The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-07-04
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Especially Prepared For Readers
of The Republican.

30 oil; Acts lb:l3-34. Read Acts
2:37-47; 8:26:40; Rom. Sill.
He that will. let him take the water of
life freely. Rev. 22:17.
u. S. WRIGHT.
The HAND ON The GATE.
God is always lat home" to sinner
as well as saint. But throngs pass the
gate and fail to turn in to greet the
Owner and all the while they seek just
the cheer that waits within its door.
And always for those who enter there is
another hand than their own upon the
gate to swing it inyitingly open and
urge the entrance. Always there is a
mans hand upon the gate of life.
Humanity is the guide to Deity. Some
shining soul lights the way for every
entrant. Somebody cares enough to
call and man turn within. Me, Man
and Jesus make an eternal company.
John, Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathaniel,
Lydia, the Sooth-sayer, the Jailer were
all brought into relation with Jesus
thru the urge of voice not their own.
And this is the great task committed
to us, to hold the gate open and urge
weary men and burdened women to come
within. The children do not need the
urge, for them it is merely for US to
hold the gate wide but it must still have
the human hand upon it though they run
through with joyous shouting. But
for the others there must come the win.
ming call to turn within. Gods hospi-
tality must be carried into the street
John was eagerly lnsistant that those
comrades of his should become acquaint-
ed with Jesus. Andrew and Philip
found" their men. Paul had gone far
from his own door when the Incidents
of the lesson occurred. God Himself
had to take man S form before the world
would listen. The tragedy is our re-
fusal to allow Him to use our lives, our
failure to stand at the gate and call.
S. D. Gordon tells of Pastor who was
asked at a funeral, "Was Mary a
Christian" 'Three weeks ago." he
replied, 81 had a strong impulse to
speak to her, but l did not; and l do
not know Her Sunday School Teacher
made the confession, 1.-TWO weeks ago
voice seemed to say, Speak to Mary
and / knew what it meant, and l in
tended to, but did not, and l do not
know" Later the Mother sobbed,
lone week ago voice came to me
saying, Speak to Mary, and thought
of it but did not at the time, and you
know how unexpectedly she went away,
and do not know" And God pity US
that there are many more of US to
whom He has spoken seeking to get
His call through to some soul, seeking
our hand for His gate, and I'VE did not. "
THE VISITORS.
There was great variety here. John
was passionate youth. Andrew was
a sympathetic, approachable man that
is always found in company with some
one else. Philip was the practical bust
ness man. Nathaniel was thinker and
mystic. Lydia was the wealthy woman
of affairs. The Sooth-sayer was an un-
fortunate slave girl. The Jailer was a
brutalized believer in the power of
force. No two were in any fashion
alike. They stand apart each in his
individuality yet all entering the same
gate. There is no crowd but one by
one the invitation is accepted. Today
we seek the masses" but the masses
are also men. The class must be reach
ed through some member of it. We
can't deliver men into the Kingdom in
trainloads as we do bales of goods. 1t
was marrow gate" of which Jesus
spoke and men go through one by one,
it's not wide enough for an army or a
class or a mass to go through, that
spells destruction, but it's always open.
No time O'Clock fixes the hour of it's
opening. 1t is not rusted by periodicity.
1t is not marked, Passion Week,
only" 1t is never closed. And God
isn't happy unless all the children re-
CARELESS of color, type, or condition en-
ter the House He has builded for all
the race.
THE INVITATION.
The invitations were as varied as the
cases. One can imagine Andrews
eager telling of that afternoon with
Jesus. And when Peter accepted the
appeal was to his hidden desire. When
Philip was called it was the plain COM
mand which he understood, it was some
thing he could do. Nathaniel was met
upon the ground of understanding him
at his best IN moment of high exuIta-
ton. Lydia opens like a bud in re-
spouse to the call of the sun for when
her good was confronted by Pauls best
she chose it instantly. The slave girl
was Won thru her healing which must
have made her outcasthood glorious in
its enrichment. The jailer was shocked
into consciousness of better things than
he dreamed. Then when the clamor of