The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-03-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THOUGHTS WORTHY OF CALM
REFLECTION.
A Pleasant, Interesting, and Instruct
i've Lesson, and Where 1t May BE
FONDA Learned and Concise Re-
view of the Same.
Lesson for March II.

to seek and TO save that which was lost"
Luke 10: 10
"Zaccheus the Publican" is the subject
of this lesson. which is found in Luke
10: ITO. This lesson follows well upon
the one of last week Both are concern
Ing men who were rich. Last week il was
the rich young ruler; this week the rich
publican. Yet how strong the contrast!
With the young man riches were allowed
TO be bar TO his entrance for the king
dom of heaven. In the case of Zaccheus.
far from staying the feet of the well-to-
do tax gatherer, his riches were made
but the larger pledge of his devotion.
There are rich men to-day, and men who
are 10 become rich. How will they use
their wealth? Shall they make friends
out of the mammon Of unrighteousness!
friends and fortune unto eternal life; or
eternal enmity and misery Shall wealth
be employed for the flesh or for Christ; in
the interest of this world or of two worlds
This is the personal and pertinent ques-
ton for us all, for we all have some sort
of wealth
'And Jesus entered and passed through
Jericho" Take the moments as they fly.
A gracious opportunity: seize il. The in
cident at the city's edge, just prior, is
suggestive. blind man sitting there
and begging. heard the tramp of feet.
Then arose that strident cry: Jesus,
thou son of David. have mercy on me-"
In another way Zaccheus seems to have
expressed the same eager, personal inter-
est. His climbing of the sycamore was
itself an appeal. Bartimaeus made UP
for his blindness by his clamorcus voice.
Zaccheus helped out his deficient stature
by means of the tree boughs. If you
would see Jesus show il.
'And he was rich" The blind man
was poor, n beggar. The publican was
rich, very rich, perhaps. Thank God for
this instance. Christ is not for the poor
alone, and no more for the rich. But
also no less. He was "chief among the
publicans," n tax gatherer This means
that he was not only wealthy, but in
n way to grow Weather. All here is
the test. So many men fear to take Jesus
lest he interfere with their business, and,
as with these men at philippi, the hope
of their gains be gone. And did Fac
cheus simply wish to see who it was that
was going by in the throng; mere pass
ing. curiosity? Nay, he wished ITO sec
Jesus, who he was" He had heard of
MIN ana MS gracious mission peIOre.
Hints and illustrations.
The right use of riches. There are other
lessons, but this is the paramount one.
And never was there greater need for in
struction on this point. Never was there
greater wealth in the church, and never
perhaps such hindrance TO our denomina-
tional beneyolences through means with
hol1 % hoU nf FIN or 10
go through the churches and bring us to
the mourners' bench because of our av
arce. Nay, we have need of the Spirit
of God to convict us Of the sin of selfish
ness. Put the truth strongly; we can
scarcely be too severe.
Zaccheus' prompt adjustment of his
means was not simply a partition with
his Master. Ii proved rather spirit of
total conservation. He had taken n new
master, when it was said that Christ
twas gone TO be a guest with a man who
was a sinner" Possibly it was wealth
that was master before. But, unlike the
rich young ruler who quickly proved by
his actions that he was himself ruled bv
his riches, Zacchcus indicates that ne is
above and over his wealth, and he can
use ii to the glory of God. Thank God
for such an example. With man impossi-
BILE, with God possible. And how posi-
Bile? BY the implanting Of a new motive
and ideal. For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.
A lesson or two. | know now what
"the higher life' means. 1t is to have
affections set on high, aud, rich or poor,
our steps following the lofty ideal or
goal. Contrariwise, l know, too, what
it is to live a low life. High life in tho
great city is not high life in heaven. God
has his own picked -four hundred" They
are those who refuse to live for the per-
ishing things Of clay. The arbiter Of that
earthly guild of select people in New
York city, went TO the dust the other day
and made his bed with the four hundred
million who wait the Judgment in their
graves No quality there. | know now
the secret Of Christ's marvellous life upon
earth. His hard denials were not in an.
swer TO the "Son of man, behold these
stones" or "all these things l will give
thee" but TO withhold himself little
longer amidst the neeting joys of earth
from the JOY set before him and the glory
that he had with the Father before the
world was. Hence he could endure the
| cross and despise the shame. Perhaps
| here is your mistake and mine. How can
we endure and despise earthly things
without the higher JOY set before? And
l know now what wealth is for it is to tell
where the heart is and where other hearts
ought to be and to call very loudly along
| that way. The larger the wealth the
stronger the testimony for or against
God. And know, too, what my heart is
| for. 1t is for finding and approaching the
| highest treasure. We are restless for
God. This pain of hell is n misplaced
affection that finds no satisfaction. The
| JOY of heaven is eternal satisfaction with
the riches of Christ. On this kind of a
| life do we see Zaccheus entering even
here. And there are others like him.
How TO be rich and serve God 1t is
the lesson Zaccheus is teaching. And
we have some new witnesses J.. this gem
Grafton, men who make money for Christ's
sake and pour it out lavishly in his name.
Next Lesson."The Mission OF the Sew
cnty."-Luke 10: 10.
Patience Is q virtue for which there