PRE-VISION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 339, 28 September 1932, Page 6

PRE-VISION

THE DIVINE GIFT SERMON AT ST. LUKE'S CHURCH LAST SUNDAY. FUTURE BEST YEILED. ' The Divine claim to pre-vision in ' the text "Now I tell you befora it comes to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He" (John xiii, 19) was the subject of a sermon delivered by Archdeacon F. W. Chatterton, ^Teaching in St. Luke's Church! on Sunday. The text pointed to one important truth, that Jesus knew beforehand all that was to befall Hinx and others also, and that He appealed to His disciples to accept that as ievidence that His claim to Divinity was true. "Now I tell you before it comes to pass that when it is come to-pass raay believe : that I am He." If you notice the ; passage in your Bibles you will see • that the word "he" is printed in italics, . which means that the word is not in j the original, but that Jesus simply used the expression "I am," which in the 011 Testament was the berms used to imply God, the name that He commanded Moses to give to the children of Israel to designate the self-Jexis-tent God," said ths Archdeacon. Pre-Vislon. "Now how far does this touch a question concerning ourselves," proceeded the speaker. "Probably there are more people to-day than lin usual normal times who say from time to time either to themselves or to others, 'I wish I eould see into the future.' We most of us perhaps at some time 01* other Have said or thought what an advantage it would be to us if only we could know the future, and wonder why so much shouxu. be hidden from us, which if we only knew beforehand would save us many mistakes, or lead us to greater successes. Some go so far as to criticise God's actions in keeping us ignorant of things which end in disaster, and look upon it as an indication of His indifference to our wellbeing. As this is a matter which touches us all so universally, it is just as well to face it frankly, and see what it implies. If we see all that is involved in it, we shall soon discover that it is one of the greatest of God's mereies that our human limitations are placed where they are, and that we are kept in' ignorance of the future until we reach it. "Take an accident of a serious nature that we encounter. Suppose we knew several weeks beforehand that such an accident would take plaoe. How would that affect every hour that intervened from the time we knew it was going to happen till the event itself. But, you say, 'oh, well we should avoid taking the course that led to the accident.' But what if that course were the only one which could secure some particular object that could be got in no other way? And, further, the accident itself would in nine cases out of 10 be trivial in its fxnal results compared with the advantages gained by pursuing the course which led to it. This applies to trials, disappointments, losses which to know beforehand would cast such a cloud over our minds that we should plan some other course, and yet which, if faced, might be capable of producing results of a kind which would often be of far greater value in the long run than anything that could be obtained by avoiding them. Stimulate Activity. "Many an undertaking is destined to fail, but in the meantime until it does fail, it may stimulate all kinds of activity and add zest and richness to life and experience. It is often the aiming at a thing that is of far more value to character than the attaining of it. If we knew that an enterprise was to fail, all the joy that the enterprise itself had ealled out and the energy it had created would be lost, because we should have no heart to engage in it. "Take another illustration. To have lost some dear one who had filled a large part of our life, sometimes gives rise to a feeling that it would have been better never to have had such a joy, and then we should at least have been spared the pain and grief of the irreparable loss. But it does not requirs much quiet thought to see that it can never be all loss when dear ones are taken from us. There is the great gain that such an experience of getting the confidenee and love of a kindred spirit is to us. It is imperishable gain that cannot be taken from us. To have known beforehand that in an unexpected way the earthly companionship was soon to be broken, would cast an unneeessary shadow upon tbe joy while it was there, while the recollection that the influence of the life that was lived is not lost because of its removal from this earthly sphere, but lives on as a permanent gain, has enriched our own experience and character and taught us many valuabls lessons that we would not be without. "A mother doting upon her newborn babe destined, it might be, to be taken from her in a few short years, would be deprived of the joy of those years if the future were not hidden. Arrange Matters. "So again when we contemplate the end of life to ourselves. Some think they would like to know when that

end would be so that they might arrange mattsrs accordingly. But just think what that would mean. It would overshadow everything and either produce morbidness and selfcentredness, or make us so otherwordly that we should cease to have any true interest in the things of this life, its joys as well as its sorrows, which it is God's will we should enter into, and without which His Kingdom could not be extended on earth. "As we come to think more and more about this, we could see that to have simply a knowledge of the future events affecting the personal life of each one would be insufficient. We should need to know the details of future events affecting the world at large with which we were more or less bound up. Indeed, we could not benefit from that knowledge unless it were as complete as the knowledge of our Lord Himself, a knowledge only compatible with Divinity. We should be then as gods, not men. Our Lord knew the things He had to face, but He also knew beforehand the effects upon the world of all that He went through, as we are reminded in that verse 'Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross, despising the same.'.' We could thus see the meaning of His words in the text 'Now I tell you before it come to pass that when it is come to pass ye may believe that I am (He).' "Such knowledge, is the attribute of Deity alone," concluded the speaker. "Don't then, let us be misled by the tempter's lie to our first parents who were allured to disobey the Divine command which put a limit to their freedom of action by being told by the tempter 'Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.' "We may sum up the matter in this way, which shows us both the wisdom and love of God in withholding the knowledge of the future from us, exeept in so far as it implies in general terms His great purposes for the human race, the children whom He has created and loves. Three Advantages. To be ignorant of the future has thess great advantages: — "(a) It leads us to trust where we cannot see. We are ealled in this life to walk by faith and not by sight. Jt is faith and confidenee that are essential to mould and develop our character by our learning to rely upon the mercy and love of our heavenly Father, and the certainty of His promises to supply all our needs. "Without such faith it is impossible to please Him, and if we could see the future all mapped out for us there would be no need of faith and we should lose all that faith stands for. "(b) To know everything beforehand would be to miss the joy and interest in the surprises of life, which supply so much that keeps us alert and full of expectation and hope, as well as healthy activity of mind and body. "(c) We also learn in this way to take one burden at a time, or one joy at a time, whereas if we knew all, we should have every burden and every joy to bear at the same time, which would be contrary to the whole Divine plan for human development. That is why the Saviour said we were not to worry and be burdened with anxiety but live one day at a time. In this way we leave results in God's hand and concern ourselves with the duties of each day as they come before us, and there is no question that this is the secret of true peace of mind."