St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-03-19

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come. II the Samaritans had waited to
get ready for Jesus they would have
made a woeful job of it, and it would
have taken Jesus two months, probably,
instead of two days 10 perform His
cleansing, saving grace in that city. The
artist, who invited the miserable, ragged
beggar to come to his studio to sit as
model for the beggar in the picture he
was painting was not more bitterly dis
appointed when the beggar came the mex:
day all cleaned and clothed in goodly
garments, than is Jesus when the soul
tries to clean up and fix up before i1vit-
ing Jesus in. He wants you just as you
are. Come out to Jesus. Respond to
the invitation at once, and it will be re-
corded Of you even as it was concerning
those Samaritans, that Jesus abode with
them.
lie WENT back with them to their
IL city. This suggests beautiful
thought, and teaches helpful les
son. They must go out of their
city to find Jesus, but He re-
turns with them and makes it a
cleaner and better city than it ever had
been before. And no soul ever goes out
of the city of his own desires and pur-
poses and ambitions, but that Jesus leads
back into that city again, and purifies
and cleanses and reinvigorates the forces
of life, and makes man a better bust
ness man, better neighbor and citizen
and father Are you afraid to trust your
self in Gods hands? Do you hesitate to
tarn from the things of this life in or
der that you may meet Jesus, because
fearful that you may never get them
back again? All, foolish heart! Jesus
will go back with you. He will help to
make that business better and cleaner
and stronger than ever before. He Will
purify your loves; He will give you
genuine delight in wholesome pleasures.
God does not ruthlessly tear up by the
roots and transplant in unproduct1ve
soil and amidst uncongen1al climate.
lie does not spoil good business
man to make of him a poor preacher.
He does not take out of life all RESPONSE
bi!ity, or purpose, or ambition, or ABILITY,
and set the soul to singing itself away
into everlasting bliss. Not bit OF 1t!
Jesus goes back with man into the
everyday details of life, and He makes
that life count as it never has before.
He cleanses and purifies, and new thrill
of pleasure is felt in the life. Think OF
it, oh soul! God wants you to go out OF
tie city of self that you may meet Jesus
and take Him back into your life.
&. A ND Jesus abode there two days.
n Those were busy days. you may De
sure, and believe the social and business
life of that city was shaken to it's founoa-
TONS Was shaken until the false and
the unclean and the sinful were thrown
t, the ground and buried out OF sight.
We can Judge something of the moral
rottenness of the city from the life OF
the woman, whose Utmost secrets Jesus
revealed. And l cannot believe that
Jesus went into that city and stayed two
days without working revolution IN
the lives and conduct OF those people.
During those two days we know that
Jesus taught them, for their saving faith
was the result of His direct teaching.
And do not believe it was lot OF platl-
Iudes and sweet phrases Jesus spoke.
Rather did RE deal with the direct needs
Of the people. And it is reasonably GER
tain that they Immediately obeyed the
truth, for if they had not it would have
stung them and made them angry even
as it did the Pharisees. Such joy as the
Samaritans expressed in their test1-
mony of the Christ and what He had ber
come to them could only have come
from changed life and heart, the fruit
of obedience to the truth. Gods message
zones to my heart and reveals some sin.
some wrong doing, but instead OF obey
ing Gods Word and turning from the
sin cling to 1t. Are there no JOY and
peace within? No, such condition is
| impossible l am of all men most mis-
cradle AS the Psalmist says: my
bones waste away through my groaning
all the day long" But when sin is con-
fessed and turned from, then comes JOY
| into the heart. This was the experience
| OF the Samaritans, l am certain. They
heard Jesus and they obeyed Him. The
immoral blemishes were removed. The
| fostering plague spots of sin were healed
| by contact with the Christ. New joy
| and hope came into the life. No wonder
| they joyfully told the woman who had
first told them of the Christ that, Now
| we believe, not because of thy speaking;
I S,xe hor
! kr.e.w that this is indeed the Saviour Of
tAe world"
TWO kinds Of faith, q head faith
! / which accepts the fact Of the Christ,
and a heart faith, which comes from con-
tact with the Christ What kind of faith
| is 1t you possess? You have heard Of
Jesus. You have heard others tell Of
what Jesus has done for them. You be-
| lieve in Him because of such testimony.
This was the first experience of the Sa-
nlaritans. But have you entered into
the second experience which came to
them, and can you say with them: Now
we believe, because we have heard for
ourselves, ard know that this is indeed
the Saviour of the world?" II not, dear
friend, you do not possess saving
faith. Yours is a head faith instead of a
heart faith, and again we want to re-
mind you that 1t is with the heart that
man believeth unto Righteousness"
What you need to have is this second
experience of these Samaritans. You
need to go out to the place where Jesus
may be found, and this is the place Of
l Tho s,,rrondorod will Won mood than ia