The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-19
gbort 9srnrons
For
Sunnap Dalf-Dnur
Theme:
BLANK PAGES IN
BOOK OF LIVES.
Themes:
r + 4.
By Pastor Ernest A. Tappert.

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By Pastor Ernest A. Tappert.
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Text: Therefore to him that know
eth to do good, and doeth II not, to
him Il ls sin."-James, w., II.
st, James speaks of the blank pages
in the book of our lives. They teach
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. 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 scarcely day on which new
pages Of this kind are not added.
But In between there are pages with
nothing written on them, and most
people look at them without any dis
turbance Of conscience. They even
regard these with certain quietude
Of mind, saying, Thank God, there is
day on which have done no evil!"
Is that true? st. James, in our text,
says mo" And then he opens our
eyes to the meaning of the blank
pages in the book of our lives, saying,
Therefore to him that knoweth to do
good, and doeth it not, to him it is
SIM"
xryA tat 10NIy ho4 L. ax1 .1&o
the many shortcomings and neglects
Of our lives. The Roman Emperor
Titus used to regard day as lost on
which he had not accomplished some
thing 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 foolishness and not of god
liness. Here we think of neglected
work as responsible for many blank
page. Life us but short, and even If
our years be three score and ten, yet
1t is true what we sing in that beauti-
full hymn: to it's close ebbs
out life's little day, earth's joys grow
dim, its glories pass away!" We have
certainly no time to lose in order to
fulfil 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 time
that precious time which God has CIV
en- him and which is his time of grace.
Many regard themselves as highly
respectable 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 no good. That
was their sin. So it was with Dives;
he had not driven poor Lazarus away
from his door, but he had an oppor'
tunity to do good, and 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 neglect of love. However, it Is
appointed unto men once to die, and
after this the judgment. Then God
will judge us, first, according to our
words, when we must give account of
our works; secondly, according to our
words, when we must give account Of
every idle word; lastly, He will look
at all the blank pages in the book Of
our lives and say:-"Why are they
blank? Didst thou not have an occa-
sion to fill them? Why hast thou not
done it? For l was an hungered, and
ye gave Me no meat. was thirsty,
and ye gave Me no drink. I was
stranger, and ye took Me not in. In
asmuch as ye did it not to one of the
least of these, ye 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 know
eth to do good, and doeth it not, to
him it is SIM"