The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-18
TUESDAY AFTERNOON
MIR. Moody's Discourse Jan. 1G Upon
the Centurion at Capernarin.

Mt. MoOCy's DISCOURSE Jan. III Spou
the Centurion at Capernarm.
want to call your attention tiis after
noon TO the Centurion that we have just
read about at Capernaum. IL is one.of
those nameless characters thafsh1ne very
brightly upon the stage of tstory- For
some reason the Holy Ghost hasn't given
us his name. There are quite number
OF nameless cearacters the have saone
very brightly in this world In
the scripture. A good many OF us
would like TO know who nat woman at
the well was; she is one q those charac-
ters we would like to NEE, when we get to
Heaven, We would like to know the
name OF that woman whom he met way up
on cost of Tyre; that bind beggar that
takes up more room thar any other char
acter in the Bible, jus, because he had
courage to speak out his convictions and
stand boldly for Christ; that little maid
that told Naaman, or the wife of Naaman,
about the Prophet Elisha and set two
Kingdoms in commoton. Her name has
not been given us. And here is another
character, this centurion, who shines very
brightly, light in the dark places. tell
you. The brightest and purest pearls
come from the darkest cayerns of the
ocean. And here is pure gem, diamond
shining i'm thatittle town. Such a man as
this centurion, not only in Capernaum but
in the Roman army. Now, il there was
class OF people that the Jews despised, it
was the Gentiles, and the one Gentle ma
tion they detested the most was the
Romans, unless it should be the Samari
tans. Yet this man had lived so in Caper-
naum that he had won their favor and
esteem, he had commanded the respect,
not only OF his own soldiers, but of those
Jews that would naturally have hated
him. He went to Christ end wanted
Christ to heal his servant because he loved
the nation. They thought because he had
built them a synagogue that le was one
OF the grandest of men, and it looks as il
God left all His work TO go and heal this
centurion because he was worthy. Perhaps
they said, "Thc very synagogue occupied
last Sunday was built by this centurion.
Now come, because he is worthy" Didn't
do it on the ground OF grace, they did it
on the ground OF his worthiness. Now, il
you will just follow the whole scene you
will find that Christ wanted To
teach another lesson. / remember being
in Scotland few years ago, and on my
way to the church, friend said
81 hope you will not bear very hard on
whisky. The steeple on the church
where you are going to preach was built
by n distiller, and it would hurt his
feelings il you should say anything about
whisky" That was just the way to
keep me from saying anything about it,,
you know. i had to give my opinion
about steepes that were built with
whisky money. There are good many
who have an idea that distilling
is all right IL they will only give their
money 10 the church. That will cover n
multitude OF evil and make IL all right.
These Jews thought this centurion was all
right because he had built them n syna-
gogue. Now, man may build n syna-
gogue and still be black hearted william.
But not so with this centurion: |
don't think IL was because he had
built a synagogue that his name shines
so bright in history. will tell you what
think. He wanted Christ TO come and
heal his servant, and ] suppose that SER
want was slave. A different set OF peo-
pie we have nowl Most of us, IL we have
a servant and he gets sick, we Just get
him home as quickly as possible, or to
some hospital. Perhaps we get free bed
IL we can. We get him of our hands be-
cause we don't want TO be bothered with
a sick servant. We have paid them their
their wages, and we think that Is the end
OF our responsibility. Not 80 with the
centurion. IL wasn't his son nor his
daughter, nor his wife, nor mother. IL
wasn't some member OF his family, not
any one that was bound TO him by the
tie of nature, but servant, and he was
very dear TO him. All, my dear friends,
there is lesson. I don't believe this
nation has ever seen better day to show
our friendship toward those who are
down. The gulf has been &C jming
deeper and darker for twenty years, and
now we have good opportunity TO bridge
the gulf. Let US follow in the footsteps
OF that good Samaritan. Let the million
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