The Brinkley argus., 1912-02-09

ms lesson IS tne OHe sohlniy Ah l stance recorded In the strangely seal | ed thirty years of the Masters He. Here is an illustration of what Is meant by the inspiration of election --only those things that were of vital 1 and redemptive importance In the lie | of Jesus are recorded. John says, | Many other signs truly did Jesus | which are not written in this book: | But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus Is the Christ, the son of God; and that believing ye 1 might have life through his name | For this reason, we should value every word that is written.
 The lesson furnishes 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.
 His character, like all other char acter building, was 6 growth: "He in- 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 sim gle words and acts. A mushroom may grow in 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, 20 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 habit, and reap character; SOW character, and reap a destiny
 Christs character was developed in the home. He had Christian home the greatest gift of God this side of heaven. What chance has many a child today to build character in 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 childrens sake. If our chil- dren are lost, we parents are to blame, unless we have set before them the example of 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 mandmeAt 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- tiyated that habit in the child In sreaking of Jesus as a churchgoer, Luke says that "as his custom was, be went into the synagogue" What great thoughts must have come to the mind of Christ as he visited the tenn plel What dormant potentialities were aroused as he sat and listened to the NNtNSASiOA LII 0Nu WolNs sreaking, Christ owed a great deal in the development of his character to his attendance at the temple. Can 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 0 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 derriye them of tic privileges of the church.
 But Jesus 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 answering 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 as well as an interesting scholar in the school. He was no mere visitor. He came with well prepared lesson, and that indicated that he had studied the lesson at home under the instruc- tion of his parents. What 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 eve, think how many of the most influen- 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 ind 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.
 goats brain, ''-S 1T knowing God. they lift not hands of T Both for fl,a,,.oi.... T.,