Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1893-01-26
The spirit Of the Lord.

Zechgriah 10 the look OF Visions. III
ever there was q man who saw visions"
, that man was Zechariah. Vision
crowds upon vision; eight times over
this man OF God Is walked to behold
these picture Lessons. A very picture
book, a full-page engraving at every
turn of the leaf, is this prophecy OF
| Zechariah. The lesson before US pre-
sents US one more OF those scenes from
before the throne Of God. 1t 10 timely
| Vision, for IL finds Zerubbabel and his
| co-laborers much bestead, and IL tells
them OF q strong help and sure re-en-
| forcement that may well lift their
! dropping spirits. Satan may be pour
| ing water on the fire In front, but back
behind the veil Of partition IL Gods
angel with the vessel Of oil.
| And beyond the dim unknown
| standeth God within the shadows, keeping
watch above his own
POINTS IN THE LESSON
| Is there an angel that talks with you?
| Zecharlah was the wakeful prophet.
God was always waking him up with
new visions. Well, some eyes must be
sleepless. for the sake OF a slumberlng
world. nt'"i",N
And two olive trees by It," (Douay,
over IT, There will be q temptation to
unduly spiritualize here. Who were
these two sons of oil, as the Hebrew
puts 1t, v. LAP Christ and the Spirit. or
baptism and the Lords Supper. or Ze-
rubbabel and Joshua? Never mind. We
personally incline to the latter. But
the real, practical lesson OF 1t all Is
here, plainly here; that the connection
with the higher sources is a living and
vital one. 1t Is as constant and unin-
terrupted as is the flow OF sap In the
olive branch. And chat olive branch Is
so vitality connected as TO make lamp
| and branch as 1t were one, the terse
| original bringing this out still more dis
| tinctly. The bowl Is like an acorn-cup
held by the oak bough, the vessel Of oil
| sways between two feeding branches OF
olive. Our stores of supply from God
are fresh and new every day because
we ourselves are living branches vitality
attached to a living vine. That flame
in the vision must live so long as the
nurturing olive lived.
Here is the secret OF success in God
work. 1t is not by might. The He
brew root refers to organized power as
of an army, or we may say. we'll
modified church. The local Christian
society must guard against trusting
thoroughgoing that may be. 1t is not
by power" This word hints of per-
sonal talent and capacity; 1t Is the word
rendered ability by Daniel l: 4. No
amount of individual wisdom or sagacity
or eloquence or genius will suffice. Let
the preacher. teacher, or Christian
worker take heed. But it Is by my
Splrit"-breath in the Hebrew. And how
that humbles us! God breathes and 1t
means more, symbolically, than man.
tug and strain. But that heavenly
Breath is himself, who is omnipotent
strength, and who Is "the Lord Of
hosts" 1t is not, in fact the belittling
of strength; 1t is not contempt for or
ganized force, but the exchange OF the
Lords hosts for ours, or rather our
armies made strong through Jehovah's
mighty reinforcement.
But do not forget the instrument.
Here 1t Is Zerubbabel. Before him the
mountain becomes a plain; and it will
not become a plain unless he confront
it. God has given 1t to his servants to
display his power here on earth, and,
we may say 1t reverently, that power
will not be displayed, in this dispense
ton, save as Christians arise and ex-
hibit it. The world knows nothing of
Gods true majesty and power, in the
realm OF spirit, save as believing souls
tell 1t with lip or life. 1t Is his word OF
light let into hearts Of faith that glorl-
fies God. For this angels wait that
they may see Gods glory-wait for us
OF earth to display 1t by lives Of trust
before their enraptured eyes. And
this is the meaning of the closer
reading of that wonderful verse
with which the lesson ends. Men
may despise the things Of grace, but the
| angelic intelligences, Gods eyes with
feet to run and wings to carry them to
the ends OF the earth, they look on and
rejoice. Devoutly let US pray: Lord,
| thy will be done on earth as 1t Is done
by angels) in heaven!"
HINTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
This lesson will find many churches
and Sunday schools, let us hope, In the
midst OF revival blessings. What more
sensible than these awakening SEN
fences from Zechariah? Make much OF
them. Let them be made the topic Of
sermonio discourse. What more stimu-
lating exercise for pastor and people
than a free, open exposition OF the
thought Of this passage2 Take 1t into
the prayer now, make that sixth verse,
over and over again, the burden Of
prayer, till its truth Is inwardly per-
| ceived. Turn the Sunday school into a
| prayer-meeting and let shouting Of
Grace, grace unto Ill" be heard every
where. Then shall 1t be that more than
one Sunday school shall be able to 6es-
tify as that Omaha superintendent did
Of notable Sunday In the Mills meet
ings-all declared for God.
We were burying one OF Dwight L.
Moody's old friends at Rose Hill the
other day, only the body; the soul had
gone to God and the great award. Said
| the assisting minister, an old-time pas
tor OF the departed: II recall how our
brother used to speak OF the remarkable
way God was leading a humble bust
ness man so into the work that he
should presently abandon secular en-
gagements wholly for the work of seek
ing souls and one day he told me that
Mr.. Moody had just been to him with
the glad declaration: Why, do you
know, can take text OF Scripture md
speak on i'll All the world knows It
now. Witness what Gods Spirit can
do. The Lord give us more such noun
tain moving Zerubbabels.
Who art thou, o great mountain?"
Zerubbabel was qualified to ask. We
would answer, "why mountain; plainly
enough a mountain; as any one can
seel" mo thou art not: before Zerub-
babel (omit the ajditions) thou art
plain" God gives us the holy holiness
to say 1t and claim our ownp DIR. Per-
rem spoke very suggestive word at q
recent gathering OF the young people.
| Up In Canada. he said, they were long
time studying a geography (Morse's
was 1t not2) which, prepared as 1t was,
In the United States. naturally gave this