Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-07-25

we Will DO tnee gOOu, ior tnc AoAu s~s..
spoken good concerning lsrael-Num.
10: 20.
Journeying to Canaan Is the subject
Of the lesson this week, the text OF which
Ii found In Numbers 10: 1896. I'm a
pilgrim, and I'm stranger" This Is not
our home; we seek country. But the
country we seek lies by the way of this;
and we have this to pass through before
we reach that. 1t well becomes us. there
fore, at the outset, to get counsel for the
pilgrim way. Much has been said Of late
regarding official route" itinerary" So
In the lesson before us the way Is marked
out and characterized, and good, strong
advertisement is given to ii. Follow the
cue. Speak n good word of testimony
when you can for the good road.
"And Moses said unto Hobab." He
was speaking to one of his near relatives
his brother-in-law, and on the subject of
religion. Why should one shrink from
talking thus with those nearest to him?
Andrew first fndeth his own brother,
Simon" I'VE are journeying unto the
place" Give an account of yourself. 1t
is what the world may rightly expect of
the Christian. Indeed it is the worlds
daily query, What mean We by your pill
grim staff and stole? And the answer
is variously rendered. The great conven-
tons of young people at Chattanooga,
Boston and Baltimore are in part an an
swer. But so also the purpose of the Sab
bath service and the prayer-meeting-
and particularly the place of testimony.
"Come thou with us and we will do thee
good" There is more than one way of
saying II. We speak il i'm our CHEEKY
song. blessed assure nee, Jesus is mine"
Sowing sunshine all along the way
how these tuneful strains have sounded
out the message across the land! But we
speak it best by our CHEEKY faces and
CHEEKY lives. Do not think to say, come
thou with us and we will do thee good,
when there is no sign of goodness in the
daily walk. And, moreover, do not speak
honey and look vinegar.
Hints and illustrations.
We are all of us, who love the Lord,
pilgrims Canaanward. How shall we
conduct ourselves on the way? What is
the best pilgrimage policy? In what man
ner may we best glorify God as we jour-
ney? How shall we secure the most re-
cruits, how make the most of those al
ready ours, and of ourselves? These are
pertinent and exceedingly practical ques-
tions.
The Oath Psalm asks virtually the same
pilgrim question, 'Who shall ascend in
to the hill of the Lord and, or who shall
stand in his holy placer And the an.
swer is, "He that hath clean hands and
pure heart, who hath not lifted up his
soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.'
To lift up the soul to vanity, or empti-
ness, is put here in contrast with the
opening of the next Psalm, Unto thee
o Lord, do lift up my soul" 1t means
right reliance. First and foremost place
God. But who are we? whence come
clean hands and pure heart? The
Psalm answers, This is the generation
of them that seek him, that seek thy face
o God of Jacob" (Margin). Then fol
lows the beautiful passage, Lift up your
heads, o We gates, and be We lifted up, "
everlasting doors. and the King of glory
shall come in" And what has that to de
with our coming in? Listen. "Who i.
this King of glory? The Lord of hosts
he is the King of glory" And we are OF
the ''host" of his redeemed ones. We sim
ply go in after the King.
Seek We first the Kingdom of God ant
his righteousness is Christ's own direc
ton as to the conduct of life in the worlt
pilgrimage. 1t does not mean, sometime
seek Christ, as at conversion, and thei
be done with it; but everywhere and al
ways put Christ first in all choices anC
decisions, at every stage of the journey
let Christ be in the lead. and all Other
things additional or subordinate thereto
o, give Christ the lead in your pilgrim
faring, walk in his footsteps, yes, anG
hand in hand with him. in his strength
Henry Drummond spoke so sagely ant
seasonably to the clever young man at his
side who was driving him to the train
Said he, complimenting his skillful hand
reins of your life to Jesus Christi" 1t IL
the best way to go through this life
young man, and certainly the best way t.
get through the gates into the other life
beyond.
But there is part for each of us in the
pilgrim journey. God leads, but he doe.
not pace the way for us; that is for oul
own feet to do. To fold the hands OF
cross the feet and expect the Lord to d,
for us what our own hands and feet car
and must do is not piety; it is laziness
Some one has said there are three kind.
of people in the church. workers, shrk
ers, jerkers," and we may add fourth
quirkers. Be the first sort, go steadily
on after the pillar and cloud until tn,
glorious finish.
"'Tis weary climbing wave on wave,
And yet the tide heaves onward;
We build like coral, grave on grave,
Yet pave path that's sunward
We're beaten back in many fray.
But never strength we borrow,
And where the vanguard camps to-da,
The rear shall rest tomorrow"
Next Lesson-"The Report of tn,
Spies. Mum. 13: 1920; 1888.