The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-04-30
into his "workingman's Exchange" as

INTO MS WOTklnBmdnS EXCnduBe, AZ
long as they have a nickel In their pock-
cts to spend for the vile beer he dis
penses, or the prospect of getting the
nickel, but when fellow is squeezed
dry and there is no more profit In him,
and no need Of his vote, out he goes and
the friend" of the workingman is ready
to greedily grasp the hand of another
foolish victim. And there Is good
deal of that kind of friendship in the
world. Friendship that Is based upon
selflshness. But Jesus is not such
friend. Jesus died that He might prove
His friendship. He tells us: Greater
love hath no man than this, that he
lay down his life for his friend"
T IKE tells us that after Matthew had
- been called as Jesus disciple he
made feast for Him and then invited
all the publicans and sinners he could
reach to come and take dinner with
him. One sinner won to Jesus seeking
to bring others to Him. For Jesus to go
to that house where so many OF ques-
tionable reputation were gathered was
to bring down upon Him the denuncia-
ton Of the Pharisees and scribes, but
Jesus did not go there to become one OF
them, but to make them one with Him.
That is, His association with them was
not that He might have a good time in
their company, but 1t was that
He might lift them to the high
er fellowship with Himself. Mat
thew invited his erstwhile friends
to meet the One who had done so much
for him. And II there was more OF that
kind of feasting and sociability to-day
instead of the social functions and din
ner parties given for selfish gratifica-
ton it would be more to the honoring
of God and the saving OF souls. Mat
thew wanted to present his Lord as the
Friend of sinners, and so he made a
feast and got all the worst sinners he
could together. When you make feast
who is 1t you invite? The most polished
and cultured you can find. You invite
those who will be able to make DIN
ner party in return some time and invite
you to attend. But 1t was not so with
Matthew. II it had been do you suppose
Jesus would have been able to attend!
No, He would have had business at the
other end of town saving the soul OF
some poor wretch who was eager 10
know Him as the Friend OF sinners. NO,
Matthew filled his house with publicans
and sinners. and Jesus was there. He
made sure of Jesus presence first and
then invited the crowd to meet Him.
oh, that there were more devoted souls
like Matthew to make Jesus the hon
ored guest in the home, and then IN
yite the sinners all about to come and
receive blessing at His hands!
fave you ever wondered what that
] ] odd assortment of humanity talked
about that day? Well, have. should
like to have been a member OF that
company. l should like to have looked
into those faces. l believe there was
many a sob there that day, that there
was many a tear-stained face turned to-
| ward the Saviour as He talked to them
of sin and deliverance from sin, and OF
the better life. Sin is an awful thing
and some of the guests of Matthew
must have realized it as they came into
the presence of the sinless One anc
became conscious of the fact that He
was there not to condemn them, but to
save them. Who would think of call
ing one his friend who had nothing
but condemnation and denunciation fol
him because he had done wrong? Who
would feel drawn towards the MAI
who would pick all the flaws he could
and never in sympathy and love try tc
draw from those sins and faults to
better and purer life? And we would
not feel that Jesus was our Friend II
all He held before us was our sins and
all we heard was condemnation De-
cause we were sinners. No, Jesus does
not declare His friendship in that way.
He shows that He is the sinners Friend
by pointing the way of deliverance.
| A PARTY of settlers was seeking to
Aescape the bands of hostile Indians
which were lurking on every hand, but
not knowing the country, they were
completely at loss as to which way
to turn. Darkness came on while this
dilemma confronted them, and with
the darkness came deliverance. There
suddenly rose from the grass in thelr
midst an unarmed Indian. He pr J.
fessed friendship. He said he had crep'
in unbeknown to the other Indians
who were plotting their destruction
so as to show them how they might
escape. How could he prove that he
was a friend? Not by telling them OF
all the hostile Indians that lurlted
without the camp, but by showing
them the way OF deliverance. Some
were afraid to trust him, but drawer
hearts said: ut Is our hope" They
followed the Indian through a trail
they never could have found for them.
selves and escaped the threatened dan
ger. They knew then that the Indian
who had come to them that night was
a real friend. He had proved 1t by
pointing the way of deliverance. And
Jesus in a fuller, higher sense proves
His friendship by pointing the sinner
to the way of escape from sin and 1t.
consequences. And Jesus talk tha
day in Matthew's house was Of deliv'
erance from sin. All, how the thought
|