Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-07-07

tie back yard, digs ana plants ana noes
and hovers over her gardens because
she loves flowers and never tires of
her beds filed with pansies and sweet
peas and geraniums and narcissus and
naSturtiumS, so the true Christian
loves men and women in order to win
.bez b Christ. The city missionary
goes down into the back alley for this
one purpose. He climbs the dark ten
ement. There he finds drunken hus-
band and father, and as the city mis-
sionary looks upon that loathsome,
filthy mass of human corruption he
says to himself: IF l can only plant
the gospel seed in that mans heart, it
may save him. Yes, by the help Of
God, it will save him." And, as the
mechanics wife cares for her flowers,
so that missionary cares for that soul
diseased by sin. He prays with the
sinner; he reads the Bible to him. Aft
er awhile the man confesses Christ
and signs the temperance pledge. Then
the city missionary helps this man,
who was once enslaved by sin, to find
work. Then he sees him bring his
for his children's feet and food for the
table. Then he sees those children
sent to the day schools and gathered
into the Sunday schools. Then after
awhile the city missionary sees the ia
Their, with his wife and children, all
standing before the mercy seat and
joining the church, and as the mission
ary's eyes fill with tears he says, HE
is saved!' By the power of the Holy
Spirit not only one soul, but whole
family of immortal souls, are saved
All, there is no joy on earth like the
rapturous joy of soul saving! 1t is one
of the most precious sheaves ever gar
nered by the Christian worker. My
brother, if you have not this passion
for saving souls you have not yet been
blessed with the hottest joy of which
the human heart can conceive.
Another precious sheaf that is gar
nered by the Christian reaper is the
gratitude of those whose immortal souls
he has been able, by the power of the
Holy Spirit, to win to Christ. No true
Christian has q right to swerve one
inch from the path of rectitude in or
der to win the appreciation of his fell
| low men. He should be willing to do
his full duty under all conditions. No
matter what obstacles may confront
| him, he should be willing to draw
| the plumb line of principle and go
| straight ahead whether he is praised or
blamed, loved or hated, honored or
despised.
But when a Christian worker can
SOW the good seed and not only gather
for Christ a harvest of immortal souls,
but gather also the gratitude and love
of those whom he has been able, by
the power of the Holy Ghost, to lead
| to salvation, the reward of that love
| Is very sweet. 1t is as sweet as the
| attention which Mr.. d. L. Moody used
to shower upon a little old woman
popularity called Mother Cook, whose
prayers were the meaEs of giving to
Mr.. Moody n spirit filed life-a little
old woman whom perhaps you have
never heard of, yet woman whom the
whole Christian world ought to love
on account of the work she has done.
1t is as sweet as the affection which a
Sunday school scholar gives to his
teacher because that teacher has led
him to Christ. 1t is as sweet as the
look of gratitude which the dying man
turns upon one who has pointed him to
the cross and to divine pardon. 1t is
as sweet as the affection which q child
showers upon q mothers life, an af-
lection which is developed not alone
from the temporal care which she de-
spiritual care, whereby she has been
able to put her child's hand into the
hand of a loving Christ.
The Heart Like n Gem.
Like the sensitive opal when it comes
into contact with the living hand, the
heart of the believer is made to glow
when it feels the warm love and graf
itude of those whom it has led into the
spiritual newness of life. The story
is told that celebrated New York jew
eler purchased in Europe a magnificent
collection of gems. When he returned
home. he arranged these stones in a
cabinet and invited some of his closes!
friends to inspect them. When his
friends entered the room, he pointed to
the cabinet and said: There, gentle
men, is the richest collection of gems
l believe, in all this land. There is
nothing like it in value anywhere
The friends were in raptures over the
sight. In the cabinet were pearls and
amethysts and diamonds and rare
stones of all sorts. 1t seemed as though
the richest treasures of the noted pea
cock throne of India, which was worth
over $G0.000,000, had been selected fol
this collection. But in the midst of AZ
these beautiful jewels was one whicf
looked like an unsightly pebble. ''Wh!
do you place such dull, hideous look
ing. pebblelike stone as that among
those costly gems?" asked one of thu
visitors. The host answered not word
He unlocked the cabinet, took out tn,