The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-11
THE GIFT OF GOD
MATTHEWS PREACHED AT HOLY COMFORTER.
The sunerings of Jesus Were Not Only Upon the Cross--They Were
 In Other Years,

! Rev. J. R. Matthews preached an- other very strong sermon last night to congregation hardly filling the au- ditorium of the Holy Comforter, talk Ing his text from St. John iv. 10, Jesus answered and said unto her. If thou knowest the gift of God, and who 1t is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of Him. and He would have given thee living water"
 Many preachers" said Mir. Matthews. represent the suffering of the blessed Jesus as beginning and ending at the cross. but say unto you that the an- ficipatory suffering was even greater than this mere physical pain. Think of how often 1t grieved him to know throughout the whole of His life that He was to die on the cross at the age of s3. And yet even with this, the Saviour forgot Himself in the mental
 anguish of those about Him. Even upon the cross He forgot His own mis- cry and said to St. John, Behold thy
 mother" and also to the man on his right, when the thief cried out, Lord remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom by saying. Today thou shalt be in paradise 1t was after
 this that He remembered His own pain
 In saying, Lord, I commit myself into
 Thy hands,
 Tn the fourth verse of the chapter, And He must needs go through Sa- maria the blessed Saviour is forget ting Himself in the interest of others. It was not a matter of itinerary that He go through Samaria, but because
 He knew that through the woman at the we'll, the rest of the village would be reached. He put himself out per- sonally that He might be of service to others.
 '.afy friends. why did you come here
 tonight? Was 1t through curiosity?
 Was 1t through the fact that you love music and came to hear the singing? don't like to inquire into your mo- lives in coming. but I am glad that
 you are here. Did any of you come
 here tonight to see the blessed Sa- viour? The Saviour is here, for it is
 said in Matthew, xviii, 20. For where two or three are gathered together in
 My name, there am in the midst of them."
 The preacher then told the story of
 a man on a cold night coming to him
 and asking for 10 cents with which to get a warm place to sleep on bitter cold night
 What then,p he asked. ''wilI you give him the 10 cents and let him go?
 What about the next night? What that man needs is some one who under | stands DelnK WlIHOut rnCAlOi al hAo ottN- That person is Jesus, for he says in | one place, The fox has his hole and the birds of the air their nests, but the son of man has no place in which 70 l lay His head
 "A man is hungry: you give him | money with which to buy q meal But what about the morrow? That man also needs a sympathizer who can un- derstand by experience the bangs or | hunger. The only sympathizer Is the blessed Saviour for 1t Is said of Him | in Matthew, iv, 9, And when He had | fasted for forty days and forty ni8nts | He was afterward hungered. The young man is tempted. HIS best 1 friend is also Jesus, for the saviour | as a young man was tempted, for t is saia that He was at all points tempted.
 "r1ow are von treating christ?" ask l cd MT Matthews. "The best way to | treat the Saviour Is found in Reveia- ttons, III, 20, Behold stand at the l door and Knock: if any man hear My voice ana open the door. I will come | in to him, and will sup with him. and he with Me- Jesus Is asking from the cross of you: Forgive, for ne | knows not what he does"
 The preacher then told the congre- | cation the story of the musician play | ing upon his organ alone in 2 desert | ed church, and an old man sitting close 1 by unnoticed. After the organist had | finished his practice, the old man ask ed permission to play. The organlst l reluctantly consented by saying, You can if you want to-" The old man took his place upon the bench. The exouislte harmony which the old man produced transhxed the organtst, ana when the great instrument was silent. the organist asked of the old man ms name, and on the reply. T am Men delssohn,p became profuse In express
 ing his Joy in meeting such ramous musician.
 @It IS Christ who is in this church of
 the Holy Comforter tonight requesting that He be allowed to play divine mar monies upon your human nature. at
 present oiscordant on account or the jangling of sim"
 "You have heard of a lawyer who
 wished he was other than what he Is, ana you have heard of the doctor who wished he was other than what he Is,
 but have you ever heard Of Chris tian who wished he was other than uhat he is? The more you know Of Taans inc better you love Him, and tbs less you know of Him, your pride interferes with you giving yoursef up
 to Him. .,,.,
 Tba nreacher closed his sermon with
 .ha ststsment that denominationalism
 nIsved the part of cloak to men m
 not not Joining the church. They lay the
 t wraaSies of the different churches
 about petty things up against ta she ehuroh. and while they say they au- % mire Jesus they do not adore Him Wlth a lasting life worship. ,
 There will be Bible reading ana m str,,ction at the church this morning a. s.so o'clock, and the sermon will De @..acba6 at S:30 o'clock tonight.