The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-02-09

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Here is an illustration of what i!
meant by the inspiration of election
only those things that were of vita
and redemptive Importance in the lif,
of Jesus are recorded. John says
Many other signs truly did Jesu.
which are not written in this book
But these are written, that We Nigh,
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 a model II
character building for the youth
Jesus is the example, and the model
boy. Jesus was a real boy. He ate
drank, played. grew. asked questions
Just as other boys do.
His character, like all other char.
acter building, was a growth: "He in.
creased In wisdom and stature" No
character is instantaneous; it 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 a man. Just as words
and sentences are formed by means
OF the single letters Of the alphabet,
so words, thoughts. deeds, actions,
looks, motlves-these are the alphabet
from which We spell character. Sow
a thought, and reap a word; SOW a
word, and reap an act; SOW an act,
and reap a habit; SOW a habit. and
reap character; SOW character, and
reap destiny.
Christ's character was developed in
the home. He had a Christian home
the greatest gift of God this side Of
heaven. What chance has many a
child today to build character in a
home where the parents know not God,
never read the Bible, never pray, nev-
er 60 to church! If for no other rea-
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 Christian life.
As a boy, Christ was obedient to his
parents. This was a 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! Humanity
speaking, Christ owed great deal in.
the development of his character to
his attendance at the temple. Can
symmetrical character be produced
outside CT 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 a great
wrong when We deprive them of the
privileges Of the church.
But Jesus was also member of the
Bible school-the teaching part of the
church. This is evident from the fact
that the instruction received was in
and asking questions. No
doubt many Of the Scripture passages
quoted by him were learned in the
Jewish Bible school.
The boy Jesus was an interested
rs we'll as an interesting scholar in
the school. He was no mere visitor,
He came with we'll prepared lesson,
and that indicated that he had studied |
The lesson at home under the instruc-
lion of his parents. What a lesson for |
parents today!
Have you ever considered how many |
great and noble men the Sunday |
school Of our land have been instru-
mental in producing? Did you ever
think how many of the most influen-
tial men of the world today give their
lime to Sunday school work, thereby
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.
IAN 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
plendid characters possessed by these
,oble men and women is to be given
O religion and the church.
For what are men better than sheep or
goats
That nourish blind life within the
brain,
I knowing God, they lift not hands Of