Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-01-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
An INTERESTING AND INsTRUc-
TIVE LESSON.

Reflections OF an Elevating Charnctsr--
wholesome Food for Thought = Study
inK the scriptural Lesson Inteliigsntly
ana Probably.
The lesson for Sunday. Jan. 25, may be
found In i. Kings IS: $3.50.
INTRODUCTORY.
Three years and a half have passed, and
they nave been years OF untold hardship
apd suffering, not only to the unrighteous
but also, I'm part. T. the righteous OF Israel
Sin is such "A terrible and hateful thing that
II puts its poisonous breath forth In all tho
air, and all men feel its baleful inf,zBnces.
No man can live to himself, whether doing
we'll or doing Ill. His neighbor is made, In a
degree. partalSer of his portion. Hence the
added necessity of suppressing iniquity by
all legitimate means. wherever found. Our
lesson comes in at this end of long famine,
to which IL brings a happy end. Doubtiess u
finds many church and Sunday school in
like need, spiritually speaking. May II like
wise when In "the sound OF abundance OF
rain.D
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
And Elijah said Still acting by the word
of Jehovah. See v. 1. AGO show thyself unto
Ahab, and will send rain uron the earth"
Mans part and God Prophets of Baai.
Gathered at Elijah's suggestion and by
Ahab's instruction. ". 20).-LMany. Prob
ably the most II not all the $50 prophets OF
bells 400 @prophets of the grovesn (Astoreth)
came.-The name. The Douay version
says names, which, at least, Is implied and
carried by reflection from the word gods.
though the Hebrew word name itself Is IN the
singular-Put no fire under. Declaring
the conditions of the text, as before In v. 20.
The repetition, considering the unscrupu-
lousness of the Baal priests, is significant
enough.
Given them. Implying judicial scrutiny
| of the ordeal-Baal, hear us. Probably
the repetitious refrain of their cry. Its lit
eral meaning, answer us.----Nor any tnat
answered. Same wCrl as that translated
hear. just before. Hebrew. No voice; no
answ erng. .-Leaped upon, or about. The
proposition having n variety OF meaning
| allowing the almost numerous translations
| of the Douay. See Variations. 1t pictures
| The wild frenzles of the idol worshipers.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
No voice nor any that answered. We read
of selo luent silence" Here it Is, eloquent
with wisdom and warning. That ano voice"
/ was loud voice proclaiming the emptiness
/ and vanity of man-made gods. So Is It al
ways in this world Sins own fruitlessness
| of good preachers for US. There come times
i OF awful speechlessness, natures moments
OF reticence, when she pauses, and In dead
i silence confesse5 her impotence. Times or
/ loss and bereavem IN ent, the sick bed, the hour
1 OF dissolution. No voice nor any that an
| swer. There fall upon the earths tumul-
i tuous jangle OF voices these silences to adj
monish. aye are many,p Elijah had just
| been saying, but the raging OF the multi
| tude awoke no echo from the skies. ale
| that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, tho
Lord shall hold them In derision." Put over
/ against the "many" of v. 25 the @no voice"
Of v. 26 and cease to be terrified by man.
Peradventure he sIeepeth and must be
awaked. Be careful lest we be found de-
porting ourselves very much like those old
Baal- -wofshipers-crying unto our God as IL
he were asleep and needed to be aroused by
our entreaties or the noisiness OF our ap-
peal. No. do not put this folly wholly onto
the shoulders of those who are OF tho Saliva
ticn Army or the shouting camp meeting.
The meekest, quietest man among US, so
feeble voiced indeed 1--WE mean in the prayer
circle. not aon Change" or on tho street)
that the pastor must bend forward to hear
his testimony two rods OF, may be guilty
1 here. 1t Is our unfaith that is at fault We
talk as IL God were asleep; we pray as TX
i God were asleep: we live as IL God were
asleep. The trouble Is notso much that we
go about half asleep ourselves, but our re-
liglous conduct gives the world the impress
sion that We think the Lord Jehovah Is him.
self asleep and needs to be awaked. Hence
| a sleepy world.
He repaired the altar of the Lord that
was broken down. In nine cases out OF ten.
we dare say, this is the first duty rear
again the forgotten fame; repair the broken
down altar. In a good many communities
| the altar is wholly broken down. This Is
J | especially so I'm rural districts. Our friend
has lust been telling us OF churches once
hourishing, now well-ngh abandoned.
Many have moved away, to be sure, and
} the burden has been very heavy for few,
but o for the faith OF the first handful, by
Z whom the church was founded In toe
many Christian families the altar of fam
Ily prayer is but fading "reminiscences
We have asked the blessing at Christian OF
so-called Christian tables, when slight
but respectful intimation was needful lest
; it should wholly be passed over Broken
down altars everywhere, is it any wonder
. that Zion languisheth? Sometimes 1t i
| sfmply an altar out of repair. church
r meeting slackly attended, prayer meet
ing without the Spirit, Christian home
Q circle grown careless and worldly In ans
r ease the duty is plain-repair the altal
Z that is broken down.
And he put the wood in order. Get the
altar ready. Prepare the wood for the fire
: IL the first duty be to repair the broker
/, down altar, the second duty Is no less piaiI
put the wood in order for the bre from
n heaven, A wonderful exhibition OF faith 1
was, under the circumstances. lone maj
: getting his altar ready for Gods answer o
u Hre Doubtless at the laying of every sticl
: | in its place there were jeers and laughter
!. | Something like this the church OF Christ ma
y to endure, in one form or another at ever
y season of special waiting upon God. IL tn
world does not openly deride the prepara
: tion, she is seen to be laughing In he
sleeve, aud that perhaps Is even harder q
y stand. But lay on the wood, dear orephreI
y of the Lord: put all in order and in readi
y ness Ours not 10 induce new conditions
difficulty, as with Elijah, but let not thos
= that come In the ordinary course OF natur
y deter u.s. Go forward with such abando
- OF confidence as 20 cut OF all retreat
!, Trust God TO answer by fire. That Is VIVA
J, the disciples did at Pentecost And az
~ they miss the answerr
Then the fire OF the Lord fell. That
the wny IL comes-from above, not from DC
low. It is the season OF special effort In IN
churches. Are we trying to aget up q n
n vival?p Desist. Ask God 10 send one dow
IL was the Baal priests who sought 20 wor
IN a response. Some men are seeking
ID save the world by working from this SIC
alone. Civilization. education, cultnr
A. reflnement-they are all good In their wa,
but they are not Hrc. Fire comes from q
heart OF the unwise. not from Its colo O.
ly terror Possibly these lines may fall una
the eve OF one who has been asking tho va
| of life eternal, and Il may be that. WI
" Hooking on this side and that, within ~
without, he has grown weary and aimo
Is dishcartened. Friend, look up. The hel
OF God comes the same way as that lame
old TO samuels sacrifice IL falls FRO
n above on the altar, the heart ready 70 r
ceive 10.
@THE taste Of some people Is
roarkahle One would think tn