Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1893-01-19

-Tims Well spent
Joshua the High Priest.
The lesson for Sunday, Jan. ~, may
be found In Zech. 3: lilo.
POINTS IN THE LKssoH.
Joshua (Jesus) versus Satan. There
Is. In vision, the great world conten-
ton. the scene OF Revelation in epit~
ONE.
Satan standing to resist. He IL al-
ways 50 doing. Resister Is his name,
and 1t Is worth noting that the two
words, Satan" and resist are one
and the same In the original.
1t Is before the angel of the Lord; an
anticipation OF the judgment scene.
Well for US IL our great High Priest
stand for us. then, before the throne OF
God.
Jesus. our great High Priest.
Hath full atonement made
When the Lord chose Jerusalem he
chose It for purpose, and that purpose
determined all the providences that fell
to the lot of the sacred city. To be
chosen OF God means something In In
dividual and church life. Indeed, 1t is
the inner meaning of the whole Chris
tian life. Our experiences aud trials all
are summed up In one thing-Gods
choice. And have you noted this, that
the very word choose signifies, literally,
to make the fires glow2 Il have chosen
thee In the furnace OF affiiction."
"A change of raiment" is part OF the
new life. The high priest goes before
US to show US the things that belong to
the new creation. How about the new
raiment of the new life2 Is not the old
raiment of the world-are not the filthy
garments OF the earth earthy-satisfy-
ing to many of us2 Is not, in fact, q
change OF raiment one OF the crying
needs OF the church OF God to-day. But
observe, the old, filthy garments are not
cleansed, the rich apparel Of Gods fell
lowship is not new-made. 1t Is from
God: II will clothe thee, he says; it
comes down from above. Put on the
robe of Christ righteousness.
HINTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
It is getting TO be said in hasty,
careless sort Of way, it seems to US,
that the Bible is kind of library from
which one may choose the volume or
the chapter that best suits himself or
his stature, one portion being for the
child, one other for the grown man, all
other portions for the time being to be
set aside. Consequently there are
some who much desire separate lessons
for the young and old respectively. Not
| so do we esteem the Book. Instinct
| with divinity, packed with blessing,
| every portion of it is full OF milk for
babes and meat for the strong. Each
chapter seems like one of those old
cupboard shelves we remember from
boyhood, loaded down with bread and
| meat, pies and cakes, milk and honey
enough within reach for a full meal and
| to fill any man provided he come hun
| cry This lesson is a specimen. How
rich the provision here for every soul.
It is banquet spread for all, and the
children need not wait for the second
table"
Under the vine and under the fig
tree"-what a delightful picture OF
| Christian national life, home life,
church life! Tell of the glad cries that
1 used to go back and forward on the old
festival days from bower to bower:
"Ho, there, under the vine and
under the figl" 1t was a happy day
| in anticipation OF the coming
One. 1t ought to be more joyous
than ever, now that the Lord Is come.
Cultivate gladness. Let us get the
children at once into grateful mood.
There is something that deeply moves
one in that little story about the news
boys gathered at the curbstone They
were telling about the fortunate finds
they had had, the things that made them
glad. "One time / found dime, says
one; another, "one time i found three,
cent piece" Il found whole pie once.
| Then pipes up little one scarcely out
of his skirts, all eager and alert: "One
time 1 found half peanut" Sure
enough, thank God for the small things.
| Look what nice piece OF bread my
| mother gave me with butter on it,"
| There is a moments silence. Then an
other voice, with real citation in 1t, an
| instant repressed, Look what a nice
piece Of bread my mother gave me,
| without butter on it," !,
Something, too, for the old and pain
worn or toil-worn. 1t is the stone cut
and craven that is most honored OF the
Master. Some one said to Payson: 1T
seems strange that you so near Gods
heart should be so afflicted in body. .
Said the sanity man, Il have learned
better. 1 saw building going up
Here on one side the masons took a.
rock, struck it but blow or two, and
tumbled it into its place. Around on
the other side the cutters were at work
on another piece of stone. Compared
with it's neighbor 1t seemed to fair lily.
They struck it on this side and on that,
Clipped it at the edges and stuck their
sharp chisels over all the surface again
and again. Then they told me that this
rock, much cut and carved, was to be-
the headstone OF a corner. Who knows
but God may be preparing us who suf-
fer for high places OF honor on high.
Why not rejoice?' But remember, I
said b. F. Jacobs, who told us this
story, mo cutting, no hammer up there. :"
When the house exceeding magniflcal"
shall be builded. it ..s.sfs
And something for the preacher, or
the teacher, or the Christian worker I'M
general. j. Manton Smith in his life Of
Spurgeon, The Essex Lad" tells a.
story as from the metropolitan pastor
himself. 1t hints how "England'G
greatest preacher" got sudden help
from the midst of the lesson before u.s.
while laboring at Waterbeach," says
Mr.. Sturgeon, speaking Of his humble
early charge In the country:
One Sunday morning, after preach
ing, I went home to dine with one of my
congregation. The afternoon sermon
came 80 close upon the back Of the
morning one, that 1t was difficult to
prepare, especially as dinner was n
necessity. On that occasion found
my prearranged line of thought had ell
gone from me. Press my forehead as i
might the missing topic would not come,
Time was brief, the hour was striking,
and in some alarm 1 told the honest
farmer could not recollect what had
intended to preach about.