Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27
CHRISTIAN ENDEAv0R HOUR
Conducted by
GRACE LIVINGSTON Hill.
For June q.

For June -.
Topic: "Christ In Our cities tCity Missionsl."
Acts xviii1-ll; Luke XIX ALA; Matthew N:23-24.
Acts, xviii:1-11 Is an account of city mis-
sions In Corinth in Paurs time. both among
the Jews and the Gentiles.
Luke, xix:41-And when he was come
near he beheld the city and wept over II.
2-Saying. II thou hadst known. even
| thou. at least in this thy day, the things
which belong unto thy peace! But now
| they are hid from thine eyes.
43-For the days shall come upon thee,
that thine enemies shall cast trench
about thee and compass three round and
keep thee in on every side,
4+And shall lay thee even with the
ground. and thy children within thee; and
they shall not leave in thee one stone upon
another: because thou knewest not the
| time of thy visitation.
2eAnd thou, Capernaum, which are ex
allied unto heaven, shalt be brought down
| to hell: for II the mighty works, which
| have been done in thee. had been done in
Sodom, 1t would have remained until this
| day.
| A-But I say unto you, That it shall be
more tolerable for the land Of Sodom in the
| day Of judgment, than for thee
The Lesson.
| The late DIR. Gordon in his book entitled
How Christ Came to Church tells the
| story of a dream that came to him one
| pairing his sermon for the next day. He
| thought he was in the pulpit about to preach.
when a stranger entered the church and
came down the aisle to a central pew. All
through the service he was impressed by
his sad, earnest face, and at the close he
fastened down to speak with him, but did
not reach him before he had left the church.
He inquired who the man was and was
told, Jesus of Nazareth" And straight
way he fell to recalling his sermon and
wondering what his tnlr If
He thanked God that 1t had been about
Jesus Himself, though he asked himself
this question concerning it:
But in what spirit did preach? Was 1t
Christ crucified preached in a crucified
style? Or did the preacher magnify him
self while exalting Christi"
Suppose tomorrow morning as you leave
your pleasant home for your business in
the crowded part Of the city, you should
meet with Jesus Christ! And He would ask
you. perhaps about your Sabbath. the serv
you would tell Him OF your church. its
members. Its eloquent pastor and fine
music. the money 1t gives to this and that
enterprise the good deeds 1t does. and all
you stand waiting on the corner for the car
or train that is to bear you onward to your
work. He should sweep His arm over the
city lying at your feet and say: But for
doing for these?" You would try to tell of
the midnight missions. the breakfast mis-
sions, the almshouses. the Sunday schools,
the college settlements, but all at once
your part In such work would seem so
small! And II, you talk. you should
suddenly see tears in His eyes, YOU would
know without being told. as you followed
i itls SAD glance that He was weeping over
the SIN OF the city. over its saloons and
dens OF crime. its fostering, crowded tene-
ments, and its Indifferent. worldly popula-
uon. Then you would see yourself as you
are sitting today in your pleasant pew in
mi linz OBJ
you, the consciousness of your happy home
little way down the street making an
undertone OF comfort during the sermon,
and you clothed in self-satisfa ction from
the dollar or two you have put upon the
collection plate. But the satisfaction would
be gone now. You would know in the light
OF your Maser's tears that you are doing
on, so little for that great city of which
you are part, that city which He loves.
that city upon which a woe will be pro
nounced as great even as was that upon
Capernaum, some day.
Before me lies the report of a certain
reilglous and benevolent organization of
Philadelphia. The little pamphlet is en-
titled a Great Work." and it is a great
! slant that If once all the Christians in that
city should arouse and determine to do all
tnat they can, to give all they can, to work
all they can. all they can-what they would
caH all they can" If Jesus stood over the
city beside them looking with them down
upon the sin there-that this great work
would be more than drop In the bucket
compared to the mighty sweep of love that
redeem?
Just take your own little corner. Have
you cone all you could in 1t? Can you
honestly tell your Master SO? Have you
even done your best with your next-door
ne1ghbor? You know he does not go to
church Perhaps you never invited him.
nor loaned him book that would carry the
message OF Chrfst's love. You give your
fs fr1,n
and children of the drunkards. to build
homes Tor the crfppled-and even do what
can De zone TO save the drunken husbands
ana iathers who have helped to make them
cIiPples-Dut have you hurled yourself with
all your influence into the great movement
against the saloon? Have you ever taken
one iowly, forlorn. lost soul, and prayed
10 ior MN, and worked for him. unremitting-
~. night and day. till you knew he was
safe In the strength of power higher than
your own? These things ought We to have
done and not to have left the others un
Let us carry with US into the weet< of
work the memory of the tears of Jesus.
Let US try to feel some of His heart-an
guish over the lost ones all about us. Let
s us oe periecuy certain that we are respon-
ness and Indifference about us, else unon
us also will come the doom of Capernaum
worse even than that of Sodom.
Applied Truth.
when Ridley was bishop of London he
wrote thus to wealthy and powerful men,
Der of the royal council: Christ ueth
abroad In our London streets, without lodg-
ing, hungry. naked and cold. Will Won not
help to lodge Chrfst?'
~ How to Help the Leader-Get a copy of
Iolstofs little book, Where Love Is There
God Is Also.' to be found in very chean
form, form. and read or tell in a few words a
iIttle OF the story of the old shoemaker and
Christ's visits to him. Read a part of
Lowelrs poem, THE Search" beginning
i went to seek for Christ" especially the
last two verses relating to the poor of the
city. W "a NV
Parallel Passages-Isaiah xlv:22: Isaiah.
iix:l; Isaiah, lxiv:4; jeremiah, viii:2O. 20:
Matthew, x:6-S; Matthew, xv:24; Luke
Xix:1O; John. fft:17 First Corinthians. ix.22.
First Timothy, I'LL, 3, f.
Hints to the Leader.
Christian Endeavor Hymns-2, 20. AZ. "a.
116
The Endeavor Hymnal-12s, 1875, 142. IA.
49, $40.