Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-23

promised to meet there? Have you ever by
SO much as a word invited those people
to come and see Him and learn what man
ner of person He be? Have you ever PUT
off an evening gathering to go to hear
Him unless it was more than convenient
to do SO? Have you hid away the books
You have been reading and resolved to read
them no more because you would be
ashamed to have Him see you at such
books? Have you spread abroad the news
of His presence with you and Of the Won
ders He has done for you. even so much
as the poor Samaritan woman, who testi-
fled: Come see man who told me all that
ever did,"
Marcus Dods says: 1.-THE disciples were
good men, but they went into Sychar,
judging the Samaritans good enough to
trade with, but never dreaming of telling
them the Messiah was outside their town.
They must have been ashamed to find how
much more capable an apostle the woman
was than they. 1 think they would not
wonder another time that their Lord should
-condescend to talk with a woman. The
simple unthinking, untroubled directness
of woman will often have matter fin
ished while a man is meditating some pom
derous continuance for bringing 1t to pass.
Let US not fall into the mistake of the
disciples, and Judge men good enough to
buy and sell with but quite alien to the
matters of the kingdom. The woman's tes-
timony was enough to excite curiosity.
The men on her word came out to judge
f5r themselves. What they saw and heard
completed their conviction And they said
to the woman, now we believe not because
of thy speaking: for we have heard for
ourselves, and know that this is indeed the
Savior of the world,''
1t is not fairy tale, nor a parable, nor
an impossibility, this supposition of our
topic, What II Christ should come to our
town." He may come. He does come every
day. He came to you last week in a
special answer to prayer and saved loved
one from death. He came to you in the
cf1n a<N1.o 80 H. ,s-~l,k
muned with Him and He spoke peace to
your soul. You know He Is the Christ
And yet have you told others to come and
see? And If Christ should come in real
bodily presence tomorrow would you and
I be ready or be ashamed to meet Him?
Applied Truth.
From DR.. Gordon's How Christ Came to
Church"
ut was Saturday night when, wearied
from the york of preparing Sundays SER
mon, l fell asleep and the dream came
was in the pulpit, and just ready to begin
my sermon, when a stranger entered and
passed slowly up the left aisle of the
church, looking first to the one side and
then to the other, as though silently ask
ing with his eyes that some one would give
him a seat. He had proceeded nearly half
way up the aisle when gentleman stepped
out and offered him a place In his pew,
which was quietly accepted. Immediately
as began my sermon my attention became
riveted on this hearer. If would avert
my eyes from him for moment they would
instinctively return to him, so that he held
my attention rather than neld his till the
discourse was ended.
ITO myself I said constantly, Who can
that stranger be-? and then I mentally re-
solved to find out by going to him and maxi
ing his acquaintance as soon as the service
should be over. But after the benediction
had been given the departing congregation
filed into the afsles and before could reach
q Ia I@S N@Ak
gentleman with whom he had sat remained
behind. however. and approaching him with
great eagerness I asked: Can you tell me
who that stranger was who sat in your
pew this morning.? In the most matter-of-
course way he replied: why, do you not
know that man? It was Jesus of Nazareth
With sense Of the keenest disappointment
said: My dear sir, why did you let him
go without introducing him to me. I was
so DESTROYS to speak with him. And with
the same nonchalant air the gentleman re-
piled: oh. do not be troubled. He has been
here today. and no doubt he will come
again."
OF DR.. Gordon It was said: HE was one
of those Of whom Hudson Taylor says that
they were not SO anxious to be successors
of the apostles who went indeed to bring
food but brought no inquiring soul back
Samaritan woman who forgot her waterpot
in her zeal to bring the living water to the
thirsty souls at Sychar, and brought back
a whole city to sit at Jesus feet.
How to Help the Leader.
Read Tolstoi's where Love L. There God