prescribed radius of “threescore furlongs” from Jerusalem have proved
unsuccessful, and its actual locality is still a matter of controversy,
in spite of the assistance which might have been anticipated from the
name itself, the word Emmaus signifying “warm springs.” Consensus of
opinion, however, is in favor of some situation in the hill-country to
the northwest of the city, possibly El-Kubêbeh._
75]
The farmer agreed to do it, and for the first time in many years was
present in the house of prayer. He found out that the man who could load
the hay could preach the gospel too. He believed it. He obeyed it. That
hour’s work, helping him to save his hay from the rain, was the means of
leading him to Jesus, and of saving his soul.
“The Lost Diamond.” An elegantly dressed lady, as she stepped one day
from her carriage, in the city of Washington, missed her valuable diamond
ring. It had slipped from her finger in some way, as she left the
carriage, and had fallen into the gutter, where it was speedily buried in
the filth that flowed toward the sewer. She looked with dismay on that
muddy stream, and offered a policeman five dollars to put his hand into
the gutter and find the ring. He hesitated awhile, but finally agreed,
and reached down into the filth and spent some time in groping about the
gutter. But he failed to find the lost jewel. At length he gave up the
search and told the lady that it had probably been washed along, and gone
down the sewer. She paid him the five dollars, and he went away. But
the lady stood there still, looking sadly down at the place where her
lost gem had disappeared. She could not bear to give it up. She lingered
and hesitated; and finally, taking off her glove, and pushing back her
silks and ruffles and laces, she bared her arm for the work, put her fair
hand down into the reeking filth, and after searching patiently in every
direction, she found the precious jewel, and carried it away in triumph.
Now there are lost souls all about us, souls for whom Christ died, ten
thousand times more precious than that lady’s gem. They are lost in the
mire of filth and sin. But they may be found and brought to Christ, by
such earnest, persevering efforts as she made for that lost jewel. And if
we put forth such loving, personal efforts for them, they may be saved.
And those who make such efforts are obeying the Saviour’s command to
preach the gospel to every creature.
“It’s All I Can Do.” Bessie King was a bright child about fourteen
years old. She was a serious, thoughtful girl, who wanted to make
herself useful. One summer afternoon she went into her father’s garden
and gathered a bunch of flowers. While doing so, she wondered if she
could not make some one happy by the gift of these flowers. All at once
she thought of her young friend, Nellie Vance. Nellie was sick with
consumption. She had been confined to her room for months, and was not
expected to live very long. Her mother was a poor widow, and unable to do
much for her sick child. But Nellie was trying to be a Christian, and the
thought of the loving Saviour made her cheerful and happy.
Bessie was very fond of Nellie and loved to visit her whenever she could.
So she gathered some of the loveliest flowers in the garden and hastened
with them to her friend Nellie’s humble home. As she entered her chamber,
she said—“Nellie, dear, I’ve come to bring you a bit of my summer,” and
she laid the flowers down by Nellie, who was lying on a couch near the
window. Nellie’s delight at seeing the flowers was an abundant reward
to Bessie for bringing them. It was touching to see the sick child as
she lay there, with the bright flowers around her. She handled them so
tenderly, one by one, almost forgetting, in the pleasure they gave her,
the weary, aching pain, she was always feeling.
“I am so glad you came this afternoon, Bessie dear,” said Nellie, when
the flowers were arranged. “I have something so happy to tell you.”
Bessie looked at her with surprise, wondering what happiness poor
suffering Nellie could have left to her.
“I have been thinking for a long time,” said Nellie, “how little I have
done for the Lord Jesus. I have been shut out from people so long, that
I’m afraid no one knows I love him; and I can’t bear to go away from
earth without a word _out loud_ for him. So Bessie, I am going to be
confirmed. That will be standing up for Jesus, and it’s all I can do.”
“But, Nellie dear, how can _you_ be confirmed? You hav’n’t been out of
your room for months, and church is more than two miles away.”
