Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-28
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BLANK PAGES IN LIES BOOK.
Bv Rev. Ernest A. Tappert

Therefore to him that knoweth to
do good, and doeth it not. to him it
is sin-James iv. II.
ST. James speaks of the blank pages
In the book of our lives. They teach a
lesson which is often overlooked.
Whenever we go over our book of life
we are mostly attracted by the pages
written in gold that tell Of our good
works. But Of these pages there are
but few. and IN most cases the gold"
is only brass Most Of the pages are
full of spots and stains, and written
on them are the works Of darkness
There is scarce a day on which new
pages Of this kind are not added.
But in between there are pages with
nothing written on them and most PEG
pie look at them without any disturb
ance Of conscience. They even regard
these with q certain quietude Of mind,
saying: THANK God, there is day
on which 1 have done no evil !" Is
that true? ST. James In our text says
no. And then he opens our eyes to the
meaning Of the blank pages in the book
of our lives, saying: Therefore to
bin that knoweth to do good, and doeth
it not, to him it is sim
Here we must look back and note the
many shortcomings and neglects Of our
lives. The Roman emperor, Titus, used
to regard a day as lost on which he
had not accomplished something good,
and oh, how many lost days and hours
must we confess to our God when we
look back on idle hours and wasted
days spent in the pursuit of foolish
ness and not of goodness. Here we
think Of neglected work as responsible
for many a blank page. Life Is but
short and even If our years be three
score and ten, yet it is true what we
sing in that beautiful hymn: Swift to
Its close ebbs out LIES little day,
eartfl's joys grow dim, its glories pass
away" We have certainly no time to
lose In order to fulfill the Scriptures
command: let him labor, working
with his hands the thing which is good"
A Christian should never be guilty OF
that grave sin Of "killing t1me'-that
precious time which God has given him
and which is his time Of grace.
Many regard themselves as highly re-
spectacle as long as they have not
come into collision with the law. But
that is very little. The priest and the
Levite did no harm to the victim Of
thieves, but they did him no good.
That was their sin; so it was with
Dives; he had not driven poor Lazarus
away from his door, but be had an OPP
portunity to do good and did not do
1t. And If we look back into our own
book Of life we can find many pages
that have remained blank for our neg
lect of love.
However, it is appointed unto men
once to die, and after this the judg-
ment. Then God will judge us firstly
according to our works secondly &C
cording TO our words, when we must
give account Of every Idle word last
ly He will look at all the blank pages
In the book Of our lives and say why
are they blank? Didst thou not have
al occasion to fll them? Why hast
thou not done It? For was hungered
and ye gave me no meat was thirsted
and ye gave me no drink; I was a
stranger and ye took me not in; mas
much as ye did it not to one Of the
least Of them, We did It not to me-"
This is what the apostle wants US to
remember in regard to the blank pages
in the book OF life when he says:
Therefore to him that .knoweth to do
good, and doeth it not. to him 1t is sin"