The Penn's Grove record., 1905-09-01
THE p
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON 81
THE REV. r. E. TAYLOR.
Subject. Chris, and the Multitude.

Christ and the Multitude" The text
was from Matthew, ix:35-3S: 'And
Jesus went about all the cities and the
villages" etc. Mr.. Taylor said:
For nearly two years Jesus had min
gled with the people of Palestine. He
had visited their towns and villages,
had seen life in all its different phases,
and had been a source of blessing to all
who sought His favor. He had wit
messed the hollow mockery which
passed for religion among the Phari-
sees and had burned with Indignation
as He saw the people receiving stones
instead Of bread from those whose
duty it was to feed their souls. The
whole nation had been astonished by
His miracles, and after a year of COM
parative obscurity, He had entered
upon one of popular favor, His popu-
larity was now at its height. and thou
sands were found eagerly listening to
the words of authority with which He
spake. Notwithstanding His great
popularity a careful observer would
have noticed that instead of a look of
triumph, His face indicated tender con-
Germ for the great multitudes which
were continually seeking Him. He
was beginning to realize more and
more the awful need of the people, and
His spirit was stirred within Him as
He saw the possibilities for good
among those who focked to hear His
words of life and peace.
Living i'll a great city, surrounded by
thousands of men and women who are
careless and Indifferent about their
earthly welfare, we are constantly fac
ing the problem of how to reach and
help those for whom Christ died.
What was the attitude of Christ to-
ward those unsaved masses? How did
He seek to solve the problem of reach
ing them? Is there any way of our
helping the people of our day and gen.
Grafton? These are some of the ques-
tions which we shall attempt to an
swer. I believe that when the church
of God follows the example of the
Master in His treatment of the masses,
the masses will be reached and saved.
In the first place, 1 notice that Jesus
was filled with compassion for them.
when He saw the multitudes He was
moved with compassion for them be-
cause they were distressed and scat
tered as sheep not having a shepherd"
Compassion is the keyword to the life
of Jesus Christ. We find the evangel-
lists reporting instances of His compass
sion again and again. When a leper
comes seeking health, Jesus, moved
with compassion, puts forth His hand
and with a touch restores him to his
wonted strength and vigOr. When the
great. multitude, filled with curiosity,
followed Him away from their source
of supplies and were without food, He
is filled with compassion and creates
food enough to supply their need. 1t
was the compassion Of Jesus that led
to the healing Of the two blind men
near Jericho, and it was this same feel
ing that prompted the resurrection of
the widows son at Main.
Not only in His acts of kindness, but
in all His teaching we find that the
spirit of compassion is dominant. The
best known parallels uttered by the
Saviour are the parable of the Good
Samaritan and the parable Of the Prod
igal Son, and compassion is the key
word 20 both. The compassion of q
Samaritan leads to the saving of an
enemy, and it was this same spirit on
the part of the father which made the
home coming so sweet to the ProdigaI.
This is the need of the disciples of
Christ to-day. The multitudes are all
about us. They are careless, 1nditfer-
ent, sinful; but only because they do
not know the love of Christ. Deep
down in their lives there is a hunger
for something better, and in many
cases men are CROPPING after light on
the pathway of life. The church can
and should meet the need, but only q
realization of the need and an milling
of the spirit of Christ to meet it will
solve the problem.
If the great heart of the Master was
moved with compassion for the multi
tudes of His day, what would He think
nay. what does He think-when He
sees the vast multitudes in our great
city who are going about as sheep
without a'shepherd? 1 believe that if
we are true disciples of u Lord we
will feel as He felt, and instead of ig-
noring or condemning those who know
not Christ, We will leave no stone I'M
turned until they come to know Him,
whom to know is eternal life.
In the second place, 1 notice that
Jesus saw a harvest ready for the
reaper. He said, 1.-The harvest truly is
plenteous." He saw the possibilities
among those who flocked around Him,
and knew that among them there were
many who could easily be led into the
paths of righteousness. And this wal
characteristic of Christ. 1t is true that
much of His time was spent in sowing
the good seed of the kingdom, but it is
also true that He was constantly find
ing opportunities to reap rich harvests
of souls wherever He went.
He goes to the seaside and finds a
harvest among the fishermen. He
stops at a we'll side and reaps the first
fruits of a splendid revival among the
despised Samaritans. At the seat of
custom He finds one who is to be an
apostle and write down the good news
for the Hebrew people. Wherever He
went Jesus always found the fields
white and ready for the reaper. And.
brethren, I believe that those who nos
sess the spirit of the Master will al
ways find abundant opportunities for
rich harvests of souls.
On one of these occasions Jesus said
to His disciples, Say not We there are
yet four months and then cometh har-
vest? Behold, l say unto you. lift up
your eyes and look on the fields. for
they are white already to harvest"
The trouble with us is unbelief in the
possibility of a harvest here and now.
Some time in the dim future we expect
to reap, but the years pass on and
the conditions grow less and less hone
tut and golden opportunities are lost
forever.
But l notice i'll the third place that
Jesus not only saw a great need, but
He told His disciples how it could be
met. THE harvest truly is %pIenteous,"
said He, but the laborers are few
Surely no one eve felt the need of
laborers more than Jesus Christ. Face
to face with thousands who yearned
TO know the way CT life, and limited
by His humanity, s o that it was only
possible to deal with a very few of
those who came to Him. He felt the
need of laborers as no other ever did.
1t is true that He had Il band of
chosen disciples to carry on the work
that He bcpou huf af fhfS finn that-