“I can do it for Jesus,” she said firmly. “Mr. Gray has promised to take
me in his carriage, and to carry me up in the church.”
Bessie could say no more. Her heart was full, and she threw her arms
round Nellie’s neck and wept.
“I want you to come with me, Bessie dear,” said Nellie. But Bessie could
not speak. So Nellie went on, and said: “You have your whole life to live
for him, so you ought to begin right off. But mine is so nearly ended,
that I must come now, or I never can come. It’s all I can do. But Bessie
I want you to come with me.”
And they did both come. Bessie held back at first, afraid of herself, but
Nellie talked so sweetly to her that she had to yield. “When Jesus called
the little child to him, Bessie,” said her friend, “don’t you think he
would have felt hurt if he had held back, and refused to come to him?
Suppose he had said he wasn’t good enough, or old enough! Jesus wanted
him, just as he was. He had plenty of grown up people. He wanted a little
child then, and he wants us now.”
It was a touching sight when the sick child was carried up the aisle, to
join her young companions at the chancel; and when the bishop laid his
hands on her head, and his voice trembled there was not a dry eye in the
church.
Not long after, Nellie was carried again into the church. Yet this time
it was not Nellie herself, but only the poor worn body that had suffered
so long, and was now at rest. Her sufferings were now over, and her work
was done. Her spirit was with her Saviour she had loved, to be forever
happy in his presence.
Nellie was faithfully carrying out the last command of Jesus, when she
tried so lovingly to get her friend Bessie to stand with her and confess
him before men. By our efforts to bring those around us to Jesus, we may
help to carry out that last command of his.
We can do this also—_by our gifts_. There is no better use to make of our
money than to give it to help in sending the gospel of Jesus to those who
do not know him. And the smallest sums are often very useful when given
for this purpose. Here is a story of a poor little orphan girl who had
earned six cents by running errands, and of the great good that was done
by her gift. Her name was Dixey, and we may call the story:
“Dixey’s Six Cents.” One day, a pale-faced little girl walked hurriedly
into a book store in Boston, and said to the man at the counter: “Please
sir, I want a book that’s got, ‘Suffer little children to come unto me,’
in it; and how much is it sir? and I’m in a great hurry.”
The bookseller wiped his spectacles, and looking down at the poor child,
he took her thin little hand in his, and said: “What do you want the book
for my child? and why are you in such a hurry?”
“Well, sir, you see, I went to Sunday-school, last Sunday, when Mrs.
West, the woman who takes care of me, was away; and the teacher read
about a Good Shepherd, who loves little children, and who said these
words. And the teacher told us about a beautiful place where he takes
care of his children and makes them all happy, and I want to go there.
“I’m so tired of being where there’s nobody to care for a girl like me,
only Mrs. West who says I’d better be dead than alive.”
“But why are you in such a hurry, my child?”
“My cough’s getting so bad now, sir, and I want to know about him before
I die; it would be so strange to see him and not know him. Besides, if
Mrs. West knew I was here she’d take away the six cents I’ve saved from
running errands, to buy the book with, so I’m in a hurry to get served.”
The bookseller wiped his spectacles again, and taking a book from the
shelf, he said, “I’ll find the words you want, my child; listen while I
read them.” Then he turned to St. Luke xviii: 16, and read to her the
sweet words of the loving Saviour. After reading them he told her about
the Good Shepherd; how he came down from heaven to seek and save the lost
sheep; how he suffered and died for us that we might live; and about the
bright and beautiful home in heaven, which he has prepared for all who
love and serve him.
“Oh, how sweet that is!” said the earnest and almost breathless little
listener. “He says—‘Come.’ I’ll go to him. How long do you think it’ll be
sir, before I see him?”
“Not long, I think,” said the bookseller, turning away his head to hide
the tears that were running down his cheeks. “Now you can keep the six
cents and come here every day, and I will read to you some more out of
this Book.”
