The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-09-20

ted earlier his falth was confirmed IN
unwavering fashion by this coming
and the boy entered upon new life.
THE GREAT DIRECTION
The little company in Lystra grew
and among the workers no one was
more eager to serve than the boy
Timothy. He even pressed out be-
yond the limits of that little band
and became known as a Christian
outside of his home town. The dar-
ing of his hero was being emulated by
the boy. Then there came the word
that Paul was coming back, he had
reached Derbe. Soon there was the
joyous welcome into that home where
he had been an earlier guest. Again
he saw the boy, now grown into
young manhood, and heard from 9TH
ers something of what he had been
doing with his time. For he had been
we'll taught in the Scriptures and was
regarded as one of their most useful
members. What direction should
their talents take? For Paul there
was San empty place against the sky"
with the passing of Barnabas and no
one had been found to take that place
in his heart or Marks place in the
ministry of comfort for the body.
Why should not this lad enter the
missionary field? Paul would direct
the discovered boy into the field of
service for his Lord. And that is the
high task and royal privilege of all
workers with youth. How shall their
feet find the path if no guide appears
in the critical days of uncertainty and
of longing to do hard things for their
King? 1t wasn't much of job that
Paul proposed to those widows for
the boys of their love. He would take
him with him to care for the bag
gage, to look out for lodgings, to
wash the feet of the dusty travellers,
to write the letters, and to do thous-
and odds and ends for these messen- !
gers for his Christ. Timothy was
never bigger than when he stopped
to accept such a job because it would
help the Kingdom. "NO matter what
the work if it would serve the cause"
was his feeling as he packed his small
kit, kissed his mother and grand
mother goodbye and set feet upon
the trail that knew no turning back.
THE GREAT TRAINING
For seventeen years Timothy was
in Paul's school and he was as great
a teacher as he was traveller. For
the youth was eager to learn and
Paul was as eager to impart. AS
they walked there would be many a
story of Jerusalem and of those
things that had occurred there. At
every campfire there would be the
recounting of some of the multiplied
experiences that are omitted from the
record or some like that upon the
Damascus road that have been writ
ten. To have sat at the feet of such
a traveller, Of such a talker, Of such
Christian for the years would educate
any one even less eager than limo
thy. Then he shared the writing Of
some Of those priceless letters like
Colossians. Philippians, Thessalonians
and Corinthians, and would know at
first hand the meaning that Peter
complains was hard to understand.
But he was given the most difficult
situation to face and the hardest
problems to solve. He was sent back
to the mobs of Thessalonica and to
the disaffected Corinthians and he
brought helpful things to pass that
won his masters approval. At Eph-
esus he was chief pastor after Pauls
departure so that by story and in
struction and by assigned task upon
whose working there was always an
examination this youth was carried
thru a course that made him one of
the shapers of that early Christian
world.
THE GREAT RETURN
An investment in life is the most
profitable that can ever be made. 1t
bears interest at a thousand per cent.
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