The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-01-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUC-
TIVE LESSON.
Reflections of an Eievating Character
Wholesome Food for Thought = Study
Ing the scripturai Lesson IntelIigentiy
and Probably.
Lesson for Jan. 20.

tnrlSl the Bread or Lire Is the SuDJect
of this lesson, which is found in John
6: 25-35. "And when they had found
him." The last words of the preceding
(24th) verse on seeking for Jesus" Seek
and We shall find" And yet il was
| blind sort of seeking. They were sur
prised when they saw him, for they did
not know of his miraculous passage OF
the sea. rabbi" they say, "when cam
est thou hither?' 1t is the word of star
tied wonderment that springs, tell-tale,
to our own lips, even when we have been
long seeking and praying for him.
And the finding; it was not whole and
complete 1t was only the charitable
Rabbi that they sought, and they found
according TO their seeking. The words
of our Saviour, in the light of this truth,
have grave and searching force,
"Whom seek YEP" What is the charac-
ter of your quest, friend? Stop and think
little Our Sayiours answer TO their
| query is strangely arresting and reveal
ing. lie knows how TO interpret ques-
| lions, and he answers the heart oftener
than he does the tongue. "When earnest
thou hither," they We're saying. And his
answer, as he looks them in the eye, is,
"Ye seek me, not because We saw the
miracles, but because we did eat of the
loaves, and were filed"
There is something better than eating;
1t is seeing, discerning, or rather eating
with discernment, as Paul says, discern
ing the Lords body" We all of us, in a
sense, are permitted to eat and partake
of Christly benefits here. None in this
day and generation and on the farther
hillside of the Christian dispensation are
wholly deprived of the blessings that
come with the Christ life. But O, how
few eat with spiritual sight, discerning
the Lords body, partaking and perceiv-
ing! Is there any emphasis TO be laid on
the word "flledY Perhaps so, and per-
haps it may explain n bit the crossness
and dullness of the people. The word
literally means gorged. They filled them
selves TO the full, as if there were moth
ing else to do but eat. Well, so great
many do with the good things of this
world and of this Christian dispensation,
and indeed of the Lords house. Is there
not caution lurking in these words Of
the Master?
And possibly there was little scram-
bling for ii, or, ut least reaching out.
Certainly there was a wild flight across
the sea to somehow come up with this
bountiful hand again. Labor not"
Greek crgazo; to strive), says Christ,
''for the meat which perisheth." Alas,
look about. What are the most of us do
ing all the time; and all of us the most of
the time? We may wisely pause with
thu expression, "Meat which perisheth."
In the original it stands, the meat, the
pefishing /. G., the meat of perishing,
that which is connected with this body of
death. To be of the earth earthly, and to
81, I,,t
this lower, sensuous nature. "To be-
carnally minded is death"
But there is meat that "endureth" OF
remaineth. We recall the twelve bas
kets that remained over. Here in an
other and larger sense is a remainder
unto life everlasting. All, the baskets full
that we shall gather up yonder, after all
the muititudes on earth's hillsdes shall
have been fed! Him hath God the Faith
er sealed" But a seal signifies a purpose,
designation, or q destination. Sealed
for what? Sealed for bread. Such is
evidently the system here. There at the
Jordan came the Spirit and the Voice say
ing, "Ths is my beloved Son, in whom
am well pleased'-the seal of desgna-
ton or adoption. But then later came
that other voice at the TRANSPORTATION,
] which said, "This is my beloved Son, in
? whom | am well pleased, hear We him. I"
Sealed for service, the seal of purpose or
, destination. Bread.
Faith is evidently first and foremost.
"What shall we do?" they were saying
' Believe" answered Christ. what
works. they cried, thinking possibly both
. of signs of attestation and deeds of serv-
: ice. ''Ths is the work of God" said
, Christ, that rye believe on him whom he
), hath sent" i. O., let him in, and let him
work In other words, "Seek we first the
=, Kingdom of God and his righteousness
(the righteousness that is in Christi and
all these things shall be added unto you"
= But how? Straightway they talk of
Moses and the mamma, or traditionalism
and ceremonialism. Not that, said Christ,
c nor even the word of Scripture, save as
q il conveys the thought and life of Christ.
l. "Moses gave You not that bread from
), heaven; but my Father giveth lis giving)
you the true bread from heaven" And
now they arc looking straight at him,
and our Saviour answers the hunger of
thine eyes rather than of thine lips as
4 he speaks the word that tells it all. Il
c am the bread of life" Here we pause.
What does he mean? Take him for what
u he says he is to us and know. Take him
on his word, take him in faith, daily,
;. hourly, live in him and by him.
G II cannot tell how precious the Saviour
G is to me,
|. only can entreat you to come and taste
=, and see"
> "Christ the blessed one gives TO all.
Wonderful words of life,
: Sinner, list TO the loving call,
Wonderful words of life
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven;
Beautiful words, wonderful words.
). Wonderful words of Life"