CHILDRENS’ COLUMN.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 222039, 20 January 1900, Page 2

CHILDRENS’ COLUMN.

FALSEHOOD.— Acts v 1.5. There was once a king of England, who was born and lived in troublous times, but he was wise aud good, and bocame groat and the most exalted pf men then living in the world. Doubtless my young readers about him—how wisely he the nation, and how beloved he ww*-#y his people. But there was one trait in his character which earned him most esteem, and this was his truthfulness. In fact he was called ‘ Alfred the Truth Teller.’ Yes, this was his brgfc trait, the brightest jewel, in 1% urowji, the one grand principl all his life—never to tell Like him of whom we have all read who once said; ‘ Father, I can’t tell a lie, I did it.’ May all of my-young readers be like him. Weodk_love truth; even people who addicted to lying, love to see druthin#’ others. It looks noble -in a . boy or girl who would rather be laughed at than tell a lie ; rather be punished than tell a lie; rather suffer the displeasure of their friends than tell a lie and sin against God. What does God think or say about liars. ‘All liars are an abomination to Him ’ (Pro. xii 22). ‘ All liars shall have their portion in the lake of fire (Rev. xxi 8). God is a God of Truth. His name is truth, His holiness is; truth, all his attributes are truth, Ho is truth itself, fer God cannot lie' (Num. xxiii 19), and He commands us. to be like Himself (1 Peter i 15).. i Those who are not so, Heßftl never own as His. A liar endured in His presence, any more than a speck of darkness can. linger in tha sunlight. No liar can come whenff God is, and the only fit home for suck, must be ‘ the outer darkness,* with. Satan, the father of lies. Dear littlefriends, this is a very solemn thought for all of us, and I fear that we all do . not as yet feel about it as we to do—we do not yet sufficiently the heinousness of this awful sin. may be that being so often accustomed. to wrap up a lie, or to veil it aver with a little truth, we are induced to think that there is no evil in it, or no grest>\ sin attached thereto. ButititfflHVx for our tricks of talk, when expressed, are all accounted lies in sight of our God of Truth, with whom, we have to do. And heie we have a striking instance of God’s hatred oi lies in the cases of Ananias and Gappbira, who were struck dead for tellinga lie. Now there is much in the conduct of this man aud woman like what >. people say and do now-a-days to hide a truth or to get out of a difficulty, or- ; to icover a fauit. Tne believers of those d .ys, ia the joy of their faith, sold aii. their possessions, brought tlm money and threw it into the commontreasury of the Lord. They W‘ re not obliged to do this, they uiip^f, have kept their property, if A wished to do-.so, bn*- they cho-e to be generous, and gave what they could’ to the Lord for th/dr needy brethren.. But here cuuies Ananias with his bag: . of gold. He expects no doubt t.» be thanked like the rest, and to be thought liberal. So he puts it down before the Apostle, as much as to say * here is my portion, this is ali I have to give.’ But see how Peter’s words astonished him. ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled thine heart to Be to the Holy Ghost.’ Probably Anauias felt disposed to say, * I did not say it waa all I had,’ but he wished IV.er to think so nevertheless. Has it not been so with us too, that, to hide an untruth, or to clothe it with a righteous, , garment, we will sometimes nod our * head —like Ananias, we will onhfr~*«ct a lie. You might aet a lie in this way: With your heart full of foolish and wicked thoughts, yon pretexted to be very attentiye at your lesson in the Sunday School, or in the house of God. You put on pious looks aad uttered pious words for the sake of praise or reward, when there wa* really no feeling of true piety in your heart at all. This form is termed hypocricy. But which ever way we lie, or whatever ways we may adopt to cheat others, one thing is certain, ™ we cannot cheat God. There is not a word that we say- or a thought that we think but He knoweth it altogether (Psl. xxxix). Remember, dear children, that God cannot be mocked, and as He has plainly told us in Sis Word that ‘ all liars ’ shall have their portion in the lake of fire, let us tryto stick to truth. * Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates iiio the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerors, whoremongers, idolators, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie ’ (Rev. xxii 14.15). Be houest then with God, be truthful in all you say or do, and upright and straightforward in all your ways. Let whoever will walk in a zig-zag way, do so, go you straight forward, as the arrow shot from the bow, in tho way of truth. Try to love to know Jesus who is Th.e-TißjlMgSjajik, speak, and act truth. ‘ RemenroelC*se sad fate of Ananias and Sapphira and may the very God of Truth be your guide and strength for Jesus’ sake. Uncle Arthur.