The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-02-17
wha, If Christ Came to Our TOWN.

Suppose, one Of these bright mornings.
IA yon are going about your work and
preparing to go out for the morning er
Iands a neighbor comes to your door with
face all alight with news and tells you:
Did you know? Have you heard that
Christ has come to our town? | met Him
quite early as | went to the store for some
thing for breakfast He told me He would
come to my house to-day, and | must hurry
home to make ready. | thought you would
like to know, for lie may be here, too He
is to speak over at the church tonight"
And with her wonderful news she hur.
ries onward. And YOU stand there startled.
Car it be true. Christ come to the earth
again? And how did your neighbor know
Him? Yet she must have, for she is one OF
His very own.
And He may come here. to your own
house. OF look quickly around. There
lies the book you were reading last night.
You hastily put it out of sight and the
color rises in your cheeks. 1t is not book
you would like Christ to find YOU reading.
And He is to speak at the church to.
night. Yes this is the regular church
prayer meeting night. All! You had for.
gotten. For it is also the night OF your
euchre club. and you were to have enter.
tained it, And now: What can YOU do?
The salad is already made, the cream and
oysters are ordered. Your guests will think
\ on could explain, OF course, that YOU do
not approve OF having euchres on Wednes.
day evening. but this was an unusual thing
because--but you do not like to think OF
facing Christ with excuses.
The invitations must he recalled. Of
course. You hasten to the train to stop
your husband before he goes to the city to
his business il possible, and all the way
YOU say to yourself: Christ is here; Christ
has come to our town! There is opportu.
nifty now for men to be saved That poor
drunkard who has tried so hard to reform
and cannot. that sorrOwstrcken woman
who can find no comfort anywhere may
find it in Him. That sick child who is
doomed to life OF suffering may be
hcaled!'
Then. as the thought grows upon you.
what it means TO have Christ come to your
town you forget your horror over your
own position and how meanlv YOU will ap.
pear as His follower hen He looks upon
you as YOU really are, and 90 to eagerly
planning how others may be told OF the
wonderful news. Your heart sinks at the
thought that He has come on Il week day
night, and because every one Is so given
over to his own plans and pleasures you
teel very certain there will be but a poor
showing at the church tonight. not more
than the usual handful who attend the
prayer meeting where Christ is always eN-
pected OF course in spirit. 1t is pity He
could not have come on a Sabbath and had
it announced long beforehand. You would
have then done your best to make it known
and urge such and such a on. to come to
The meeting, and You would have prayed
Tor a pleasant night that large audience
might be out, and-woud YOU. Are YOU
sure? Has He not been expected at every
meeting for prayer that has been held in
His house all these years? Has He not
IN HaU btr
so much as word invited those people to
rome and see Him and learn what manner
of person He he! 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
1ers He has done for you, even so much as
the poor Samaritan woman, who testified,
Come. a man who told me all that
ever | did,
good men, but they went into Sychar judg-
ing the Samaritans good enoug h to trade
with. but never dreaming of telling them
The Messiah wa, outside ther town. They
must have been ashamed to find how much
more capable an apostle the woman was
than they. ! think they would not wonder
another time that their Lord should con.
descend to talk with a woman. The sim.
ole. unthinkng. untroubled dmectneSs Oi a
woman will often have matter finished
while man is meditatne some ponderous
,ontrivanee for bringing il to pass. Let us
not fall into the mistake OF the diSciples.
and judge men good enough 20 buy and sell
with. but quite alien to the matters of the
kingdom. The woman's testimony
was enough to excite curiosity. The men,
On her word, came out to Judge for them.
selves. What they saw and heard com.
pleted their conviction. And they said 10
the woman. Now we believe, not because
ii thy speaking. Tor we have heard for our
selves. and know that this IS indeed the
saviour of the world
1t is not 4 fairy tale, nor parable, nor
an impossbility. this supposition ol our
topic. What If Christ should cCme 10
our town. He may come He doe. 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
silent watches OF the night when YOU com.
Nuned with Him. and He spoke peace to
,onr soul. You know He is the Christ.
And yet, have YOU told others to come and
see: And ii Christ should come in real
bodily presence tomorrow. would YOU and
| be ready Or be ashamed to meet HIM.
Grace Livingston Hin, in the New Norl;
Mail and Express