The Tupelo journal., 1902-10-24

incident for n going on 4 journey
to carry a letter of introduction from
q friendNto some one in the city to be
visited introducing the bearer OF the
letter to an acquaintance Of the friend
in the home city. It generally reads:
ANY attention or courtesy which you
can extend to--will be con-
sidered a personal favor" That is,
the one to whom the letter is sent has
an opportunity Of serving the friend
in the distant city by rendering kind
ly attention to the bearer of the let
ter. When Prince Henry came to this
country it was as the representative
of Emperor William, and all the off,
cial courtesy extended to him was
rendered in the name and for
the sake of the ruler of Germany.
By substitution, the American peo-
pie were serving the emperor. These
illustrations, in a measure, set
forth the way in which Christ can be
served. By substitution. Christ can
reach human need only through hui
man instrumentalities. and the dis
ciple can only serve Christ by serving
others, by serving " the least of His
brethren"
This is a wonderful thought, that
the Christly presence may be found
in the most humble, crying human
need. Notice that in Christ's earthly
ministry it was in the unexpected
places and the most humble and dis
tressing cases of human need to which
Christ ministered. 1t was blind Bar
timeus by the wayside; it was the
woman who touched the hem of His
garment while the multitudes
thronged Him; it was the foul
leper that came and fell at His feet;
it was the outcast and those in all man
ner of distress hat felt the Divine
touch and went away rejoicing. And
Christ to-day calls His followers to
seek in the unexpected places and
amidst the distressed multitudes for
opportunities of serving Him. He is
waiting in such places to be served.
What a comfort it should be to us
for Him to recognize the giving of
the cup of cold water, the food, the
raiment, the shelter, the touch to the
fevered brow in the sick room, the
kindly word spoken within the prison
walls, things the poorest and weakest
of Christ's disciples can bestow, while
those who are boasting of the great
things they have done in His name,
the uttering of prophecies, the cast
ing out of devils, the doing of many
wonderful works, are banished from
His presence with the rebuke: Il never
knew you; depart from Me, We that
work iniquity."
Christ taught and emphasized the
lesson of humble service, and declared
that he who would be greatest among
them let him be as the servant of all.
The glory of the TRANSPORTATION on
the mountain top and the CONVERSE
ton with Moses and Elias were not al
lowed to shut out the need of the
lunatic sol. The pain and agony of
the cross could not shut out the low
ing thought for His mother,
or stifie the cry of the penitent
thief. Even the formality of the din
ner in the house of the rich Pharisee
could not keep Him from ministering
to the need of a sinful and outcast
woman. The great fact was not that
He had dined at the house of a rich
Pharisee and had talked with men of
influence and authority, but it was
that a brand had been plucked from
the burning and a woman set to re-
joicing whose song will continue to
ring through the courts of Heaven
throughout eternity. The greatest
fact in regard to our Christian SER
vice is not that you or l are prominent
in church circles, that we have great
responsibilities resting upon us, that
large audiences depend upon us for
leadership. but it is that in the unex-
pected places, at the unexpected times.
we may meet Christ in the person of
a needy soul by the wayside and be
Christ's messenger of loving. help
full service. 1t is possible to be so
occupied with the great things,
as we consider them, in the service of
Christ as to shut out the real presence
of Christ and prevent us from per-
forming the humble service which will
call forth some day from the Masters
lips: "Inasmuch as We have done it
unto one of the least of these, My
brethren, We have done it unto Ne"
The preacher whose sermon is of
more Importance than the call of dis
+,oe- f,or, co-,o L,,nL1o .,:uu
has shut Christ out of his study and
missed more good material for STIR
ring sermons than he can scrape to-
gether out of his books after months
of study. The church member, the
Sunday school worker, who is so in
tent upon reaching the house of God
as to hastily pass by the case of need
by the roadside has thoughtlessly
missed the presence of the Christ and
will fail to find Him in the meeting
house. The rush of getting ready for
church or Sunday school. with its so
often attending impatience. may lose
US the blessing of meeting Christ in the
home, and certainly prevent us from
feeling His presence in church or class
room. The Sunday clothes that are too
nice to be soiled in ministering to the
needy may make one feel at home in
the fashionable church, but they may
shut the wearer out of Heaven. Better
to soil your hands and ruin your
clothes and meet the Christ by a visit
to the sick o or the prison. than to
preserve your immaculateness and re-
ceive the bowed greetings of a host of
fashionable friends. Better to put your
arm around the drunkard and lead him