Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-01-08


be found In Kings IL; 25-33.
INTRODUCTORY.
This lesson I'm "Idolatry In Israelr Will be
valuable to us according as we apply IL to
ours elves. The tendencies toward id0lG-ry
In America, and in Christian America at
that, are too marked to be overlooked. The
teacher should warn against these dangers
and point out, from Israels career where
the bad issue begins. The eccentric Nom
such professor has a two-fold division for
text work which we regard as most wise and
sagaclous. 1t is. briefly stated, 1Ist, cut
out your garment then put 1t on. In our
Explanatory we endeavor TO do the first,
and In our "Expository" the second. IL is
to the teacher and pastor, however, that we
must look to make 1t fit.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
Jeroboam. A widows son. q Kings IL:
26.) The responsibility put thus upon him
doubtless helped to develop his strong char
acter.-Shechem. Its name meaning
strength. Strong also in historical prestige.
Abraham made IL sacred (sichem), Gen.
12: @. 1t was City of Refuge, Josh. 21: Fl.
IL was the scene of the promulg alton OF the
law, Josh. %: 25. In the New Testament
days 1t was called Sychar John 4; 81. Nab
lus, a city OF 5000, now occupies the spot.
-Built Penuel, 1. e., built up, strength
ened. This is that Penuel or Peniel Qaco
of God where Jacob wrestled with Jehovah
(Gen. 32: 30, 81.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHEs.
Now shall the kingdom return. He Is be-
ginning to doubt so soon. And right here
begins his own downfall. feter walked the
wave right bravely and Justify till ne took
his eye away from his Master and fastened
1t upon himself and his own efforts. Then
he fell. 40 thou Of little faith, wherefore
dost thou doubt?n-that tells the secret of
his downfall. 1t is the weak point In Jero-
toam's character. He was u strong man,
alIA oil IL, x,raNI
ties before him. There was the trouble.
He put his thought and effort upon him
self. He forgot that all he was or could
hope to be was through tho purpose and by
the grace of God, meekly accepted. He
overlooked that promise made to him back
there ain the feld.p aAnd it shall be, II
thou wilt hearken that Will be with
thee and build thee a sure house, 1t shall
be and hero he Is saying in miserable skep-
ticism, Now shall the kingdom return.
Faith with the kingdom does begin to re-
turn from him because of his unfaith. o,
let us be careful, lest with the very next
breath after we say "thy kingdom come"
in the Lords prayer, we be found saying
doubtfully, self-dependently, now shall the
kingdom return; and what shall l do to
prevent 1t? Right here we lift an alien
altar. Gregory at Rome, Henry VIII. In
England, was each a Jeroboam in his way.
And this became sin. No. It was not in
tended as a sin. 1t just became one-that
was all. So do all sins arise. Eve did not
mean th at the taking of the apple should be
transgression. 1t speedily became such,
mistrust and disobedience bearing their
early fruit. Abraham did not intend that
his prevarication, whereby his wife should
be called his sister, should be a sin. 1t was
simply q word of convenience, 1t enabled
both him and his wife, forsooth, TO live, for
the time being, comparatively unmolested,
in the enemies country. But IL soon be-
eli, nd I.ra l,,., l,t.1x xa1 II
IL, and before the eyes OF the heatheh. as
often Gods people are to-day. Solomon did
not intend that his adoption OF the fashions
and customs of the nations should be
menace to God. He merely wished TO es-
tablish his realm and reign in the good
esteem of the kings around about. But
even now, in the lesson before us, we begin
to see the bitter fruits OF such compromise.
The first cigar, the first glass, the first
game OF cards-0. no, they were not meant
for sin. Just for amusement, or to pass a
Pleasant hour, or to make ones self agree
able to the people of the world. But this
thing has become sin, fearful sin. An APP
parent trifling departure from Christly
command and apostolic procedure. Just for
convenience, II you please. Alas, alas, the
sin 1t has put upon Gods own Zion.
Even unto Dan. They go the whole road
Yield an inch, and IL will presently be an
ell. When Lot starts down the way toward
Sodom he does not stop till he reaches the
end of the line. Presently we find him
leaving his pitching tents and verify DWELL
ing in the city of destruction Perhaps
Jeroboam fixed upon Bethel as q slight de-
parture, then yielded little further TO
conciliate the northern tribes, giving them
provisional or perhaps tentative place
of meeting, one which could be used In
time of extremity when It was exceedingly
difficult or painful TO push the way down to
the farther city. Now behold he sees the
Ia ha IN hes at Mt
have wholly swung off, They are thorough
going latitudinarians. Doubtless IL was a
tender, kindly thought that first suggested
clinic baptism and all other substitutes for
the true and original ordinance. Now see,
even Bethel Is not enough. The confeder-
ated tribes of Israel have gone clean over
TO Dan. And they verify think by so doing
TO worship God. Worship IL may be, through
Gods condescension, but o, why not como
back to Zioni Thus only unity.
He placed in Bethel the priests Yes.
you can always find priests to watch the
high places. First a sinful departure. Then
that departure organized, for we read that
@he made house OF high places" Now he
puts his priests there to establish and per-
petuate the iniquity. There Is never an
apostasy so pronounced and atrocious but
that a prurient priesthood can be found to
give IL apparent sanctity and so 60 mis-
lead the very elect. MoTmonism has done
vilely, but with all its viciousness 1t has
never been prlestless. Indeed, its high
priests have fostered and promoted its
misdoings. Man-placed priests, Jeroboam's
brotherhood of the high places, beware cf
them. Only the servants whom God
anolnted are to be trusted. @By their
fruits ye shall know them" o, that tho
priests and prophets were all Gods men,
to lead the straylng flocks back TO Gods
housel Luther started out from Dan TO
Jerusalem, but he got no further than
Bethel. Cranmer also, but he halted part
way; and Anglicansm has Its altar to-day
somewhere up among the Mills of samaria.
SO he offered upon the altar which he had
made Men are always ready 20 do that.
Let them make their own altar. and how
easy the sacrifice! Affairs of fashion, affairs
of selfshness, affairs of worldliness-sin
altars all, but o, how many are making
offerings, some of them toilful and painful
and to the very giving OF the life. And yet
what does IL amount tor Sacrificing upon
the altar which he had made, so goes the
wild, rebelIious world. And alas, too often,
so goes tho church. How far high-church-
ism Is TO GO in this country, as Ia England,
no one knows But IL has gotten as far as
Bethel already and some OF its priests are
already lifting their eyes toward popish
Dan Is il not time for protest. Protest.
ant protest? Lord, thine altars, we weep
| for thine altarsl
WOpnG OE WISDOM