Newport weekly independent., 1902-10-24

Y.
 By substitution, the American peo-
 pie were sewing the emperor. These
 illustra tions, in measure, set
 forth the way in which Christ can be
 served. By substitution. Christ can
 reach human need only through hu-
 man instrumentalities, and the dis
 ciple can only serve Christ by serving
 others, by serving " the least of His 1 brethren.''
 This is 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 dressing cases of human need to which
 Christ ministered. It was blind Bar
 tlmeus 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;
 1t was the outcast and those in all man. ner of distress that 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 1 opportunities of serving Him. He is waiting in such places to be served 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 transfiguration on the mountain top and the conversa- tlon with Moses and Elias were not al- lowed to shut out the need of the lunatlc son. The pain and agony of the cross could not shut out the low Ing thought for His mother, or stif1e 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 lie had dlned at the house of a rich Pharlsee 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- Jolclng 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 I are prominent ln 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 needy soul by the wayside and be Chrlst's messenger of loving help full service. It 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: "lnasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, My brethren, ye have done it unto Me-"
 The preacher whose sermon is of more importance than the call of dis tress from some humble parishioner 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 l by the roadside has thoughtlessly missed the presence of the Christ and will tail to find Him in the meeting house. The rush of getting ready for church or Sunday school, with it's 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 l 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 visi' to the sick room or the prison. than to | preserve your immaculateness and re- ceive the bowed greetings of host of | fashionable friends. Better to put your arm around the drunkard and lead him | to Gods altar to meet there with you | the Christ than to walk apart from | Christ with the greatest man that ever | received the honors of the world. Oh, | disciple of Jesus Christ! Don't set | the bounds where Christ shall meet | you. Don't confine Him to the church | or the class room, or the home, or the closet; don't look for meeting with | Him only on Sunday and prayer meet ing night. If you do you may never meet Him. and you will be among those to whom He will say some day, Depart from Me, for I was an hungered. and ye