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PINE Y
WOODS
KICKING—THE GOOD OF IT.
In the December American Maga
zine appears an interesting little ar
ticle entitled “Kicking and the Good
Os It.” In the first place the author
tells about a man who compelled the
postmaster in his town to sell post
age stamps with the gum side up.
There is a rule in the postoffice de
partment requiring this. The point is
that if postage stamps are handed out
gum side down they are likely to ac
cumulate filth and germs.
Other stories are told, after the tell
ing of which the author goes on to
say:
“There are two kinds of kickers;
those who kick from anger, and those
who kick dispassionately for justice
because they are good citizens. If,
through a little carelessness or irri
tation on your part, you receive dis
courteous treatment from an over
worked and nervous public-service
employee who is nagged by an impa
tient public many hours every day,
you place, yourself for the time being
in the first category, and do more
harm than good. If, however, you no
tice an indisputable piece of injustice
to yourself and others —an evident
example of many similar ones —and
are willing to take the time and
trouble to bring the matter dispas
sionately to the attention of the prop-
FORGIVENESS.
Dec. 15, 1912.
Time—29 A. D.
Matt—lo:ls to 35.
Place —Capernaum.
THE GOLDEN TEXT—“Be ye kind
to another, tender hearted, forgiving
each other, even as God also in Christ
forgive you.” —Eph. 4:3z.
SUGGESTIVE THOUGHTS.
What Should I do?
I —Never Cease Forgiving. Vs. 15
to 22.
The Master teaches us to go on for
giving, just as long as one wrongs us.
That as the spring continues to flow
furnishing the cool, refreshing and
needed waters, because the hidden
supply is inexhaustible, so we should
have the fountain of forgiveness with
in us, that will continue to flow out
to supply all that need to be forgiven.
At first, it may seem hard that we
are required to forgive all that wrong
us, but we must remember that this
is the Christ spirit, and if we receive
the spirit of Christ that which seem
ed so hard becomes a sweet, lovely
and blessed truth. When we learn
this truth then we know that Christ
will do for us, just what He bids us
do for others. Therefore, we need
never fear to go to Him asking for
giveness. It is sweet to know that
He never ceases to forgive. “If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive' us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
(I John 1:9). We ought not to sin,
but if we do, let us go at once to Him
and confess our sins, He will forgive
us. He is also our untiring and
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
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er authorities, you join the second
category, and are doing an act of good
citizenship.
“Do not argue with another’s em
ployee. He is hired by somebody else,
and you have no authority over him.
Do not wrangle with a hotel servant
or shop clerk, or car conductor. You
will only make things unpleasant, and
get the worst lof the encounter. If
you allow yourself to become angry
over the incident, don’t do anything
until the next day, and then do not
say to yourself, ‘Oh, well, what’s the
use!’ and forget about it. Write brief
ly and courteously to the highest pos
sible authority, the head of the firm
whose accounting department persis
tently muddles your accounts, the
general passenger agent of the rail
road whose brakemen is habitually of
fensive, the president of the telegraph
company whose local office frequently
delays delivering your message; do
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faithful “advocate with the Father.”
(I John 2:1.)
ll—Learn Some Lessons From This
Parable. Vs. 23 to 35.
There are many lessons taught by
this parable, let us try to learn some
of them.
Ist. That we need forgiveness. (Vs.
23 to 27). Forgiveness is the greatest
need of man. Our case is more hope
less than the man of the parable. We
could never pay the debt we owe. We
must be forgiven or we must be lost.
If we forgive, we will be forgiven.
(Matt. 6:16.)
2nd. That we should forgive be
cause we have been forgiven. (Vs. 32:
33). This servant was told that he
should have done for his fellow ser
vant, what his lord did for him. Paul
teaches us that we should forgive even
as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiv
en us. (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13.)
3rd. Forgive to receive power in
prayer. If we go to God with unfor
giveness in our hearts, He will not
hear us. So long as there is sin be
tween us and God we cannot have pow
er in prayer: We must have our sins
forgiven to receive power in answer
to prayer, and unless we forgive oth
ers, God will not forgive us. (Mark.
11:24 to 26.)
4th. Forgive because God will
measure to us what we measure to
others. (Vs. 30 to 35.) This wicked
servant cast his fellow servant into
prison until he should pay all he owed
and his lord called the wicked servant
and measured to him the same meas
ure that he measured to his fellow
servant. The Master added, “so shall
also my heavenly Father do unto you,
if ye forgive not every one his brother
The Golden Age for December 5, 1912.
By B. LACY HOGE, Richmond, Va.
not give opinions, advice, nor make
angry comments; merely state the
facts, specifically and accurately.
He will see the point at once, and he
doesn’t need your advice, as he
knows his own business better than
you do. And he will be grateful to
you, because he cannot possibly
know every little detail, but he wants
those details right.”
