1886 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



509 



is it in this world tliat really satisfies us 

 most? What is true liappinessV The sub- 

 ject came up recently at our young people's 

 prayer-meeting. I told them that the hap- 

 ]>iest hours 1 luul ever spent in my life were 

 in going to teach a Sunday-school, a tew 

 miles otf in the country. At first I used to 

 go with a horse and buggy, and I found a 

 good many young people in our town who 

 liked to go with me. Almost any of the boys 

 were pleased with an invitation to go to the 

 Sunday-scliool Sabbatli afternoon. Now, in 

 our town there is quite a tendency among 

 voung people to go out buggy-riding Sunday 

 iifternoons. Our livery-stables do a larger 

 businsss Sunday than any otiier day of the 

 week, and I soon began to be afraid that the 

 buggy-ride had more attractions to many 

 tlumthe Sunday-school work itself, so I de- 

 cided to go on foot, tliat my motives and ex- 

 ample might be in no way misinterpreted ; 

 or 1 walked five miles and back again every 

 Sunday after two o'clock, for Christ's sake. 

 Need 1 tell you that T enjoyed going on foot 

 ever so much more than I did when I rode? 

 When the weatlier became stormy, and the 

 walking was ditficult, or perhaps when I 

 was compelled to take an umbrella, I started 

 otf in the rain, then I specially enjoyed it. 

 Yes, the happiest hours I think I ever en- 

 joyed were when I plodded along through 

 tlie rain to meet the circle of boys and girls 

 that J was sure would be on hand to greet 

 me. Would I ever get tired of such workV 

 I am sure I should not. I was weary in 

 l)ody, perhaps, many times, but elevated in 

 spirit. Did I ever doubt the presence and 

 the promise of the Siivior at such times? 

 Never, for an instant. Now, then, how does 

 this tally with the text, '' I am the bread of 

 life; he that cometh to me" (that is, he 

 that comes to me for enjoyment and for 

 happiness) "shall never hunger; and he 

 that believeth on me " (he that comes to me 

 in faith, and drinks of the water that I have 

 to offer all my followers) " shall never 

 thirst"? 



May I tell you a little piece of good news? 

 This Sabbath-school was discontinued at 

 the time of my father's sickness and death, 

 and it has never been started up again since. 

 Only this week a. message has come to me 

 that my old friends in Abbeyville, and per- 

 haps some >ounger ones that have grown up, 

 vvt)u]d be giad to see me every Sunday after- 

 noon again, if I shoidd care to go. Need I 

 tell you tliat my heart bounds at the thought 

 of it? 



Several of iny former pupils are now work- 

 ing for me, and I am glad to say that most 

 of that Sabbath-school are now enrolled as 

 members of churches of different denomina- 

 tions. Do you wonder when I tell you that 

 I look at these young peo])le almost as if 

 they bore some sort of relationshii) to me ? 

 Some of them are married, and have homes 

 of their own. They often bring things to 

 me to sell. Do you think it strange tliat I 

 almost always feel like buying whatever 

 they have to offer, or giving them the pref- 

 erence because they used to be my children ? 

 Well, now, suppose your work in "life is such 

 that a great circle of people have learned to 

 look to you more or less for the bread of life. 



or have considered you as in some sense a 

 spiritual adviser, what effect should it have 

 upon you ? As I consider these things, that 

 old prayer that I have told you about so 

 often comes up of itself, " Lord, help ; Lord, 

 help." This prayer comes up because I 

 realize how very, very human I am. 



The people wanted to make Jesus king 

 after he had fed the multitude. Some one 

 has said that the reason why they preferred 

 him for king to anybody else just then was 

 because they tliought it likely he would give 

 his subjects a '' free dinner " creri/ day. This 

 was far from his intention. It is true, he 

 wanted to reign in their minds and hearts as 

 king of the truth ; but far, oh, very far was 

 it from his thoughts of having any thing in 

 common with an earthly ruler. Ills little 

 band of followers, and those whom he com- 

 missioned to perform miracles as he did, 

 were very common, humble people. I have 

 sometimes thought they were dull people, 

 slow to comprehend and slow to believe. 

 When he told them to beware of the leaven 

 of the Pliarisees they thought he was chid- 

 ing them because they had forgotten to put 

 any bread in the boat. When he told them 

 about coming into the world to save sinners, 

 Peter declared that he should do nothing of 

 the kind, and when he told them of his ap- 

 proaching death on the cross, not one of 

 them seemed to get a ylimpse, even, of his 

 mission and his ofiice. It nas been a com- 

 fort to me to think they were such common- 

 place individuals. If Jesus loved them and 

 called them his own, may it not be possible 

 that he will love us and call us his own in 

 that great day ? Jesus so loved the world 

 that it was a pleasure to minister to them. 

 No doubt he felt a thrill of joy when he 

 ministered to their natural hunger; and 

 who can tell of the joys that cheered his in 

 many respects sad life when he saw glad 

 souls rejoicing because of this spiritual 

 bread which he was so ready and willing to 

 give ? Now, dear friend, is it ditficult for 

 you to understand or comprehend the great 

 truth that he was endeavoring to teach when 

 he said, ''I am the bread of life"? Is it 

 possible that you. my friend, have been 

 striving and worrying and fretting over this 

 great problem of furnishing bread for you 

 and yours ? If so, have you, too, forgotten 

 the bread that Christ can give, and of the 

 water of life that he is glad to furnish ? lie 

 said again, ''I am the living bread which 

 came down from heaven ; if any man eat of 

 this l)read, he shall live forever." We are 

 told that even his chosen disciples were 

 stumbled at this latter saying. Many called 

 it a hard saying, and said, "Who can hear 

 it ? " And some went back and walked with 

 liim no more. Is it not so, even to-day? 

 Religion is becoming fashionable. Many 

 are attiacted. But some, I fear, after they 

 get to the true source, and find it to be a 

 life of self-sacrifice and hardship, a life of 

 incessant toil, with many times little reward 

 and no thanks, they are offended and turn 

 away. Thank ( Jod," however, there are some 

 like Simon Peter, who, when Jesus asked 

 if he too would go away, replied, "Lord, to 

 whom shall we go ? Thou hast the words of 

 eternal life." And I believe a good deal as 



