Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

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Lesson for Aug. 9. WI.
Golden Text.-"If l 60 and prepare
place for you, win come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where
am, there ye may be also. John IA: 3.
Working and writing for Christ Is the
subject Of this lesson.-I. Thess. 4:0-1S;
8: IL.
While Paul was in Corinth he was in
communication with the church in Thes-
salonica, 80 dear to him and so nearly
model in many ways. He had sent Tim
othy on a mission to the Thessalonians
while still at Athens, and when he reach
ed Corinth received a further report from
Thessalonica and the other Macedonian
churches by Silas and Timothy. This
report indicated that the Thessalonians
were Astounding in Christian earnestness
in an encouraging degree, yet subject to
some grave faults which needed to be
corrected. A few of them were somewhat
inclined to the gross sins which Paul
also found in Corinth. The majority,
while upright and devout, held unsound
and extreme views as to the second COM
ing of Christ, which affected their daily
living. They looked for a speedy end OF
the world, and neglected the ordinary con-
Germs Of life in their zeal for prayer meet
ings and devout meditation. They also
felt great anxiety concerning the right
eous dead, fearing that only those who
were alive at Christ's second coming
would enter into the fullest fellowship
with him. This anxiety and grief prevent
ed them from living in the abiding peace
and JOY which belong to all Christian be-
levers. Paul sought to correct these err
rors by two letters, which were the first
to be written Of his epistles now extant.
In them more Is learned of his view Of
eschatolOgy, that is, Of the events accom-
panying the coming of Christ, the resur-
rection, the judgment, and the final state
Of mankind, than in any other Of his writ
ings. The Thessalonian epistles are just
as good reading to-day as they were then,
for the tribe of would-be prophets has not
ceased. The whole first epistle should be
read by teachers and pupils preparing this
lesson.
Explanatory.
"Brotherly love-" in the Greek, "phila-
delphia." 1t was grace wholly unknown
to pagan thought-this love of men not for
their own good qualities but for the sake
Of a common divine master. 1t was this
quality OF the early Christians that so
sharply marked them off from jew and
Gentile.----"Ye yourselves are taught of
Cod" that is the only source from which
this brOtherly love can come. One who
beholds 1t in exercise in a community has
no other alternative but to attribute it to
| divine origin.
A verse that ought to be printed in
|! large letters in places where Christian
people congregate. To be quiet, to attend
| to ones own affairs, to do honest work
with ones hands, are three virtues that
are by no means universally practiced
among Christians. They are in fact hard
ly thought Of as Christian duties, but
rather as things to be done in accordance
with the demands of good sense and good
manners. 1t does not always dawn upon
us early in our Christian experience that
good sense and good manners are both in
cluded in religion. Paul never drew a
| line between them. The Christian must
be good citizen, good workman, a good
home-maker or home-keeper, as well as a
good church-goer. Honestly" here means
honorably.
Paul has been writing Of the sort Of life
which men ought to live ON earth in view
of their heavenly destiny; he turns now
to correct the miscOnception OF the Thes-
salonians as to the state of those Chris
tians who have already died. We need
to remember that it was only generation
since the ascension of Christ, and the doc
trine of the resurrection was by no means
clearly understood by many disciples. l.
Cor. 10 was not yet written with its mag
nificent exposition of immortality. When
these anxious, puzzled Christians at Thes-
salonica received this letter, it must have
come almost like n message direct from
God. Borrowing men and women whose
dear ones had passed away into the great
mystery of death must have listened to
these verses, when they were first read to
the church in the public congregation,
with eager and rapturous attention.
Even so them also which sleep in Jesus"
how full of meaning, how consoling the
phrase-"will God bring with him." And
then, lest the sudden doubt should come
whether this confident promise were not
simply the assurance of man of san
guine temperament, the apostle adds, SOL
emily enough, For this we say unto you
by the word Of the Lord, that we which
are alive and remain unto the coming Of
the Lord shall not prevent them which
are asleep" He is sure Of that. All shall
share alike in the unearthly glory Of that
long-awaited day. The small accidents Of
uehtn snall make no ulHerence In the deS-
tiny Of the believer. ''The dead in Christ
shall rise first;" and altogether shall be
taken 70 be with the Lord. We. can inn
agine how these precious words were lin
gered over by these early Christians; how
they read them again and again, to make
sure that there was no mistake, and that
their fears were groundless. They are
triumphant words; words that sing and
shout for joy; words that seem to mock
Mt death; words that are very comfortable
to the mourner, and that spur on the busy
toiler like the thought of evening rest
And the heart bears witness with the
Spirit that they are true. This great mys-
terry Of the resurrection seems easy to
accept when Paul so confidently pro-
claims it. 1t Is the least improbable hy-
pothesis in the great problem of the des-
tiny Of man. BY accepting bodily resur-
rection no intelligent Christian to-day
holds, nor did Paul hold, that the identi-
cal chemical constituents of our mortal
bodies are to be reassembled and reani-
mated; but that the immortal spirit is to
be reclothed with spiritual body" pos
sessing tive must supposed individuality as
well as perfect capacity for the highest
service Of the soul.
Teaching Hints.
This Is an ideal lesson for teaching the
relation Of the spiritual to the practical;
of theology to conduct; of the future to