SUNDAY COLUMN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 15, 30 December 1911, Page 8

SUNDAY COLUMN.

“My) Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”—Exod., 33-14. A Homily for the New Year, by Rev. John Edwards. There are times in the history of men, and of nations, when they need to hear the voice of God, to he assured of His presence, to be inspired and enheartened for now effort and new tasks, to be helped to resume their pilgrimage along the hard ways of life. It was such a time with Moses and Israel. God’s anger had been roused by the people’s idolary, and He had threatened to destroy them. Moses pleads for mercy, for forbearance, and while God will not allow things to remain quite unchanged, He withdraws the threatened doom. The earlier promise is revoked, an angel is to be the leader instead of the Lord Himself, punishment is to fall on the evil-doer, but the penalty of extermination is withdrawn. Again, Moses intercedes and receives for answer this great promise, and in the promise he found the help he needed. Is not this the very promise we need at the commencement of the year p As we review the past with hearts filled with sc Jemn thoughts, as we become conscious of our failures, our declining ideals, our fading hopes, we seek for comfort and for inspiration for the future. We recognise that there is no help but in God. He must be a reality to us; it is necessary for us to see His face, and realise His presence if we are to trust in His great promises and go manfully on our way. And when He says: “My presence shall go with thee,” we find the help we need.

The Presence of God Means Companionship on a Lonely Way.—Moses, from his very position, stood aloof from all around him. He was lonely in his knowledge of God; his comprehension of God’s character; in the greatness of his task, and in the realty of his deep experiences—he stood apart from all. Supreme excellence is always, lonely—the great ruler, statesman, warrior, all tread a solitary path, all alike have secrets which no other may or can share. In some degree this is true of every man. Each one travels on a solitary way. “What man kimwetk the thoughts of a man?” his hopes, his fears, his yearnings, Ids aspirations ? God bade between our shores to be,

The unplumb’d salt, estranging sea. And many of our experiences are unique, unanticipated, incommunicable. So all alone we live and all alone we die. God’s presence means companionship, and in that fact lies comfort and strength. He knows nil the way from the beginning, and with Him tliere can be no loneliness, no surprise, no disaster. He gives strength to walk the most lonely and difficult path. The Presence of God Means Inspiration for Great and Difficult Tasks.— The task of Moses was to guide the destinies of a group of undisciplined tribes, and mould them into a nation. It was a difficult and thankless task; and called for an utterly unselfish spirit. And the temptation to forsake the work must at this moment have been almost overwhelming. Why trouble? Was the task worth whip,? It seemed oven as if . God was dissatisfied with Israel, and that all attempts to ’ raise them were fore-doomed to failure: But Moses was a.true pa.tfibt. Having secured the promise of God’s help, lie resumes the weary! toil and goes resolutely onward. Does the nation need this inspiration to-day? Try and weigh accurately the burden of the white man, of England as she shoulders the vast responsibilities of her widespread domain. “Thank God we are a people yet”; but if we are to remain a great people the presence of God must be with us. And for every man there is a difficult task—impossible without the inspiration of God.’s presence. He is here to make Himself a King; a Master of all truth and 1 goodness. If, as some, have thougnt—interpreting The parable of the talents—man is now qualifying for the great task of ruling future races to be horn into God’s great universe, how greatly ho needs this help. .And here m the midst of our weariness and despair is God’s great^promise — “My presence shall go with taec.” Let - us remember that this is the secret of all the great workers—Luther, Cromwell, Wesley, Gordon, David Hill, D. L. Moody—all found their courage-and power tliere. And nerved with this help, we may take up our task again and say: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthI enetn me.” *

God’s Presence Means Strength to Bring Life’s Task to a Successful Is-sue.-—lt means not merely inspiration but achievement. Success is certain and abiding when work is done in the strength of God. That which Moses never saw on earth, Joshua did, and led the people to the promised rest. The splendid national life of the days of David and Solomon was due to the elforts of Moses. God gives rest not merely in the future, hut here and now. He gives rest in, labour. The restlessness of the youth passes when he finds a task worthy of all his powers; the great man finds rest when his genius can grapple with great duties, and lie can do exploits. It is the rest which makes the success possible. “Learn of Me,” says our great Leader, and He means—be meek, trustful, obedient, and thus finds rest. For the rest which He gives springs out of confident obedience. The Alpine guide demands absolute obedience, if he is to guide the beginner through the long ascent to the summit—to success. Moses’ failure at the end sprang not from obedience and trust, but from the momentary lack of these qualities. So it is ever. Not trust—but pride and presumption—lead to splendid .failures. The arrogance of Phillip and the pride of Napoleon in his biggest battalions preceded the destruction of the Armada and the crowning defeat of Waterloo. This, then, must he our watchword on the threshold of another year.

“My presence shell go with thee.” With God, there is Companionship, Inspiration, Achievement, Rest. The great unending future! J cannot pierce its shroud ; ' But J nothing douht, nor tremble, God’s how is on the cloud. To Him 1 yield my spirit, On Him I lay my load: Fear ends with death ; beyond it I nothing see hut—God. A New Year Prayer. (), Lord God Eternal! Thou who hast been our dwelling place in all generations, we stand upon the threshold of what we call another year, and ere we cross it look to Thee to ask + hat Thou wilt make our paths straight and their way upward alone- the heights where Thou dost dwell. Keep us through the coming year from stain of sin, from wrong desires, from defeat by temptations. Guide us as wo go, and be 'I lion our shield. We plead Thy knowledge of what wo are, and of what we mean to be. Fill us with Thy grace and let us not forget to daily pray: Thy will he done. And when in the stress of life we fall and fail, .forgive us for the sake of Jesus Christ, Thy Son. Amen.