The little girl thanked him and hurried away. The next day, and the next,
and many days passed away, but the poor child never came to hear about
Jesus again. Some time after this a rough-looking woman came into the
bookstore, and said in a loud voice, “Dixey’s dead! She died rambling
about some Good Shepherd, and she said you were to have these six cents
for the mission-box at school. I don’t like to keep dead people’s money,
so here it is,” and throwing the six cents down on the counter, she
hurried out of the store.
The six cents were put into the missionary box on the next Sunday, and
when the story of Dixey was told it touched so many hearts and led so
many to follow her example with their pennies that by the end of the
year “Dixey’s cents,” as they were called, had brought in money enough
to send out a missionary to China, to help in finding out the lost sheep
and bringing them to Jesus. And if little Dixey, in her feebleness and
poverty, could help to carry out our Saviour’s last command, then we may
all do so.
But there are other things than money that may be given to the work of
saving lost souls. We see this illustrated in the following story. It may
be called:
“The Rescue.” “O my child, my child!” cried an almost heart-broken
mother, as she met a party of gentlemen, among the hills of Scotland.
“What’s the matter?” they asked.
“A few hours ago I left the house and my baby-boy in charge of his
sister. Being a fine day, he was lying in the cradle, outside the
cottage-door, prattling away in the sunshine. After awhile, baby fell
asleep, and my little girl being hungry, went in-doors to get some food.
While she was lingering there, I returned, but only in time to see an
eagle bearing away my child in his talons. O sirs! pity me, help me,
recover my darling child.”
The mother’s loving eye had watched the flight of the eagle; and with
these gentlemen she went to the edge of the cliff, and looking over the
precipice they could see, far down its steep sides, the nest of the
eagles, to which the child had been carried. The distress of the mother
touched the heart of one of the gentleman who was a Scotch nobleman. He
resolved, by God’s help, to try and snatch the child from the terrible
death that awaited it.
Ropes were procured, and at his own request, the nobleman was lowered
down over the rugged cliff. The two eagles fluttered round, as if daring
the intruder to approach their nest; but a brave heart was beating
beneath that Scotch plaid. Fearlessly the heroic Scotchman approached the
nest. He took the child from among the young eagles. He bound it to his
bosom, and gave the signal to be pulled up. Gently, but steadily, he was
raised in safety to the top of the cliff; and with a glad heart he gave
back the recovered child to the arms of its grateful and rejoicing mother.
This story illustrates what Jesus has done for us; but, at the same time
it shows what we should do for those whose souls have been carried away
by Satan the great enemy, and who are in danger of perishing forever. If
we feel for them, as this good nobleman felt for that lost child, it will
lead us to give, not our money only, but our sympathy, and everything in
our power, to bring them to Jesus, that they may be saved through him
forever. And so we see how by our gifts, we may help to carry out the
great command which Jesus left for his people, just before his ascension
into heaven.
And then, there is one other way in which we may help to do this, and
that is by—_our prayers_.
There is a wonderful power in prayer. It is a power which all may use,
and which will reach all around the world. We see this strikingly
illustrated in the case of the Syro-Phœnician woman mentioned in St.
Matt. xv: 20-28. Her prayers caused the casting out of the devil from
her daughter. When Jesus was on earth he said to his disciples—“All
things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
St. Matt. xxi: 22. This is God’s promise to you and to me and to all
his people. And so when we pray for ministers and missionaries; when we
pray for the conversion of the heathen, and for others who do not love
and serve God, we are helping on the good work which Jesus left for his
people to do when he said—“Go ye into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature.” It would be easy enough to fill a volume with
incidents which illustrate the power of prayer. But we have only room for
a single illustration.
“Saved by Prayer.” Some years ago, a boy left his home in Indiana for
Chicago. He was not there long before he fell into bad company, and
was led astray. A friend of his father’s, who lived in the same town,
happening to visit Chicago, saw that boy on the street one night drunk.
On returning home, he thought at first that he would not say anything to
the father about what he had seen; but afterwards he felt that it was his
duty to tell him. So meeting him one day in the crowded street of their
little town, he took him aside and told him what he had seen in Chicago.
