The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-02-27

March 4. 1891.
Especially Arranged from - . Cuaricry.l
LESSON TEXT King s:s1~t..
GOLDEN TExr-ihc Father raisctA % The
dead. and quicEcncth thca. John 5s-i.
crHlHAr Turin According 70 your faith u
shall pe doac unto you-
TINE~ between 80 sSi II. g..
PLACE Shunem. nov Solam three miles and
q hAf north 81 Jczreel. and seventeen from
Mount Carmel. whcrc Elisha was ~ this time
probably holding meetings fcr instruction and
worship. The place was probably where Elijah
had ms victory over the prophets Of Baai
HELPS OVER HARD pI.AcFs-e5 so she
vcnt:' From Shunem 10 Carmel. n miles
20 1T is wclls' Il Il peace And she an
swcred with one word. Peace" the common
salutation. II meant: 'Ail right. never you
mind" - .-Dldf desire a SOM Dil ask you
fur the glftf Why then docs God take back
his free gifts ~ Take my sta1:' The symbol
o. the prophet making the bearer his repre-
sentative, kings seal or sccpfcr makes the
bearer the kings representative ''Salutc him
NOT ~ the Oriental salutations were long and
there was no time now 20 stop for them. ~.
And he arose. Elisha sent Cchaxi. probably
hccars. he was engaged In religious services:
but he yields 70 tbs mothers pcrseyering
prayer 81. .Thc child Is not awakcd:" the
stan in Gchazfs hands was 81 no avail. lie
was "A bad man II IS probable that Elisha seat
Cchnzi. with the expectation that the child
would be restored But when he set out him
self. there was no reason for Gehazi's success
II would be better for all for The pr ,phet HIM
self 10 accomplish his work. a. And praycd:''
Gods best gifts come through prayer. "a. lilo
lay upon the chid:' he used the best means
possible but Of no avail in itself The per
sonal contact Of living spiritual heart and life
brings splrltuallifc 20 others.
LESSON COMMENTS.
A DEAD CHILD. IL seems that he
must have been badly sunstruck, for
when he came home to his mother he
fingered only few hours at the
farthcst and then died. His poor
mother carried the body up to Elisha's
plain room, and, laying it on the bed,
FASTENED away TO tell the prophet in
the hope. doubtless, that he could help
her in her distress. II must have been
sad ride for her, wondering and fear
ing. hopiny and drcading the outcome
Of her interview with Elisha. The dis
lance TO Mount Carmel was about
seventeen miles, and she probably lost
no time on the way At some point on
on the road Elisha saw her coming and
sent Gchazi. his servant, to meet her
and ask for her welfare. To Gehazi
she did not wish TO answer fully, SO she
merely said: '.All is well" and pushed
ahead to the very feet Of the prophet.
Elisha saw that there was something
the matter with her, though God had
not revealed TO him the cause Of her
trouble. But as soon as she said: did
l desire son Of my lord?' he guessed
her case and saw that the child was
dead.
GEuAzl's EFFORT. Sent by his mas
ter. he started at once for Shuncm. Ex-
actly why elisha sent him first VIC do
not know. Ii may be he thought that
that would be enough. or il may be that
he expected to follow. and did this
merely to arouse cxpectant faith in the
heart Of the mother. But whatever his
thought, she gave him no rest until he
himself got up and went with her. In
the meantime Gehazi had done as bid
den. but all in vain. The body remained
as dead as ever.
ELlsHA's EFFORT. Now comes the
prophet himself and shuts the door of
his room. and prays TO God. He Lays
himself on the child. and walks once
through the house. Again he stretches
himselfon the child, and 10! the boy sits
up and sncczcs. Then the prophet calls
for the woman and gives her son up to
her.
| OF all sure things in the world, death
Is the surest. Death, or the fear of
death. brings much sorrow into the
world. In New York to-day there are
over one hundred homes where the fear
Of death sits dark and forcboding, and,
before another twenty-four hours are
over. this fear will have been realized
in those hundred homes. But besides
these, there are many unhappy homes
where some dear one lies sick, where
they are full Of anxiety for the loved
one, and know no rest, day or night,
lest the messenger Of death should soon
break the door OPEN There Is hardly
scholar in this class, who has not suf-
fered from this fear, in his own case.
When the fever begins, or the sore
throat sets in, or strong pain arises, we
begin to fear lest this be the precursor
Of death. Many persons are all their
lives long in kind Of bondage through
| this same fear. And whether we fear
! it or no, IL is sure 70 come in the end.
! DoEs DEATH END ALL? Some people
say II docs. But they contradict the
| Word Of God. which says that death
does not end all The resurrcctions that
we have been considering are kind Of
prophecy that death does not end all,
and the resurrection Of Christ Is prooj
| that IL Is not the end Of human lives.
We read in the Word Of God that the
day is coming in which all that are in
their graves shall hear the voice Of tho
Son OF God and shall come forth. Death
Is a Transition from life in this world "a
life Of another kind in the other world.
Death ends our experiences here, but
begins them in another realm
NEED WE FEAR DEATH? That de-
ponds. Upon what docs IL depend?
Upon the way in which we have Lived
in this world. The true believer need
not fear death at all, for he Is sure Of q
glorious resurrection at the great day.
But the soul that has rejected the Lord
Jesus in this world should fear death a
the most dreadful thing that can hap
per- TO him. For those who are not the
children OF the Lord Jesus, while they
too will rise, win rise to shame and
everlasting confusion The sting o,
death Is sin,-but thanks be to God