The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-02-09
The Deeper MEANINGS.

4 ~ y, II M 60
from their real work by an opportunity
to argue.
The Deeper Meanings.
Like the u~nsuhstantial foam on the
oceans breast some persons are living
only on the surface of life; others.
wiser. are dwelling in its depths and.
vastness. This poor omar was of the
former class; she talked on one low
g ttenlall snEllaI ,e.z ] eslIs on q mother high
cannot discern spiritual things. They
resemble the man who was at a dinner.
where great men powerfully discussed
q great subject. blu he only thought of.
the excellence OF the food. Pity the
people bound by the chains OF the,
lower senses.
The magnanimous heart of Jesus
was moved by the spectacle of this
poorFcreature.s sou thirst. He forgot
His w parched lips and throat In
ministering to her need OF living wa
ter, The sight of spiritual restitution
always affected Jesus: He counted this
the real poverty. Some men think they
need bigger incomes, finer clothes, big
ger houses. more frequent pleasure;
larger spiritual capacity, more soul
depth. Their thirst. even though they
do not understand it, is for living wa
ter" which alone satisfies and imparts
life. Who can doubt for an instant that
Charles Wagner, the Alsatian peasant,
with his doctrine of@"The Simple Life
which he breaches better byAhis buoy
ant, happy nature, than by his appeal
ing words, Is a richer man than ohm
D. Rockefeller with his uncounted mil
lions? We are OF the wrong trail to
find happiness when we seek it any
where else than in the direction of the
Spirit. That is the message of Jesus.
The Appeal to Tradition.
The descendant craze has reached
the western world; we are stopping to
look back proudly upo ancestors.
prouder Of them, perhaps. than they
will aver have reason to be OF us.
There is danger of decay in the state
of religion or learning which is con-
cerned chiefly with a dead past. This
Samaritan woman was very yirtuous
with respect to her ancestors. If Ja-
cob's merits could have saved her, she
would have been safe. She was zeal
ous for a religion of tradition, and
quick to perceive an assumption of
authority on the part of this Stranger.
Art thou greater han our father
jacob" was the question which she
thought overwhelming.
Let the dead past bury its dead"
The world wants a religion of today
with the throb and glow and vitality
| ~ 49, il.i - RI = Ell lCittll. 10
alive 1t is useless. The chief advan-
tage to US Of our ancestors and their
beliefs is that we are alive today and
that we are able to hold a faith of
our own. The gospel taught by Jacobs
wellside was a gospel for the Twins
present; because Christianity is al
ways contemporaneous with the calen-
dar, it is more alive In each succeed
ing century than in any past.
The EoI,p+aipye Mo&+o .#
Over the flowing stream Of a public
fountain on a city's busy thoroughfare
are inscribed the words of Jesus to the
Samaritan oma whatsoever drink
eth of his water shall thirst again."
Just that; no preachment or moraliz-
ing, but the almost startling suggestive
statement of a familiar fact.
1t is a good word for the times. A
twentieth century sin Is it's pursuit Of
the transitory. WHAT mean all these
blase faces that we pass on the streets.
these men n women whose eyes
wear a world weary expression? Even
our boys and girls grow tired Of life
at such a place do they live. Is it not
all a terrible Indictment of whatever
creed produces these results?
Jesus promised the fountain of life
a bubbiing, upspringing, ever renew
ing fountain within ones own breast
to whoever desired it. That is to say
that his gospel is a gospel of sweet
and satisfying refreshment. 1t pro-
duces earnest hearted Christians, sim
pie, sincere and joyous In their
Astounding life. The fountain which
Ponce de Leon sought in vain for in
the land Of flowers was freely offered
by n lonely Galilean to the Samaritan