Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-02-10
Lesson for Fcbruary Ia.

teliigently and PrOntabiy. M
Lesson for February I3.
''The Call Of Matthew the subject Of
this weeks lesson, which win be found in
Matt. o: or. Matthew is the opening
book--the Gcnesis-of the New Covenant.
The Old Testament closes with the Jew
ish nation looking for the fulfillment of
the prophecies OF a king who shall reign
In righteousness, under whom the earth
shall be filed with the glory OF the Lord.
The splendors predicted as the accom-
panmcnt Of the Messianic reign fill the
glowing pages. The Jews are the chosen
people, n kingdom of priests through
whom all nations are to be blessed, n holy
nation set apart for Gods peculiar pos
session. We look around us as we open
the pages OF Matthew; Jerusalem rs in
ruins: the temple, with it's altar fires and
sacrifices are no more Judea is deserted
by her people; the Jews are scattered
and peeled, for years by-word and
kissing. Gods people now constitute
church. selected out of all nations; in 1t
the divinely appointed Levitical rites are
unknown; the Genties form the over
whelming majority. We see no traces OF
the magnificent splendor so conspicuous
in the prophetic pages as marking the
reign of the Messiah. Instead of that
we learn that he was put to death on the
cross as maefactor, that he has left the
earth while the sinful world in which he
was rejected and despised goes on its old
course, still under the power of Satan,
despising and rejecting the Nazarene.
What has brought about this strange
condition? II the promises of God stand,
and his gifts and calling are without re-
pentance, how are these astounding facts
to be explained and justified? Are they
consistent with the divine character? Can
they be shown in accordance with the
divine declarations? Do they accomplish
his purposes? Is the course of Christ,
his present position and relation capable
OF reconciliation with the Old Testament?
The gospel according to Matthew an
swcrs these questions. 1t shows how
this condition Of things came into being;
II justiies the course which God has pur-
sued by constant appeal to the Old Tesla
ment, to the divine method in nature, and
to the principles which govern all right
human conduct. IL conducts us from the
position of the Old Testament to that Of
the New, and declares the principles and
methods of the new dispensation, showing
us ut every step their accord with the Old
Testament.
This gospel is the gospel OF the Jewish
king rejected. These three words char
acterize the gospel Everything in it
centers in one of these three-Jewish,
kingly, rejection.
The result of all this is the rejection Of
the nation. The kingdom of God is taken
from them and given to nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof. Christ declares
that the unclean spirit has returned to his
former habitation, bringing with him
seven other spirits more wicked than
himself. All the parallels spoken in pub
lie after chapter % set forth the national
sin and the impending destruction. The
final miracleis the blasting of the fig tree.
the emblem Of the nation. The closing
public discourse is an arraignment of the
Jewish authorities; portraying their char
acter and history he bids them fill up the
measure of their fathers iniquity, and
with the inquiry, Eye serpents, We genera
ton of vipers, how can We escape the
damnation of help pr0nounces their
doom and departs forever from the tenn
pie.
To take the place of the nation which
has so signally failed to recognize the pur-
to be Gods peculiar people-a holy nation,
kingdom of priests. This bOdy-the
church-is founded on the divinely reveal
ed knowledge of Christ. To it are given
new life, new covenant, a new con-
stitution, II new commandment, new dis
cipine, new ordinances.
So closes the account of the greatest
revolution known to history. The gospel
begins with the king of the Jews; it ends
with the Messiah Of the world, possess
ing all authority in heaven and in earth.
In it's beginning God is with his national
people in the flesh; it ends with God with
his people in relation divine and eternal;
Jesus Emanuel, God with us.
Matthews business, as is generally I'M
derstood, was that of an employe of the
collector of the Roman taxes: the class
Of publicans, to which he belonged, was
as ruleunscrupulous, grasping and gen.
orally despised. The very fact that Jesus
should call such man to follow him was
startling and would rouse opposition.
This question about fasting is in itself
mere incident. But it had an important
bearing on the problem Of the book for
it brought up the whole question of the
relation between the old covenant and the
new, the law and the gospel, Moses and
Christ. The Illustrations explain them
selves Now that the Lord of mankind is
sojourning in Galilee, how can his disci-
pies be sad or fast? There is the first
thought; the world has entered on new
and joyful era, in which some ceremonies
Of the old era have lost some of their sig
nifcancc.
Next Lesson-"The Twelve Sent
Forth."-Matt. 10: 2-15.