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

which the Jews
avoided Jesus
must needs pass through" that He
might emphasize the blessed fact that
there IS no place SO poor and despised
and forsaken but that He seeks OBJ
portunity to visit 1t. The people with
wnom the jews had no dealings what
ever Jesus must come into heart-to-
heart touch with, that He might reveal
His worldwide mission, and teach that
COD is no respecter Of persons" but
would have all men to be saved, and
come to the knowledge of the truth"
Samarla gives to us one of the rare
gems OF the Gospel, and this story Of
Jesus two-days' sojourn there has not
ceased to flash forth its lesson. Jesus
tact Ill dealing with human souls has
proved perpetual textbook on soul
winning to the Christian worker. The
woman in her great need ESQ great that
she knew no NEEDY coming in touch
with the gentle but strong. tender but
understanding Christ, and having the
heart thirst which He created satisfied
with the Living Water which He Of
fered her. has never ceased in her min
1stry OF encouragement and hope to
needy, sinful souls like her own. There
are many, many lessons to be learned
from this two-days' mission to Samaria,
there are many, many golden sheafs OF
thought to be garnered, but it is not of
the woman or Of Jesus wonderful dis
course with her At the well which we
want to consider. Our text tells us of
others In that Samaritan village who
came to know Jesus and who drank deep
at the we'll of salvation What may
they teach us Of the way Of salvation?
TWO references are made to their
/ faith. First in the thirty-ninth
verse, where 1t is stated that many
OF the Samaritans believed on Him
(Jesus) because OF the word Of the wo-
man, and again In the forty-first and
forty-second verses where We are told
that many more believed because OF His
(Jesus') word; and they said to the wo-
man: Now we believe, not because OF
thy speaking: for we have heard for
ourselves, and know that this is indeed
the Saviour Of the world" Two kinds
of faith, marking two distinct periods IL
the experience of these Samaritans.
Many believed because of the testimony
Of the woman, that is, they believed In
the fact OF the Christ. They accepted
her testimony as being reasonable and
trustworthy, and believed that the prom
Used Messiah had come. It was a faith
OF the head, rather than that Of the heart.
The second experience and the deeper
and larger faith came with the personal
contact with the Christ. The first was
a faith which heard of the Christ, the
second was q faith which heard the
Christ Himself and laid hold of Him as
personal possession. These Samaritans
1.heard Of Jesus" and believed on Him
hut when they heard Jesus, and had
come into personal contact with Him
they believed on Him to the salvation OF
their souls. These two experiences are
characteristic, and mark exactly the two
kinds of faith there are in the world to-
day. The faith of the head, which Is
good beginning, but is not enough, and
the faith OF the heart, which is the saw
ing faith. for with the heart man be-
lteveth unto Righteousness. That we
are warranted in making q clear and
marked distinction between the faith
which came with the woman's testimony
and the faith which came when they re-
ceived and heard Jesus Is plain from the
declaration of the Samaritans that they
lnou that He was the Saviour OF the
uorld because they had heard Him fol
themselves. There is danger IN con1us-
ing these two kinds OF faith, and great
neril may come to the soul as conse-
nnance For. this reason we feel it i'm
nortant to study carefully, and prayer
fully. this matter.
r1RsT. they heard Of Jesus, and 1t is
said Of them that they believed
~ HIM This type of faith is COM
s.or n the world to-day. Probably nine
a,,+ ~ every ten persons to whom you
.,,vbt nut the question would declare
.het thew believed in Christ. They
right even be indignant and quickly re"
tort: "of course l do! Do you take me
81, heathen!" But in the majority OF
a. the belief would be one OF the head;
80 .ccentance Of the historic fact OF the
1 ~ without the heart feeling the new
,,sa thrnh from contact with that Christ,
This nation and the great nations OF Eu-
80 are what are called Christian ma
. ..1. and the fact of the Christ is gener-
III Known and believed in. In fact
49,. q in much favor In a certain
.ssro way with many classes and
paI .rd ismites, who profess to be
EARNED by His life and ruled by HIS
tascnings. The fact of the Christ Is
.e s,, Known and much considered. but Il
Wen =. oxtant head faith in Him.