Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-07-18

Lesson tOr july <ls
Golden Text-"Do not drink wine mol
strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with
thee. Lev. 10: 0.
This lesson is found in Leviticus 10
Ill. and Is one on observed distinctions
and as such it Is most timely. We are In
an age Of indifferentism. Men say II
makes no difference; the Lord will pass
II by. Our fathers are looked back upon
as straight-laced and over-strict. Eat
drink and be merry is the prevalent cry
of the times. But such contempt fol
Gods distinctions is not to be forever
passed over. In the divine mind there Ia
difference put between holy anil unholy
between clean and unclean, and the race
or the individual that survives must rec
ognize the same. Lest a iew and severe
judgment befall US, let us profit by the
experience of Nadab and Abihu. 1t is
given for our instruction to-day.
"Nadab and Abihu." Evil, like good
ness, often goes forth two by two. 'Sons
Of Aaron" Priestly heredity does not
insure priestly piety. They were sons OF
Aaron in the flesh, but sons of Baal here
in conduct. ''Took either of them his
censor" They were doing iniquity with
tnt anu VI nun
ness. How often are the vessels of the
Lords house thus prostituted TO base
uses! Strange fire before the Lord
What mockery, what blasphemy! Con-
fronting God with that which discrowns
and denies him. Idolatry is never so
abominable as when il stands in the tenn
pie Of God. But why should fhe people
of the living God ever anywhere offer
strange fire?
(which he commanded them not
Was it positively forbidden or simply not
commanded? In either case it was sin,
for they were to do all things according
to the pattern set in the .nount. The
craze for new things in religion is not
because of an absence of approved pat
terms; it Is because the carnal heart Ia
enmity. There went out Are from the
Lord" Fire answering fire. God an
swers us according to our Offering. In
sincerity, faithlessness and disobedience
eceive as here his devouring flame. The
pure heart is given the answering glow
of an heavenly inspiration. God It'll an
swersi by fire; rejoice with trembling.
And Aaron held his peace" He had
nothing to say in answer to Moses word
of judgment. Indeed was he not reaping
here, in part, the fruit of his own mis-
deed? He had yielded, in the affair of
the golden calf, little to his idOlatr0us
tendency; his sons had simply gone few
steps further. The fathers have .aten
sour grapes, and the children's teeth are
set on edge.
"Bewail the burning which the Lord
hath kindled" In our mourning we often
Il - ..I n
was not to obscure the atrociousness of
the crime committed. How often in the
presence of death has the minister been
tempted to abate the strong denuncations
of God against sin? "For the amounting
oil Of the Lord is upon you" They were
not their own. They were bought with
price. What was true particularly of
the priests of old. is true now, in larger
measure, of all the people of God. The
oil Of amounting has touched us. We are
Gods. Let us direct our steps and adjust
our conduct accordingly,
do not drink wine nor strong drink.
Does it stand in the way of the best ex-
crcise of the Christian graces or the best
use of Christian talent? Then the pro-
hibition still abides, and in its larger
sweep taking i'm all who love and serve
the Lord. The temperance principle has
it's strongest sometime among The chill
dren of the kingdom in that they belong
to the Lord and are consecrated by the
blood of the covenant to his service.
'That We may teach the children of Israel
all the statutes" BY example rs well as
by precept The life of a faithful min
lister of the gospel or of n faithful Sun
day school teacher is living epistle
known and read Of all men. The sermon
and the lesson go on preaching them
selves in the life all the way through the
week. And mind the little word, "all. !"
A single departure from the straight
course may mar the whole. Let the total
teaching of the life emphasize an entire
gospel.
He who serves at the altar of the Lord
must be holy. Not that one quality Of
rightness belongs to the minister and an
other to the people. BE ye holy" is
spoken to all alike. Only this, the man
of God who teaches and guides the people
In the affairs of the sanctuary stands in
n lofty and conspicuous position, and
since his example is followed by so many,
a special burden of obligation and re-
sponsibility rests upon him. He needs to
be constantly and continually on his
guard, lest he say and do that which may
lead the flock astray. Like priest, like
people," hence the penalty that befalls
the servant of the Lord, for detection Is
sometimes inflicted not for himself alone,
n e A. - all 1A, AvlA