Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-17
a remnora, Seas, Provided.

re QtuNuuS tiltf MS people
have their feet planted upon the solid
earth. though their beads 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 multitudes
Sit down. l must provide them some.
thing to eat We cannot send these
people away hungry" So the multi.
tudes sit down. Then Christ begins tc
break the bread and the fishes and
feeds them until they are satisfied,
and there are twelve basketfus left.
Cannot you see that this Is loving
Christ. tender Christ, a sympathetic
Christ. who would not let one OF his
own be in physical wanti
I believe Christ fed those multitudes
not only TO provide food for the hun
CRY, hut also TO teach us that one of
the easiest ways TO reach Il sinners
heart is by providing food for his
stomach ] have read attacks upon
Christian workers who give so much
OF their time 10 looking after the tenn,
poral wants o. mankind Preach the
word" these critics cry. Preach the
word Tell men TO come TO Christ.
and then all viii be right. Loaves of
bread and bowls or soup will not take
the place OF the bread of life" That is
all true. But there is no way so easy
TO reach a mans heart and lay it bare
for the sowing of the gospel seed as
to look first after his temporal wants.
Suppose today ] am poor laborer.
Suppose l have a large family of chill
dren ana sick wife and only small
wages to feed the hungry mouths.
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" 1 say, IF
those people do all that for me and
mine they must care for me-" Then
IL those people ask me to let my chill
dren go to their Sunday school do you
not believe l will gladly let Them go?
Do you not believe l also would glad
~ go with them TO church? If Christ
was ready to care for the temporal
wants of the multitudes 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 it's people
Is 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 q successful spiritual church.
and there Is no exception to the rule.
As an illustration l point you 20 the
history of the Salvation Army. The
whole cause OF its marvellous success
for Christ is because its members go
out into the highways and the hedges
with sympathy and help. a dear friend
OF mine spent many weeks some years
ago i'm studying this work In tho 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 i'm which on cold winter nights
they gather the derclicts and the home.
less, the outcaSts. the discouraged and
the poverty stricken. There they serve
them bowls or soup. While these poor
fellows were eating in one of the halls
my friend saw Il great. stalwart man
ladling out the soup, while he was say
ing: Here YOU are. boys. Eat all YOU
want. Here you will always find n
welcome. But, oh, men. why do Won
not give up sinl II YOU would only
give up Your sins and come To Christ
he would never allow you 10 he hun
cry and friendless. Look at me.
was once Just as you fellows &re. No
man ever fell lower into sin than 1
did. But Christ took me and cleansed
me, and he has cared for me. He win
do the same for you II you are will.
Ing" The two things seemed 10 go
together, the soup and the sermon.
and" my friend added, 81 never heard
more Impressive sermon I'm my llfe.J
Then the Salvation Army leaders
took my friend into their match fac
tory. They said: "Here we provide
work for men. Here we teach them to
90 something. Here they may earn
their bread and their clothes Then
when they are fit we send them to our
Australian ana Canadian colonies.
where they can start life anew" This
Is the way to peach Christ 10 the poor
Ii was Christ's way, and IL Is still the
effective way. 1t Is the way the Chris
lion world has done and is doing to-
day to the hungry in famine stricken
foreign lands-in America. in India. in
Russia and IL Ireland Ii is the way
Christs followers are doing among
our own helpless poor here at home
from the Bowery mission bread line
Il New York. with its thousands OF
gaunt. famished men and boys. to the
great army OF the unfortunate who
mad 70 be fed and supported In strick
en- San Francisco. Can we not feed
the hungry and clothe the naked and
give clutches 10 the lame when we are
trying 20 lead them TO the cross
Many men would gladly receive the
bread OF life II we would flrst give
them five cent loaf OF wheat bread
baked h :he oven OF love. MANY
would have their sins washed In the
blood or the lamb If we would oniy
teach them first how TO get into a bath. |
'uo and give them some clean linen
70 dress IN. Yon cannot separate mans
temporal needs from his spiritual |
needs The two go side by side. And |
Jesus, when he saw the multitudes |
-hungered. babe them sit down. and be
.ed them with the five ioaves and two
1shes untii 81! were fed. and there |
were twelve basketfuls left over
ihen be said Gather Cd the frag.
nehts that nothing be lost"
Helping ou' Enemies
nut there IS another fact You must |