The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-04-09
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
Side Lights On Next Sundays
Lesson for Teachers and Pupils
Edited by Charles K. Meyers.

GIL.
We have for our lesson this week a
portion of the scripture, and theme
which transcends any we have had
for some time. Our lessons in the
history of the Israelites and the do
ings of Moses and Joshua have been
most interesting and full OF good
things for our life, but the subject to-
day strikes right at the vital thing
in the christian religion.
The Golden Text Is that we'll remem
bered verse of John 3-16, God SC
loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoeyer believ
eth on Him should not perish but have
eternal life" With such a start the
ending can be easily found out.
The verses from Luke give the an
d nouncement of the birth Of Jesus,
Those in Mark give that wonderful
day in the life of Jesus when there
was brought to Him man helpless
with paralysis. This was the time
when the sufferer was borne by four
friends and there being such crowd
about the house In which the Master
was speaking, the man and his help
jers decided to mount the house, tear
off some of the roof and let the one
needing help down into the room.
Jesus recognized the faith of the man
and his friends and decided to help
them. Instead of telling him to rise
and walk, much to the surprise Of the
bystanders Jesus said, "Son. thy sins
be forgiven thee" The learned Jews
about understood and all thinking peo-
pie now see something of the import
of this declaration. Here was man
who took the responsibility to- for
give the wicked thoughts and ambi-
lions of the one before him. If the
sins of the poor helpless man could
be forgiven, then the same blessed
rule would apply to the rest OF man
kind
THY sins be forgiven thee" How
much that means to the human race.
From Greenland's ICY mountains to
midas coral strands" there is uni
versal consciousness among people
that they need forgiveness from sin.
/ remember of asking a returned mis-
sionary as to what he taught in his
sermons among the heather people.
why, just what l preach in Ameri-
ca, for over in China as we'll as here,
men and women feel they are sinners
and need q Saviour" Long before
christianity was taught people were
anxious to be better, to obtain con-
sciousness that by the doing OF some
thing they would be acceptable to q
power who controls their destinies.
While it requires the exercise OF
faith in the promises of Cod, to feel
that belief in what the Saviour says
will affect ones condition after death,
there Is absolutely no doubt or ques-
ton what this faith will do among us
from day to day. It is one OF the
strong showings why the gospel OF
Jesus is true, both for living now and
after physical death. II what we can
see with the human eye before US
now shows the changes in life caused
BY the forgiveness Of SINS" 1t Is
fair inference, at least, that the same
effect will have sway in the time after
physical death.
In India those who accept the for
giveness of sins from Jesus, quit do
ing the cruel things which have been
their daily custom in the past. They
are now interested in the condition
of others, ready to sacrifice or be help
full for others. The awful caste dis
tinction is felt no more, and all are
recognized as common children Of
God. What we call virtue comes into
the lives of the new christians, and
the change is marked and plainly
seen. In China mothers no longer
throw their babies into the baby
house awhere they die from neglect
as. SO many rats in cage, or those
girls who do grow up are not sold into
slavery. The sick are cared for and
not tortured to death, on the theory
that an evil spirit possesses the SICK
one and must be forcibly driven out.
We do not need to go to India or
China, however, to see the effects OF
the forgiveness of sin by Jesus. Ev-
cry grown up reader can tell OF men
and women whose lives have been
changed by the gospel. Lives whose
chief notoriety was cruel selfshness,
disregard for the rights OF others,
have been changed about face" and
the things the persons In question
once loved they now hate. Towns,
cities, communities which were law
less and vile, unsafe for unarmed peo-
ple to live in, have been made quiet,
helpful centers for all residents. 1t
is wonderful what difference 1t
makes whether a household is chris
tian or not. Rev. Boyd, the M. E. pas.
tor at Denison, who had some great
experiences in the western Virginia
mountain districtsI tens OF finding
himself one night far from the place
he had expected to reach and seeking
the hospitality of mountaineer ana
his humble house. The guest at first
became suspicious that he had fallen
in with folks who would take his life
or rob him and decided to sleep with
his revolver handy and on the watch.
Just before bed time the mountaineer
asked that the bible be taken out
and read and there was prayer. The
visitor was no more alarmed, but
went to bed in peace and slept natural
and rested. The bible >or no bible
made all the difference in the world
as to the character OF that household.
"Thy sins be forgiven thee" come
back to this declaration for 1t means
everything to you and I. It means
either heaven or hell, and that Is
something worth sitting up and tax.
inu notice about. Millions of people