1883 



JUVEN'ILE GLEANINGS. 



723 



to think thp world has but little such relisrion, 

 or very little of it grets to be practically ap- 

 plied. How many Christiar s are there who 

 are so eager for the saving of every sinful 

 soul they meet, that they will always put the 

 preempts of this little verse in practice V 

 Do even our ministers, God's chosen ser- 

 vants, always go to the one who offends, and 

 see him alone, rather than have a talk about 

 it to some other brother V T know I fall far 

 short here, my friends — very, very short. 

 I think over and over again of the words of 

 my old friend, how he said that it is easier 

 to* talk to somebody else than to go right to 

 the man's face with what we have to com- 

 plain of. 



" Thou hast gained thy brother." What a 

 blessed thing it is. dear friends, to have 

 qained a brother I It seems tome now when 

 I meet with this friend whom I have men- 

 tioned, just as if he had been somewhere. 

 and got home. It is " kind o' funny," but I 

 have been wondering if iam not the chap 

 who has got home, instead of himself. 



Well. Jesus does not advise von to stop 

 here, friends: for sometimes this friend is 

 stubborn, and will not listen, even to mild 

 woids. In that case are we to give it up as 

 a bad job V Not at all. If you are following 

 Christ, you have come to save that which 

 was lost, and you do not give up the brother 

 for quite a spell yet. You get one or two 

 intimate friends. — two are better than one, 

 many times.— and then go and talk it over. 

 You each plead your side of the story, and 

 . these good friends, who are trying to pattern 

 after Christ too. are there with the avowed 

 purpose of saving you both, if they can. 

 They are friends to both of you ; and their 

 eyes not beine blinded, or made green by 

 jealousy, are able to see the matter exactly as 

 it stands. If you do not look out you will 

 feel small before you get throuuh. As you 

 meet their gaze and friendly looks, you both 

 begin to feel ashamed of yourselves; and if 

 yoji are the kind of men I take you to be, 

 you end it up by a little prayer-meeting, and 

 are better friends after that, as long as you 

 live. What a wonderful thing is arbitration ! 

 and I guess it was discovered about the time 

 somebody commenced reading this very pas- 

 sage in the Bible. These kind friends can, 

 if you choose, take down what you say, both 

 of you. and afterward sum it uu in good 

 shape, just as a lawyer would, only lawyers 

 would charge you a great lot of money, while 

 Christian friends do it all for love to you, 

 and love to Christ. 



Now, Jesus is so anxious to have us keep 

 trying, and never give up, that he recom- 

 mends still further measures before we let 

 the poor deluded stubborn brother go, and 

 give him up. He says, " Take it to the 

 church ;" and not until the united influence 

 and pleading of the brothers and sisters— in 

 fact, the whole body of the church — fail 

 should we say. "The man is lost, and beyond 

 rescue." One Christian is apower. my friends, 

 but two Christians area more mighty power, 

 and a church of Christians ought to be able 

 to pull evfi.ry bad man out of his evil ways, if 

 they bend their energies to it. 



It would be the most natural thing in the 

 world to suppose that Peter would have a 



word to put in just about here. (Would it 

 not be funny, if I should get a hobby about 

 the character of Peter just about now ?) 

 Well, Peter did have something to say. He 

 puts in a conundrum right here. ''How oft 

 shall my brother offend against me. and I 

 forgive him V" He modestly suggests, *hat 

 about seven times might be about the right 

 thing. But his Master rebuked him again 

 there. No, Peter, do not give the man up 

 after you have tried him seven times. Do 

 not get weary in well-doing, and say it is not 

 any use. Do not stop at seven, Peter, but 

 try on until seventy times seven — 490 times. 

 And our Savior did not say he should give 

 up then. "For the Son of man is come to 

 save that which was lost." 



While they were all listening so intently, 

 our Savior told them a little story, as he oft- 

 en did, to illustrate how we should keep try- 

 ing to save people. In that little story he 

 reminded us how God had striven with us 

 all. and had borne with us during our many 

 and many shortcomings. And he reminded 

 them how wicked and ungrateful it would 

 be to get impatient with those whom God 

 has mercifullv placed near us. Be merciful, 

 he said in substance, even as ye hope to ob- 

 tain mercy : and in that wonderful prayer 

 which he gave us. he says the same thing in 

 substance— "Forgive us our debts as we for- 

 give our debtors." Why shonld we do this V 

 because it was his command V Yes, and al- 

 so because we should be trying to save that 

 which was lost, even as our Savior came in- 

 to the world to save sinners. 



Many of the prophets pronounced judg- 

 ment upon sinners. Samuel pronoimced 

 judgment ui)on Saul ; and even Peter pro- 

 nounced judgment upon Ananias and Sap- 

 phira, and by a miracle they were struck 

 down dead. In reviewing the matter of 

 Christ's life and ministry, it seems a little 

 singular that he new^r called down judg- 

 ment upon anyone. He left that, as it were, 

 to the Father." His whole end and aim and 

 purpose seemed to be so emphatically ab- 

 sorbed in the business of saving, that he 

 never harmed any one — not even those 

 who were so grievously wicked and cruel. 

 When John the Baptist was .l^eheaded, and 

 they went and told him about it, it seemed 

 almost beyond comprehension that he should 

 not bring down pnnisliment upon the per- 

 petrators of the wicked deed. He did noth- 

 ing. It seemed to be out of his province. 

 He came to save, and not to destroy. He 

 came to plead with humanity. He even re- 

 frained from using the power he possessed, 

 when he was led to the cross. Legions of 

 angels were ready to come at his command, 

 and yet he never called them. He died trying 

 to saive lost men and women. He gave his 

 life for the lost. He gave it meekly and un- 

 complainingly ; and when opportunity came 

 for saving a soul, even during that last 

 moment of agony he rejoiced at the oppor- 

 tunity of welcoming and inviting a harden- 

 ed sinner to meet him in paradise. Dear 

 friends, Jesus came to save yon. He is 

 striving to save you now. He is following 

 you lovingly and patiently. That wondrous 

 spirit of Christ our Savior is at work just 

 now in trying to save, and all you have to 



