Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-08

at length might have prosperous jour-
ney by the will of God to come unto you
IL For long to see you that l may I'M
part unto you some spiritual gift, to the
end We may be established;
r. That is. that may be comforted to-
gether with you by the mutual faith both
of you and me.
10. Now 1 would not have you ignorant.
brethren, that oftentimes 1 purposed to
come unto you (but was let hitherto), that
l might have some fruit among you also,
even among other GentileS.
IA. 1 am debtor both to the Greeks and to
the barbarians; both to the wise and to the
unwise.
10. So, as much as in me is, am ready to
preach the gospel to you that are at Rome
also.
16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to
the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
II. For therein is the righteousness of
God revealed from faith to faith: as 1t is
written. the just shall live by faith.
The Lesson.
In the first place we should ask our
selves If we are able to inscribe ourselves
servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1t
has been said that the Lord has many ser
wants who are willing to stay in the kitch-
en- and work. but few who actually want
to be His children living close to His heart
in the living rooms of the house. But
there are also many who would like to be
scribing themselves servants" They are
either too fine or too lazy to be true ser
wants. They like to pay for what they
have and let some one else do the work.
even the church work. Now, true SER
want does not do that way.
A true servant in the old-time sense of
the word, not the poor excuse for ser
wants who crowd our service now, had al
" a RI fhn nod Of <6o
ready to sacrifice everything even to his
life. for his master any member Of the
household They were separated from
the service of everything else to look after
for his names sake" that is, for the hon
or and glory Of the family whom they
served.
Are you and I separated in that way
from every other kind Of service? Have
we surrendered even our days OUT If need
be for Him who bought us with His pre-
cious blood? Or are we like 50 many of
the modern servants, who do just as little
as they can for Just as big pay as they
can get, and grudg1ngly at that? Or.
maybe, we only go out to service occasion
ally or take little work In. and work for
ourselves the rest of the time. We cannot
expect to love His service nor to care for
the interests of Christ while serving our
selves.
These people. to whom Paul was writing,
and over whom his soul yearned so in this
chapter, lived in Rome, that very hotbed
of wickedness. the city ruled over by the
cruel Nero. Living amid all the corruption
OF that time, they may not have been very
lovable nor attractive, and yet there was
one thought about them Paul had that
covered everything else. and that was they
were beloved of God" Whom his Master
loved those loved he. He could not help
it because he loved his Master.
Is it with you and me? Do We love
all those beloved of God, all those whom
He has called to be saints?' Remember
% hn uyhn live m, ofyna
whom you dislike so much. is called to be
a saint" Stop saying those harsh things
about him. Stop criticising his every ac-
ton. Stop allowing yourself to be Offend
ed by his every action. Go and talk with
your God about him. earnestly in prayer
He is beloved of your God. Christ will
speak to you by His Spirit and reveal to
you that love, and If you really love Christ
you will find growing in your heart a
strange, new feeling of interest in that one
whom you have hitherto almost hated. You
will grow anxious to have him know and
love Jesu as you do You will even long
to tell him about Jesus love. For Christ
will reveal to you how deeply He loves.
and loving Him you cannot fail to grow to
love those whom He loves.
There is no human passion stronger or
one which gives deeper thrills of happiness
than this passion for souls. 1t is the high
est love we can have one for another. The
joy that comes when one knows he has
been permitted to bear the love of Jesus to
another soul who knew Him not, and has
really been able to help that soul take hold
on 1T and rejoice In 1T is inexpressible. The
wonder is that ever having known 1t any of
us cease to go on bearing the love message
to others who know 1t not.
Then this love Paul had for souls was not
merely tolerattng love, but an enjoying
love, the same love that Jesus the Christ
has for those souls, for see, in verse II he
says he expects to receive comfort and
pleasure from his companionship with them
There is no communion SO sweet as of souls
who have common love for Jesus.
Do we find. perhaps. point that cuts In
the 10th verse? For am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ" Can 1t be that the
reason so many Christians neglect to speak
a word that may help to save soul is that
they are ashamed to speak of these things?
Let us ask Christ to forgive and take this
out Of US If it be so.
Applied Truth.
When it had become finally certain that
the steamer Central America had been lost
at sea and hundreds drowned there was
great sadness in New York. One day soon
after vessel steamed I'D the bay with