The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-09-05


nad the privilege of giving His sra
cious and appreciative testimonial
which has come with its rare Fragrance
down TO us through The years. Wa
Mary lacking In her sense Of the need
of the poor? Were the critical disci
pies more Jealous in charitable enter
prises than their Lord? Mary's offer
ing. the criticism Of the disciples. ant
Jesus rebuke, bring their message ant
their lessons to us Of to-day.
IN these days of lavish giving and
| | splendid organized charities, the
poor are remem bered and provided FOL
as never before In the worlds history
Charity's operations are reduced to
science, but the Lord and His mission
to the poor are forgotten. Temporal
benefits are allowed to obscure the
eternal needs of the soul. The alabas-
ter boxes are sold and the 300 pence
are given to feed and clotho the poor,
and human pride and self-conscious-
ness swell In the heart and exclaim:
"See, Lord, how splendidly thy servant
hath wrought" But were the soul sem
sitive to the voice of the Saviour. they
would hear Him say: Eye have the
poor with you always and when We will
We may do them good. Ye have con-
slant opportunities to minister to their
physical needs. but the supreme Offer
ing Is the alabaster box Of fellowship
with Me, of realization of My mission
to earth, Of loving gratitude because Of
what l have wrought for YOU" 1t is
not the giving of the 300 pence to re-
lieve temporary need, but the Offer
ing of the best one has to the Lord
that one may go forth equipped to give
the Lords best to the needy souls Of
the poor.
THE Criticism.-Much criticism Is
heard that the churches raise and
expend so much for the evangelization
of the world and so little in direct lines
of charity. The sociologist points with
pride to his neighborhood settlements,
his clubs. his schools for the poor, and
challenges the churches to show like
zeal for the lettering of human condi-
tons. 1t is the complaint of the dis
ciples modernized The disciples said:
This ointment might have been sold
for more than 800 pence, and have been
given to the poor" The modern critic
says: See the vast amounts the
churches are spending in spreading the
Gospel. This money might better be
devoted to the alienation of the condi-
ton of the poor of our own land" Is
the criticism just? and II not, wherein
does the criticism err? Both questions
may be answered by the same state
ment: Jesus did not come into the
world to better the condition of the
poor. He came that He might through
His sacrifice save the souls Of men. His
mission to the poor Is not to give more
food. better clothing and shelter, but
to lift the dead soul to life in Him, and
when this has been done food, cloth
ing and shelter follow. The best the
world can do for its poor does not go
beyond the brink of the grave, but the
work which Christ does and which He
has called His disciples to help Him
carry on, brings better conditions in
this life and prepares the soul for
Heaven.
ESUS' Rebuke.-And IL Jesus were
here on earth to-day He would an
swer the modern critics as He did
those who murmured at Mary: "Ye
have the poor with you always. and
whatsoever we will We may do them
good" 1t was not Jesus purpose to
set the poor aside and refuse to recog-
nize their claim for help. In fact His
reply is positive recognition of the
poor and their claims upon their fellow
men, and especially the Christian. The
rebuke Is not against the desire to aid
the poor, but against the exalting of
the temporal above the spiritual And
until the higher claims of the latter
are recognized. one is not in position
to administer to the temporal needs.
The least which one can do for the
poor Is to feed and clothe and shelter.
II the help does not go beyond that
point, the unending years of eternity
will reveal the folly of such ministry.
The poor we have always, and there is
opportunity to help them.
but the supreme mission is
to help them spiritually. To withhold
food and shelter and clothing SO that
the life perish would not be SO terrible
as to withhold the ministry which
would bring the soul from death to life.
Death would forever end the physical
suffering, but death would only mark
the beginning Of the awful lack which
the soul without Christ must know.
THIS thought and this lesson were
l forcibly driven home to my heart
during my summer vacation last year.
which spent awheel. My pockets were
not filed with coin, but the roomy
bag on my bicycle was filed with the
precious Word Of God. Pretty illumi-
mated Scripture texts, and Testaments
the living Word Of God which shall
not pass away, rather than treasures
of this world which perish with the
using The thought that In the coun-
try districts there we're many needy
souls who seldom or never came I'M
der religious influences or heard the
~ n4I x.rk t-AN he. anA a