Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-05-24

first Tuesday, p M ~ W. 'hH' "''O''
The FRIEND OF THE Poor, Mr.,
Spurgeon once related an incident OF
an inhdel lecturer who, at the close OF
his discourse, invited anyone in the
audience to reply to what he SAID
surprising that some Jealous youth
would come forward with the usual
arguments in favor of Christianity
these he thought himself prepared to
meet. But to his surprise an aged
woman, wearing u faded shawl and
an antiquated bonnet, and carrying a
market basket and Il storm-worn um-
brella. advanced to the platform and
said: II paid threepence today to
hear something better than Christian
ity, and l have not heard,ti. Now let
me tell you what religion has done
for me, and you tell me something
better, or yau have cheated me out OF
the threepence paid to come H. L
have been a widow for thirty years
I was left with ten children, and l
trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ in
the depth of poverty, and He appear
ed for me and comforted me and
helped me to bring up my children
30 that they have grown up and turn
ed out well. None Of you can tell
what the troubles Of u poor woman
alone in the world are, but the Lord
has made His grace all sufficient. l
was often very sore pressed, but my
prayers were heard by my Father IN
heaven, and | was always delivered.
Now you are going to tell me some
thing better than that-better for a
poor woman like mel | have gone to
the Lord sometimes when l was very
low indeed, and there's been scarcely
anything for us to eat, and I've al
ways found His providence has been
good and kind to me; and when l
lay very sick, and thought l was dy-
ing, and my heart was ready to break
at leaving my poor fatheress boys
and girls, there was nothing kept me
up bat the thought of Jesus and His
faithful love to my soul; and you tell
me that it was all nonsense, Those
who are young and foolish may be-
lieve you, but after what | have gone
through know there is reality in
religion, and it is no fancy. Tell me
something better than what God has
done for me, or you have cheated me
out of my threepence. TELL me
something betterp The lecturer was
at his wits end, and SAID the poor
woman was SO happy in her delusion
that he would not like to undeceive
her. NO." said she, that won't do.
Truth is truth and your laughing
can't alter it. Jesus Christ has been
all this to me, and l could not sit still
in this hall and hear you talk against
HIM without speaking up for Him,
and asking you whether you can tell
me something better than what He
has done for me. Pye tried and
proved Him, and that's more than
you have done"
Better than aims, better than good
laws for the protection Of the poor,
better than wealth, is the experience
Of the divine presence and help which
God gives to all those who love Him
and keep His commandments. Bless
ed are all they that put their trust in
Him from Religion for the
Times" by Llcien Ctdrk, DID.
MAN THE LITE-BoAT.
The old Epicurean poet, Lucretlus,
said, 1T was sweet, when the winds
were sweeping the waters in the
storm, IN some great sea, to watch the
dread toiling Of another, from the
shore" Do we Christians ever take
so severe and mean a pleasure in
watching others as they struggle
against adversity2 The feeling of the
Christian should be the very opposite
of this. We must help man the life
boat; if we cannot pull an oar, we may
help launch the boat, or we may at
least stand upon the shore and "send
cheer across the wave" to encourage
others. Never sit idly looking on.
Above all else, never sheer and pre-
dict failure to another's worthy efforts;
it IS wicked; 1t is barbarous. The
weakest, meanest and commonest way
of all, Is to sit still and criticise. "It
is an unfit life-boat." They are not
the right ones to row, or to steer" 1t
is most cowardly and selfish to sneer,
to call names aud to discourage the
- kL.N,A xrln l4,nr, 4,