The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-11-21

| very important meelllS hSAI Suhu"y
/ with one of our New York boards, and
l cannot go to church" Father" per
sisted the Young girl, "you say you
love me. l believe you do. If l was
TO be married next Sunday you would
be there, would you not? Well, father,
/ am going to more important cere-
mony than any earthly marriage
am going to give my troth to Jesus
Christ. He is to be more to me than
ever an earthly husband can be, and
want you to be there" The tears be-
gan 10 rain down the great financiers
cheeks as he answered. Eyes, Helen,
| will 60" AS a result of that invita-
ton and that service the father gave
his heart to God. He is today awaiting
in heaven the advent of his Christian
daughter, whose faithfulness led him
to the foot of the cross. Oh, that you
and l. as gospel evangelists, might be
willing to begin our evangelistic work
at home-begin by putting our arm in
loving embrace about our dear friends
whose affections mean so much to us
and say: Brother, sister, | cannot be
truly happy unless you are happy with
me in Christ. Will you come with me
to meet my Saviour? Will you come
noWf"
Personal Evangelistic Work.
When John Mclean, the famous as
sociate justice of the supreme court of
the United States, was converted many
ing at church. On his way home he
said to his wife: "Mary, we have neg
lected our duty to Christ too long We
shall at once set up family altar and
have family prayers as soon as we ar
rive home" But, john" answered
his wife, eve cannot do that at once
You have invited some prominent law
yers to dinner, and they will be wait
ing for us in the parlor now. Perhaps
we might have family prayers in the
back room, if you wish" 'NO," an
swered the famous lawyer, who is long
since dead; "the first time l ask Jesus
into my home l shall not sneak him in
by the kitchen door. l shall ask him
to enter my parlor." When Judge Nc
Lean entered the house, he Immediate
ly called the children ,4Sgether; then,
after greeting his lawyer friends, he
turned and said: Gentlemen, | gave
my heart to Christ this morning. 1t is
very important day in my life. l in
tend to start family altar at once.
wish that you would join in family
worship with me and my children and
that my Christ might become your
Christ But if you are not willing to
Join we will be through with prayers
in a little while, and then we will all
go to dinner" AS a result of that ear
nest plea not only did his family, but
also his guests, kneel in prayer. One
or two of those guests then and there
| gave their hearts to Christ. Would
that we might all start our evangells-
tic work in our homes! Would that we
all might obey the commandment of
my text by first trying to bring our
loved ones to know and to trust that
| Saviour whose love for the repentant
sinner passeth all understanding!
| But the gospel invitation ought to be
given to the strangers who are within
Christians gates as well as to the
loved ones who have a right by the
| ties of blood to live there. 1t is non
sense for us to suppose that after we
have gathered our fathers and mothers
and wives and husbands and children
and a very few dear personal friends
into the gospel lifeboat we have
right to haul in the plank and cast off
the haWsers and set sail for heaven,
deeming our Christian responsibilities
fulfilled. No. Emphatically no. The
Christians obligations are so farreach-
ing toward his fellow men that in the
light of the gospel the poor traveller
who was waylaid by thieves on the
road to Jericho was just as much
brother to the good Samaritan as if
he had been born in the same cradle,
sung to sleep by the same lullaby and
reared in the same homestead.
But, though the gospel teachings
make the Jew and the gentle broth
ers, yet the average church member
does not feel that he has any direct
responsibility in presenting the gospel
invitation to the stranger that is with
in his gates. After the minister has
preached some Sunday pertinent ser
mon upon this overwhelming text, GO
out into the highways and hedges
and compel them to come in," this
average church member accosts the
pastor with words like the following:
"Why, my dear pastor, you would not
expect me to stand in the aisle of the
church and ask the stranger to come
into the after meeting, would you? |
am a young girl. 1t would not be
proper for a young lady to speak to
strange men and women, even in
church, without an introduction" Or
some young man would say: Preach
err, | am a church member, but l can
not do what you want me to do. You
surely would not expect me, when l
am riding along in railroad train, to
talk about Christ with every man who
might sit down by my side and open
a conversation with me? Why, such
course as that would naturally be
very embarrassing to me as well as to
the people with whom l talk" Yes,
young man or young woman, whether
it be embarrassing or no; whether you
have had an Introduction or not to the
people with whom you come into tenn
porary contact, that is what believe
every true church member ought to
do. 1 believe every Christian ought to
be so anxious to save souls for Christ
that, no matter in what position in
life he may be placed, he ought never
to allow any man, woman or child to
come into contact with him in any
way unless he tactfully improves that
chance for speaking a word for his