The Hattiesburg news., 1910-12-10
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THE GUEST AT THE DOORSTEP.

Over half a century has gone by
since the genius of that master painter
Holman Hunt gave to us that thrilling
ly noble picture THE Light Of the
World" Even the unframed eye can
see that a great thought has been
transferred from mind to canvas.
There's patient face, a kindly eye.
The wounded hand is at the knocker.
The nail pierced foot peers from be-
meath the priestly robe. Twilight and
evening damp have come. In his hand
is the lighted lamp of truth. The door
is ivy grown-so long unopened. A
touch Of genius-theres no latch ON
the outside. 1t can only be opened
from within. Holman Hunt has just
| passed into the spirit world Every
one knows the meaning of his glorious
picture, even without a title. Every
reader knows who is meant In the
text Behold, l stand at the door and
knock" although no name is mention
| ed. The spirit of God comes to the
door of the human heart and knocks.
He stands there while the sun is 60
ing down, and night is coming on with
| its heavy dews and damps. He waits
| and knocks. But only human fingers
can slip back the bolts for him to
come in.
The Visitor. :
Whose dark door Is this? It's the
door of the Jewish nation, where he
comes as Messiah then, rejected, to
the gentiles. 1t is the door, say the
| commentators, of the Laodicean
church, noted for its wealth and volup-
tuousness. But it's more than that.
Sob it out, erring one-"My dark doorr'
And the visitor is none other than the
King of kings and the Lord of lords,
of whom the angels shouted when he
| came home, lift up your heads, o ye
gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlast-
ing doors, and the King of Glory shall
come inp' Is he at my door? Surely
I not. He belongs to the palace only
Balmoral, Peterhof, Potsdam; royal
guest rooms, with purple and fine lin
| en-, gold and ivory must tint walls and
floor for a king; royal vat and forest
and nursery must furnish food. But
look! He is passing into Peters house,
fisherman's simple cottage. He is
stopping at Zacchaeus', that hated tax
gatherer And at Slmon's, the leper-
"uncleanv' And to Mary and Mar
tha's, quiet, humble folks. Why,
Master, was looking for thee, too,
but was looking at the church, at the
people, at the minister, the choir, the
ritual, the creed, and then your voice
spoke so quietly, John, behold stand
at the door and knockp' Say, is that
what that goddess prisoner meant
when he was dying at the county jail
the other night? preacher, I've been
bad"-the death sweat was gathering
-"but come closer, chaplain. Jesus
has come to even this poor, dying
thief" Somehow 1 thought Of anoth-
! er dying thief.
His Reception.
"If any man hear and open the
door" Good. Notice that ifY' 9th
ers may force me with screw and rack
and fagot-he respects the sacredness
of my human will. Every mans heart
is his castle Come in, come in! But
I'm ashamed, master. I've had other
guests-save the name. They've been
on these steps and through these cor
ridors Basphemy was here with
blackened lips; selfishness, with hard
eyes and close drawn robes; temper.
with murder and strife at her heels;
lust, red Tipped, hot breathed and scar
let robed and drunkenness, with blood
shot eye and slavering mouth. Huh!
Even now they leer Mt me from dark
corners with their foul memories. But
come thou in. thought when a king
would come there would be bands OF
music, booming Of cannon, tramping
Of soldiers, battlehags waving, yet ]
knew that was the blunder of Peter,
James and John-instead there's quiet,
love, Joy. peace and fragrance as OF
flowers from celestial gardens. Is my
reception cold or stilted or formal?
Forgive me, patient one. That was
hy sin in the church-preoccupation,
spiritual inattention, polite unbelief.
Give me the quick sense Of lover to
anticipate thy desires, the intuition of
a mother for her child, the Instinct of
, bird for SUMMER cline. o lonely one
of Nazareth, make my home a Beth
) any, where a Lazarus heart shall well
come, Mary heart adore, a Martha
heart serve.
The Divine Guest.
"I will come in and sup with him.
What an honor! In the old Palmetto
State a white mans carriage broke
down before a negro's home, a former
: slave, prosperous now. Generous hos
pitality was extended. The table was
+ spread. and their former master anc
+ mistress sat down to eat Not dari
J.. face sat at that table. Az stood. as
of old, to serve. Master supped witt
= slave, but not for moment did thu
> freed man think of sitting with him
}. Christ 81 vs.. 81 call VJu not servants