Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-02
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON AND
YOUNG PEOPLES MEETINGS
News of Interest to Church Goers By a
Writer Who is An Authority on Religious
Subjects. The International Lesson for
Next Sunday.

rated in this passage in Pauls life, of
| conveying a friend on his way, has
persisted to this day. From Corinth
and Thessalonica Populations of lead
ing Christians journeyed part way
with Paul. Then, after his meeting
with the Ephesian elders at Miletus.
they brought him on his way unto the
ship" One of the delights of Japan
csc social life is the custom of escort
| ing to the train one who is about to
take a journey, and of meeting him in
| force when he returns. Repeatedly
have | seen large Populations Of jap
anese at the train to bid welcome or
farewell to travelling friends. Two
young women from America had gone
to Japan TO join the Southern Method
list Mission at Hiroshima, and they
We're greeted at the station by COM
pany of no less than three hundred
persons.
One morning left the city of Pyeng
Yang, III northern Korea, long before
daylight to travel through the wintry
darkness to the railway station some
three miles distant. 1t was time
when one would be tempted to sit as
close to his own Preside as possible;
yet simply because l had been intro
duced to them as Christian man.
nine of the officers of the Korean
church took this long journey through
the darkness and the cold in order to
bid me go on my way in peace. Only
those who have experienced it can
know how such signs of fellowship
warm the cookies of a mans heart. 1t
meant more to Paul than even the
heartbreak in the narrative reveals,
to have the little reunion with the
Ephesian friends as he iourneyed on
to Jerusalem, and to the unknown fate
before him.
Pointing to the Past.
Strong with the most unassailable
strength is the man whose record will
bear inspection. Innumerable men
have been halted in their careers and
baked in their ambitions by the rising
up before them. as ghostly spectres,
of an unfortunate past. When, in a
recent American election. the presi-
dency was up. the name Of certain
able statesman was frequently brought
forward. by the initiated; but the
wiser politicians shook their heads
and said, mo, his record is vulnera-
ble' Happy is the man who can
point to his past as his own vindica-
ton. Every man quitting a post, be
it the presidency, pastorate. clerk
ship, or job of gardening, should be
able to say There is my work. In
spect it. II is my best testimonial"
When Paul, after the passage of
years, came to his final accounting
with the Ephesian church officers, he
could summon to witness for him the
record that he had made in their
midst. He had not been a trimmer or
a toady. He had not been afraid of
the face Of man, nor had he shrunk
from hardship and suffering. He had
been innocent of self-seelling, and he
had delivered his message without
fear and without favor. What a rec
ord to crown ones work. Every teach
er, as well as every preacher, should
be able at any time of parting, as on
the Judgment day, to say to those who
had been in his charge: 81 shrank
not from declaring unto you anything
that was profitable"
Holding Life cheaply.
AS Paul counselled with these
friends ne let fall an expression which
revealed his life platform: Il hold
not my life of any account as dear
unto myself, SO that may accomplish
my course and the ministry which l
received from the Lord Jesus" That
is in contrast with the baneful spirit
of the modern day. We are prone to
overestimate the value of life itself.
Our comfort, our prosperity. our safety
are put as first considerations. For
the sake of their business welfare
hen do not hesitate to stultify their
manhood. Professor William James,
of Harvard, declares that the preva-
lent dread of poverty and hardship
among our letter classes, with it's &C.
companying worship of wealth and
luxury, is "the worst disease from
which our civilization suffers We
sorely need an infusion of the heroic
spirit which can say with Paul, Il hold
not my life of any account as dear
unto myself"