A THOUGHT, NOV. 19.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1923, Page 1

A THOUGHT, NOV. 19.

(Contributed). •‘.More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of. A.D. lid. nearly T:>00 years ago. was the year in which Pontius Pilate succeeded Valerius Grains, as Procurator of the Roman Province of Palestine, and his short rule covers the most eventful epoch in tho world’s history. Strange rumours were rife throughout I lie land. Stories flew from mouth to mouth, from village to village; reports which by their persistent reference to one subject caused John to send two of his disciples to seek the truth. Theirs was not a difficult task. They had hut to listen to the excited talk of the people concerning the now prophet whose message and actions were so full of strange appealing authority; they had hut to follow the restless foot of the anxious crowds, flecking to see and hear, and perhaps lie healed by this Jesus of Nazareth. And yet they doubted, baffled by the various conflicting reports they hoard repealed all around them. Could this son of a poor carpenter of Unknown Galilee be the great prophet whose name was on everybody’s lips, or was lie a mere imposter? Still, obedient m l.lieir master's instructions, they look courage and approached Him.

“Art thou He that should come, or look wo for another?” immediately came the answer, and the proof-defin-ite. unassailable, astounding; and we can imagine with what joy those two returned with their wonderful message to John, even then in prison awaiting his death. “And blessed is tie, whosoever shall not be offended in And to-day, after 19 centuries of preparation .during which civilisation lias advanced so lit tie as to be capable of even worse cruelly than Herod could have planned, the world is again full or rumours. Empire after Empire has risen, flourished, and vanquished—the AYorld has grown into a mighty globe-—far away, heathen, and despised Britain Ims sprung up ini" the mightiest ot Empires. Science has enabled man to overcome the ele-ments-—hut tho story is the same as that which fired the imagination of ibe blind beggar_ Bariimaous of Jericho .and sent him longing wistfully I bat Jesus of Nazareth might come that way.

From th** ends of the earth, trom England, from America, from Africa, from Australia, from our own New Zealand and even from our own district over countless wastes of ocean. by wireless. liv cable, by aeroplane and steamer luive scattered fragments of the wonderful story come to us; and il is ever in Hie same words. “Jesus i,l' Nazareth ipasscth by; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, and ihe weak and despondent become strong and full of home. The strong lirnv 7'or the weak, and are themselves blessed.” In our country we heal* ol crowded churches, thousands of people suffering from all ninnnor ol weakness making their painful way to the trial nl their Faith. Comes also the echoes of War—the

hatred and bickering ol nations; mien.nl strife at, Home, as reflected in 1 die Dissolution <d I’arlnini-nt. 'and i criminal indifference to duty : * s ll: - vcaled l.v Hie police strike in -Melbourne. And so the thought. the m--,ti*'iitor of t.hi's * hasty line-- H human inflrmit ies can be cured by enduring faith and the love nl tile Gallilean carpenter, cannot imUonal weaknesses liml a like remedy. From ihe individual. to the community, from the nation to the Empire. and h, power of oxiimole and I’rutli to me whole world “.lens ol Nazareth ~, . ~t h U, !" His Rover i. Julnm**. The item,.',dished fads of His mlsMou V line the wax . Already there is _a j .dimmer of svmpnthv between tm* j ('hnreh.-x a liuv -park winch will V»;l j flood the world with He* gl-ry ol universal Pence. There is hut the one ( ;,,,! “Patriae moltae red enduin' mill„ (."- dives lards and religious, but the one Heave., over all. Soldiers on (he held of hal tie serve under me (:,,,,mal 1 hey tight m the cause. Why not abo Ha* peld"'mn° ami ti.e inlernatioiml slatesimin. It V'aii h were whole and sincere m Hu* !„,„■!* ol men Bolsheviks ami tra.ioiwouldn'l need to exist. , , The manly arUnowledgemen, ol (*o.l iu Nelson’s pray.r on the eve "» I'algar explains his victory over * ,We cease I*l wonder at the al-n,o-l superhuman or"- v - o, -m h iih n a-. Granville of Hie “Revenge. m, Waller Raleigh. Dir Philip Sidney aim the host of other Elizabethan bnrncs when we know ..1” their Minplc hon"sl radii in God. Slmkr-spear.' s prod,' - i. trmr tc»-(by 'ilmii it wii« tlim Imnl|Joti years ajio. ..|... t „S be backed wit!. God. and will, the seaAYhicli he hath given h.r l™“ imiii-egnahle. , And with their h**lp only ddelid ourselves. _ In them, and in our our-el*. >-• j our safety lies. I*„t the modern world is full of iiioekol's. shunlerers. and bla-phemers. equallv vested with the powr I-"' evilas wore Chrisis’ enemies, who so >am|v iam! blindly ■•rueilmd Hon. ■l'!,., prop!,cl had collie greater tnan A|,|-C- lo him they had not heat ■•*■'■ 1 lie had (laimcd to ho Ha* Lord anointed .the promised Messiah. «"■> thev had said ; "N<-t this man .mt jhirratia-." They prelerved to Him ar zealot, who tried to P :Ik* Parr.if a Great Messiah, and who, for 'insurrection and murder. was awaiting the short shri.t *u *> (Voss. Onlv too sigiutn aully ha.iahas was released, and Jesus sent to Calvary, and '‘alier 'hi- -■ .lc*.i"j .p.-.j-Ave reieciion of their Messiah. 1lay a eaiva-e. and Hue vultures gathered around, waiting to snoop down on their prey.’* ' To-day. U’W! Naza.vH. pas,.L,tb hy—where there is unbelief there rail l-.e 11" nbgh'.y work - but it rests with us whether we ( boose the Barrabas of indifl’erenee and diseontor.t - tho thieving deceiver r v the Wo-ld. or th" Divine Christ- who has promised : -Com*' onto me all ye that labour and am 'heavy laden, ami 1 will give yon lost. 1 * Xn the dying words of the knightly. Arthur : “Wherefore let thy voice t Rise like a fountain im- me ng«t and day. For what aie men b-Uer than sheep That " hliud life within the brain. If. knowing GW J hey hi, not Both f< r themselves am! He e who call them friend ? i-’,,r su the whole round earth is every XV-uml'by gold < bains a'-oct the foot of God." —By “>-