The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-04-03

Peter and Andrew casting their nets into
the sea, and He said, Follow me, and
strsigbtway they left their nets and fol
lowed Him. And going on from thence,
He saw James and John, and he called
them, and Immediately they left their
ship and their father and followed Him
Such was the attractive force of Jesus,
charming men away from home and kin
dred, from all their earthly oallings and
possessions, to become His companions in
tribulations, poverty and danger and
the only account ey gave of it was this :
Lord, we have cit all and followed
Thee
So, too, little children seemed to know
az a glance that he cared for them and
would be kind to them Instead Of
shrinking back at His approach they
Gathered around Him and allowed Him
to take them up in His arms. Every
mother seemed to know that He had
something of her own pity for the little
ones in His bosom. They all trusted
Him. In all the lie of our Lord we do
not read that one woman spoke word
against Him. h q might mock, insult,
and call Him evil names, but no woman
ever uttered reproachful or angry word
about Him, or by any act treated Him
rudely. Even the poor, weary, guilty
woman called the sinner, saw such pity
In HIS face and detected such tenderness
in His tone when He invited the heavy
lsdened to come to Him for rest that
she ventured to approach Him. With
heart beating with mingled fear and
hope, and almost breaking with anguish,
she bends on Him as He reclines at the
table, until tears come to her relief
and with lowly reverence she kisses His
feet and then anointed them with the
precious ointment. Nor was her peni-
tentisl trust in vain. "And He said to
the woman, thy faith hath saved thee
60 In peace
THE CHARACTER OF HIS TEACHINGS.
2. "They came to Him FROM every
quarter" because He taught the people
what they wanted to know and in way
they could understand. How thankful
am for the plain teaching of Jesus he
did not draw His illustrations from science
and philosophy and the books of the
learned, But there is one book we all
can read, one that speaks to our hearts,
and that is the book of nature. The sun
the wind, the rain, the foods, the clouds
the grass, the flowers, the birds, the
morning. the evening, all the world
familiar with these things, but Christ gave
them ali new use, a new meaning, and
beauty, whsn He explained spiritual
truths by item. So too, all the occ1p0
tons of men wers made to teach US some
thing important The sower, the fisher.
man, the shepherd, the vine dresser, the
merchant, the woman making bread and
sweeping the house, all homely things
all familiar things-yet all instruct US
by helping US to understand md remem.
Der longer the great truths of salvation
That is the great use of the parallels Of
our Lord. Everybody knows how patti
ent and loving good father is, even
with undutlful and ungrateful children
and so when our Lord wanted to let us
know what a long-sufering father God
is, and how ready to forgive, He told us
the parable of the prodigal son, story
we can never forget; one that we car
hardly read or hear without tears one
that has led many wandering, wicked
boy back to his fathers home and heart
again.
Then, too, Christ never trlt2ed with his
hearers. He was always serious, always
earnest, and went straight to the marx
He did not 1.-THE mint, anise, and cum.
min, or spend time in speaking of cere-
monies that had no meaning In them
He did not care about fringes or phylac
teries, or which way man must turn
his face in prayer, as if one point of the
compass was more holy than another
but knowing as He did that He had
men and women about Him who had to
work hard for living, others that had
great temptations and sorrows, others
that were burdened with sense of sin
others that were impenitent and in dan.
ger of losing their souls, He told them o.
Gods good providence for the poor, o.
His readiness to pardon the guilty, o.
His delight in &C ~iorting the Borrowing
and in saving to the uttermost of IN
worthiness all that came seeking forgive
ness In His name
THE GLASSES Hg TOOK UNDER HIS WING
Then, again, He taught that God die
not value men according to their riches
or rank, or station in society but be
cause they had souls worth saving-soul
He was willing to redeem at the price o
His own blood; He took under His i'm
mediate care and protection the olssse
that the world had hitherto most soorneC
/ and trampled on-the poor in spirit, tn
meek, the mourning, the prosecuted, anC
] His invitation was Come unto me al