The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-10-07

| The lesson for sunday, oct. III, may DO
found In John -; 20-35.
INTRODUCTORY.
Christ Is here represented as the life OF
| the world But he Is only light 10 those
who will walk by his precepts. The dark
ness Is over imminent. Alas. that any
| should think To be children of light and
| yet walk in DARKNESS. Sturgeon tea OF
beggnr who asked aid from "a certain min
| lister Of England, bolstering up his claim
| by the remark, "Why, sir, when you first
| came here l cared for neither God nor the
devil; but noS | love them both!n Has
that man any relatives among the anita
ble easy going religionists OF this side the
| water!
| WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
Certain Greeks. Hellenic Jews. Greeks
who kept the jewish faith.-Them that
| came up Or, as In Bible Union, who came
| up. Preventative use of the present par
ticiple The word is that from which
comes our analysis wrongly p inted anal
yss In the notes OF two weeks since)
Desired him. Rather, asked. or inquired
| OF him. 1t Is this word that Is translated
pray ut l. John 5: 10, whore a closer rem
derng would possibly go far toward OBJ
| waiting the difficulties of Interpretation.
! al do not say that he shall pray for them.
I'VE would see. Literally, we wish TO
| see.
Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. The
translation of DR.. Conant (Bible Cnlon) Is
| here, as usual, more exact. Sec Variations.
The literal Greek is quite graphic, "Comes
Philip and tells Andrew; cometh Andrew
and Philip and they tell jesus
The hour is come. Or, has come; l. O.,
| the hour OF his clear declaration on CAL
vary ana in Josephs garden.
The word originally signifies to manifest, /.
e., in glorious fashion
Corn of wheat. Or, grain OF corn, or
kernel OF grain. general word for
cereals. Fall into the ground and die.
GreeG: falling into the ground, die. The
last word is the all-important one -
Abideth alone. Literally, remains single,
one; l. O., IL stays just as it is.
Shall lose. Better, lose. h. Present tense;
| general statement. ateth. The word
is sometimes used In the New Testament in
its sharp, positive sense, c. g., "Me 1t
hateth,n John Z: Z. But ordinarily il seems
TO be used in its more negative Specification.
!. O., to love less than something else, 10
slight or despise; e. g, "Eslu have l
hated; 1. G., as compared with Jacob. CT
the "two masters" Matt. q: -. "Father
and mother" Luke IA: 26.-Keop it,
The word for guard, II garrison.
There shall also my servant be. Certain
| ly, IL he follow close as just noted
Serve. The two words serve and honor
stand next to each other In the Greek, rs
emphasizing the comparison; service trans
| formed TO honor, the servant made King.
Troubled. Shaken and agiteted under
the stress of the burden. Same word used
| of Christ at Lazarus tomb, John IL: 81. and
| at the last supper, John 1921 Father save
me. To be rendered eli her with exclamation
point, as in the Bible Union version. or
question mark, as in Margin. See Variations.
Unto this hour. Greek into. A great
junction of events,
With you, l. e., among you Christ 5
bodily presence; secondarily. his spiritual
influence. Come upon. Or, overcome,
the comprehended of John I: ;.
Light. Or. the light. The article occurs
here "a N ldran Of the light. sons
OF light, no article.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Sir, we would see Jesus. 1t is on the
worlds lips still. though often unspoken.
Jesus they need-these brothers OF ours In
the flesh. Jesus they wish to see. And 1t
is possible for To read the question In
their faces and in their vague, half-con-
scious endeavCrs. Is it not our duty and
privile. e to interpret 10 thcm the signif-
canoe OF their own restlessness? "Friend,
IL Is Jesus you want"-ought we not oftener
to say? And yet we still leave them. as
did the disciples Of old-prior to Pentecost
to come themselves asking. Perhaps we
are thinking that II was ourselves that they
wished to see or hear. No. Jesus is the
name their hearts whisper. The world
needs Christ and nothing less
The hour has come that the Son OF man
should be glorifed. Is this response to
their inquiry? Yes, n better answer, II
they will receive it Alright than they had
cal Christ, the Lord Jesus, in the flesh. He
here tells them OF a better vision, such a
vision, indeed. as can come to us all-that
OF the spiritual, or glorifed Jesus Some
one has just been saying, "Why should we
| be held accountable for our rejection of
the Christ? We have not the opportunity
to behold him that the disciples of old had. =
| And the answer to be spoken Is that we
have not the same opportunity, but n bet
ter. We Go not see him In the flesh, but In
the spirit. Crucitied and risen, and 20
goriled, he Is to-day TO be apprehendcd as
lie was not when tie Greeks approached
| Philip The Spirit Is here now to take OF
the things Of Christ AMI reveal them unto
US.
Except a corn OF wheat fan into the
ground and die il abideth alone. That is
10 say, IL stays just as IL is; IL does not
change. The trouble with Il great many Of
US is right here. We are willing to abide
alone, To stay as we are. God wants us to
be something other and more. To become
that, the corn OF wheat must fall into the
ground and die; there must be self-givng,
self-surrcnder. This grain OF corn looks
very hardy and strong, quite disposed. as
IL would seem, TO abide alone, monos, just
as IL Is. But IL Is infinitely better that it
perish to its present self and come up pres
emily i'm multiplied strength aud beauty.
For your sakes. Christ was always MAX
ing il personal matter Here are the two
forms OF unfath. Something had occurred,
something strange and significant. alt has
| thundcred!n There Is the school OF ration
alists; natural event merely. "An angel
spake to him" There is the hushed voice
| OF superstition, and men are affrighted
Not SO said Jesus, "Ths voice was for your
| sakeSn o. to note In all events, marvellous
or ordinary. the divine voice speaking to
us and for our good. That whole life of
Jesus was just an appeal from God to man,
saying aye will not come unto me that ye
might have life"
Now is the judgment OF this world The
Greek word is crisis. The cross does indeed
mark "a crisis in the world S history. 1t fixes
the crisis point in every mans life. IL Is
the great place for decision to which we
must all como. Then Is Christ lifted up
Thus raised before the eyes. he both draws
and drives Draws forth toward heaven
and all that Is good drives away all that
Is vile and iniquitous, for now is the prince
OF this world cast out. But that divine
constraint can be resisted. We can hold on
TO self and TO Satan, II we will! What u
crisis for souls tj-day.