Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-23
PROVING OF PHILIP.
The Lesson in the Feeding of the
Multitude Across Galllee.
A PRACTICAL APOSTLES ANSWER,
In His Self-Suficiency He Never Thought
of Higher Power.
HIS COUNTERPARTS IN THIS DAY
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

| WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH.I
There does not seem to have been any
thing extraordinary about the Apostle
Philip. He was plain man, like the rest
of u.s. Indeed, all the apostles were plain
men, about whom nothing is perhaps more
notable than the fact that they were not
notable at all. Christ passed over the more
conspicuous men of His day ald chose these
IL out o. the people, II plain men. So omuch
the better examples they are for us.
| There was not a single uncommon man
among them. They were, not even uncom-
monty good, but had their defects, and their
| littlenesses, and their shortcomings, and
their sins, just as We have. We put a title
before their names, and call them Saint
Peter, and Saint Philip, and Saint John;
but that is only to distinguish them from
any other Peter, and Philip. and John, so
that everybody may know whom we mean.
| We must not let that title deceive US into
thinking that they were really different from
/ US. They were plain people, just as we
| are.
| And Christ chose these 12 men, who were
no scholars and who had no money to speak
| Of, and were none of them particularly dis
| tiDgulshed citizens of tine towns in which
they lived-Christ chose these men, who
were no better than we are, to be His COM
panions and to take up and carry on His
work. These plain men turned the world
upside down. So can ANYBODY who loves
| Christ as they did, and believes a supreme
truth with the unspeakable confidence which
they had, and is dead in earnest as they
were. Indeed, nobody who lacks these
qualities can do any great service ior Christ
in this world, while whoever possesses
them cannot help helping. 1 sometimes
think that the man to-day who is most like
one o. these II in his manner, and look, and
character and work, is Mr.. Moody.
| THE CHARACTER OF PHILIP.
| My subject this morning is the Proving of
| Philip.an want to emphasize this fact that
| Philip was the same sort of man that we
! are. so that We will realize how closely this
| proving of Philip touches US. The charac-
ter OF Philip is indicated pretty clearly in
| the gospel history. He was the man who
being called by Christ, and coming to know
Christ, straightway went and found some
body else. "Philip fndeth Nathaniel"
But when Nathaniel has an objection to
make to Philips claim for his Master, all
that Philip can say is "Come and see." He
was not good at arguing. 1t was Philip
also to whom in Holy Week came certain
Greeks, attracted very likely by his Greek
name, saying, ''Sir, we would see Jesus"
But Philip hesitates to bring them into the
Masters presence. He is not quite sure
what he ought TO do. He consults Andrew.
And the two together bring the request to
Jesus.
There were two kinds of people to whom
Philip found it hard to speak. To the
objeetor, to the inquirer, he knew not what
to say. OF course the time came when
Philips whole life was taken up with
meeting objectors and inquirers. Whoever
asked Can any good thing come out of
Nazareth?" Whoever came saying, "Sir,
We would see Jesus" that was the very
person whom Philip wanted to get by the |
hand. But here we find him hesitating,
not knowing what to say, behaving exactly |
as nine-tenths, perhaps, of the Christian |
people whom we know would behave under |
similar conditions.
PHILIPS REMARKABLE REQUEST.
1t was Philip also who upon one occasion
asked remarkable question, and upon an
other occasion made remarkable answer.
"Lord," he said, ''show us the Father and
it sufficeth u.s." Could any request be more
extraordinary and astonishing! "Show us
the Father" What did he think would
happen? Would the roof open, and the sky
part above it, and the invisible be made
visible? Would the little company fall
into trance, and be transported into the
third heaven, there to behold sights inde-
scribable? What was Philip thinking of?
And yet, was the wish so very far out of
the common? Is it impossible that you or
could have uttered a request so unheard of,
so preposterous. so astounding? Why, some
of US are wishing Philips wish every day.
If we could but see God with our ewes, and
touch Him with our hands, and hear His
l.. 10 rr,t h. IL
we could believe. How many people there
are who have thought like that. deep in
their hearts. "Show US the Father" they
are saying to religion, "and it sufficeth u.s."
The remarkable answer which Philip
made, and to which I alluded, brings us to
the incident in his life which 1 have chosen
for our special study this morning. After
a season of unusually wearying work, Christ
and the apostles had gone by boat across the
Lake of Galilee, seekinga place of rest. It
was desert country across the lake, and is
a desert country still to-day. No villages
clustered along the shore, with crowds of
fishing boats putting out into the deep Tor
draught, as on the Western side. 1t was a
solitude. 1t was an ideal harbor of rest
The work of ministering to mems souls and
bodies had so increased upon that little
company of helpers, that they had not time
no, not even to eat. They needed rest.
NO REST ON THE DESERT.
But great company OF people, who felt
the need OF help just as much as Christ and
the apostles felt the need of rest, had gone
gone by land around the head of the lake,
and taken sudden possession OF it. And when
Christ came there were thousands OF them.
The solitude was crowded. Rest was not to
be thought of. Then it was that Christ
asked the question to which Philip returned
his remarkable answer. For il is written |
when Jesus then lifted up his eyes and
saw great company come unto Him, He
saith unto Philip, Whence shall We buy
bread, that they may eat? And this He said
to prove him, for He Himself knew what
He would do. Philip answered him, 200
of bread is not sufficient for
hem, that every one of them may take
little
That was an eminently practical answer.
Philip, evidently, was practical man. He
vas acquainted with the cost OF things. BE ,
Knew how much money the apostolic !,
had in their scanty treasury. i;
He d"cides at once that this generous
housht of Christ's cannot be executed. 1t q
will take too much money. Philip was a
nan who had some idea of money. What
,e would have said to st. Theresa's project,
Who started out, you remember, to build !,
hospital, having. two haIi-pence in her :
pocket, and saying: "Two half-pence, with ! =
rod, can build city"-what Philip would !.
lave said to that sort of fnancierng we
annot say. AT any rate there is no men,
ion of Cad here The bread will cost SO =
much money. We have not in our treasury
hat amount Of money. The plan cannot e
e carried out. =
HIS CoUNTERPARTs WITH US. .
Now, before we go any further, let US also