Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-07-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INsrRUc-
TIVE LESSON.

and Probably.
The lesson for Sunday, July 10. may
be found In John 2: ILL
INTRODUCTORY.
We have come back TO the miracles OF
our Lord. MAY God bring us back In q
real and true sensel There Is q saying
abroad that the miracle has lived its day
as convincing power Have care.
All that Christ dii as we'll as all that
Christ said Is life, and It lives and works
in all ages We have new light, tho
writer believes, yet TO break forth on
nineteenth century paths from all por-
tions OF Gods work. "This beginning OF
miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee
and manifested forth his glory, his
divinity" The miracles begun then have
gone right on with this purpose, to
manifest his glory.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
Third day. After the ca ling of the
five, see last lesson ---Marriage, or
marriage supper, Matt %: 10. Cana,
-Four or five miles distant from Naza-
reth, Christ's boyhooi home. The
mother OF Jesus. Iusry, was his father
already dead?
/ Both Jesus. Rather, Jesus also, the
emphasis being here And his dis
ciples. Tee five above mentioned,
namely, John, Andrew, Peter, Philip,
Nathaniel.
Woman. Courteous speech, lika
madam, and yet indicating that she was
but as one of earth. What have / to
do with thee. Greek: What to me and
to thee, |. G., he was no longer hers, nor
indeed his own; he was God's.--Mine
hour. Probably the hour OF his more
public declaration at Jerusalem " 1877.
The servants, Greek, diaconos. from
which deacon, literally. an attendant.
Whatsoever he saith. Or may say,
conditional form, implying questions.
She left II with Jesus to do as he would
or as the Spirit moved DO 1t. Greek
do, |. e., to obey.
Water-pots Going to prove that there
was no likelihood OF collision. Such
vessels were not generally used for wine.
The language, particularly the Greek,
implies that they just CHANGED to be
there. They were lying there empty.
After the manner. Or, custom. Their
frequent washings and cleanings-
Firkins. A measure cqualing nine gal
Ions; 6x3x9-l62 gallons, q large guam
tity.
Fill. So, then, they were empty be-
fore.-With water. AS usual This
49, a..tss- at adam s-ruAan- diEaatad~-
Draw out now. Or, dip out One
form Of this same word means sink or
cistern, from which water was dipped
up-To the governor of the feast.
For his formal inspection. The phrase
is, literally, in keeping with the fashion
OF the times, the head of the three Ia
b!es or couches They bare it. AS
directed by the mother of Jesus, and yet
sharp test of faith.
Tasted. HIS Official duty knew,
l. e., "the servants which drew" Obe-
dience leads to knowledge. Do and
kno%-called ttlhs the RE}egisqfSS1leo1d voice
I. vas a sort of public appeal.
Saith unto him. Spoken thus openly,
it was clever kind of com pliment; evil
IDENTIFY sincere.-Well drunk. Or, as in
Revision and Bible Union version, drunk
freely.-Good wine. Whatever God
does is good"
This beginning of miracles. Greek,
This did Jesus, q beginning OF miracles.
Manifested forth. To make clear,
distinct His glory, 1. O., his divinity.
beloved on. Greek, into. They
espoused him. sSsx.szss 81 =,
- WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Mine hour is not yet come. Here was
life with purpose. Jesus was living
according to the divine direction, and
every step he took was ordered of God
At later time he could allow those
about him to go up to the feast, but for
himself there was no open gateway in
that direction. 1t was caprice versus
character. GODS will was his will, aad
he went forward as one not his own. So
went Paul to Jerusalem. So went Luther
to Worms So goes every devoted sJul
to duty, watching narrowly the shadow
on tho dial, looking for Gods hour.
Heaven has in this sense too, its own
minute.men
WHATSOEVER. he saith unto you, do It,
lever. is IL privilege we desiree what
soever he SAITH" to do it Is privilege. Is
it duty? "Whatsoever he saith" that is
duty. Is IL devotion? Whatsoever he
saith"-look there for orthodoxy. Is it
charity? whatsoever he saithS-here-
in is love. Would we make progress In
Christian apprehension, Christian expert
ence, Christian JOY, peace, victory?
whatsoever he SAITH" whatsoever he
saith" God help us to put it on all our
banners. If no says 10, it is true; for he
is truth. II he says it, ii shall be; for
I'D is the alpha and omega Only edo 1t. +"
Do it. Why? Because he saith. How?
He saith.
Fill the water-pots with water. How?
we have just been asking. by taking
him at his word. But how? we ask
again. BY doing just what he says.
Christ never bids Us do what we cannot
do. He does not ask us to turn water
into wine. He simply bids us to make
the necessary preparation and fulfill the
antecedent conditions He does the
rest. There were the empty water-pots.
To fill them with wine were impossible
there; but to fill them with water-that
they could easily do. In this blessed
partnership they furnished the water
and he furnished the wine What part
have we in our own salvation? We pro-
vide crude human nature, giving our
selves Just as we are. And now what
does God do? He gives of himself, he
makes us sons. salvation belongeth
unto the Lord"
Draw out now. Just where that wa
ter turned to wine we do not know, but
we doubt whether the undrawn water
was wine. AS faiths hand drew IL forth
It sparkled red where the suns rays
struck across its surface. We speak OF
buried talents, treasures hid In earthen
vessels. But thore is no real treasure
lost II is n vt gold till IL finds faiths
hand and is brought forth. IL is water,
till trust, by Gods grace, transmutes It
into wine. The drawing forth gives IL
value, God working in us To Will and to
do of his good pleasure. Too many OF
us are waiting for new power. new inn
partation. The power has already been
given, the Spirit already poured forth.
Rise in faith and ~draw out now"
And disciples believed on him. Yes, IL
IL an still The disciDles believe. the