It was a terrible blow to him.
On returning home that night, before going to bed, he told his wife what
he had heard. They were both so much distressed that they could not
sleep. They spent the greater part of the night in earnest prayer for
their poor boy. Before morning the mother said, “I don’t know how it is,
but God has given me faith to believe that our son will be saved and not
be allowed to fill a drunkard’s grave.”
Not long after this, that boy left Chicago. He could not tell why, but
an unseen power seemed to lead him to his mother’s home. On entering the
house the first thing he said was: “Mother I have come home to ask you
to pray for me.” She prayed with him, and for him, and he soon became
a sincere and earnest Christian. Here we see the power of prayer. Let
us all use this power, and we shall be helping on the preaching of the
gospel in all the world, and to every creature.
And so, when we think of the ascension of Christ, let us always remember
the great work that Jesus commanded his people to do; and let us try
to help on that work in the four ways of which we have spoken,—by our
_examples_—by our _efforts_—by our _gifts_—and by our _prayers_.
The Collect for Ascension Day is a very suitable one with which to close
this subject:
“Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy
only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to have ascended into the
heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him
continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth, with thee and the Holy Ghost,
One God, world without end. Amen.”
[Illustration: Jesus Appeareth to and Pardons Simon Peter
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went, and he made as
though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying,
Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And
he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat
with them, he took bread, and blessed _it_, and brake, and gave to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of
their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within
us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the
scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem,
and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.—_St. Luke
xxiv: 28-34._
_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_
_Beyond the simple statement that “he was seen of Cephas,” nothing is
recorded regarding the appearance of Jesus to his sinning and repentant
disciple, although, if we accept the sequence of events in the order in
which they are narrated, it may safely be supposed that this took place
after night-fall. But where nothing is known, conjecture is justifiable,
and we may think of Peter as shrinking from the society of his comrades,
unable to rest, and wandering, he knows not whither, in the silent,
moon-lit streets. Chance leads him to the door of the house of Caiaphas,
and there, on the scene of his lost opportunity, he realizes the presence
of his risen Lord, and receives the gracious assurance of forgiveness._
76]
THE DAY OF PENTECOST
Jesus has finished his work on earth and gone back to heaven. We have
now, in bringing this history to a close, to consider how the work was
carried on, after he was gone.
After the ascension of Christ there was a pause. For some days everything
stood still in connection with the great cause for which Jesus had lived
and died. This pause continued until the day of Pentecost. Then the Holy
Ghost was sent down from heaven. He took up the work where Jesus had left
it, and has been engaged in carrying it on from that day to this. Nothing
could be done till he came. No sermons were preached. No lessons were
taught. No souls were converted till the Holy Ghost came. This shows us
how important his presence and help are in all the work which the church
of Christ has to do for the glory of God and for the salvation of men.
Take an illustration.
Here is a locomotive, standing on a railway, with a train of cars
attached to it. The engine is new and beautiful. Every wheel and crank
and pin is in its proper place. It is complete; it is perfect. The boiler
is full of water. The tender, attached to the locomotive, is full of
fuel. The passengers are all waiting; but yet the engine stands still.
Nothing moves. What is the matter? Simply this: there is no steam in
the boiler. And what is wanting to make the steam? Why a fire in the
furnace. Can nothing take the place of this? Nothing in the world. This
is absolutely necessary. Everything depends on this. But now see, the
fire is kindled. There is steam in the boiler. The wheels begin to move,
and away goes the train.
When Jesus went to heaven, the church he left on earth might well be
compared to such an engine. He had built it well. Its machinery was all
complete; but it stood still. The power was wanting to put it in motion.
The Holy Spirit alone could give this power. When he came the fire was
kindled: the steam was generated; and the train was started, which was to
run around the world, and carry countless numbers of ransomed souls to
heaven.
And in speaking about the coming of the Spirit, there are three things
for us to notice. These are—_the time of the Spirit’s coming: the manner
of the Spirit’s coming; and the purpose of the Spirit’s coming_.
