The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-07-15

THOUGHTS WORTHY OF CALM
REFLECTION.
"A Pleasant, Interesting. and Instructive
Lesson and Where 1t May He found-A
Learned and Concise Review Of the
Same

The lesson for Sunday, July 10, may
be found In John 2: LII.
INTRODUCTORY.
We have come back to the miracles OF
our Lord. May God bring US back in a
real and true sense! There is saying
abroad that the miracle has lived its day
as convincing power Have care.
All that Christ did as well as all that
Christ said is life, and it lives and works
in all ages We have new light, the
writer believes, yet to break forth on
nineteenth century paths from all por-
tions of Gods work. "This beginning OF
miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee
and manifested forth his glory, his
divinity" The miracles begun then have
gone right on with this purpose, TO
manifest his glory.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
Third day. After the calling Of the
| five, see last lesson. Marriage, or
marriage supper, Matt 25: 10. Cana.
| Four or five miles distant from NaZa-
reth, Christ's boyhood home. The
mother of Jesus. Query, was his father
already dead?
Both Jesus Rather, Jesus also, the
| emphasis being here. And his dis
ciples. The five above mentioned,
namely, John, Andrew, Peter, Philip,
Nathaniel.
When they wanted wine. Tischen-
dorf. They had not wine, because the
wine Of the feast had come t. an end.
They have no wine. Greek. The
| wine is not
Tasted. HIS official duty. -Knew,
l. e., "the servants which drew" Obe-
dience leads to knowledge Do and
know. Called the bridegroom. The
word for "called" signifies loud voice.
1t was a sort of public appeal.
Saith unto him. Spoken thus openly,
it was clever kind of compliment: evil
IDENTIFY sincere-Well drunk. Or, as in
Revision and Bible Union version, drunk
freely. Good wine. Whatever God
does is good"
This beginning of miracles. Greek,
This did Jesus, beginning of miracles.
Manifested forth. To make clear,
distinct His glory, i. O., his divinity.
believed on. Greek, into. They
espoused him.
| WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Mine hour is not yet come. Here was
life with a purpose. Jesus was living
according to the divine direction, and
every step he took was ordered of God
At later time he could allow those
about him TO go up TO the feast, but for
that direction. 1t was caprice versus
character. Gods will was his WILL aid
he went forward as one not his own. So
went Paul TO Jerusalem. So went Luther
TO Worms. So goes every devoted soul
TO duty, watching narrowly the shadow
on the dial, looking for Gods hour.
Heaven has in this sense, too, it's own
minute men.
Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Better counsel, though in part unwit-
ting, was never given to church or be-
lever. Is it privilege we desirep "What-
soever he saith, to do IL Is privilege. Is
il duty? "Whatsoever he sa It'll" that is
duty. Is II devotion? whatsoever he
saith"-look there for orthodoxy. is il
charity? Whatsoever n saith"-here-
in is love. Would we make progress in
Christian apprehension, Christian expert
ence, Christian JOY, peace, victory?
"Whatsoever he SAITH" Whatsoever he
saith" God help us to put IL on all our
banners. IL he says it, it is true: for he
is truth. If he says 1t, it shall be: for
he Is the alpha and omega Only "do it. F"
DO it. Why? Because he saith. How?
He saith.
Fill the water-pots with water. How?
we have just been asking. BY taking
him at his word. But how? we ask
again. BY doing just what he says.
Christ never bids Us do what we cannot
do He does not ask us to turn water
into wine. He simply bids us TO make
the necessary preparation and fill the
antecedent conditions He does the
rest. There were the empty water pots.
To fill them with wine were impossible
there; but To fill them with water-that
they could easily do. In this blessed
| In hay 10
and he furnished the wine. What part
have we in our own salvation? We pro-
vide crude human nature, giving our
selves just as we are And now what
does God do? He gives Of himself, he
makes us sons. salvation belongeth
unto the Lord. "
| Draw out now. Just where that wa
ter turned to wine we do not know, but
we doubt whether the undrawn water
was wine. AS faiths hand drew il forth
II sparkled red where the sun rays
struck across its surface. We speak of
buried talents, trea 'ures hid in earthen
vessels. But there is no rea' treasure
lost 1t Is It gold till it finds faith $
hand and is brought forth. 1t is water,
till trust, by Gods grace, transmutes il
into wine The drawing forth gives ii
value, God working in us to will and to
\
us are waiting for new power, new i'm
partation The power ha already been
given, the Spirit already poured forth
Rise In faith and "draw out now"
And disciples believed on him. Yes it
is so still. The disciples believe, the
learner, the follower The skeptic, the
doubter. remains the same. He that
hath ears to hear let him hear. One
would have supposed that all that com
pany would have believed in the divinity
of-Jesus, for this was the intent Of the
miracle But no, only those that gave
heed u him and made his life their
study were effectually convinced. have
sometimes seen Gods power manifested
i'm wondrous measure. and | have said,
now all will see 1t and believe. Alas it
is the few, the few only. The truth is
still truth: "As many as received him,
10 them gave he power TO become the
| sons of (,oI OWN tn thpm that hpl AVA