Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-02-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY
CONSIDERED.

A Scholarly Exposition OF the Lesson--
Thoughts Worthy OF CAim RsnsctioA-
Half an Hours Study OF the Scriptures
Time Well Spent
The lesson for Sunday, March 1, may be
found In IL Kings 4; 25-87.
INTRODUCTORY.
The Golden Text OF to-day's lesson vii!
give us the keynote for the moro spiritual
teachings 20 be impaired. There are the
main lines OF suggested reflection. The
first is, that Jesus Is the resurrectionlsnnd
the life; believing In him, though We dte.
we shall live again. The second h the re-
lated truth that Christ raises us up 81 once
out of spiritual death into life eternal; sfor
this" he says, ais life eternal, that they
might know thee, the only true God. and
from Christ, whom thou hast sentn IL Will
be well for the teacher to enforce that pro-
found saying OF our Lord in the 18th OF
John: HWhosoever liveth and believeth In
me shall never die" And can We not follow
IL up personally as our Savior did, and
looking deep down into the soul say, @Be-
nevest thou thisf"
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
Went and came. good half-day's ridei
about sixteen or seventeen miles from east
TO west, and slightly north. through the
valley of Jezreel.-To Mount Carmel
Probably one OF Elisha's tarrying places.
the spot being memorable. q Kings 1e; 20.)
Affair on. There seems to be some rea-
sonableness in translating this as In the
Douay. Coming toward. Il means more
than to be across the way or opposite. The
main word of this phrase is rendered at
}: %: On the other side. Probably Elisha
Jaw her across the valley.-Behoid, yon-
Ter is that Shunammite. Literally. Be-
hold the Shunammite. This. Not the same
word translated this In v. 30.
Now. Emphatic position In the Hebrew.
This the Revision seeks to bring out by
slight change In the order of the words. See
Varlations.--Apd she said, 1t Is we'll. The
Douay is more literal: And she answered.
Well 1. O., she simply gave him the salute
of courtesy, like our good morning or good
afternoon, passing on to speak directly u
his master.
To the hill. Having crossed the valley.
Thrust her away. The word means TO
cast her out, as by force. So used at Deut.
0: 10. of the Lords enemies. Like the dis
ciples, Gehazi thought to protect his Lords
person from intrusion. Vexed. Literally,
bitter (Marah. Aid. Not miraculously
revealed.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES
Behold, yonder is that shunammite. May
her tribe increase! We have the spiritually
dead all about us. Our children, neighbors.
friends are lying dead in trespasses and In
sins. What pains are we taking to carry
their cases before the Great Healer. before
him who Is the resurrection and the lifef
This woman paused not, but under the same
burning heat that had stricken her son she
pressed on miles and miles to the north TO
where the prophet was. What effort are we
making to save the souls of kindred and ac-
Quaintance? Do we act at all as IL We were
concerned about them? Do the angels look
out from their watch-tow and say OF any
OF US, burdened for souls, SBehold, yonder
Is that Shunammite!n
1 will not leave thee. A servant and
staff were not enough. She needed the
great prophet himself, and she would not let
him go. Here was a very Jacob at wrestling
The patriarch hung on, albeit In shrunken
weakness, until he could say, II have seen
God face to face, and my life Is preserved.s
There are times when only God will sutice
us. His servant, however gracious, VIII not
dc. His rod and his stan do not comfort
We want the shepherd and the king himself.
And hm we may have IL we will, his very
presence and power. Only there must &c
the wholly determined. fully devoted. j.
will-not-leave-thee spirit. Jesus Chrh<
stands at the iron door still waiting to be
HcoasCrained.n Not coaxed No, for IL is
the love OF Christ himself that first con-
straineth us. He only pauses for our whole
heated surrender of self, and behold, he
has gone In to tarry with us.
Shut the door upon them twain. Have
you ever been alone with a dead soul, an
unconverted person7 II is the time when
the issues of life and eternity are decided.
Indeed, IL is the only way to apply effica-
ciously the medicine OF the gospel The
public proclamation may stir thought,
awaken reflection. make ready for tho per-
Lonal presentation OF the theme. In the
great majority, II not in all cases, there
must be one sonl In which Is life brought
into relation with the soul in which there is
not life ere the grace OF God Is impaired.
We heard Moody say not long ago, ain all
my experience / never knew man to be
converted for whom God had not used somo
human Instrument II Is thus that faith
is made TO spread, the spark leaps from
heart to heart. 1t may not be In utter Sc
elusion, IL may be In the inquiry meeting,
but somewhere faith and unfaith must
closely confront each other. Wifen the door
shuts upon them twain, then COMES the
touch Of power.
He stretched himself upon the child.
There was no half giving of himself to the
task Elisha literally, and we may say II
In no light spirit, laid himself out to the
accomplishment OF the gracious work 20
which he was summoned. IL was mouth 70
mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand, the whole
man Joined and committed TO the matter,
body, soul, and spirit. Only thus comes
spiritual success. The work OF an evangel
Is no trihing work; only the whole-hearted,
the whole-handed succeed. @He that win
meth souls is wise, and strong too. with
wisdom and strength thoroughly given to
the service Paul was all things unto all
men that he might by all means save some,
and when we study the passage In its con-
necton we see that In its major purport 10
has reference to Paurs thorough devote-
ment of self to each case on hand. sYet
have made myself servant unto all that
might gain the more.n Go into genuine,
spiritual inquiry meeting. whore soul N
wrestling with soul, IL you would see the
text at the beginning of this paragraph
practically illustrated.
Call this Shunammite. Blessed call She
had heard IL before. SCall this shunam-
mite, ~ Elisha had said before when he an
nounced to her that she should embrace
son. There Is blessing In the very sum
mons, full as IL Is with promise. So must
have sounded the glad voices about Bar
timaus at Jericho when they cried out, HBe
OF good comfort, rise, he calleth thee
Reader, he is speaking the same to us to-
day. GCall this shunammite,n our Lord Is
saying, this child OF my love, this recipient
OF my grace. He has called us before. and
IL has always been TO bless us. His call at
conversion was very gracious. He calls us
still that this same tender Relationship may
be continued and new gifts may be be-
slowed. He has better things yet TO bostow.
He still stands saying, aye will not come
unto me that ye might have llfe." And II
man say, aLord, we already have life AZ
thy hands, he answers still standing and
calling, aAnd that they might have IL more
n hV ndantly.n