Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-09
MAKING ACQUAINTANCE
OF THE BEST FRIEND
Francis Murphy's Greeting to All the
Readers of The Herald for the
Coming Year

We are now well started in the new
year. All of us are thinking about
our friends and about making new
ones. We all need friends. We can
live without our relations, but we can
not live without friends. 1t is great
deal for us to keep our friends, be-
cause a friend in need is friend in
deed. We must not forget that they
have claims upon us, and we should
reciprocate their kindness.
There is one gracious friend whose
acquaintance all of us should seek to
make. He is a friend indeed, and has
given us all an invitation to come
visit him. He is always at home and
his door is wide open to a royal well
come that waits all who come unto
him.
We are all inclined to be hospitable.
generous, loving our friends and de-
lighted to entertain them. Our invi-
tations, of course, are limited and Sc
lect. We send out our invitation cards
notifying our friends to come to our
homes and be entertained, and we in
turn expect to be entertained by them.
Now this blessed friend of ours has
issued an invitation card, and upon
il is written, "Come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavey laden and
1 will give you rest" 1t is beautiful
invitation. 1t is extended to all peo-
pie. and especially to those who are
| ayoln6inor tho yVaa althV
nor those who are considered poor and
lowly. The humblest are welcome;
the wealthy, the cultured and those OIL
elegant position, who have sorrow ana
sadness of heart, are heartily well
come, thank Cod
Jesus Christ called his religion rest
To be relieved of heart trouble, ne
came to heal the broken-hearteo, 10
give liberty to the captive children anu
to break the fetters of men VINO "eie
bound by every form of evil. he caliie
to teach us how to control ourselves
end how to live clear, pure and true
lives, doing unto all men as we "ouiu
they should do unto us. on, such
blessed satisfying portion Is his love
in the heart and love of his chlldreh'
Now we must not fail this year 10
make his acquaintance. Some OF US
have a very limited acquaintance WIFI
him. I hope and trust that we VIII
decide TO become his disciples; that
we may take his yoke upon us anu
karn of him; but we must reneiilper
that it is not enough simply TO iheh-
ton his name in a kind of formal way
but we are to apply ourselves TO the
blessed rules that he has laid DOWN
for our happiness and welfare. 1t is
acknowledged the world over that ne Is
the greatest friend that has ever peeu
known in this world-so great that ne
;s called the Son of God. He came TO
reveal the character of our Father III
heaven, and that character is love- ana
that this holy Christ took this plesseu
snirit of his Father in Heaven ana
lived and died for it. l said ne was
The Son of God, born in very NUM-
Lle place, but there was such lhIiIll'e
wisdom in the selection of that place.
Porn at the feet of our common hu-
manity, that he might be able TO put
the arms of his love underneath the
lowliest one of Gods children and lift
them up into the sunlight and peace
ard rest of a pure and holy life.
The world is filled with great multi
tude of people of all classes and condl-
tions who have made his acqutalnance
people from the humblest walks IN
life to the most cultured and wealthy,
and if all tried to tell the story OF his
beautiful friendship. of his great help
fulness and of his ability to give rest
and comfort, what beautiful story II
would be! When they had told all
that language could do, they would
declare that the half had not been told
The fruits of his beautiful gospel, OF
loving helpfulness, are to be seen in the
homes that have been provided 1oi
orphan children and the hospitals that
have been provided for the sick and
tired. People who have become feeble
from the weight of long years OF toll
and have not been able to save means
to provide for their old age, have beer
aided by the generosity of this holy
Christ in the lives of those who have
been blesseS with wealth and have
given it cheerfully to protect the feeble
and afflicted This blessed influence
of loving kindness has established oui
beautiful homes and filed them with
such tender gentleness by the presenc'
OF the baby that is the son of God II
| the home.
What a university Of love this Isl
The sun never sets ON IL; 1t has ne
shore. it is wider than the universe It.
self. Words cannot describe ii; It hal