The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-07


still dim to me: cannot feel him;
cannot find him.
But some day the door opens and ne
comes in himself, with the face Know
the smile love, the step that always
made my heart beat There he is MIN
self. now: he has really come: see no
more through a glass darkly. but race
to face.
Thus we read: "Hc sent unto them
other servants more than the first, but
last OF all He sent unto them tiis oon
1t was getting rid Of messengers; ana
by new and living way bringing liiose
who were separated from each other
close together-God and man lace 70
face and heart TO heart
John tells us He came unto HIS own.
OF course. primarily. this has reference
to the Jewish people. But those Jews
were typical. Christ came to them as
a door through which He might enter
into all humanity. All humanity stands
crowaad IN behind those Jews and claims
the name.
Christ came not merely to man. but
into man. Here was man, MADE IN 200
image, separated from God. struggling
up and ia ling back till the consciousness
that he really belonged to Goo was al
most lost. That 1t might not be lost;
that II might be a real and living thing.
must be asserted from the other side
Man and Coo had the capacity OF en-
trance into each other.
Since man would not. and. as 1t seemed,
now. could not enter into God. then God
would enter into man Man had failed
of being God-like; God then would be
ynan-!ike, and so the full truth should
be proved.
God became man, and therefore, man
hood must be capacious OF Divinity. lie
lived in human home. and so homes
became holy He entered into friend
ships. and so friendships must be sa-
cred He worked and SO work must be
honorable He cared Tor the body that
He lived in. and so the body cannot be
so vile as men have called it and as we
make 1t. To remember this is to have
the constant inspiration that 1t was His
own" to whom Christ came.
There is yet a tenderer. closer mean
ing in these words. Christ came in an
swer to a most pressing call for need.
That is what it signi1led when it is said
He came unto HIS own
your child is yours. not merely by the
claim Of birth, but by the tie of con
tuual dependence. He is most yours
when he needs you most. He ceases TO
be yours as he outsrows his most ur-
gent need of you. Everywhere that is
yours which needs YOU. Need has its
sacred rights.
lie came TO those who needed Him most
the need OF sin that craved forgiveness
was what made them His. Because we
want forgiveness and help, and lie only
can forgive ard help US. therefore we
are His All through the gospel this
clearly shines forth.
Because We are His fathers children
and because we are so needy, therefore
our Divine Brother comes. He comes
TO you and says: You called Me, What
wilt thou that l should do for thee?"
What answer shall you make? Many
have taken Him at His word and rejoice
that they are His. They needed Him
ana He owned their need. He took them:
He forgave them; He holds them. and
nothing shall pluck them out OF His
hand.
But there are two classes. There are
those who received Him. those who re-
fused Him; all sons OF God and all need
ing Christ. yet some rejected Him. His
own received Him not" Not q soul un-
visited by God! The choice lies with US;
the solemn. dreadful power of free viii.
Christ's invitation forces US to decision.
He has been or ling to US from our
chidhood-for the last ten, twenty or
thirty years. perhaps. He comes again
to-day once more. VIII you accept or
refuse Him?
-------------------------
The world deE ghts in sunny people
The old are hungering for love more
than for bread. The air Of Joy is very
cheap; and ii you can help the poor on
wl,h a garment Of praise it will oe bet
ter for theru than blankets.-Henry
Drummond
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The original prodigal son learned. as
those who have since followed in his
tracks that it was Just as far from The
pig sly back to the fater's house as it
was from the home to the sty and that
the road had become great deal rough
er. You can't make the trip to the sly
and jump back home In a night.
Tomorrow you have no business
with You steal if you touch tomorrow.
II is God :. Every day has in 1t enough
to keep any man occupied without con