember that IL was while he wlf
praying" that "the heaven was opensd.
Next Lesson-"Thc Temptation OF Jesus