Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1911-01-21
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THE GUEST AT THE DOORSTEP

over null ttlllulS SohC ~
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 great thought has been
transferred from mind to canvas.
There's a patient face, 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.
touch Of genius-there's 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 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 GO
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 door.
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, q We
gates, and be We lifted up We everlast-
ing doors, and the King Of Glory shall
come i'm Is he at my door? Surely
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 king; royal vat and forest
and nursery must furnish food. But
look! He is passing into Peters house,
a fishermans simple cottage. He ls
stopping at Zacchaeus', that hated tax
gatherer. And at Simon's, the leper-
"unclean" And to Mary and Mar
tha's. quiet, humble folks. Why.
Master, l 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 knock 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 thought Of anoth-
err dying thief
His Reception.
"If any man hear and open the
door" Good Notice that "ifT' 9th
ers may force me with screw and rack
and fagot-he respects the sacredness
of nv 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 those steps and through these cor
ridors Blasphemy was here with
blackened lips; selishness, 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 at me from dark
corners with their foul memories. But
come thou in. thought when king
would come there would be bands Of
music, booming of cannon, trampng
of soldiers, battleflags 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
my sin in the neutrality-suspicious..
spiritual inattention, polite unbelief.
Give me the quick sense Of lover to
anticipate thy desires, the intuition Of
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, a Mary heart adore, Martha
heart serve.
The Divine Guest.
II 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 and
mistress sat down to eat Not dark
face sat at that table. All stood, as
Of old, to serve. Master supped with
slave, but not for moment did the
freed man think of sitting with him.
Christ says, II call you not servants,
but friends" He is our guest; we now
become brothers Of the bread" 'men
of much ashes" for the fires of our
hospitality must not go out. Doors
that have been double locked, double
bolted and double barred are now
swung wide open. Even the door Of
conscience, once rusted, now poises at
his touch. There are unsupported
rooms in our souls house. The lofty
\apartment of generation with angel
frescoed ceiling was dark and spider
woven, and dust settled on its frieze
and mofGling, The windows of faith
ond hoNo o-n nnw rlnonnd Tho sky