Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-04-13
THE VII LIS POVERTY

=
Rca' religion means = ncV, life. Lift
WAS the word oftenesi cn the Cre;i
Teachers lips. He found men thiiikin;
tllat religion meant forms and fashions
and observance and methods an
phrases and ecclesiastical relationships
II had dccayed into a mere matter d
church millinery and scctarism shib'
holeths. Then. as now. that sort a
thing Intensified theological PARTISAN.
ship put it failed 80 satisfy, or even
interest. ;ile great mass of The people
While the churches suuahhle oven these
minor matters of order. The world gee:
on It's way Indifferent,
Bun lei signs OF life appear and man
kind begins to take notice. f"r life i.
its deepest cohccrN II desire. The
humble little country of Wales is IN.
center OF ihc whole worlds gaze today
sion of religion that spells new life. s,
it WAS when Jesus appeared. His big
word was life full. free. abundant
c%onquering life. And heart-hungrs
men listened. even those who had been
most deaf To priestly patter concerning
rules and preccdents. Wherever the
gospel is presented ~ Terms of lie,
there men heed ii.
The Masters DEEDS Illustrated his
dictum. Il came that v" nigh; nave
life" IA" proved himself the great
life siver by iinperiously s,ummonins
from The tomb. having called back the
vital spirit 10 the four days dead body.
his friend Lazarus. For that deed he
was loved-and hated. Ii brought the
cross nearer. but il also made his mis-
sion clearer. The great miraci" p,ilsaies
With lessons for life.
A Dramatic Scene.
The setting of the story is the Beth
amy home, and the close friendship tina
existed between the family. Lazarus.
slartha and Mary. and their homeless
guest. Seen in the light of this miracle.
we may behold how Jesus ;,rized
friendship. Many persons are too busy
or too careless to take time for friend
ship: but the Master of life. with :;
universal! philosophy to express and IL
worlds redemption 10 effect. all within
three crowded years. took much time
for these tender. personal human iela-
lions.
Amid all the bcon companions and
close associates in the world. how few
real friends there are, If the people
could SEQ life and its relative values as
Lazarus saw them after his mysterious
Sojourn i'll another realm, and AS all
who have been freed from the blindness
of flesh see them, they would pursue
friendship with greater Zest than they
now pursue gold.
Better h the purchasing power of
wealth, better han the service and
praise of fame. better than the admir-
ation-and envy-of those beneath you.
are the simple joys of close fellowship
with these who love you 1t is fine to
hold %congenial W with the
worlds leaders. but il is Infinitely
swcetei' to talk over old times with q;
friend of long ago. who cares more for.
you than for what you own or have
done; to hear about Johns promotion
in business. and Mary's marriage and
new baby; and Charlcy's battle with
inherited appetite: and the alterations
i'm the old neighborhood: and the
health of mother. and the other honely
topics which. after all. are closest to
the heart. Truly, AS the guest cham
bel motto has il. There is no friend
like an old friend. unless it he a new
friend worthy to become AN old FRIEND
Wise with the wisdom of two worlds
is the man or woman who makes the
venerable domestic, human relations
his first concern. There. is more of
delight to be seen in eyes that love
than i'm all the worlds famuus sights.
So the song of motherhood has it,:
If were "a splendid queen,
With . crown 10 keep N place.
Would it do for "A litt!c wet mot II
To rub all over my face?
My baby. my darling.
The crown may go for me.
At Friendships Call.
Hated and hunted, Jesus had Sc
cluded himself across the Jordan i'm
Pere;,. There a message from the dear
family circle at Bethany sought him
out. Lazarus was i'll. and i'm their dis
treSS the sisters first thought was of
their friend, who was their tower of
strength and refuge. as lis friendships
high office The call was one that since
the world began has given fleetness to
horses feet, and speed to ship and
train-"He whom thou lowest is sick. =
How appealing 1t must have been to
this tenderest heart that ever beat
within human breasts.
Yet Jesus did not stir, though John
states right at this point in his MARIA
tive: Nov Jesus loved Martha. and
her sister. n Lazarus Christ's ex-
PLANTATION must have puzzled the dis
ciples. hat the sickness was for the
glory of God" This is a profound and
cry Christians philosophy; without II
h riddle of life cannot be solved.
Some inc0mprehensible events occur
for the glory of God" as the blind
mans affiiction and Christ's own suf-
fering. Sometimes, AS in the case of
Lazarus. we see that glory wrought
OUT: but seeing, or believing without
SpN-h AAo = 10 VS. ~ I'VE biAS III OlIN
of LIES fundamental truths, tina the
glory of God is the highest considera-
ton h q ever animated divine provi-
dence or human endeavOr. 1t is eter-
nSlly mans chief end
Two days the teacher tarricd-and how
that delay must have narrowed the blind
hearts of the Bethany sisters. even as III.
vine delay has been the most perplexing
providence to countless souls sincc-befor,
he get out for Judea and the home he
loved. 1t is plain now why he waited: tht
body must lie in the tomb even beyond IN.
time when Jewish superstition though,
that the spirit lowered neal in order tina,
there might De n doubt cast upon ~,
miracle. 1t was not fear for himself tha'
held him back. though the fearful solici.
tude OF his discipues tried to constrain him
to remain away. When he would not. We
hear the Illuminating word from Thomas
him whom we call Doubling Thomas
LET us also go. thar we may die with
There are said to have. been 1909 convert.
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