Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-29

OF preparing It and the person with wbo,,
CONSCIENTIOUS verses % and oD.
In tne enjoyment of such a privilege
however. some restrictions might be nee -
sary. not on account of the meat or tho
eater but because others might be Involved
and injured. All Christians must have r.
spect to the interests OF others Il Cor.
Viii:Ia) NO one may selfishly reject ali
claims or others one did in the oldan
time. Gen. iv:9) The apostle sets un n
case at this feast In the house of an I'M
peleVer where Christian is n guest So
.one as hothing was said on the subject he
raises no question but eats what Is offered
But suppose another guest probably a
christian also. volunteers the remark To tho
hrst that the meat had been offered TO Idols.
no matter how he learned the fact no mat,
ter even whether II was strictly true. then
the case is instantly changed. The man
who hears that statement should not eat
he ought not, however. to refrain as a
matter or conscience. His liberty is not to
be judged by another's conscience. But sor
the sake of the weak brother he should alb
stain Here is an application of the prin-
ciple OF unselfishness
RELIGIOUS Oversees 30 and 3i)-In
both the hypothetical cases Just mentioned
IT Is possible for one to be governed by
still higher motives. II he partake when
no one objects he should do so with thanks
giving, recognizing the fact that every good
gift proceeds from God. Games i:17) The
spirit of gratitude should be present, even
though unexpressed. at the feast OF an un-
believer. That gratitude Of the heart Will
transform the act and make the feast re-
lfgtous. The meat partaken under those
circumstances and with such spirit. even
though 1t may have been offered to idols,
VIII lose its heather character, and become
proper food for Christian. who ought rot
thereafter to be subject to criticism. With
this specific word for a particular case Paul
Introduces another principle upon which It
rests. one that has a very wide application.
M M ar .hnt iG
eating or drinking, or whatsoever else may
be undertaken. let all be done to the glory
of God. that Is. with the purpose to glorfy
him. Cor. iii:17)
INOFFENSIVE Oversees 32-33.-The
restraint placed on one in verse % and the
reason for It, as ampllfied in verse %, pre-
pares for a general principle which Paul
next introduced. "Give none offense." We
must not injure any one or cause any one
to stumble. We must regulate our
ton that no one can point to and say
we caused him discomfort or loss. And this
applies to the Jews, who had no friend
ship for Christians: to Gentiles who Were
heathens and to all the members of the
church, whether weak or strong, little and
must be inoffensive in its largest and
widest sense. And this will settle many
matters that do not come under any of the
heads previously named To enforce this
example He did not seek his own profit
either in money or honor. He always en-
deavored to please all men in all things.
both temporal and spiritual. And he hal
in all this the ultimate purpose the saliva
ton of men.
CONCLUSION.-It is a pity to limit
this lesson to any one aspect of life as
suggested to the important subject of tenn
perance. But let the principles above emu
merated be inculcated, and they will with
out doubt go far to promote total absti-
nence from all intoxicants. And the intel
ligent teacher and student who desires to
make such reference will have little or no
difficulty in using the passage Still. we
must not lose sight of the fact that the
Scripture deals with man not by particu-
lar symptoms, special vices and infirmties
but by general needs and constitutional
conditions. Let oil these wholesome teach
ings be given in their true setting and for
their evident purpose, and the spiritual
nature of man will receive a quickening.
AS consequence health will dsplace dis
ease and virtue will drive out vice. Then,
when man comes to his normal state, tenn
perance will be one of his qualities set in
the midst of other graces.