Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-11-01
Lesson for November 4.


also OF the Sabbath. n-Mark 2: "a
This lesson is found in Mark 2: 1928;
3:l-5. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath.
This is day in which there Is much
of Sabbath controversy, and we have
in our lesson the solution, for the most
of us, of the whole matter. 1t Is
voiced for Us in the golden text. We
are not enslaved by days. We are not
bound. Ours is a spiritual religion,
and the Master OF our souls is also
Master of all the souls exercises.
Christ is greater than any altar that
enshrines him. or any day that wor-
ships him. he is above the day, as he
is above the altar. And as II to prove
and witr ess to his suprem acy, he comes
and takes the old ceremonial day and
by the example o the early churches
filled with his spirit, sets it aside for
the sake OF new day, which shall
carry all that wa truly holy in the
tirst institution and much that was
not known as acred, beside day
of his resurrection, the Christian s
holy day. Every Sunday repeats the
golden text.
'be went through the cornfelds on
the Sabbath day." 1t was not to, but
through" the corntields. He was
doubtless on his way to some Sabbath
appointment, and the I eds were neces-
sarily passed through on the way.
That is quite different from making
the fields, as with some of us, often,
the place of quest on the Lord day.
But in sen e, too, he passed right
through the sabbath On his errands of
love. He was go ng about doing good,
and this ear h with all it possessed of
ground and gift but gave him passage
way to hearts. He had something
better than the keeping of days in
mind. He was after souls.
THE disciples began as they went
to pluck the ears OF corn" In the
Greek it reads that they began to
make their way, plucking the ears of
corn. Just as they passed along they
put out their hands and broke off the
nodding wheat heads that bent across
the narrow path. They broke ne law
OF Moses. They were, indeed, treading
out the corn for old Israel, and they
went unmuzzled in their work. So alb
sorbed were they that they took little
thought of ordinary matters, such as en-
gage and often monopolize other mems
minds. Perhaps they scarcely stopped to
eat; so thronged the day. But there
we're those who did take note OF it.
The Pharisees were there with their
narrow-visioned, close-spectacled eyes
to see this little departure from ira
ditionalism. Indeed, so much did they
see this one trihing thing that they
lost sight wholly of the great and noble
ends. the purposes that were driving
these blessed feet through cornfields,
and streets, and deserts, seeking to
save. Hence their complaint here.
May the Lord save us from such mar
rowness; may he give us b DAD glimpses
of his service and truth.
Then follow two rebukes from our
Savior. One is the appeal to Scrip
ture, tn , other is the appeal to life,
his own life.
Hints and Illustrations.
How to keen the Lords day-this is
the practical question. Lo not be
drawn aside TO fruitless and needless
discussion of the Sabbath or sunday.
Come to this very pertinent query:
How would the LORI have Us keep, his
day! Rules there must be, of course,
for everything sacred needs to be
guarded. But one does not spend his
time at the hedges and fences. he be-
takes himself to the anne mites and de-
lights, the uses and privileges of the
lnclosed garden. The Lord wants his
day employed for good purposes. What
better way for Us than 10 take, in this
case as elsewhere, the distinct foot
steps of the Master? How were the
Jews keeping God holy day? Slav-
ishly, fruitle, sly, hurtfully. The
Pharisees enunciated thirty mine ma jor
enactments for the keeping of the day,
and multitude of minor regulations.
It was q kind OF a carnival of rules.
Cne could scarcely move without run
ming up against stake, driven, mind,
not by Moses, but by Moses so-called
interpreters. The safest Ian was to
sit still with folded hands; and even in
this there was hazard, for the hands
might not be folded properly, or there
might be a needle about the clothing,
or a nail in the shoe. All this and
countless other things we forbidden.
How are you keeping Gods day? is
it formal and perfunctory worship, or
Is it real service, sacri ce. communion
with God, study OF his Word such as
puts Sabbath spirit into all the week
days d fits the soul for gra ping
with the tasks o; the week? Christ
brought in day Of service. and BEN
efaction. Everything of old said,
"Thou shalt not" tnerc was very little
OF doing and helping. The Sabbath
was self conferred, selfish. CHI ist
came to make it anything else-re-
ligion positive rather than negative,
helpful rather than hurtful Let this
good Sabbath-keeping spirit be more
pronounced.