The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-03-11
THU SUNDAY SCHOOL.
lsssf x. FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
Nf'oNA- stRIEs. MARCH IS.


stssrs.
I. "prd, teach us to pray" Thus
spake oe OF His disciples TO Him as He
was prging In a certain place. He was
much gwen to prayer, much In commun-
Ion with heaven and In His life on earth
always pleasing the Father Luke records
Ave instances Of His praying which do not
seem tohe recorded by the other evangel-
lists CHAPTERS III, 81; v. 10; vi, ~, 10; TX,
30, and hsre). 1t should be a great COM
fort to Us that, though we know not what
we should pray for as we ought, the Spirit
Himself maketh intercession for us with
groaning which cannot be uttered, and
He makeih intercession according to God
from. viii 30, 27).
g. "When ye pray say, Our Father
which art In heaven" This seems TO have
been on another occasion than that re-
ferred to In Math. vi, o, a repetition and
Endorsement of this beautiful summary
and sample Of all prayer. Only Christians
can truly use IL, for none but the redeemed
can truly say "Our Father" Compare
John viii "A, with 1, 12. Inasmuch as
the carnal mind Is enmity against God,
none but the redeemed can honor His
dom to come and His will to be done on
earth as in heaven.
3.t"Give US day by day our daily bread"
The whole teaching of Scripture is that
we have to live but one day at time and
not TO allow tomorrow's cares to intrude
upon today. ''As thy days thy strength"
"That which they have need of, day by
day without fall" "A daily rate for every
H.. - g.. l.
therefore no thought for the morrow, for
the morrow shall take thought for the
things of itself" (Deut. xxxiii, 25; Ezra
vi, 81 III Kings XIV, 30; Math. vi, 34).
4. "And forgive us our SINS" III we
confess our sins, He Is faithful and just to
forgive us dur sins and TO cleanse us from
all righteousness Il John 1, 81. 1t Is
understood however, that confession in
cludes, on Jour part, the forgiveness from
the heart of all who have injured us Math.
vi, IA, 10; Mark XII, 26). AS to temptation,
God oannotl be tempted with evil neither
tempteth IHe any man (Jas. 1, ID, 14),
and yet It'll Is written "God did tempt
Abraham" Keen. xxi, u, but Heb. xi, II,
says that Abraham, when he was tried,
offered up Itaac. God tries His people for
their good | (Deut. viii, IS; 1 Cor. x, 49,,
but never telmpts them TO do wrong
8. (Which Of you shall have friend?"
Abraham il the only man mentioned in
Scripture bH name as the friend of God QI
Chron. Xxx, z; lisa. XII, s; James ii, 23),
but Jesus bald to His disciples 'Hence-
forth call lyou not servants, but i have
called you friends, that whatsoever We
shall ask of 1.-THE Father in My name. He
may give it Jyou" John XIV, Is, 16). And
this In CONNECTION with fruit to the glory
of God.
8. Il havtI nothing to set before him. !"
What condition of emptiness and help
lessness, butt just such is our condition
apart from oIur Lord Jesus Christ no mat
ter how hard we may toll. His own words
are severed from me ye can do nothing"
John XIV, d. When the disciples had
toiled all night and Jesus In the morning,
from the sho E, said "Have ye any meat?'
they had to a bswer, No John xxi, A, 81.
T. my chi Slren are with me in bed. ]
cannot rise q ID give thee" Children come
closer than II 9ends, and while 1t is good to
be a servant God, better to be friend,
1t is best of bAll to be child of God by
faith in Chris Jesus. A father win keep
nothing good from his children, and as to
all our need esus has said "your heaven
ly Father knd8Sweth that We have need of all
these things'M (Math. vi, 32).
8. "Becaus! Of his Importantly, he will
rise and give him as many as he needeth. T"
There Is some what OF the same teaching In
chapter xviii~ l-S. What do we know OF
the heart that says, II will not let thee &c
except thou dibless me" (Gen. xxi, 26).
Do we undersRtand anything Of prayers and
supplications twith strong crying and tearsl
Heb. v, ~
Q. ASK, SCI Eek, knock" One has said,
ASK with TIL humility of "a beggar, seek
carefully as a faithful servant, knock con-
fidently as Il friend" Some helpful words
on each of tho sse will be found on TASK
In John xiv, slS, IA; Nv, z; Mark XII, "a
"seek, PROVE IL, 4; viii, II, X. "; Jer
xxx, lS; "knseock," Col. II, 3; John vi, 81
Rev. iii, 30. We are apt to think of ask
ing or seekinb g something for ourselves
but Jesus neve pr sought anything for Him
self John vi 49,; viii, 50); always and
only for God. h,
10. For ev(esry one that asketh receiv
eth. The lii mutations are given else
where as, "Ttprlat God may be glorifed, >
According tdk His will, sin the name
OF Jesus" (JoH N xiv, 18, IA; John v, 14)
Could we but live solely and wholly Il
hallow His MAJ me- to hasten His kingdom
without thou rght for ourselves, we would
then know thei meaning and power OF th'
words Seek y 70 first the kingdom OF Goo
and His righted BUSINESS, and all these things
shall be added Dunto you" When we hv'
uprightly untobt Him, we may ask what WI
Will for His 81 Dry and receive 1t, and b
perfectly sure hat He will see well to al
that concerns Y Is without our asking any
thing (Math. v l. ~; Ps. lxxxiv, III.
IL, IL. "If ao son shall ask bread of an,
OF you that Is ape father" No parent wouit
ever give stol ne for bread. or q serpen
Tor nsh, or scorpion for an egg, or any
thing to harm his child instead Of some
thing good. lief man will crafty hi
friend at the cdt)st OF his children's com
fort, how muchN more will he give what Il
good and needIoful to his children. Tn
thought runni1 ~ all through the lessor
seems to be thaf OF Our Father" and Hi
children. Othd rs may have to ask ant
seek and knock1\ but child is at home In
Its fathers houtese and counts all that tn
father has as itsb own (chapter Nv, 81.
IL. II ye thR en-, being evil, know how
to give good Gift Is unto your children, how
much more shithll your heavenly Fathe
give the Holy IeSpirit to them that asl
HimY" This od 'nfirms what said on tn
lat .L.I k..w l. a