The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-01-08
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Especially Prepared for The Republi-
can by DIR. u. S. Wright.


SUNDAY, JANUARY IL.
Peter and John Heal Lame Man
Acts 8.
Freely We have received, freely give
Matt. 1913.
GODS SCALES.
''The poor you have with you al
way" said Jesus and so long as diff
ferences exist in human capacity there
will remain the witness to the truth
of the statement. In an ocean of
freest moving drops some must al
ways be at the bottom, but not always
the same drops. That is the distin-
gushing thing between Gods plan
and aristocracy, autocracy, capitalism
or bolshevism. God plans free move
ment so that at some time the lowest
drop shall flash upon the highest
wave. But the low drop is still there
and God weighs US in the treatment
we accord it. "Was the habit of your
life that of helpful goodwill toward
my poor?" asked the Judge, and upon
the answer given their feet turned to
the right or left. The cripple at the
gate was but single drop in the
ocean of human misery, but he is new
ertheless the sign of all the class of
crippled who must be reckoned with
in any plan that includes all the peo-
pie. Two hundred thousand, to use
conservative round number, are made
by American industry every year.
Many thousands more are born blind
or are physically handicapped because
fathers pandered to passion. Acct
dents add other thousands to the
lengthening line. In ten years we
produce far more cripples than we
sent men to France to fight for the
liberty Of the down-trodden. Yet if
we turn to other continents the throng
presses to the horizon line until it
seems nightmare of misery and suf-
fering. What must God think of US!
Small wonder that our measure is
taken in terms of their condition!
PARASITE MAKERS.
This cripple was veritable aristo-
crat, an opulent millionaire in the
party of the pitiful. For he had
friends. Each day they carried him
to the gate and returned him to some
shelter for the night. Their loving
loyalty deserves nothing but praise.
They were doing the best they knew
to meet the need of the situation. All
honor to them! Nameless servants of
humanity upon whose goodwill Peter
was able to build a better service, for
he would never have seen the beggar
had it not been for them. They are
the modern builders of charitable in
stitutions in which soup, beds and
thousand ministrant things are given.
Christ knows and praises whether man
finds them out or not. Then the tenn
pie organization gave space upon it's
steps, the best position possible for
his trade and taught the imperative
Importance of charity. Certainly it
was great work and without it Peter
would not have found him, for it came
in the way of his worshipping foot
steps. 1t was not the Temples bust
ness to study causes or plan for Grip
pies; its glory was its worship, this
other was incidental 1t is the same
tolerant attitude of the Christian rich
whose generosity will place large ben
efactions at the service of the present
need. Nor could they be Christian
otherwise. But friends, Temple and
worshippers were merely making the
man a more hopeless parasite with
each passing day for he was taught
to suck sustenance from society and
give nothing in return. "To - with
rescue work." said mine president.
prevent accidents" Drain the swamp
instead of furnishing quinine, build
fence at the top of the cliff instead of
first-aid station at it's foot, teach the
blind and cripples new trade instead
of giving pensions. Those represent
some of the things Christ expects to-
day in our civilization planning, and
great as has been the good from re-
heved pain by the other process it con-
tanned no remedy for the continuing
throng of impotent folk other than
pauperizing their spirit.
THE TOUCH OF LIFE.
The beggar was devout jew His
first instinct was worship and he was
received within the Temple precincts.
No doubt he had joined in the soaring
melody of the Psalms that crowned
the area with song. His patience had
doubtless become by-word, for there
is no hint of a whine anywhere. Yet
he had become pauperized, condition
that may exist with money or with
out it, for it is a thing of the spirit
and NOT of noSSpssionS Pata,- apd