Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1893-02-09
Nehsmiah's Prayer.

be found In Neh. 1. Ill.
INTRODUCTORY.
Seventy years have passed since the
dedication OF the temple recorded In our
last lesson With the close OF the sixth
chapter OF Ezra. from which that lesson
was taken, there comes an interval OF
silence that is broken half century
later by the voice Of Ezra himself as he
leads another loyal company from Baby
lon to Jerusalem ezra vii. 81. 1t is
thus to be- observed that Ezra's first
six chapters are the fruit of observation
and Investigation into events before this
day OF active participation t536-5l5 Il. O..
From chapter VII. and on we have the
journal OF his own personal experience
in the work. Ezra; the scribe, 10 fol-
lowed presently by Nehemiah, the
Kings cup-bearer, with whom this les
son deals. The book OF Esther falls
between Ezra vi. and VII, the scene
being laid In the land OF the captivity.
POINTS IN THE LESSON.
Nehemiah means comfort OF Jehovah.
Take this book as a message to us from
the God OF all comfort. Comfort We,
comfort We my people, saith your God.
But the word signifies, first OF all, to
pant or to sigh. 1t Is the way OF COM
passion. Some one must suffer, or how
can he sympathize? The yicarious cross
still stands at the heart OF things, and
the road to helping is Golgotha's path.
Words" Nehemiah calls his oontri-
| button to the sacred oracles. Deeds,
acts he might have said, In fact an
alternative rendering OF the word davar
Is something done. Nehemiah would
have had nothing to say, nothing to any
effect, had he not had something to DO,
and presently something, done. AZ with
the divine Logos, his life was his testi-
mony, his deeds were his words. What
are your words" for. the Kingp
Il was in Shushan, the palace" he
begins. He Is not an egotist; he is
Jehovist. Col must needs speak
through a man; the sermon Is In the
life. A kingly man, came down Naza'
reth way one time and stood up to-
read In the synagogue. He opened az
lisa. 81 and read: "The Spirit Of the
Lord Is upon me because he haiti;
anointed me 10 preach the, gospel to the
poor; he hath sent me to heal the brok-
en-hearted, etc. And then he closed
the book and sat down." That was all
and that was enough. He himself
was the prophecy expopnded. and it
scarcely needed that he should say,
This day is this Scripture fulfilled in
your ears" Every mans life Is an ex-
position of the truth. What kind OF
Scriptures are you interpreting and full
filling?
And prayed" Thank God for that
Had Nehemiah stopped with mere weep
ing it would have amounted TO little or
nothing. But tears and prayers-they
count. Some one may say, all tears and
PRAYERS No, they are not. They may
be tears of petulance, of selfish COM
plant, of angry protest. For one OF Old
Testament days there was found no
place OF repentance though he sought
it carefully with tears" Even Job wept
unavailingly through forty chapters. II
was the tear of establishment joined
with humble prayer at the last that
: turned his captivity and affliction. 1t
is we'll to remember it. Tears will not
: save; the "mourner's bench" is not
enough Bend stubborn knees down
before God in prayer. Humble your
, selves in the sight OF the Lord, and he
. shall lift you up"-and your people.
For l was the kings cup-bearer.
Yes, and cup-bearer to higher than
: earthly king. He Is to bear cup OF
cold water for the refreshing and COM
: forting of weary Israel yonder on the
hills. A long, long journey as King
messenger 1t is. but the passion OF his
: heart will take 1t, and already it is pur'
. posed in the divine counsels. For tn,
prayer is ended and yet not ended
|. There is no end to true prayer, NJ
. more than there Is an end to circle
G II is a part of God. Presently we shall
. see the enginery OF Gods univers
! working out the answer to the earnes
supplication. 0, TO see more OF sucl
q petitionsl It put a new element int
Nehemiah's life; it put new power int
!, Israels life. Presently Nehemiah
himself en- route across the plains
HINTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
Revival blessings ought to accompan
:, these lessons in church and Sunda
= school. The writer recalls a series c
II papers prepared for these columns sew
@ eral years since, on ian awakene
church." and the inspiration of the Sc
: ries was this great revival OF old, unde
- Ezra and Nehemiah. Human natur
remains the same under various dis
r pensations, and saith the Lord, m
5. Spirit remaineth among you. 1t is tn
lie Spirit ever calling back to closer wal
! with God. II these chapters but con
|. duct US back to higher and hole
walk on the hills OF Zion they will &C
complish their best purpose under Goo
1t is happy thing that some one care
y for the city. Even when JerusaleI
- was seemingly very Indifferent to he
~ condition God laid 1t as a burden on tn
10 heart OF Nehemiah. Our friend an
'e classmate yonder, in his city OF tn
r West, took us with him to see his felt
h And such a field. "The only respects
4, BILE family in the neighborhood, tn
10 policeman said to him when he came
- belongs to the man who keeps thu
- saloon over therel" AS you may SUI
w pose, there was no very urgent call e.
Of tended by the denizens of this missile
, locally to our brother. The call cam
S, as with Nehemiah, from higher u
is That and the cry of the broken wal
r. themselves.
= The best hints and helps come whe
,o on your knees. Russell Conwell wa
&c telling, in his stimulating way, of no
:, Williams came to write the hymn We {
"a love to sing. He was lost in the nigh
'n and kneeling there in the woods and u
at darkness he saw, away yonder, undo
OF meath the boughs and branches, Il
u lights in a distant cottage. He soug
nv the shelter thus afforded him, and the
nj and thus wrote the soulful lines:
nor sGuide me, o. thou great jehovah
- Pilgrim through this barren land;
ne lam weak, but thou art mighty,
to Hold me with thy powerful hand"
he Thank God for the royal cup-beare
al who still are humble enough TO be doc
ed keepers in the house OF our &c
m Charles Stufge0n' was stopped o
~ time at the steps OF the Tabernacle
a a clustering stranger, who said: !
III YOU think could see Mr.. Spurgeon
I'LL nipht?" Il know he Is very busy, 50