The Green Forest tribune., 1912-02-09

meant by the inspiration of election only those things that were of vital and redemptiye importance in the life of Jesus are recorded. John says, Many other signs truly did Jesus which are not written ID this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" For this reason, We should value every word that is written.
 The lesson furnishes 6 model in character building for the youth. Jesus Is the example and the model boy. Jesus was real boy. He ate, drank, played grew. asked questions, just as other boys do. He was not a toy, or a doll-baby; he was a popu- lar boy tvs. 52): He had surplus en- ergy the same as other boys, only 1t was directed in the right way, His character, like all other char acter building, was growth: He in l creased in wisdom and stature." No character Is instantaneous; 1t Is the work of growth and of years, indeed, of lifetime. An icicle Is formed drop by drop. Character is formed by sin gle words and acts. A mushroom may grow in a night, but surely not the character of man. Just as words and sentences are formed by means of the single letters of the alphabet. so words, thoughts, deeds, actions, looks, mot1ves-these arc the alphabet from which we spell character. Sow a thought, and reap a word; SOW 8 word, and reap an act; SOW an act, and reap a habit; SOW a habit, and reap a character; SOW character, and reap a destiny.
 Character may be developed in ob scurity. The question was asked, Can any good thing come out of Naz- areth? The greatest life that ever lived came from this obscure village. Lincoln came from the log cabin No environment is too narrow for char acter. Fill the little place to the full, and the large will be provided.
 Christ's character was developed in the home. He had Christian home the greatest gift of God this side of heaven. What chance has many 8 child today to build character in a home where the parents know not God, never read the Bible, never pray, nev- CT go to church. If for no other req son, parents should become Christians for their children's sake. If our chill dren are lost, we parents are to blame, unless we have set before them the example of a Christian life.
 As boy, Christ was obedient to his parents. This was manly thing. Parents are in the place of God to the child: God cannot be everywhere, so he made parents. The first command ment on the second table is obedience to parents, and it is the first com mandment with a promise. The apron strings of the mother may become the reins of government of the nation. We must obey before we can command.
 The character of Jesus was develop ed in the church also. His parents were churchgoers, and they had cul- tivated that habit in the child In speaking of Jesus as a churchgoer, Luke says that "as his custom was, he went into the synagogue" What great thoughts must have come to the mind of Christ as he visited the tenn pie! What dormant potentialities were aroused as he sat and listened to the exposition of Gods word Humanly speaking, Christ owed a great deal ip the development of his character to hiq qtTnnfannn uf tho 11In a symmetrical character be produced outside of the church and religion? We think not; certainly the best char acter cannot be produced In one who | ignores these. In spite of all her fail ures, the church Is the best institution in the world today for the building of character. We do our children great wrong when we deprive them of the privileges of the church.
 But Jesas was also a member of the Bible school-the teaching part of the church, This Is evident from the fact that the instruction received was In the form of catechization-he was an- swering and asking questions No doubt many of the scripture passages so often quoted by him in after years were learned in the Jewish Bible school
 The boy Jesus was an interested as well as an interesting scholar in the school He was no mere visitor. He came with a well prepared lesson, and that indicated that he had studied 1 the lesson at home under the instruc- ,f f,4. | parents today!
 Have you ever considered how many great and noble men the Sunday school of our land have been instru- mental i'll producing? Die -ou ever l think how many of the most infiuen- tial men of the world today give their | time to Sunday school work, thereby recognizing the power that their own early training in the Sunday school | had been in their lives?
 Consider the great characters that have played upon the stage of Ameri- can history-or the history of the world over for that matter-and you will find that great part. If not the | greatest part of the credit for the splendid characters possessed by these noble men and women Is to be given to religion and the church There can be no true complete manhood or wom- anhood without participation in re- | ligion.
 "For what are men better than sheep or | goats
 That nourish a blind life within the l brain
 If knowing God, they lift not hands of 1 prayer
 Both for themselves and those who call them frfend7''