Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-09-05
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THOUGHTS WORTHY OF CALM
REFLECTION.
A Pleasant, Interesting, and Instruct
i've Lesson, and Where 1t May Be
Found-A Learned and Concise Re.
view of the Same.
Lesson for Sept. 3.

Golden Textile wholly followed the
Lord God of Israel.--Josh. IA: IA.
"Calebs Reward" is the subject Of the
lesson this week.-Joshua IA: 5-14.
Caleb, the intrepid. the man whom God
did not forget-hcre is word for him
from one who believed in 1.-The Reform
err"
"Before the monstrous wrong he sets him
down
One man against a stone walled city OF
sin,
For centuries those walls have been
a-buildng;
Smooth porphyry, they slope and coldly
glass
The flying storm and wheeling sun. No
chink,
No crevice lets the thinnest arrow in.
He fights alone, and from the cloudy
ramparts
A thousand evil faces jibe and jeer him.
Let him lie down and die, what is the
right,
And where is justice in world like this!
But, by and by, earth shakes herself i'm
patient;
And down. in one great roar Of ruin crash
Watch tower and citadel and battlements.
When the red dust has cleared, the lonely
soldier
Stands. with strange thoughts, beneath
the friendly stars"
The Lord, says David. remember all
thy offerings and accept thy burnt sac
rifice." And he does il. Men may forget,
but God does not No Offering in his
name. is lost sight of, nor burnt sacrifice
is ignored. But il must be n whole burnt
offering-through self-dedication. This
puts us into Gods hand, and once there,
nothing shall pluck us away. Indeed there
are two hands for the consecrated soul
and we are, so to speak, covered.
There is something suggestive in the
very colocation of the sentences: "As
the Lord commanded Moses, so the chill
dren of Israel did, and they divided the
land" Obey and conquer, do and divide.
81 will tell thee of the secret and the way,
If thou wilt obey"
This division of the land was one of the
most remarkable governmental feats in
all history. Fitness, taste, capacity and
Unborn jealousy and cupidity had all to be
taken into consideration. That, by the
method of the lot, every man found his
rightful place can only be accounted for
on the understanding that God was in tine
disposition of it all. THE lot is east into
the lap; but the whole disposing thereof
Is of the Lord.
The division of the land was, more
over. n great peace-making act Nothing
could have been better for the tranquility
of Israel or for her establishment as
nation. Land in severalty is the ap-
proved policy of statecraft to-day in the
pacification and Improvement of Il pco-
pie Satan finds mischief for idle hands.
Pastors. as well rs governors and parents,
find it so. In this sense also, divide
and conquer
Quoth Caleb; "Thou knowest the thing
which the Lord said" The Lord loves
to 'be reminded of his promises. And
what had God said? But my servant,
Caleb. because he had another spirit with
him, and hath followed me fully, him will
bring into the land where into he went"
Plead the promise of God. As said the
pious handmade of the Lord. i've His
word for it. and I'm holding Him to it,"
my brethren that went up with me
made the heart of the people melt" The
watchman, the seer may speak a weaken
Ing or a strengthening message. There
be those to-day. appointed to the outposts
of Israel, who by their worldly spirit and
worldly counsel make the heart of the
people to melt. Thank God, however.
there are still Calebs and Joshuas that
see the invisible things of God and re-
port accordingly TO the uplifting of Ian
gushing Zion.
II wholly followed the Lord my God"
Whole following. simple. soulful surren-
der is the secret of it. Caleb was like
little child, holding fast to the fathers
hand, his own will lost in that of the
parent. His scripture analogue is Mt
Eph. 8: I, which we call our Caleb text:
"Be ye therefore followers of God, as
dear children" Affectioaate children fol-
low close Indeed, "Caleb" means dog,
and he verify, like the faithful hound.
dogged his masters steps. A dog is the
only animal that follows.
"As my strength was then, even so is
my strength now," a notable declaration.
And yet not strange. He was getting his
strength from daily contact with God,
whom he wholly followed and with whom
are the sources of all power. Even so
speaks the word: "He giveth power to
the faint and to them that have no might
He increaseth strength. Even the youths
shall faint and be weary, and the young
men shall utterly fall. But they that
wait upon the Lord shall renew Tex
,hange) their strength; they shall mount |
Up with wings as eagles; they shall run
md not be weary and they shall walk |
Ind not faint. lisa. 40: 29-31.
81 shall be able to drive them out, as |
he Lord said.' Just like Caleb. He is |
speaking in the same language as of old. |
You could shut your eyes and still know,
Is IL were, that il was Caleb that was
alking. He had learned his lesson well. |
And now know we where he learned it
# the Lord. Over at Numbers 13: 80,
orty years prior, Caleb was saying, "Let
Is go up at once and possess it; for we
'e well able to overcome it," How came
lie to have such confidence and assurance
mong his timid fellows? Here he gives
is the clew: 81 shall be able to drive
hem out. as the Lord said" God told
i'm. Has he told you?
What noble character is Caleb! He
; an example of the boldness. courage
nd resolution that comes with whole
urrender to God. Greatness in simple
greatness, this is the lesson of
'aleb's life.
Next Lesson--"The Cities of Refuge"