SUNDAY COLUMN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 87, 7 December 1912, Page 7

SUNDAY COLUMN.

GOD’S SCHOOL AND ITS LESSONS

(By Dr. T. L. Cuylcr.)

A certain gray-haired pupil in the school of his Heavenly Father once said,“OhGod thou hast taught me from my youth.” His experience in that school had been very remarkable, from his early beginnings among the sheepcotes of Bethlehem. Constantly seeping instructions ,he had prayed, teach me Thy statutes. leach me Thy way. Teach me to do Thy will. Sharp schooling had he received in those days of humiliation when a traitor-son drove him out of Jerusalem. Terrible punishment did he bring upon himself once when “Just brought forth sin, ami sin brought forth death,” in the crime against Uriah. But had David not hSm under the instruction anti discipline of the Holy Spirit, we never would have had.many of the richest, profoundest, and most majestic psalms, many of their most piercing wails ami of their most jubilant thanksgivings. That same school in which David wai a pupil nearly thirty centuries ago i; open yet. The term-life is as long as life lasts. It lias its recreations, but no vacations. School is nevei “out” until death comes to the dnoi and beckons the pupil away. And on. how happy many a scholar has been when the messenger has said to hi: heart, “Now, my child, you have learned the hard lessons, and have finished your course; now you may comt home.”

Of this wonderful school God Himself is the principal or Superintendent The supreme purpose of it is to fora character and lit the immortal sou. for the after-life of eternity. L there is no immortality of being, am. if death ends all, then this world it an utter failure, and what wo call Bro viclencc becomes an unintelligible jar gon. The moment we recognise tin fact that tills life is only a training school to lit us for a coming world, that the Bible is its infallible textbook and the Holy Spirit its instruct or and the Lord of Glory its all-wist and all-loving Head, then dark thing: become light, seemingly crooked thingt become straight and mysteries beconu plain. Jf J am only a scholar, i must submit to the rod for my correction, and remember Who hath up pointed it. 1 must spell out the hare lessons and submit to the sharp tasks, even though the pages of rny diary lx often blotted witu tears; the tiling; that I understand not now, I shall know hereafter, when 1 have graduate', into heaven. My Divine Teacher seem: to have two great methods in tin; earthly school of His—instruction am discipline. Jam utterly ignorant am. terribly. wayward, therefore I need both, and they often blond together, Part of my instruction I get from Hk wondrous Word, and it % is very inspiring and fascinating. A part i receive from the Holy Spirit’s work, and it is very sanctifying. But nc. part of our schooling costs so dearly or yields such gracious fruits as the process of chastisement. The most famous teacher in Philadelphia, in hi:day, once said to a rich, indulgent father, “You must take your boy out of my school if you are not willing to have me chastise him; he and the school too will be ruined if I have ho discipline.” Grand old .Richard Baxter exclaimed after a life of bard toil and constant suffering, “0 God, 1 thank Thee foi a bodily discipline of eight and fifty years.” Paul was indulging in no hypocritical cant when he said, “ .1 rejoice in tribulation.” God’s ripest and most royal scholars are made such by an expensive education. His brightest gold comes out of the hottest furnace.

In this school of grace He employs many tutors. Sometimes lie employs Poverty, which does for the soul what it did for the minds of such hard-faring youths as Hugh Miller and James Gar held, it sinews the strength and develops force. More than one Christian who was getting too prosperoui for his spiritual good has been turned over to this severe tutor, and lie ha; sent him down to a humbler bench. As the purse was emptied, the soul grew richer in humility, and began t. bear the fruits of the Spirit. Another of God’s'tutors is Disappointment, and some of the host les sons in life are taught us by thai stern-visaged schoolmaster. One oi his lessons is that this world was ijol made solely for us, and our loss if

often another man’s gain. A second lesson is that our losses are offer the very richest, blessings. If I eve; reach heaven I shall feel like rearin', a monument there of gratitude to the stern-visaged old tutor who so offer helped me on by putting me back, am stripped me that I might travel heavenward the lighter and the freer. When Michael Angelo saw a block of marble lying in the dirt, he said “There is an angel in that marble and I will bring it out.” His hammer and chisel struck hard and deep, till the angel came forth. God’s ham mer of trial, blow on blow, brings out such angels as Faith, and Peace, and strong-limbed Patience, and Sympathy and the Love that has tire likeness o' Jesus Christ. ‘ Let ns not shirk a lesson, or wince under a rod .of chastisement. The richer will bo the crown if wp endure to the end and graduate into glory.