The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-07-01

1
The lessons in the Old Testament have
| been full OF instruction. for we have learned
| the truth OF that saying, "They are they
| which testify OF me.n But now we are To
| meet Christ as IL were face TO face and hear
MIS- own words. Is IL strange that there
should be n pluclling up Il interest in sun
day schools all over the land?
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
| Beginning. The first word OF Genesis,
| going back, AS well as human thought and
| speech can go. TO that pre- existence which
was Gods from before the foundation OF the
world. CT, l. John 1.-THE Word Greek,
| logOs, In the sense of declaration, this be-
ing the gospel OF God manifested or de-
| clared; see V. Is below With God. Prep
osition of association or participation. -
| Was God Accent on the last word. Greek
order; Add God was the word predicate
put first.
The same. Greek, This one or he Sig
nifcant reference to Christ, the chief among
ten thousand. Was in the beginning
Repeated for emphasis. Christ was before
his earthly, human birth.
All things. Indicating the extent of his
participation.-By him, or through him,
| by his authority. him. No ex-
| ceptions. Greek, not one
| thing. EXpressive.-That was made
| Revision, has been made. The visible
| creation.
In him was life. Present tense. is life
The light of men. Spiritual as we'll as
physical life.
In darkness. Opposite of light The
world aside from Christ dark.-Compre-
hended. An obscure passage The word
| literally means TO grasp, to take hold of;
| the Revision adopts the meaning appre-
bend Rendered, thus, "perceive" at Acts
| 4: ID. and 10: "a. There Is another sense,
| however, to take possession of. overwhelm,
swallow up. Used OF the evil spirit and the
boy at Mark 0: Is ('wheresoev er he taketh
him").
There was a man. Not the same as in
| the was OF V. 1. This means came to be or
| simply came.-A man. Not, as before,
| God.-Sent from God. The highest dig
| nifty to which mere man has attained. -
John The Baptist.
The same. This one. or he (emphatic)
same as in V. ., SO contrasting Christ and
| JOhn.--To bear witness OF the Light.
| Hence not 'she Lightn The word swift
ness" here is marturion, from which comes
martyr, which, verify, John became.-All
| men. The "alln seems to bear special en-
| phasis. Through him, /. e., through
| John. Johns ministry had then particu-
| lar bearing on faith, l. e., belief in testi-
| mony
| Not that Light. John purposcly and per-
| sistently singing Christ out as separate and
| alone in his divine dignity. sent 10
bear witness. The was sent is added the
| passage is all the clearer rs well as moro
| accurate if rendered without it.
| That was tho true Light, 1t would be
| nearer the Greek to say, the true Light was
| that which, etc.-Lighteth every man,
/. O., individually, the word "mann is in the
| singular. All men borrow OF the Christ
| light; not all acknowledge it.-Which
cometh into the world. Ambiguous, but
more probably belonging to the word
| "light." Thus, the true light was that
| which, coming into the world, lighteth every
| man.
He was in the world. Connect with "that
| cometh into the world.n The Greek order
brings out more clearly this connection. In
| the world was he.--Made by him. Adding
| to the marvel OF it.-knew him not. One
| of the strongest climaxes or anti-climaxes
| OF all literature.
| He came unto his own. Greek as above,
| unto his own he came-And his own.
| Another strong surprise OF speech -Re-
| ceived. In the sense of acknowledgment.
| This same word used at Col. 2: 6. GAS ye
| have therefore received Christ Jesus"
! Moses. Light for criticism. Grace and
| truth. Reckoning and upbuilding.
In the BOSOM Where he may know.
| Hath declared him. Made us know. I'm
| bosomed him.
| WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
In the beginning was the Word. Then,
| Christian brethren, you and were there,
| too, there in the thought and i'm the heart
| Of God. For word signifies revelation, COM
| munication And now / read that il was
in the beginning; IL was always Gods graz
| ciOuS purpose TO declare himself, he had n
people from, before the foundation of the
| world Looking back thus our hearts are
| strangely thrilled We are not Of to-day,
nor Of yesterday. ain the beginning" We
| look back and we are lost; and then we
| look forward and we are lost again, in
wonder. love and praise, again, and again,
| and again. -
He was not that Light, but was sent TO
| bear witness OF the Light. So am /. The
| Christian disciple stands to-day alongside
| OF John. pointing and saying, "Behold, the
| Lamb of God, that takcth away the sin OF
| the world.n We are witnesses God help
us to render testimony as simple and direct
as was that OF the great harbingerl OF
| whom was il essedly said:
| ale held the lamp of truth that day
| So low that none could miss the way;
And yet so high to bring in sight
| That picture fair, The Worlds Great
| Light
! The hand that held IL scarce was seen"
| But as many as received him. to them
| gave he power to become the sons OF God.
| Or rather, right to be the sons OF God. The
| instant we have received Christ into hearts
| Of faith, our names are already written in
| the Lambs book OF Life, and we are Kings
| sons. To how many has this text thrown
| the gate wide OPEN Become sons? Some
are doubtless trying to attain 60 that dig
| nifty by effort, by sacrifice. 1t cannot he
done. Sonship is "A gift, thing received
| with Christ. Have we not read IL? "Be-
| loved, now are we the sons OF God. ~ There
| is something TO be gained, stature, fullness
| But we must be born before we grow. 1t is
not into sonship, but In sonship, that we
| develop and attain. "Now are we light i'm
| the Lord, walk as children of the light"
| Grace for grace. Here Is orthodoxy. Or
| thos. right; doxa, appearance or opinion. l
| shall stand clear in the sight of men and
| angels. orthodox, according as i approach
| the mind and life that was I'm Christ Jesus.
| Grace for grace. his comeliness transferred
! his beauty, his blessedness: For Christ
| gives II his very own, not something less.
it is himself. any peace" he said, amy joy"
| O to see pattern perfectly copied in tho
| church OF Jesus Christ!
But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ
| He Is not only Savior, but Teacher, Master.
| Some of us are so easily satisfied. We ask
| simply to have our poor souls saved. just
| ransomed and plucled from the burning
| that is all. But these are but as the rudi-
ments. There Is grace for saving and there
! Is grace for upbuilding which Is tho truth