The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-11-13
EPWoRTH LEAGUE.
Topic For the Week beginning Nov.
Is, personal Work the Duty
of Every Christian" = Text,
John i, 1910. 40, 46; Acts
Will, 20, Acts K.

"He brought him unto Jesus"
AS truly as self preservation is the
first law of nature self importation ia
the first impulse of grace.
Every creature with intelligence or
instinct naturally defends itself when
danger threatens its welfare. With
many If not most animals this care In
cludes it's own young. In some cases
there is a banding together of many
for common ends. But trace this nat
ural impulse as far as we may, 1t falls
far short of the motive impulse of the
Christian life. This is grounded not in
any instinct of preservation of life for
self and those nearly connected. 1t is
deeper rooted than the craving for
companionship. 1t Is not akin to phys
ical appetites and desires. 1t is Of
spiritual nature and arises from rec
lationship to God and through Him of
relation and obligation to men. II
has less to do with any reasoning proc
ess than with an insistent longing of
SOUL 1t is far more than the impulse
to tell of some new discovery or share
some new possession.
There is wonderful satisfaction In
showing another person some newly
found object or skill In any line of eff
fort. Much of the pleasure of life
comes from such display and the re-
sulting admiration and society of like
minded.
But Christian fellowship is more Sc.
curely based than this. When a soul
comes to a clear knowledge of Jesus
Christ as personal Saviour and partic-
ipates with Him in glad obedience tc
the will of God as Father Almighty
there is born in that soul a sentiment
of earnest concern that others shall
come into the same condition of son.
ship and fellowship.
1t is useless to attempt to explain
this experience to one who has never
felt its thrill. 1t is as impossible as to
describe color to one born blind. Only
when one sees with his own eyes can
he understand, 1t does not come to
any one simply because he is alive and
dStlNC III tOV WIN VI lhCh. ~ NOlliNoi
if it comes at all, only as soul sees
Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour
and receives in himself the divine i'm
pulse to the new life of faith and hope
and love.
1t is not matter of education and
culture, not matter of thought and
will. 1t is gift of grace from God,
which comes as fresh impulse from
without self. but is joyously welcomed
and acted upon willingly.
Whoever follows the heavenly i'm
pulse to go after others and bring ther
to Jesus continues in the companion
ship of the Master and in FELLOWSHIP.
with the inner circle Of His friends
Andrew finds Simon and brings him t,
Jesus. Philip finds Nathaniel AN
after years are made brighter by the
union which these men found through
the Man of Nazareth. They had known
each other from boyhood in Bethsaida.
They had much In common before.
Now, in Jesus the Christ they find a
higher plane of life, closer fellowship
Ethiopian treasurers and Roman CEN
turians can in after years be led into
the inner circle of Christian disciple
ship as the Holy Spirit opens the I'M
derstanding and kindles the emotions.
The need now pressing the church
of Christ, and especially the Leagues
of young people, is this same earnest
desire to bring some soul to Jesus.
Will you not find that waiting one
and show him the way?