The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-11-02
COMMUNICATED at FirStCOn.
gregationa| Church
PASTOR PREFACED THE SERVICES
With a Brief Sermon Taken From
Revelations. 22:17-The. Divine
Spirit Everywhere Says Come.

Yesterday morning the Lords Sup
per was commemorated at the First
Congregational church. The pastor
prefaced the communion service with
a brief sermon from the text: Rev. %:
17:-And the Spirit and the Bride say
Come. And let him that heareth say
Come. And let him that is athirst
come. And whosoever will, let him
take the water of life freely.
The divine spirit everywhere says
Come. God does not force men. He
respects the sanctity of the human
will. But to ali mankind he extends
the free invitation. The thirsty soul
may come to him and drink Of the
water of life freely. The father in
heaven speaks to ALL Probably nc
feel at some time the voice of God
speaking to him with an invitation to
draw near and Quench his thirst He
speaks through the still small voice
of conscience. He enters the soul in
its hours of sorrow and mourning. A
great nation, grieving for it's honored
president, sings Nearer My God to
Thee" and feels in the stiffness of the
divine presence even as when with
out sound of war or battle the Prince
of Peace was born. The Book of
Ruth teaches US that the conscious
ness of God, and his gracious invita-
ton, are wider than any church or ma
ton or ecclesiastical organization, ex-
tending even to the despised peoples
and the alien race of Moab. Truly
the spirit says, Come.
Again, the church says, come. Her
open service, her musical bell her
songs of praise, her invitation through
the papers, her free seats all proclaim
the desire to welcome and invite
others to the fountain of hope. No one
can honestly say that he is not free
to attend the worship of Gods house.
Every Sabbath brings it's invitation to
all who. are willing to hear.
But the church should make its in
yitation, not only through public SER
vices of worship but through the sa =
cred observance Of it's covenant. The
name by which the church is called,
Bride" shows the spirit Of fidelity and
love for the Saviour which ought to
mark the covenant of obedience. When
the members of the church are loyal
in this intimate way to their profess
sion, then the voice Of the church is
b
the needy to the Lord of life. Jesus
takes it for granted that in this deeper
sense the church will say, come. Our
text reads: The Spirit and the Bride
say, Comet" Is the invitation of our
loyal fidelity to Christ clear and plain
like that of Gods spirit?
Next follows an exhortation. Let
him that heareth say come. The mes
sage Of our father, the voice of the
church must be repeated by the per-
sonal invitation Of the believer. Prob
ably this is the most effective way of
spreading the invitation. People are
brought to Christ through the raith-
full example and real personal interest
of individual disciples. Andrew
brought Peter, Philip invited Nathan
iel, the woman Of Samaria persuaded
her neighbors to come. Gen. Booth,
of the Salvation army is quoted as
saying, The first vital step in saw
ing outcasts consists in making them
feel that some decent human being
cares enough for them to take an in
terest in the question whether they
rise or sink
AS individual Christians we ought