DEVOTIONAL COLUMN.

Shannon News, 22 July 1924, Page 4

DEVOTIONAL COLUMN.

PRAYER. U Lord, grant to any oi us Ural are lii trouble, sad, solitary, or perplex- , • ed, die light oi liny presence unu the , peace that passes understanding a... | wlicii outward tilings ruei i may we see through die gaps die calm Leavens above that, cannot pass, o , commend to Tliee our country. m an I its interests and concerns. i : mou, b . . Jesus Ohmt our Lord.—Amen. | A THOUGHT. 1 “It is useless to hog up a zeal ior missions where we have lost tile enthusiasm oi the Holy Cro.ss, and live as ii forgiveness were out an accident in religion. - . • It iS nom •• uio centre oi me church’s lire ncu missions grow, lr olll die holy iovu ot bod as revealed in die atoning Cro-ss. They do not arise at some point ,n,i . ■hie' outskirts oi Christian iaiwij diey are not among me church's luxui- i ies.’.’—P. T. EURBYTIL !

DEAN OF 'DURHAM ON MODERNISM

I believe modernism is reiiograue, and not a progressive movement, i believe that it tends to materialise men’s view oi die universe, at a time vvnen science itself is beginning to spiritualise that view. 1 believe that, it is inconsistent with the realmos nodi oi Jesus anti oi Christian iusiory. 1 believe uiat it is critically- unscicnthic, as it is religiously unuevuuonul, anxl 1 believe mat Christianity must ne understood and enibraceu either in the sense oi die ancient Camohc creeds, or that it cannot be understood- and embraced at all.

CARDINAL--MANNING AND THE HOLY . SPIRIT.

When Manning was appointed Archbishop of Westminsteri in 1865 lie went into retreat at Higngate to spend a lew days witli God. There lie wrote down-his most secret thoughts’, among aumi these; — .

1 remember the time when soiue simple soul asked me why, hi me nrst volume ui sermons i published, about ISiO, i spuiee so seldom ol the Roly JSpirn. 1 lQund it was true, aiiu 1 resolved from .that time id make every uay mi act ui reparation.- to*.uio Holy Ghost in these words: —‘O Guu the Holy Ghost, Whom I have slignted, grieved, resisted irom -my cmianood to tins day, reveal unto me my personality, Tny presence, Thy power..

. . o Tinou that art the spirit oi the -Father aLd the sou, :o ; iliou that art tile Love oi the Fattier -and die Son, i>. Thou that ibuptizest vv.uu lire, shed abroad in my heart me Are ol Thy love. . - . C Thou that, hast

commanded me to love Thee with au my heart, kindle m,e with zeal, inert me with sorrow, tiiat J. may live the life and die (lie death ol a perfect penitent. Let tiiat holy flame burn up and consume in me all tiiat is contrary to Tby i may love Thee with all my soul and all iny strength and my neighbour; us myself.

it those who are set lor the. leadership and teaching oi the Christian Church have too much iiegl-ected tins aspect of our iaith or have left it to be the monopoly oi the lew, what shall our act of reparation be? SIX-PENNYWORTH OF MIRACLE. (By Rev. J. H. Jowett, D.D.) “A cup- of cold water’ only.” Matt. x. 42. The headline of this meditation js

’■ ' t uot mine. It belongs to George Gissiiig. And tliis is how it occurs. Gissing was going along the road one day, and he saw a poor little ladi pernaps ten years old, crying bitterly. He had tost sixpence with which he had been sent to pay a debt. ‘‘Sixpence dropped uy tne -wayside, and a wnole lahnfy made wretched. 1 put my Laiid in my pocket, and wrought sixpenny worth ol miracier i 1 tuuiK Gtssuig's phrase is very significant. it suggests how easily some ! miracle can be wrought. How many troubled, crookeu, . .miserable coxiuitions there are wnich are just wai.i- 6 die arrival ol some simple- humanministry, and they will oe immediately uaasiomiedl It is surely tliis kind ol liiii'acie-wuti*iving numstry ■ winch our Lord'■ commends ■ When He mils us oi tne service rendered by me gin, of a cup -oi coid water omy, . uio name oi a, disciple, it is sume- : uuiig wince. everybody ban .-uo, ana i yet it works a nnracie, lor it nansi ionas the-world oi a weaiy .traveller, j changing his' tnust huo. satisiacuun, lilts lainuiess -into smengui, ana nia I weariness into liberty and song. That iuiraeie costs' -k-os Ulan sixpence. A 'cup ol cold ■ waier only, and 1 nenoruJ . an .tilings become new. Jotui Morel, Mayor of Darlihgion, was, passing through tne town anu met a leiio-w citizen who had just been released from gaol, where he hau j served three years lor embezzlement. I “Hallo!” said the Mayor, in his , own cheery tone, *T’m glad to see you! How are you?” Little-else was said, | lor the mail seemed ill at ease. Years i afterwards, as John Morel told me, | the man met him in another town, and immediately said, “I wont to uiapk you for wiia-t you did for me I When 1' came out of prison.” ‘‘What did, I do?” ‘‘You spoke q, kind wJ. to me, and it changed my life!” Six i penny worth of miracle! A cup o. i coid water! A new worldl • \ Ivan MacLaren used to carry in.his pocket a very well-worn letter, which had been sent to him by one of his poorest parishioners, and which hu read' again and again, and in many a changing season,, and’ always with renewed cheer and inspiration. It was just a miracle-working letter I written by an obscure-- parishioner I who scarcely realised that she was doing anything at all. Just-a cup of cold water only, but it proved to be. a fountain of life. But away and. beyond all such, services as these, what ministries -are in our hands for working miracles in the wonder-realms of prayer! We can take sunshine into cold and sullen places. We can light the lamp of hope in the prison-house of despondency. We can loose the chains from the prisoner’s limbs. We can take -gleams and thoughts of home into-a far country. We can carry heavenly cordials to the -spiritually faint, even though they are labouring beyond the : seas. Miracles in response to prayer and vet we will not pray! We will > not pray! And fhe. great miracles ! tarry because we will not fall in sup!.plication upon our-knees.