The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-04-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY AND
ABLY CONSIDERED.


found in Luke q: 27-JS.
INTRODUCTORY.
Having been introduced n our last quar-
ter's lesson TO Jesus tho Man. as sketched
oy Luxe. we now have. from the same
hand, Jesus the Teacher In this the first
lesson OF the quarter we led directly
into the heart OF the new kingdom. n king
dom OF mercy AMI love. The disciples have
IN { been chosen. aud Christ now Legins TO
give full and explicit utterance to tao life
and doctrine no came both TO make posi-
Die and TO make manifest How startling
these words were to those who first heard
them. we may easily imagine. since. even
In this Christian age and after eighteen
centuries. they make us TO marvel still.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
But. The adversative idea is IN the whole
oil this sermon in the plain. an enuncia-
ton OF principles alto sether contrary TO the
spirit OF the worll.-I say TO you. The
latter word is the emphatic one. placed sep
arately in the Greek. WI Oh hear. In
the sense of obey. This Is discourse more
directly TO Christ's discipl ss.-Your enc
mics. the Mosaic law. ghtly interpreted.
prepared the way for this injunction (Ex.
20: 4. 5. 9.--Do good. Instead OF evil
The Romans said a man Is "A wolf to one n OF
OF his own country.
Bless. Literally. speak we'll toward.--
Curse. Literally. pray against --Despi
fully use you. That is. IN speech. To in
suit personally or calumniate behind ones
back. IL Is this word that is used by Peter
peter L: 3-10 when he says that they may
be ashamed that falsely accuse your good
conversation In Christ.
Smteth. A malignant but not a murder
Gus blow 0upto). On I 10 cheek. A small
insult. designed TO call forth retaliation OF
some vengelul sort.-Offer also the other.
A strong statement OF non resistance.
Christ says rather than answer blow for
blow. take another blow from the same
source. Cloak. The outer and more
ornamental garment. Goat The more
need ul under-tunic. The language implies
n stru ggle over the garment. which Christ
teaches Is not worth such cost
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
But say. Stronger antithesis was never
spoken. There is no word 20 which it is a
reJoinder or with which 1t stands in con-
trast What Is contradicted Is the mani
Test spirit OF the world. This is the i'm plea
ton throughout tho passage. The princes
OF earth say. Blessed are the rich. but
sly. Blessed are the poor. They say.
blessed are the merry. bat say. Blessed
are ye that weep" Men say blessed are the
well-esteemed, but L say, Blessed are ye
when men shall hate YOU. All the way
along the contradiction between the teach
ing OF Christ and the world l. sharp and
pronounced. And SO when the world would
counsel hate TO the uniriendly. Christ
speaks up. But say unto you love your
enemies. Oh. blessed speech OF Christi
What would have become OF this world had
not Christ 80 spoken2 The light and lie
OF all the future was in those three words.
But L say.
You which hear 1t were useless 10 speak.
rs here. TO others. Christ's words We a
blessing To the world only AZ spoken in the
presence OF tho who heard. Indeed. that
was one pre- eminent Oh lect of ChriSt's life
in the flesh. Hs would get nearer mems
senses. would linda hea, ing among them.
From all cation. in nature. in providence
IN grace God had been teaching the lesson
OF disinterested and, We may say. unre-
4.
passed it by. Here in Christ the Son he
speaks his love so loudly. clearly. that all
must hearken. Herein is love--God sent
his SON" Now do we hear that voice
speak ng to us2 II we do. then vs. will
tax il into our hearts and. with lip and
lie Speaking in unison. will pass the word
on TO others till il il sent all down the ages
and around the wide world 1t is by faith
the circuit is established. Let him thu
hea eth'sIy, Come.
bless them that curse you. 1 can't do ii.
you say. No. OF course you can't. Let
God do Il. That Is. let the spirit that Is IN
you. mind of Oh list, spirit and mind
wholly alien 10 and opposed to the spirit
and mind OF earth, speak tn ough you.
Just bee use it il wholly unworldly and. in
a sense. unnatural. let il have exercise and
uXpre sion. 10 thus only Is the dull earth
blessed by something that comes down to
1t other than itself aad hiEher than itself.
But how G IN i blt s. when L am cursed2
W hat weight will Ian qua % from one WHO il
despsed and hated havep You can per-
haps bless by say NJ nothing. Our very
Il e &C under cursing speaks volumes. Or
IL may be a glance the eve. hand out
held, a word of greeting. God will turn il
into blessing IL the heart be right
Offer also the other. The ether cheek 1t
IS. We need not go about with neck ex-
posed Tor tho sword. or necessarily unre-
SYST ng whore precious lie Is in danger.
Oh st is teaching here the insignificance
oil Sights and slurs. To the man who has
great objects in view IL is never else than
dehasing TO pause for petty retaliation or
n small resentment Rather bio ok insult
AID 60 on your way leaving VENGEANCE with
God. Mind not the smHrt or the sting.
BE so anxious for the soul that hat wo Il
and hand may do against you is Of little
Consequ NEE.
Forbid not TO take thy coat also. Other
wise why let the cloak go2 II you start out
to be mile and acquiescent. be- genuinely
and oroughly so. DO not let the will hold
put through on tost and break down in
ths next Be long suffering TO the end
Poor policy do YOU saw? Hold Have you
ever tried IL? Christ was not contemplating
u ragged or naked peopl when be lai
down such PRINCIPLES. He was giving them
good practical worKing rules for N HE at
was to bu rich with the things OF this world
as we'll "a OF the world to come. Let US
prove IL before we criticise IL.
As " would that men s ,ould do TO your.
Our ske tical irie I'd quoied. and We
tnOuEnb WIFI something pI IN MS
tone. the negative OF this rule rs coming
om Confucius. Yes. we answered. truth
Ia uih everywhere. aid Chrit but gave
positive and potent utterancs to what was
vagu 'ly floating In m ms minds before,
seeking Tor Affirmative and authorit alive
decl uation. There are scattered ravs OF
truth in all philosophics. like haTb myers OF
the good. waiting to he ga'h ed up. TO-
cuse and fulfilled Ia the I us HIGHT which
lighteth "very man that cometh into the
the world" For does not John go right on
to NY here o. these gative groupings after
the truth. -hs was in tho world. and tho
worll was made bv him and the wo' Id
knew IN not. Students OF the half I nth.
h"a- Paul: Whom there ora Ne iGnorantly
worship. him eel ire unto you."
Civ. This abort word 20 four letters
epitomizes the whole l"-eon. 1t expresses
tiers ely and y, { amply the spirit that Is here
in~ulcatsd. Loving. blessing. iorhi ding
not. doing GOOD. lord'n being m rci ul.
o--ivn,. u o but different mani cstations
of the self Rivin sri H.. When God would
sum up In on" word all the ov-rfloving
uln-s ~ his he RI Of love. and express
thu essential ptt ihutes of the divine ma
ia q. II was this word that he chose. God
40 loved tho world thnt he gave his son..
Have W. L . mind OF Chris,?- Then we
also will give.
Mort lesson: The Widow OF Main
Luke z: Ills.