Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-01-25

cIolHcS anu started. luere III poor
tenement he found the bleeding wife
lying upon II bed Of straw. There was
| the intoxicated husband. who had stab
bed her because she had nothing for
him TO eat. The missionary turned to
speak to the husband when the bali
clad girl said: Don't talk TO him.
Don't talk. II talking could have
saved him he would have been saved
long ago. You must ask Jesus to save
him. who you said could save TO the
uttermost." When the young girl
spoke the missionary said: THAT Is so.
Only Christ can save" And he drop
ped down on hA knees and pleaded
with God to save the brutal father.
And Christ answered the prayer. As
the missionary prayed tears of remorse
rained down the fathers checks. Yes.
Christ came TO save to the uttermost.
He made provision for the salvation of
all who would come TO him and be
saved. Can you not find the symbol
In the miracle OF the loaves and fishes
feeding the multitude. and also In the
figure Of Jesus standing at the last
supper and saying. This is my body
broken for your Yea. for you.
A Temporal Feast Provided.
But the Christ OF my text IL not only
the provldcr OF a spiritual feast, but of
temporal one as well. lie cares for
the body as we'll as for the soul. lie
is not a fanatic who expects his discl-
pies to live altogether In the cloud
lands. He demands that his people
have their feet planted upon the solid
earth. though their heads may be lifted
above the stars. So when Christ
knows that the multitudes have been
| following him all day long. and that
there are weak women and little chill
dren there, and some tired men there,
faint from hunger, he turns to his dis
ciples and says: Make the multltudes
sit down. must provide them some
thing TO eat We cannot send these
people away hungry" So the multi
tudes sit down. Then Christ begins to
break the bread and the fishes and
feeds them until they are satisfied,
and there are twelve basketfuls left.
| Cannot you see that this Is a loving
Christ, tender Christ. Il sympathetic
Christ. who would not let one OF his
own be In physical wanti
| believe Christ fed those multitudcs
not only to provide food for the hun
| CRY, but also TO teach ms that one OF
the easiest ways to- reach sinners
heart is by providing food for his
stomach ] have read attacks upon
Christian workers who give so much
OF their time TO looking after the tenn
| poral wants of mankind. Preach the
word"' these critics cry. Preach the
word, Tell men 10 come 10 Christ,
and then all will be right Loaves OF
bread and bowls Of soup will not take
the place of the bread OF life" That is
all true. But there Is no way 50 easy
to reach d mans heart and lay 1t bare
for the sowing of the gospel seed as
| TO look first after his temporal wants.
| Suppose today | am poor laborer.
Suppose | have large family OF chill
dren and sick wife and only small
wages to feed the hungry mouths.
| Then suppose some good missionaries
come To my home and bring TO my
wife certain delicacies and good warm
shoes for my babies. What Is the
effect on my mind? why" | say, III
those people do all that for me and
mine they must care for me-" Then
II those people ask me to let my chill
dren go to their Sunday school do you
not believe will gladly let them go?
Do you not believe | also would glad
| ~ 90 with them TO church? If Christ
was ready to care for the temporal
wants OF the muttudes to whom he
was preaching the gospel. can we af-
ford TO ignore the temporal wants of
our fellow men by our side?
Furthermore, the church that looks
after the temporal wants OF its people
il the successful spiritual church. And
the converse Is also true. The church
that Is not willing to care for the tenn
poral wants of its household of faith
Is not successful spiritual church.
and there is no exception to the rule.
AS an illustration | point you TO the
history OF the Salvation Army. The
whole cause OF its marvellous success
for Christ is because It's members go
out into the highways and the hedges
with sympathy and help. A dear friend
of mine spent many weeks some years
ago in studying this work In the great
metropolis OF England. and he wildly
described their way of doing Gods
service.
Work Of Salvation Army.
In the first place. they have large
halls In which on cold winter nights
they gather the derelicts and the home
less. the outcasts. the discouraged and
the poverty stricken. There they serve
them bowls OF soup. While these poor
fellows were eating IN one OF the halls
my friend saw a great. stalwart man
iadling out the soup. while he was say
Ing: Here you are, boys. Eat all you
want. Here you VIII always. find
welcome. But. oh. men. why~uo you
NOT Ofva I'M 1in1 II vnu would only