Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON. ~ ps"'
of an Elcvating Character
Wholesome Food for Thought
Studying the Scripturai Lesson In
teliiRentiy and Probably.
. Lesson for Feb. ~.

s9Lessou for Feb. 81. q Ar
Golden Text.-Thy faith hath made
thee whole; 20 hi peace.--Luke 3: As.
"F'aith Encouraged" is the subject of
to-days lesson How well It represents
the situation in the Christian world ut
this time. There is every encouragement
to faith. OF old men cropping about long
time blindly, trying TO find clew, seek
ing to lay hold Of something. There
were few to help them. No Sunday
schools, not many prayer meetings. very
rarely soul-winning pastor Oh evangelist
to point the straight way. We have just
been in attendance upon Il meeting where
many souls have been brought into the
light. The instant they gave token of
desire there was watchful and earnest
hearted Christian with kind hand and
with earnest prayer and plain Scripture To
lead to the Lamb of God which takcth
away the sins of the world. Some one
present was remarkipg upon II revival
enjoyed years before in the same place,
where there were few if any Of these
encouragements to faith and where souls
were long time hsmally OH the way.
Yet with God there has always been en-
enlargement to faith. The soul that turns
TO him, simply and humbly. finds him.
"And the feeble hands and helpless,
Cropping blindly in the darkness
Touch Gods right hand in the darkness.
And are lifted up and strengthened
Lessan Hints.
We have just been reading ". 4O) that
when Jesus returned from the country of
the Gadarenes, "the people gladly receiv-
ed H.. e., welcomed him. How marked the
contrast, us respects the Gadarenes, who
"besought him to depart from them"
Friend, he is ready TO go or come rs out of
full heart you give him bidding. This
lesson tells us how Christ loves to be re-
ceived or welcomed, and how he re-
spends to that welcome.
First comes Jairus, the ruler, falling
down and beseeching him in behalf of his
daughter. Christ instantly arises to go
along. But in the way the people throng-
ed him. 1t is the same word used of the
thorns that sprang up ". y and choked
the grain. How often popular acceptance
chokes and hinders Christian virtue in us!
Not so Christ. He goes steadily on, seek
ing faith. .-
And he finds it. In out of the way
places it crops out, but whenever faith
appears Christ sees it. He heard it above
the tread of many feet there at the out
skirts of Jericho VIXEN blind Bartimeus
cried out. Jesus, thou son Of David,
have mercy on me-" He feels it here.
amid the hustle and press of the throngs
as they crowd upon him. Like those fish
crmen ''keen for the nets" Christ was sen.
sitive to the voice. the look. the touch of
faith.
Virtue is gone out of me-. There was
doubtless physical strain and drain to
which Christ was subject while here on
earth. He carried our sorrows in this
sense too. The exIctions Of his ministry,
in his merely bodily nature, who can
measure? But we can sympathiZc. Our
quantity Of energy IS drawn upon, and
ut times oyertaxed. BE watchful of the
virtue. Let il go forth in the right direc-
tons. DO not fritter il away. and o
what need of prayer to make us equal to
the real demands made upon us.
The woman saw that She was not hid.
Efectually concealed she was from the
disciples but not from OK Lord. You
cannot hide with your faith from him.
And he will not let you take from him
and keep in hiding. You must out and ac-
knowledge him. And it is not simply for
the sake of his glory 1t is for your own
sake, that he may do the more for You
For surely there was an added blcsscdness
in the words that came to this woman
from the Sayior's lips, Daughter. be Of
good comfort, thy faith hath made thee
whole; go in peace"
And now at last Jesus has arrived ut
.Iarius' house and is standing beside the
bed of the smitten child. But alas she is
dead. Trouble not the Master" Trou-
blcI You know not what Master this is.
The master that is to be troubled to-day
is the so-called master. death. See him
crouching, sinking. trembling. He is
about to be deprived of his prey. maid.
arise 1t is the same voice that spakc
ut creation. and it was done. "And she
arose straightway." There was another
meet welcome for the Christ. The dead
arising to greet him. Ah we shall see it
so again, gloriousiy so, when he cometh
in the glory Of the Father and with the
holy angels 20 death where is thy sting?
. grave where is thy victory? The sting
Of death is sin: and the strength of sin is
the law. But thanks be to God which
giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Illustration.