The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-08-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THOUGHTS WORTHY OF CALM
REFLECTION.
A Pleasant, Interesting. and Instructive
Lesson. and Where 1t May he Found
A Learned and Concise Review OF the
Same.


"We were taking supper together, my
frien1 and |, and were on very init
mate terms. At the close of the meal
my friend said: LES go aud have a
drink Il don't drink, | said. Then
take cigar But | don smoke
Well, then, glass OF soda 30, yes,'
/ said, I'm do that, for didn't want
to seem disagreeable. But what was
my surprise, the next moment to be
Brought right up against saloon
door. Now, If had been going in my
own strength. think just to keep my
word, l would have gone in with him.
But right there Christ he PED me and
l stopped sIuarely in my tracks and
said, Under no circumstances will L
go in there That was the end of it,"
1t is the end of temptation for all who
will have il so Cal Jesus to you aid.
Think what he would have done what
he would have you do. Ask him to help
you, and then-do it.
FONTS in tie Lesson.
Led up Of the Spirit" or, more lit
orally, through or under the Spirit.
Christ, even in the midst of tempta-
ton, was still under the Spir is guild
ance and control. Take the Spirit with
you wherever you go.
And it is also through or under the
devil. He was led up by the Spirit; he
was tempted by the devil. There were
two influences at work, and for time
they seemed to work together. But
only as two opposing forces draw near
each other for attic. The ground
chosen, the swords avn, then we see
their mutual antagoni m. The Spirit
brought Christ to Satan but that he
might prevail over him and send the
prince of darkness back to the pit in
discontinue.
We are taught here how C ose to the
heart Of sin lies unfaith, infdelity, and
how much like Satan it is to disbe-
lieve God. Oh, the effrontery of it.
Had MT God the Father just spoken
o t of the heavens Matt. 3: II and
said: "This is my beloved SOM" And
now comes Satan slyly insinuating,
questioning: IF thou be the Son of
Cod" AS if there was any doubt of it.
Well, there can be no doubt of it at the
end of the temptations in Satans mind.
See him stink away. And there is no
doubt of it in the angels minds. Sec
them ministering INTO the Son OF man.
Tempted and proven.
HINTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
Make it practical, personal Temp
tation Is an everyday matter. We are
all tempted, but with the temptation
God gives way OF escape. Let no
man say when he is tempted, | am
tempted of God, and so give over all
resistan and effort Of recovery. "Re-
sist the devil and he will fe from you"
Call upon the Lord for help and sue
cor. This Christian brother at our
side hai just slipped and fallen. A
sudden temptation assailed him. He
yielded and is in the gall of bitterness.
Last night in the after meeting two
voices, albeit Christians, confessing
o, ert sin. The very bitterness of the
experience and the torture of soul that
is manifest speaks hope to us for these
men. They are evidently not where
they belong. They are out of their
normal element, and God Is ca ling to
them to return. Encourage tempted
souls to come at once to him who was
I'm all points tempted like as we are,
yet without SIM" He is able and will
ing to lift up and support the fal en-.
Get your feet on the rock.
But do not trihe with sin. Along
with the prayer Deliver us from evil
goes the petition, Lead us not into
temptation" f. w. Bliss tells us of
huge serrent they one time had on ex-
hibition in the Lakeside City. A so
called serpent charmer used 10 come
on the stage and allow the reptile to
coil itself in loathso re folds about him,
1t was under anesthetics which allayed
for the time its snaky nature. But one
day the old serpent awoke. There was
Shrek on the platform and the man
fell back. | eople though it was part
of the per 'ormance, but the stage man
ager knew bett r. When they carried
him off, they lounl every bone in his
body broken. The great reptile had
given him o.e hideors s1uee g, and
that was the end OF him. Beware OF
the world, beware Of Satan. The end
is death.
This same brother. now a successful
evangelist, tells us of an incident in
his own earlier life, when he was "a
commercial trave er. He had made a
good sale, and the merchant said, 1T
is your treat" He knew what that
meant. There was a saloon across the
street, and he was expected to 90 across
and set up the drinks" for the whole
establishment. what is the use?" he
said to himself. This is enc of the
expediencies of the trade. | needn't
drink anything; can order the cigars,
or a SUPP err, Or" "Yes," some
thing sa TO him, you can just
sell out right here and make q
wreck OF it all. Boys" he said.
in the new in u irat on sent to him
from above IF / should do that /
would do the meanest thing in all the
world and if you'll bear with me / IL
tell you why. Ihave just come up from
the very gates of death and hell
through strong drink, and IL l did
what you ask, I'd do the meanest thing
IN all the world 10th for you and me-"
Instantly the cashier leaped down
from the desk. "Have you got q
pledge? I'll sign it," And the NOR
chant afterward took the commercial
traveller aside 70 say, Il promise you
I'll rever drink another drop as long
as live 1t pays to be outspoken for
Christ. Try it.
Next Lesson-"The First Disciples Of
L % u