St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-02-16


face; a MISUNDERSTANDING man; 1
along perhaps whistling, as some one
has said or perhaps he is singing, for
men who like to do good deeds are
generally cheerful. 1 will guarantee
there were not many wrinkles on his
brow, even if the Jew did despise him.
All at once he heard the grOans of this
poor, wounded man. He reins up his
steed and stops to listen. He says:
''Yes, hear the groans of a man that
is a human voice. He dismounts, and
he seeks the man till he finds him, for
we are told he came to where he was.
We are told the priest and Levite
came along down by chance; but the
good Samaritan didn't come by chance (;
be represents your Master and mine.
The Son of God didn't come into this
world by chance God sent him into
this world, "and he came where he
was" Some people tell us-I heard
some one not long ago saying-that if
man was willing to meet God half
way God would meet him there, and
he should be blessed. Suppose that is
true, how was this poor wounded, dy-
ing man going to be saved? Surprising
that the good Samaritan rode down
upon his steed and said: "NOw come,
my good friend, jump up here and
will take you to an inn. Come, give
me your hand and l will help you"
HE came to where he was: No, if
there is hundred steps to be taken
before the sinner can meet God, and
God should take ninety nine, and say {:
''Sinner, take one and | will save you,"
he could not be saved. He comes to
where the sinner is. He don't ask you
to come to Him, but He comes to
where you are. And so this good Sa-
marian came to where he was. And
the first thing he did was not to scold
him, not to condemn him for coming
that way. He didn't begin to appeal
to his prejudice and say: "Here, you
are Jew. You are man who hates
us Samaritans. have a chance now
to heap Goals of fire ON your head, and
| will do it." Didn't go at him that
way. Never said anything about it.
And if that Jew had had strength
enough to have resisted his offer, very
likely he would not have let him help
him. He first poured oil into his
wounds. That is what the Gospel
does. Gave him water and then lit
tie wine, emblem of joy, tie revive him,
and can imagine how he tears off one
of the sleeves of his garment to bind up
the wound, and then, after he has
made him comfortable, he takes him in
his own strong arms and puts him on
his own beast. That is our gospel,
that is what Christ does. He takes him
to all inn, leaves money, and says, if
the charge is more he will pay it.
And Christ put the question (which
one is neighbOr to the man that fell
among thieves ?" Theiman was convict
ed right there. He had his eyes open
ed, and had to tell the truth, and he
said: "He that showed mercy" Now,
my friends, have we got the spirit OF
the good Samaritan Are we ready to
go out and get those men of the gutter ?
Are you ready to lift them out of the
ditch Have we found out who our
neighbor is? don't know but | over
draw the picture when say this seems
to be good deal like the spirit of the
present day. Surprising a Methodist
had been down there trying to get that
poor fellow out of the gutter to get him
on to his beast, and wasn't quite strong
enough to get him up, and a good
Presby terian came along down, and the
Methodist says: "Help me get him on
the beast" ''What are you going to
do with him after you save him What
church is he going to join ?" 81 have
not thought of that. l am going to save
him first" 81 wont do it. l shan't
help him till | know what church he
belongs to-" An Episcopal brother
comes down and wants to know if he
has been confirmed. eve haven't
time to talk about that. Let us save
him." "What inn are you going to
take him to; a COngregationalist,
Methodist, Presbyterian or Episcopal 7
| want to know what you are going to
do with him. Isn't that the spirit of
our age? Haven't we had good deal
of that spirit in the church-that we
are not ready to take hold of poor
man out of the gutter, because we are
not sure he will join our sect7 Would
to God he would carry us above that
party feeling. 1t won't take us long to
find out who our neighbor is if we read
our Gospel right. We will find that
these men that feel bitter against us,
and talk against us are our neighbOrs !;
and let US go there and try to do them
good, for Satan has deceived them, sin
has blinded them, and they don't know
the gospel of Jesus Christ, they don't
know the love of God, and if we don't
tell them who will ? Now, my friends,
shan't we ask God from the very depths
of our hearts to show us who our neigh
Dor is, and then go and try to bring
him to God, that he may walk in new
ness of life?
| am coming to the conclusion the
longer | live that what this poor, per-
ishing world wants is Christians that
have got sympathy for their fellow
men. 1t is compassion that men want
us to show them more than it is ser
mons. AS said the other night, there
have been sermons enough preached to
convert them. But it is not some fine
written essay, it is not some Oratorical
effort that is going to save these men !;
but we want to get out of the pulpit
and these high platforms and go down
among them, and show them we love
them, and speak to them little kind
word here or there show them some
little act of kindness, and convince
them that we have care for their
souls. What we want is gospel of
acts, and not gospel of resolves and
creeds and dOgmas. We have had too
many of them. We want men who are
going out to carry out the principles
that Christ taught, hunting out the fall
len and degraded, and trying to lift
them up in the name of our Master
But if we haven't sympathy with them
we can't do it. A sermon may be keen,
it may be logical, it may be full of real
intellectual power, it may be as sharp
and beautiful as an icicle and Just as
cold. and if it is it never will reach the
hearts of the nannla What ITO hnuo