Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful… If I am to use things that are beautiful, I must remember that beauty is a moral instructor; I must educate myself with it, that I may become a man of more power, and that I may take that power and employ it in my Master's cause. If I use beauty as a means of education, I shall be redeemed from the charge of selfishness in it. And if men ask me, "How can you lay out so much for works of art when there is such a demand for money to support missionaries and mission-schools?" I reply, that I am preparing myself by these things to preach the gospel. They help me. The things that fill my house with beauty are not objects for the gratification of my selfishness, but instrumentalities by which I am qualified to do the work of God in this world. (H. W. Beecher.) Parallel Verses KJV: And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; |
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