The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-04-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUC.
TIVE LESSON.
Reflections OF an Elevating Character
wholesome Food for Thought = Study
ing the scripturai Lesson Inteilig entity
and Probably.


Joseph Ruler In Egypt.
The lesson for Sunday, April %, may
be found in Gen. Al: 1910.
INTRODUCTORY.
jos eph aimed high? Was he not
right? He belonged high up in
Gods appointment, and he simply
ought his own. Our lesson to-day l.
an encouragement to every young man
and woman to seek the be I and to
realize to the large the divine be-
hest in the life. Like Paul, press
70. ward. 1t Is an occasion of surprise
to some OF Us to read of the steadfa
and sometimes painful persistence by
which certain great men have at
tanned the eminence which is theirs.
Few know, perhaps, that Gen. Grant
ever figured as waiting applicant at
Washington. At the opening of tff
war he was keeping books in a lanyard
at 5000 year. But he had the train
ing, he knew how TO fight, and he te-
lieved he was needed. He kept on un-
til at asst the War Department sent
him out West with a Colonel's commits
sion, as 1t Is said, to get rid of him.
But they did not get lid of him. That
commission was all he re1uired. Fort
Donelson, Corinth, Wick sburg, the Will
derness, Appomattox! From strength
to strength, because it was in him
Gods man for the hour.
POINTS IN THE LESSON.
Pharaoh was probably Aphobis, the
last of the shepherd-kings in Egypt.
He himself was of fJreign lace
which came into the lard Of the Nile,
like Joseph, from the Eas', and like
Joseph, again, presently gained su-
premacy.
Joseph came into Egypt about the
year 1880 before Chii,t. 1t was time
when he was ee1ed for the exigercieJ
OF the hour, and in the trying vicissi-
tudes to which he was sub ected he
proved himself ma ter OF circum-
stances, ard equal to the demand He
was Gods man prepared for the hour.
1t was now thirteen years since Jo-
seph had been carried away from the
pit into which his brothers had cruelty
cast him. Ten years slave, three
years prisoner in dungeon; certain
ly this was strange tutelage and tutor
age for ruler. But such sudden
changes are possible under despotic
reign; in this case, considering the
eternal fitness of things, pro 5identi al.
And the clue TO such sagacity is well
spoken here: "Forasmuch as God hath
Showed thee all this, there is none so
discreet and wise as thou art. This
not simply becau of his supe, natural
in light into the realm of dreams,
through which undoubtedly God often
spoke of old, but because of the large
prudence and disci elton with which
Joseph viewed the emergency. He was
man taught of God in the highest
school of instruction. The secret of
the Lord is with them that fear him."
HINTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
The story of Joseph is one CT the
most interesting if not altogether tho
most entertaining in all the Old Tes-
lament. 1t is beautiful life to sketch,
and the lessons are 50 many and APP
parent that little need be said by way
of suggestion here. Each one will per-
haps choose for himself as to the salient
lessons to be incuicated. For our own
part, we prefer to let our illustra-
tive thought this week go in two par
ticular directions, ore secular, If the
distinction may for convenience be
made, the other sacred. But both are
sacred, since Col rules over all and Is
in all, and both are, in the es imation
OF the writer, at least, of unspeakable
mcment and Importance.
Them that honor me l will honor"
1t pays to serve God, pays in this life
do Wcll do III JHo lllo W COlue. ne
Sabbath question is before the people
il a practical way. BY our uses of the
day of Test we are, as q nation and as
individuals, either honoring or dishon-
oring God and as we plant we shall
presently harvest. 1t shall be for our
selves honor or dishonor, &C -ording as
we honor or dishonor God. just now
in certain city we are doing what we
can, by concerted effort, to resist the
encroachment of the Sunday newspa-
pers, an evil that grows daily mora
open and shameless. At first some
thought was entertained of quietness.
Now the peaceful morning hours are
startled with reiterant cries on all the
strcts and by-ways, and even the or
de-F procession o. Sabbath worshipers,
all too small to-day, are imrortuned TO
purchase as they wend their ways to
the house OF Gcd. At first there 8 ms
t. have been an effort to introduce
some religious intellige ce into the
parer. That appears now ID haze been
almost wholly given over. The edit
Crs of the Sunday press have bestrid-
den steel that is running away with
them, an in the mad gallop they are
drop ing and )sing all the moral power
they once had and should have among
the Poop g.
But now let us make Almonds, IL pos
sib'e, by being practical in another di-
recton, ]. e., as respects the work Ct
the kingdom. Whom does God honor
in the service? Those that honor
him. This does not n can faintness or
slackness. They were talking about
ambition in the minist the other
day, a company Of pastors. Patience,
humility, was the burden OF their plea.
ILL., .x<11
sitting quietly by, was appealed TO.
Il would to God there was mo Q am
bition, he said, ain the ministry, more
eaOerness energy more seeking tn