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Show I l Three Methods of I Communication By REV. LEW W. GOSXELL ?Z Assistant Dean. Moody Blbla TEXT Having many things to write unto you, 1 would not write with paper and ink; but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face. The children of thy elect sister greet thee. II John 13. We have heard of a woman who wondered what she could do for the y ,' ' ' : V . "x i' V Lord, since slia was not gifted sta others. One day, in looking uver the death noticM in the newspaper. it occurred to her that she inijkt send cards curtaining cur-taining messart of sympathy, ii even write swejs messages, to semt of those berea v ed.. vve may wen covet her reward m tiw day of Ch.'ist! The same spirit, of sanctifying car correspondence, is illustrated in th case of the aged apostle John, as he writes to the "elect lady" whom he addresses in his second epistle, from which our text is taken. First of all, he says he would not write with i'.per and ink, implying the unsatisfactory character of this method of communication when he has many things to say. If we should allow al-low our imagination to run, we might conclude that, since papyrus, which was used in writing, was expensive, the apostle could not afford to write long letters! Again, we might easily picture him writing laboriously in his old age and so making his epistle brief. How human it "makes him and how neai to us it brings him ! All of which may cause us to rejoice that, in the providence of God, the invention of printing was brought about at the time of the Protestant Reformation, thus enabling the common people to possess the word of God. Speaking Face to Face. John desires to speak to the elect lady "face to face." It has sometimes been suggested that, because of the spread of books, preaching will lose its popularity. It has been well replied re-plied that this will be the case when conversation is supplanted by correspondence. corre-spondence. However, communicating by "paper and 'nk" is no more satisfying satis-fying now than in the days of the apostle, and we still yearn to talk to one another "face to face." And may we not apply it to our relations to our Lord? Sweet is the fellowship we now have with Him through His word, but in His presence will be fulness of joy. "Oh, the blessed joy of meeting - All the desert past! Oh, the wondrous words of greeting He shall speak at last!" In closing, John says: "The children chil-dren of thy elect sister greet thee." This may be considered as a communication communi-cation by proxy, just as we have had those by writing afvd in person. Some hflve considered it trivial to think of John conveying the greetings of children chil-dren to their aunt. But we cannot feel that way about it. Indeed, the simplicity, sim-plicity, the gentleness, and the power of attracting the affections of the young, which are Involved, suggest to us the maturity In saintliness of the apostle whom Jesus loved. I'ossibly, some of these children were small, and we shall not forget that when Jesus would illustrate true gentleness in the kingdom of heaven, He set a little child in the midst and bade His disciples disci-ples become like him. John had, by grace, attained to childllkeness. Long;ellow and the Children. John T. Trowbridge, the well-known writer, tells of a visit to his home by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. When Mr. Longfellow heard the children, he called for them. They were somewhat overuwed by his gray hair, beard and venerable aspect, but he soon put them at ease by saying: "Where are your dolls? I want you to show me your dolls! Not the fine ones you keep for com. pany, but those you love best and play Willi every' day." They had soon brought their shabby little favorites with battered noses, and were eagerly telling him their names and histories, while he questioned them with an Interest In-terest which won their hearts. Mr. Trowbridge could only think of Him who said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me." May the Lord sanctify all our human relationships as those of the Apostle of Love were sanctified ! |