Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-17
Christian Endeavor Hour

long time with you, and yet hast thou not
known me, Philip? He that hath seen me
hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou
then shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that L am the
Father, and the Father In me? the words
that speak unto you 1 speak not of my
self; but the Father that dwelleth in me,
he doeth the works
II. Believe me that am in the Father,
and the Father in me; or else believe me for
the very works sake.
II. Verify, verify, I say unto you. he that
believeth on me. the works that l do shall
ne 90 also; and greater works than these
shaI he do; because l go unto nv Father.
10. And whatsoever We shall ask in my
name, that will l do. that the Father may
be glorified in the Son
IA: II We shall ask anything in my name
will do it.
The Lesson.
The kernel the gist of this whole sub
ject. is contained in that one meaningful
phrase. the Father that dweIIeth in me.
He doeth the works." How many of us
workers can truly say that?
Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Grey got up that
fair and bazaar to help raise money TO nav
up the old church debt Mrs Brown had
her niece and her nephew out from town to
do the singing, and she managed it so that
Mrs Grey's daughter and several young
people in the church, who wanted to help
with the music. and offered to do so. We're
shut out. Mrs. Grey had a baby show in
the ladies' parlor. She had prizes though
she knew several of the session were on
posed 10 prizes being given in the church
ana she offended several women who had
pretty babies and thought they ought to
a
money and paid portion of the debt with
much glory and good deal of noise, il is
true, but could you truly say that the
rather was dwelling in them and doing
lhat work? Would the Father have
worked in that way?
another young man who sings thinks he
might work If they would only give him a
chance. He wants to sing solos He feels
sure MS voice Is good and he has studied a
little. 1t would be just the thing If thew
would give him charge Of the music and let
him plan what should be. And because
they won't, because perhaps they do not
appreciate his voice as much as he does
himself, he sits back In a corner and re-
fuses to do anything because he has not
been asked to do what he wished to do. Is
that the Father working In him?
Inc Father which dweIleth in me, He
doeth the works Not long ago a itt1e
ehurch in a thriving suburb OF large ctty
felt that there was needed q reconstruct
ton of their Sunday school. They had a
good faithful superintendent VINO had
been at its head for ten wears man
whose life bore testimony 10 the truths
which he taught and whose very face car
ried conviction of his character Even
the worst boy in the Sunday school re-
speeted and honored the Christian life OF
that superintendent He was a man who
prayed much and who studied his lesson
every day of the week, and yet somehow
{hat sunday school had got used to his
methods and were in a groove, and there
We're not many attendants. Some of the
teachers were poor and perhaps the dis
cipllne was not so good as 1t should be
lheFe came into that town man who was
a notable teacher of young people. an
earnest Christian, and one used to all mod
ern methods He was just the one TO re-
that Sunday school. The pastor
ana most of the session felt il. 1t was
even spoken of wistfully among them but
rhey did not see how to proceed without
hurting the feelings of the faithful man
who had served them so earnestly for ten
years Now that superintendent was a
member Of that session, and when the sub
iect Of the Sunday school came up and was
talked about shyly and delicately, only in
hlnts at hrst, did that superintendent sit
PACK and bite his muStache In mOrtifca-
ton, and stay away from church the next
Sabbath. and keep his family away, and
finally resign his position and withdraw
his church connection and go to another
because his feelings had been hurt, be-
cause he suspected they wanted TO nut
him out Of the SUPPLEMENTARY and put
another man in and try other methods
No. thank the Lord for one such man He
that the Father that dwelt In him worked
through him, ii certainly can be said of
that superintendent He was quick as a
fash to the point ahead when the SEES
sion began to hint about changes among
the teachers and the Sunday school gener-
ally. He said: Now, see here. l love
hat Sunday school. ! think as you do,
that il isn't doing the work in this town
q I 10 do
more. I think with you that something
needs to be done at once and that
thorough reconstruction of everything
would be the best thing that could happen.
Now I'll resign I'll be anything you want
me to be. I'll be assistant superintendent
Or III be a teacher. III get UP a class for
myself from among those who never came
before. Or III be scholar. I'll be any
thing To help the,Sunday school along that
YOU think best Only you can't put me
out of the Sunday school. Now you put
his other man at the head Of things and
give him free range to do as he pleases
without me in his way to hinder him and
III help him in every way he says. I'll
be anything. or nothing so 1t helps along
The Lords cause" And the strangest part
OF II all Is be did Il. And he is doing II
today. going about with smiling face, doing
the bidding of others. and most efficiently
so that he IS moro beloved by all than
ever, sitting among the scholars, he who
for ten years sat upon the platform. And
he is doing IL with smiling face and shining
eyes. II IS not hard to see that the Father
that dwelleth In him is having His perfect
way in that mans work, and that he Is
not being hindered by any fears the man
may have for his own feelings or his own
Importance. Christ IS all and In all.
Why is It that we can not all of US work
that way2 Why can not you and / put by
our own ways and wishes even In our
church work and do what the Lord wants
done, even as a servant does willingly the
will of the Master. whether II be mental
or more honorary work, so the Lord has
need OF II? We do not need to study the
rest of the verse In this lesson If we can
only get this one thought into our hearts
and stand by IT, that our work. no matter
how much toll and WEAKNESS may be put
into IT, is worth very little unless the
Father has been dwelling In us. and II is
to be feared that ii will not stand that test.
We have done much that we have done
either for our own pleasure or for our own
glory. So then We need TO sift ourselves
thoroughly and see whether all this work
we have been doing. and been counting on
as credit to us in heaven. is really worth
while We need to see whether the Father
IS dwelling In us. For surely If He were
there would not be so many hurt feelings
so many sharp words to those who inter
fere with our plans. so many mistakes and
blnnderings as we have now.
"If ye ask anything in my name, / Will
do tt
Ask Him now to come In and dwell in
you and work through you.