Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1893-03-02

~. INTRODUCTORY.
IL 10 lesson on Sabbath keeping.
Very seasonably It comes to US while
the Sunday closing Of the Worlds Fair
10 still pending. Moreover the general
subject Of Sunday observance Is up be-
fore the people, and there needs to be a
qulckening OF the conscience on this
serious menace OF our best interests
everywhere. 1t is really a very per-
The suggestion OF the Illinois Sabbath
Association that in connection with
this lesson sermons be preached In all
our pulpits March 8 on Sunday lob
servance Is d good one. We find Nehe-
miah In this lesson. after having acted
as Governor for eleven or twelve years.
still faithfully guarding the interests OF
the .theocracy.
POINTS IN THE LESSON.
I'm those days saw /. We see 1t SO,
also, to-day-a desecrated Sabbath
What shall we do about it2 III
Aud 1t was I'm Judah" Shame on
Judah. whose name speaks OF PRAISE
that her conduct should speak such dis
praise. Is there anything that more Of
lends heaven to-day than the negli-
gence and disloyalty OF Gods own
people2 nA
What shall we dor Why, what Nshe-
miah did. II testified against them,
he says; -and 1t was right on the spot;
In the day wherein they sold victuals. !"
That Is the time to protest. The word
testify means literally to arouse, to call
out. 1t Is the same as Is translated at
Isa., 51:9: Awake! awakel" Nehemiah
awakened an indolent people to the fact
that they were shamelessly breaking
Gods laws. It Is what the teacher and
preacher is called upon to do to-day.
Next Nehemiah looked after the gates.
We are responsible for what goes on at
the gates. A man may suppose he is
keeping Gods commandments by fire.
quenting the closet Of prayer and keep
ing the light shining within. But he
must remember that he Is also city
set upon hill. seen of all men; and
there are gates to that city. 1t Is by
what takes place at the gates that we
are judged before the world. The ma
tions OF the earth are going to de-
termine this year Americas attitude
toward Jehovah. not by what Is done In
the immense sanctuaries of the churches.
but by what Is done there at the outer
gates of the Worlds Fair, and also at
the harbor gates through which they
find entrance to this country. And
your neighbor is going to measure you,
not by your professions at covenant
meeting, but by the way you do busi-
ness down at the market gates.
Finally, Nehemiah paid his respects
to the world, TO the heather traders
themselves, who came expecting to
make gain off of Israel. when Israel was
lax and Indifferent. 1t is here, indeed.
at our point of weakness that the world
always attacks US. And what shall we
do? Shall we suffer such as these to
60 on making their inroads upon us, and
our God appointed institutions until
they have transformed US into people
like unto themselves? That is what
they would like, and they appear to be
greatly offended, II we resist them at
this point. But resist we will; that Is,
IL we are made of the same stuff as
God fearing, home-loving Nehemiah.
He testified against them plainly
enough, in the only language they
would heed: why lodge We about the
wallp IL ye do so again will lay hands
on you'll" Nobly said. Lift up stand
ard against the adversary. 1t Is the
only way to maintain our liberties.
Religion has its place, the higher life
has its rights and privileges. Stand for
them. Compel the world to respect
them. Do it now.
HINTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
The best way to insure temperance In
the future is to begin to instruct the
young upon the baneful influences of
strong drink. That is being done. and
we have, to-day, at least, among our
Christian young people, vast army OF
total abstainers and prohibitionists,
who will come into power ore day, and
end the usurpation Of the atrocious sa-
loon. 1t is so with the Sunday question.
There has been, alas, a sad letting
down of the public conscience regard
ing the Lords Sabbath and mans rest
day. The young need to be set right
about this. 1t is tendency which can
not but be fraught with great and mani
fold evil results. 1t must be stayed.
For the sake of heaven and the sake Of
the world alike the tide must be turned.
Here is the place to begin to turn 1t;
here 10 the Sunday school. Teachers,
grid you for great struggle to-day.
We have heard OF Q certain preacher
or colporteur, who, travelling lcpg dis
lance, fell in with'a sort of peddier, q
genial companion, but evidently a man
Of the world. 1t was pleasant company
and very convenient to an itinerant.
But Saturday night came. ana the serv-
ant OF God thought to bid his fellow
traveller good-by, saying that as for
him, 1t was his custom to tarry for the
Lords day. He was surprised and
gratifed to hear the travelling salesman
say that 1t had come to be his custom
also, since he had found, by experience,
that he travelled In the long run a less
distance and accomplished less salts
factory results by 'pushing on seven
days OF the week. than by, working six
and lying by the seventh day.
Nehemiah had scruples. as this whole
chapter shows. Thank God for such a
man. We fret a little because of these
straight, stanch souls, but, after all,
what would the community do without
them? And In the end they are the men
most suspected. This aged neighbor OF
ours, his blameless life benediction to
the place, has been telling us OF the
way he started out 1t Is a story worth
repeating for the moral tone 1t imparts.
When became Christian" he says,
II determined, God helping me, to live
a new life. The young men and women
Of the community had been in the habit
of holding parties and dancing long
into the night. Shortly after the re-
vival wherein was converted another
such affair was announced. and they
evidently agreed among themselves to
test me on the matter. At any rate,
instead of sending the usual invi-
tatlon through the mails, they
sent a special delegation, 1t would
seem. to call upon myself and my
young wife, inviting us to the party.
said i had turned over new leaf and
could not go. But said they, we
are simply going to drive to the next