_The time of the Spirit’s coming_ is pointed out in the name of the
day when he came. It was on the day of Pentecost. This word means the
_fiftieth_: whether it be a day, or a number, or anything else to which
it may be applied. The Jews used this word as the name of one of the
three great feasts which they were commanded to keep every year. This one
was called “the feast of Pentecost,” because it was kept on the fiftieth
day after the feast of the Passover. It was sometimes called also—“the
feast of Weeks.” This name was given to it, because the forty-nine days,
which came in between these two feasts, just made up seven weeks.
It pleased God to connect with this day of Pentecost the most important
event that has ever taken place in the history of the church or of the
world since the ascension of Jesus into heaven—and that was—the coming of
the Holy Ghost.
And this great event has always been remembered with interest by the
Christian church. In the early days of the church, the day kept in
memory of the coming of the Holy Ghost was set apart as one of the
solemn seasons for baptizing persons who wished to be received into the
church. The candidates for baptism on these occasions were clothed in
white garments, to denote the purity which should mark those who received
baptism properly, by truly repenting of their sins, and having their
souls washed in the blood of Christ. And for this reason, the Sunday on
which the day of Pentecost was thus celebrated, was called Whit-Sunday,
or Whit-Suntide.
In the Episcopal Church in this country, in the Church of England, and in
some other branches of the Church of Christ, this Whit-Suntide festival
is still kept with great interest. The scriptures read on this day refer
to the coming of the Spirit and to the importance of his work; and the
sermons preached at this season generally have reference to the same
subject. And when we remember how the success of the great work in which
the Church of Christ is engaged depends upon the help which the Holy
Spirit gives, we see how important it is that we should be constantly
reminded of the necessity of having his presence and power with us in
all our efforts to do good to the souls of men. And so, when we think of
the time of the Spirit’s coming, we may bear in mind that it was on the
day of Pentecost, or on the fiftieth day after the death of Christ.
And now, we may go on to speak of—_the MANNER of the Spirit’s coming_.
It was an _expected_ coming. Jesus had told his disciples about the
coming of the Spirit and had given them a promise that he should come.
He said to them on one occasion: “It is expedient for you that I go
away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I
depart, I will send him unto you.” St. John xvi: 7.
And then, just before his ascension into heaven, he repeated this
promise, commanding them “not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for
the promise of the Father:” again he said, “ye shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost not many days hence;” and again, “ye shall receive power after
that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” Acts i: 4, 5, 8.
And, according to these promises, we find that the apostles were waiting
for the coming of the Holy Spirit and expecting it when the day of
Pentecost arrived. They had not been told how long they were to wait. All
that had been said about the time of his coming was that it would be “not
many days hence.” After Jesus left them and went to heaven, they seem to
have met together every day, engaging in prayer and praise. No doubt they
read the scriptures on these occasions, and talked together about their
ascended Lord and the fulfilment of the promise he had left them. Day
after day, they had met for this purpose, waiting for the Holy Spirit.
But one day passed by after another and the Spirit did not come. Still
they felt sure that he would come. They were waiting for his coming: and
when at last he came, we may well say of it, that it was an _expected_
coming.
It was a _sudden_ coming. We know how often it happens that something we
have been expecting for a long time comes suddenly at last. And it was
so with the disciples on this occasion. They had met once more for their
daily worship. As they came together, on the day of Pentecost, there was
no more sign of the coming of the Spirit on that day than there had been
on any of the previous days; but he came at last. We are not told whether
it was at the beginning, or the middle, or the close of their meeting,
that he came. The Holy Spirit did not send a messenger before him, to
tell of his coming, as kings and great men in the East were in the habit
of doing. No trumpet was sounded. No signal was given. But, all at once,
the promise of the Father was fulfilled; the expectation of the disciples
was met—the Holy Ghost came down from heaven. But it was a _sudden_
coming. Acts i: 2.