The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-02-13

J LESSON 1EAI-Luke ll.l-4, lily.
GOLDEN TEXT-Be We kind one to an
other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven
you.-Ephesians 4:32.
Did you ever hear of vinegar
saints? They are the Christian folk
who are preserved" (as Paul
prayed in I Thess. 5:23), but are
apparently picked instead of sweet
ened Every housewife knows that
things may be preserved with sugar
or with vinegar.
God never intended it to be that
way. All through His Word there are
admonitions and encouragements to
gracious and considerable living. Ev-
cry Christian is under orders to
grow in grace" as well as in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
Gil Pet. 3:18) This lesson stresses
two leading Christian graces.
1. FOrgiveness-Not Always Easy,
but Always Possible wv. LAY.
The Bible is ever realistic in its
approach to life. God knows that
Christians must live in Just our kind
of world; in fact, your kind of world,
and makes provision for it.
Offenses cannot be avoided. There
will always be occasions for STUN
bling. No matter how closely we
may guard our children, they will
face temptations. Let us prepare
them to meet them with the power
of Christ, and let us be so prepared
ourselves.
The fact that offenses must come
does not excuse the one who creates
the cause of stumbling. Someone is
responsible for every such occasion
for offense, and the woe of God is
pronounced upon him.
What shall do about the one who
thus tempts me and others? Just
grieve over it and look the other
way? No indeed. ''Rebuke him.
says Gods Word. Let us do it! If
he does not repent, there is no oc-
casion for forgiveness. To do so
would only encourage him in his sin.
Ii he repents, or even says he
repents, we are to forgive, not Just
once, but over and over again ".
~. That's not easy for any of US,
but it is possible if we, like the dis
ciples (see V. 81, ask God to Sin
crease our faith" and use it as
Jesus directs in verse 6.
ii. Gratitude-the Almost Forgot
ten Christian Grace wv. 11-19).
Nine men wonderfully healed of
the dreadful disease of leprosy, and
only one said, "Thank you" to Je-
sus, land he was a Samaritan" an
outsider or stranger. One wonders
whether in our own day of protested
enlightenment and culture the aver
age of those who express their graf
ltude would even reach one-tenth.
Gratitude is as scarce as friend
ship" Many there are who profess
to be Christians who never offer
praise to God for the provision of
their daily food, let alone for all
other temporal and spiritual bless
lngs. The kindness of friends is
taken for granted. The thoughtful
ness of others is accepted without
comment.
Have you told your minister that
you appreciate his sermons and his
ministry in the community? Does
your Sunday School teacher know
that you have received help and
blessing in the class? Does the edi-
tor of this paper know that you en-
joy and appreciate this column? If
you do, why not encourage him by
calling him on the telephone or writ
ing him note to tell him so?
Young people, have you ever said
real heartfelt "thank you" to your
father or mother for all they have
done for you? Perhaps some older
sister or brother or school teacher
or neighbor would be greatly heart
ened by such word from you.
Someone may say, II am CRATE
full, but I am not the type that
talks about it." One wonders wheth-
er Henry Van Dyke was not right
when he said, "a dumb love is ac-
cepted only from the lower ami
mails" A dog will show his thank
fitness by wagging his tail, but a
man has tongue with which to say
kind and tender words of apprecia-
ton to both God and man.
Most important of all, let us bear
in mind that God awaits our words
of praise. Christ valued the words
of gratitude of this man and missed
them from the nine others. When
He was in Simon's home duke 7:
44-46), He gently rebuked His host
for failing to show him the ordinary
courtesies of the household.