4- 4.
A SAD ACCIDENT.
Bennie, aged 4, met Henry, aged 5,
and the following 'conversation en
sued :
“Whatsamatter your head?”
“Bumped it ona ceiling.”
“Ona stepladder?”
“No, I was playin’ ’ith my papa on
a floor an’ 1 was sitting on his tum
my.”
“An’ nen what?”
“Papa sneezed.” —Public Opinion.
from your hearts.” “For with what
judgment ye judge, ye shall be judg
ed; and with what measure ye mete,
it shall be measured to you again.”
(Matt. 7:2; Luke 6:38.) In the pat
tern prayer, the Master taught us to
pray, “forgive us,” “as we forgive”
others. (Matt. 6:12.) Thus we see
that our forgiveness of others is the
measure of God’s forgiveness of us.
sth. Forgiveness is Christ-like.
Christ suffered and died on Calvary
that man might be forgiven. He lov
ed us and died for us while we were
His enemies. (Rom. 5:8 to 10.) He
taught us to follow His example and
love our enemies and do good to them
that hate us. (Matt. 5:43 to 48.) For
giveness is the highest attainment of
man. To forgive is to be Christian
like. To hate one another is a mark
of a child of the devil, such an one is
in darkness. (I John 2:9 to 11; I John
3:15; 1 John 4:20 to 21.) Love for the
brethren is the sure mark of the child
of God. (I John 3:14; I John 4:21;
John 13:35.)
6th. Unless we forgive we will not
be forgiven. (Vs. 34 and 35.) The
Master has expressly declared that
unless we forgive we will not be for
given. (Matt. 6:15; Mark 11:26.)
HI —Judge as You Want to Be Judg
ed. Vs. 28 to 35.
The principle of judgment is plain
ly taught all through the Word of
God. In this parable it is taught and
in many other Scriptures. As we
judge our fellow man, God will judge
us. As we judge Jesus, He will judge
us. If we confess Him, He will con
fess us. If we ddhy FTTTh, He will
deny us. If we accept Him as our
Lord and come unto Him, He will, in
SKETCHES
By MRS. W. D. UPSHAW
MADE A DIFFERENCE.
It was kit inspection and the differ
ent companies of the batallion were
standing with their kits on the ground
in front of them. The sergeant ma
jor was making the examination, when
his eagle eye detected the absence
of soap in the kit of Private Flinn,
and he demanded what excuse the
man had to give.
“Plaze, sor, it’s all used,” said
Flinn.
“Used!” shouted the sergeant ma
jor. “Why, the first cake of soap
I had served me for my kit lasted me
three years, while you are not a year
in the ranks yet. How do you account
for that?”
Flinn’s eye had the faintest suspic
ion of a twinkle as he replied:
“Plaze, sor, I wash every day.”
And the sergeant major walked on,
while the whole company grinned.—
Tit-Bits.
4 4.
PURPOSE.
Bind together your spare hours by
the cord of some definite purpose.—•
Taylor.
4. 4.
FIRST THING IN ORDER.
Teacher —Johnny, if I gave you 5
cents and your brother 10 cents, what
would that make?
J ohnny—Trouble.
no wise, cast us out, but will keep
that which we commit unto Him
against that great day. If you reject
Him now and say you will not have
this man Christ Jesus to reign over
me, when He sits upon His judgment
seat, He will confirm your judgment
and say I will not reign over you, de
part from me ye cursed into the place
prepared for the devil and his angels.
IV—Shew Mercy. Vs. 33.
In the Sermon on the Mount the
Master said, “Blessed are the merci
ful for they shall obtain mercy.”
(Matt. 5:7.) “The merciful man do
eth good to his own soul; but he that
is cruel troubleth his own flesh.”
(Prov. 11:17.) Happy is the man that
• hath mercy on the poor and needy.
(Prov. 13:21 and 31; Luke 10:37; II
Tim. 1:16 to 18.) To be merciful is to
be God-like. (Luke 6:36.) God is
merciful to all. “He is kind to the
unthankful and to the evil,” and bids
us to do as He does and receive the
great reward. (Luke 6:35 to 37.) To
obey these Scriptures we must re
ceive Christ and He who loved the
evil and unthankful and laid down His
life for His enemies, will live again
the Christ life in you. “We love be
cause He first loved us.” (John 4:19,
R. V.) With Him who loved us abid
ing within us, we can love our ene
mies, too. Paul said the life I now
live, is “not I, but Christ liveth in
me.” (Gal. 2:20.) His hope of glory
was Christ in him. (Col. 1:27.) He
could do all things through Christ
that dwelleth within him. (Phil 4:13.)
You must have Christ within to be
merciful. If you are not merciful you
will be judged without mercy. (James
2:13.)
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