The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-12-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ~. FOURTH QUARTER. IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, DEC. ~.

rsxt OF tho lesson. III Tin. Nv. l-s. 1918.
Memory Verses, 6-s - Golden Text. III
Tim. Nv, documentary by the Rev. ID.
M. Stearns-
I. st charge thee therefore God. and the
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall Judge the
quick and the dead, and by His appearing
and His kingdom. These are some of
the last words Of Paul by the Spirit TO
Timothy, his dearly beloved son In tho
faith (chapter 4, %, of whom no said that
he had no man so dear unto him phil IL,
90, margin). He had been urging him to
be strong In the grace that Is In Christ
Jesus; to endure hardness as good sol
der and please Him who had chosen him;
to study to show himself approved unto
God.
g. Preach the word. BE instant In
season, out of season. Reprove. rebuke,
exhort with all long suffering and doc
trine." In chapter Iii, 10, II, be had said
that all Scripture is given by inspiration
of God and is profitable that the man Of
God may be thoroughly furnished unto all
good works, and now he exhorts him to
use that word faithfully, the word which
he had known from childhood ill, 15).
Paul teaches to hold fast the faithful word
Titus 1. 81; to hold forth the word of life
(Phil. II, 16), and to rightly divide the
word OF truth (II Tim. II, 15).
B. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but after
their own lusts shall they heap to them
selves teachers, having itching ears" How
haua a1raadv haan In thnsa timaa
cannot say, but that we are In them no
one can question. Lovers Of self, lovers
of pleasure more than lovers Of God, bav
ing form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof (chapter III, Ia, are things
too plainly seen. Some men who have the
rule In church affairs do not hesitate to
ask for pastors who will give them the
thought of the age rather than the word
Of God, and there are pastors who are
more ready to please the people than to
preach the preaching which God bids
them. False prophets as In the olden time.
4. "And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth and shall be turned unto
fables" Then because they receive not
the love of the truth that they might be
saved, God shall send them strong delu
sion that they should believe a lie that
they all might be judged who believed not
the truth, but had pleasure In unrigbteous
ness III Thess. II, 1912. 1t is surely
woeful sight to see large congregations
gather TO listen to those who discard por-
lions of the word of God and call other
portions myths.
s. "But watch thou in all things, en-
dure Affections, do the work OF an evan
gelist, make full proof Of thy ministry"
There is no pattern for minister or evan
gelist but the Lord Jesus Himself. He
was filled with the Spirit, led by the
Spirit, spoke the words which the Father
told Him and did always those things
which pleased the Father (John xii, 40;
viii, 29) When He suffered, He said
Even so, Father, and He finished the
work which the Father gave Him to do
tMatb xi, 90; John xvii, ~.
g. For ] am now ready to be offered
and the time of my departure Is at hand"
Long before this he had said, 81 am ready
NOT to be bound only. but also to die for
the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts xxi,
49,. 1t was his constant desire that Christ
should be maPnifled in his body whether
by life or death phil. 1, 20). He knew
that to die would be gain and to be with
Christ would he very far better phil /,
81, 23). But now he seemed sure that he
was soon going home. He speaks OF 1t as
his departure. The body would die. the
tabernacle be taken down, but he Paul,
the person in the body, would depart to be
with Christ, and would be absent from
the body and present with the Lord.
z. 81 have fought good fight; have
finished my course; have kept the faith.
1t is the fight OF faith, and the life of faith,
and the walk of faith I Tim. vi. ~; Gal.
II, 90; Col ii, 81. 1t is believing God all
the way through and all that He has said.
AS Paul put it elsewhere, believing all
things that are written In the law and in
the prophets" Acts xiv, 1G. 1t is not
faith that can ever be made to suit the
times. AS DR.. Weston says, eff Christ
taught as many teach today He would
never have been orucifled for it." We
must earnestly contend for the faith that
and remember that Paul said, eff any
one, even an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel. let him be acoursed"
dude ill; Gal. 1, 8, 81.
8. "Henceforth there Is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness which the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give me at that
day, and not to me only, but unto all them
also that love His appearing" Crowns,
as understand it, are rewards for service
TO be given to those who earn them, that
they may have somewhat to cast at His
feet in that day (Rev. iv, 10) They are
not given to us when we die, but only at
the appearing Of our Lord at the resurrec-
ton of the just duke xiv. Ia Pet. v, 4 !;
Rev xii, 12). have often referred to the
other four to be given to the faithful for
four distinct kinds of service, but this one
Is for those who In all their service carry
with them certain attitude of soul-vis
loving Ills appearing. When He comes TO
the air for His people, firmly believe that
every saint will meet Him, but many may
be ashamed and many receive no crowns
IL John ii, 90; Cor. iii, ID, 16).
10. "At my first answer no man stood
with me, but all forsook me-" 10 stand
alone for the right IL intimate fellowship
with our Lord. who said to the eleven,
"Ye shall be scattered and shall leave me
alone, and yet ! am not alone, for tho Fa-
ther is with me" (John xvi By. David
was awfully alone when his faithful 600
turned against him and talked Of stoning
him, he being at the time In like painful
circumstances with themselves, but it is
written that David encouraged himself IN
the Lord his God (I Sam. Xxx, @.
II. Notwithstanding the Lord stood
with me and strengthened me, that by me