The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-04-29
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY
CONSIDERED.
A Scholarly Exposition OF the Lesson
Thoughts Worthy of Calm Reflection
Half an Hours Study of the Scriptures
limo Well Spent.


The lesson for Sunday, May 3, may be
found in Amos 4: 4-i3
INTRODUCTORY.
Amos is the farmer prophet, man cdu-
Gated among the ilocks and the sycamore
trees. God has wonderfully blest such tutel
age. There is no better divinity school than
nature. rightly studied. Some OF our best
and most sympathetic eXpoundeFs of the
word have been reared among the surround
ings of farm life. The field. the open air, tho
cattle on the hills, the quiet wood the
changing seasons have given earliest slim
illus To thought and reflection. There are
more than one or two such men whom we
have never been able To divorce from such
simple environments. Men they are of
strong grasp of their themes, of profound
and searching thought. Their study and
their pulpit are alike in the country and
the writer can think Cf nothing more re-
freshing than TO tarry with these royal
souls II season near To natures heart, or
rather near TO the heart OF God. If Amos
language seems to us strong, let US remem-
Der his communings He was not so we'll ac-
quaintcd with fashion and conventio as
with God.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
Come. Addressed 90 Israel; a series OF
picturesque and strongly ironical appeals.
bethel. Literally, house OF God. Where
Jacob met God Gen. 2S: 19). Now made Il
place OF idolatrous worship q Kings H. %,
20).-Gilgal. The first camp of Isra eel
after crossing the Jordan, the scene OF their
first sacrifice in the land Of promise Josh.
.; 1O), afterward Samuel's seat OF judg-
ment Il Samuel IL: II, 15).-Multiply
transgressiOns. Multiply Is from the root
meaning many raw. Transgressions. Sig
1ifying, first Of all, to rebel, or be refrac-
tNry-After three years. Better, Us in
re 'iSion, every three days This, the He
brew; strongly sarcastic.
L.,
also confession at Josh. Z 4: 10. in the account
OF Achan, j. e.. acknowledged. A method
OF approach To God.-Leaven. UnleaY-
ened bread alone fitting in such offerings
tLev. Z: 13. ~. Lange suggests that this
implies excess Of worship. We rather in
cline to think that it refers to mock wCr-
ship, /. e.. assume to worship thus IL you
wilL-Thus liketh you. Or, thus it pleas
eth you. Man-made ritual.
And also. The also is emphatic, stand
ing first in the Hebrew Douay, where
upon.-Cleanncss of teeth. A strong fig
urc of speech, suggestive of famine. -
Places. /. c., dwelling places Famine inn
minent in days Of prosperity .-Returned
or turned. They had turned to the world
rather than to God.
Three months to the harvest. When rain
was most needed. God using retributve
provdences to call the people to thoughts
of him, and their covenant with him.
Upon one city. Gods discriminating prov
licences; always with a meaning, though wo
may not always read Alright
Wandered Pictorial word. Literally,
to reel, or stagger, as in the last stages Of
want. This same word is found at Ps. 101 ::
81 ("stagger like drunken man").-But
they were not satisfied. or filled (Douay).
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES
Come to Bethel, and transgrcss There Is
deep meaning in every word. and i'm the coll
location of the words Think Of Bethel home
of God as a place OF transgres sion. And
Gilgal, scene of the first passover inCana an,
a place to multiply transgression. What II
picture of hypocrisy! What commentary
on the fashionable piety of all ages! The
very altar a. made n lace for greater sim
ming. and the golden calf is set up where
the Lord Jehovah should be alone adored.
The house of worship is made "a place for the
tinselry Of pride Worship is turned into
display. Look at some of our religious GUS
toms study the manner of some OF those
who come to the Lords house, and then i'm
agine some man whom God has called from
his ilocks standing up in the pulpit yonder,
after the operate overture, and crying out
in deepest sarcasm, @COme To Bethel and
transgress. ~
Offer sacrifice OF thanksgiving with leav-
en-. Yes, we can believe il, Amos was not
popular preacher. He applied the gospel
too closely 10 mems lives he told too much
OF the naked truth 1t was leavened thanks
=,
them so. Their worship was mixed with the
world. The leavcn' of sin was given a relig-
iouS turn fOrsOOth, and men tried to per-
Suade themselves that they were pious in
their impiety. We have n little OF il to-day.
Men Will cheat and cut thrOats on Change,
lie and deceive in politics, and then come
up with that sort OF lcaven in their Sabbath
day offerings and call il sacrifice OF
THANKSGIVING And there are preachers TO
humor the mood. But . for an Amos to
call the thing by the right name, and To put
the tell-tale stamp upon the leavcn.
One piece was rained upon. Just one,
here and there one. Tho rest withercd and
dead. And we sing:
"Lord. / hear of showers OF blessing
Thou art scattering rich and free.
Showers the thirsty land refreshing,
Let some dropping5 fall on me-"
And yet how fe and far between are the
showers, how meager are the droppngs
Once in while there has been "a great out
pouring in Il particular community, and
then literally "two or three cities wandered
unto one city. to drink watcr.n Why not
the same refreshing everywhere? The sup
ply is sufficient The Lords arm is not
shortened "But your iniqulties have sepa-
rated between you and your God. and your
sins have hid his face from you that he will
not hear" Put away sin. Have faith. Re-
turn unto God. And then with "A sanctifed
heart and genuine faith. not one or two
favored places but all the land can look up
and sing:
"Therc shall be showers OF blessing,
send them upon Us. . Lord;
Grant to us now refreshing,
Come, and now honor thy word"
Prepare to meet thy God, Israel. he
is come; doubt not by his providence. the
sweet and the bitter together, he has been
calling Us and saying. "Yet have ye not re-
turned unto me-" But whether we return
or not. he will find us. IL we will not come
in penitence TO him, he will come with
strong chastisings upon us. Let this nine
teenth century hear the voice from the
heavens: "Prepare TO meet thy God"
Past history informs US that when men have
grown high minded, heady. rs has this gen.
GRAFTON. repeatedly refusing To hear Gods
call to abasement. God suddenly stands
across the way with a drawn sword.
"Preparc to meet thy Cod" let the warning
be uttered I'm the ear OF young and old to-
day. The age is drifting fast toward for
getfulncss OF God. But God Is not TO be
forgotten. lie is as mindful OF this age as
of any other age and as close at hand. We