The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-05-21
LESSON COMMENTS.

anu conscience
LESSON COMMENTS.
Cause and effect are brought out
clearly in this lesson, SO that every one
may see how God works with his peo-
pie. We have been studying for some
time single portions of the history Of
Israel, and have seen how they went
contrary to the law of their God. In
this lesson to-day, we see the end of the
courses OF conduct that Israel pursued.
The historian tells of how they went in
the face Of light that should have led
them to prosperity, and did according
to all the denominations of the idolatrous
nations around them. Against all this
they had been warned, and the conse-
quences Of such conduct had been most
clearly set before them. Yet all was
vain. They did everything that others
did, and went to extremes Of wicked
ness. They actually practiced human
sacrifices, and burnt their sons and
daughters at the shrines Of Moloch.
Nothing was too vile for them to adopt.
Notwithstanding all this, the Lord
had patience with them, and waited for
years before He brought the full
penalty Of their sins on their
heads. He tried to win them
back to their former allegiance, and for
that purpose sent them prophet after
prophet; but they only hardened their
hearts, and stiffened their necks, and
pushed ahead. So the end came at
last, and when it came, it was just as
terrible as God had said it would be.
We cannot look anywhere in the
physical world without perceiving that
cause and effect are indissolubly bound
together. Nothing happens without q
cause, and one of the most steadfast
efforts of scientific men is to find out
what causes produce certain effects.
What is true in the physical world is
true in the intellectual world as well.
Is that boy good arithmetician? You
may be sure that there is cause for his
excellence in that line of work. Is the
other scholar well posted in history?
AS surely as in the first case, you will
find q cause for his proficiency in that
line. But yonder there is scholar who
never knows his lessons, and fails Of
promotion. Well, there is cause for
that as well. Nothing happens by mere
chance. In the one case there has been
effort, and in the other laziness. The
results that are appropriate to these
causes will always follow. No man be-
comes a scholar by doing nothing, and
no man works hard without receiving
the due reward of his work. These are
Gods laws, and they work always and
with every one in the same way.
There arc at the present moment
causes at work tn your class that will
inevitably produce certain results. This
is true in the case of each scholar. This
boy, If he keeps on in his present
course, will at last FILL drunkard's
grave. That boy, if he persists in
pushing ahead, will end In the peniten-
tiary. That girl, unless she changes,
will end in a life Of sin and ruin. What
solemn thought that is! Now is the
time to change, if ever, for soon the
reaping will begin, and whatsoever
they are now sowing, of that they shall
have harvest before long.-Rev. A. f.
Schauffler, D. D.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
/. There comes time in the progress
of sin when it is too late: when the sin
can be destroyedonly by the destruction
Of the sinner.
Q. God does all that wisdom and love
can do to prevent men from going on in