Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-11-09

ter. But 1 think In the early morning
shepherd is going out to find n lost
sheep. He is herdsman ON the island
or Melita. One Cf the sheep slipped
away from the fold, and h. is out seek.
ing her in the storm. AS the shepherd
climbs the cliffs overlooking the sea he
mutters: God pity the sailor. God
pity the ship caught in such n sea. %
Then he puts his hands to his eyes and
looks of to watch the tossing. tum-
bling pillows. No sooner does he do
this than he cries: ''Alas, there is a
ship! She is heading toward the rocks.
She is helpless. Unless we help the
crew they are lost" L see him running
to the village. calling: Help! Help
Help! Help! There is n ship being
driven upon the rocks. HelpI Helpv'
At once the men respond to his call.
Those barbarous people act just as the
old Long Island farmer acted before
the life preserving stations had been
built when the John Milton was wreck
ed near East Hampton. They ran with
the ropes. They tied themselves to-
gether like Alpine climbers to reach
out into the surf and draw the drown
Ing men to shore. They did this mere
ly for humanity's sake. They did this
as most people of every nationality
living along the coast would help a
shipwrecked crew. They would have
saved Paul. no matter to what nation
atty he might have belonged. That is
the first scene.
PauIs Gratitude.
But no sooner was PauPs blood
aglow and he knew that his friends
were safe than he tried to find out
how he could help his rescuers. While
he is warming himself by the fire he
hears one of the barbarians say, did
you know that the father of Governor
Publius is very sick?" "Who did
you say was sickT'' ''Why, the gov
ernor's father" the barbarian replies.
Then" says Paul, II will go and heal
him." No sooner does Paul do this
than the Melitians bring to him all
those who were physically afflicted.
Then what happened? Why. those
barbarians just opeaed the doors Of
their homes. They said to Paul:
Come, Paul; come right in. Every
thing that we have is thine" Cannot
words OF Luke. which goes thus: $50
when this was done others also which
had diseases in the island came and
were healed, who also honored us with
many hCnors?" All, yes; IL you and I
try TO serve men and make sacrifices
for men there will be no difficulty IN
trying TO reach their hearts with the
gospel! Paul was able to preach Jesus
unto the barbarians of Mellta after
he had healed their sick.
My brother, | believe the greatest
drawback to the gospel message which
we want to give to our fellow men Is
that we are unwilling to personally
make sacrifices for them. We too often
go TO the non-Christians. thrusting- a
Bible at them and forgetting how
much besides they need. We ought
to study their need and, like the med
ical missionary, approach the barba-
rian with healing for the body In one
hand and healing for the soul In the
other. We are not willing to saw:
Brother, what can 1 do for you? How
can / help you?" before we saw.
Brother. will You take my Christ as
your Saviour All, Paul would never
have been able TO preach Jesus accept
ably unto the Maltese unless he had
first been willing to go TO the sickbed
or Publius' father, Neither shall we
ever be able to preach Christ accept
ably to the modern barbarlans unless
we are willing to be food for the hun.
CRY, clothes for the naked, eyes for the
blind, medicine for the sick and n
helping friend TO the helpless. Kind
ness will win kindness. Sacrifices will
grasp the hand OF sacrifices, and gospel
love VIII receive from the heart every
where kindly responses.
Died For His New.paper.
Would that by our self sacrifice we
all could teachs men that we love them
and would do anything and everything
TO save men. even as Christ's sacrifice
has taught us that he loves us. During
the dark days OF Partisan riot a
young reporter, Matthew Donzelot by
name. was sent by the Petit Journal 10
report the uprising. The mob, like a
stampeding herd OF cattle, broke loose
and swept down the street to where
the young man was. The stones were
nying, and death was everywhere.
Kun for your life, Donzelotw cried
one or his friends. run or you will be
killed.? II am not going to rum" said
the young man. az was detailed here.
and here I must stay" A short time
after the soldiers appeared. The guns
We're raised and fired. The mob melted
away In an instant. Four wounded
men lay struggling on the ground. One
or them was Donzelot Instantly the
surgeon rushed up to him and said.
Man, are you hurt?" Eyes. / think
seriously" Then he said: Don't be in
a hurry, surgeon. There, take my pen.
ell. To each man his duty. Mine Is to
get the story to the office in time. Hero.
write at the foot of the page 900
p. m. AT the fire OF the troops three men
fell wounded, and one was killed -"
why, which one is killed ?' asked the
doctor. II am" replied the reporter,
and he fell back dead. Oh, my friends,
If Donzelot could lay down his life for
his duty to newspaper, should not we
be willing to lay down our lives for
the Christ whom we serve? Shall we
not, like Paul, try TO open the hearts
or those whom we would lead to Christ
by sacrificing ourselves for them? Can.
not we make them learn to love our
Jesus by first making them learn to
love us? Carry your flowers to the sick.
room. Carry your food to the hungry.
Sacrifice yourself for men, and then
you will teach men to do and to sacri-
lice themselves for Christ.
But this is not the end of Paurs sur
prises on the island OF Melita.. These
narbarians welcomed him with kind
ness. After he had healed their sick