Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-02-09

iI- ONSRSi l'Cdfii''J"'
Like The u-nsuhstantial foam on the
oceans breast some persons are living
only on tbs surface Of life: others,
Wiser. are dwelling in its depths and
vastness. This poor woman was of tn
former class: she talked on one low
material plane. jesus on another. high
or and more spiritual. Some persons
cannot discern spiritual things. They
resemble the man WHO was at a dinner
where great tren powerfully discussed
= great SUBJECT, but he only thought Of
mo excellence OF the food. Pity the
people bound by the chains Of the
lower senses.
The m-asnanimous heart of Jesus
Was moved br the spectacle If this
poor creailre's soul thirst. He forgot
ltis u~n lafcnee iipr and throat in
ininistering To her need OF living wa-
ter The sight rf spiritual restitution
always Effected Jesus. He counted his
the real poverty. some men hin they
need bigger incomes. finer clothes. big
ger houses. more frequent pleasure,
what they really need iSsichness ofiife,
larger spiritual capacity. more soul
depth. Then thirst. even though they
do not understand it. is for living wa
ter" which alone satisfies and imparts
life. VINO can doubt fer an instant that
Charles Wagner the Aisaiian peasant.
with his doctrine Of The simple Life"
which h breaches better by his BUOY
ant, happy nature. than hy his appeal
ing words. is i richer man than John
u. Rockefeller with his n%ncounted mil
Ions We are on the wrong trail 10
find hapairess when we seek it any
where else than in the direction Of the
Spirit That is the message OF Jesus.
The Apreai to Tradition.
The descendant craze hes reached
the western world, vc are stopping to
look back proudly Upon cur ancestors.
prouaer of them, perhaps. Than they
Viii ever have reason 10 be OF Us.
There is danger OF decay in the state
of religion or learning which Is on
cerned chiefly with q dead past. This
Samaritan woman vas very Virtuous
with respect 10 her ancestors. If ia
cobs merits could have saved her. she
would have been safe. She was zeal
Gus for a religion Of tradition. and
quick 10 perceive an assumption of
authority on the part Of this Stranger.
Art thou greater than our father
jacob was the question which she
thought overwhelming.
Let The dead past bury lis dead"
The world wants "a religion of today
With The throb and glow and vitality
Of the present in II. Unless faith is
alive 1t is useless. The chief advan-
tage to US of our ancestors ard their
pelleiS is that we are alive today and
that We are able to hold a faith Of
oar own The gospel taught By Jacobs
Wellside was - gospel for the living
present: because Christianity IS all
Ways contempo.aneous with the caiaa-
OAR. II is more alive in each succeed
ing century than III any past.
The Fountains Motto.
cVer the flowing stream of a public
fountain on Z city's busy thoroughsare
are Inscribed The words Of Jesus To the
Samaritan woman. whatsoever drink
eth Of this water shall thirst again.
Just hat no -preachnlent or moraliz-
my. but the almost startling suggestive
statement OF q familiar fact.
1t is a good word for the times. 4
twentieth century sin is its pursuit of
ne tfansitory- What mean all these
blase faces that we pass on the streets.
these men and women whose eyes
Wear q world weary expression? Even
L boys and girls grow tired Of life
at such = place DO they live. Is it not
all q terrible Indictment of whate-er
creed produces these results?
Jesus promised he fountain of life
a bubbiins. upspringing. ever renew
ing fountain within ones own breast
to whoever desired il. That is to say
That his gospel is a gospel of sweet
and satisfying Tefreshment. 1t pro-
cucss earnest hearted Christians. sim
PIE. sincere am ioycls in their
abounding life. The fountain which
Ponce de Leon sought in vain for in
the land OF fiovC-s was freely offered
by a lonely Galilcan TO the Samaritan
woman b. Jacobs well.