The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-02-13
Need Conviction
Says DR.. Rees
Continued from page one)

| NSOItllutu liOUl QuSC OUcJ
willing to be grasoed by the hands
and swung by strong arms to safety
1t was this conviction that gives birth
to rescue missions, the Student Vol
unteer Movement, which has enlist
ed thousands of students in religious
service; it was this that led John
Howard to the prison dungeons OF
London; Florence Nightingale to the
battlefelds of the world; Carey, Liv-
ingstone and a noble line of mission
AIRY heroes and heroines of whom the
world is rot worthy. 1t was this
conviction that sent that Christian
man, Gen. O. o. Howard, through a
dark and stormy night to the bed
side of dying soldier who had ask
ed for him, who, when the command
ing General had prayed for him, said,
THANK you, General, now l see
Him.
Thirdly, we need to know that the
Gospel, ''the good news" is the pow
er of God unto salvation. The pre-
eminent need of St. Johnsbury, in
the midst of the struggles of human
life, the temptations that overwhelm
the burdens that almost crush, the
sorrows that make moist the eyes,
and the sins that hold with such a
grip, is that we should know more
about the power of Jesus Christ to
save and to keep. l have preached
for many months to the soldiers and
sailors, often 5000 at time, and |
found that the one thing they listen
ed to and wanted was the old gospel
of Jesus and His love. Just before
50 carloads started for the port of
embarkation, we had baptism and
Communion, and many participated d.
One splendid fellow, after baptism
said to me; "please write my wife and
my mother, and tell them that | gave
my heart to Jesus Christ tonight" He
is now buried in France, after giving
the supreme sacrifice. a prominent
man in Philadelphia, not a Christian
who had not given his boy either
Christian teaching or example, came
home ore day to find that the boy
had been seriously hurt IN street ac-
cident, ald taken to the hospital! lie
FASTENED to find him. The boy, hold
ing his hand, said: "1'm badly hurt;
I'm going to die. | went to Sunday
School once, and the teacher SAID
the best Friend anyone can have IS
Jesus, and so I've been praying to)
Him. Father, won't you pray for
me?" With tears the father answered,
my boy, don't know how to pray
Then father, pray with me, and to-
gether they repeated, "Our Father
who art in Heaven and the boy SAID
SIS it not wonderful, father, that Jesus
has saved me-" and then passed
away. :,
Finally. we need the conviction OF
our personal and individual response
bility. Christ cannot save men alone.
St. Johnsbuly can be saved only
through human instrumentallty we
are "laborers together with God"
Our dependence must not be alone !
on great meetings, bat results VIII
come only las we answer yes to sum-
mons ego we after that which Is lost
until We find it," Above everything
Else, all other work, our business is
o seek the lost. Jesus walked Az miles
% seek one poor woman, and bring to
ner attention the Water of Life. He
vent to the Pool to heal man who
or SO wears had been an Invalid. he
stopped by the roadside to listen to
he cry of blind Bartimaeus, ana |
passed under the sycamore tree to
peak to Zacchaeus, ard placed his
lands on the heads of little children
md blessed thcm,-but He has now
yiven this work to us to do. l WISH |
you knew my friend in North Adams
Who brought his whole Sunday school
lass to Christ, and the woman IN
Chicago, of wealth and position, who
,athered her girls and tried to tell
hem of Jesus, but broke down from
Ieep emotion. And they said to her If
,ou care like that we will give our
,earts to Christ" Leonardo de Nlncl
vas commanded to make statute 1or
he Emperor. After weeks the Emper-
~ sent for him, and rebuked him for
lot obeying, and Leonardo answered.
I have not disobeyed, but | must first
ret the vision, and then can put IL
n marble Oh, that the ordination
# Heaven might come upon us 10
rive Us the vision of the needs OF our
GLOW men, and the vision of CHRIST
Who can save unto the uttermost, ana
# our deep personal responsibility