SUNDAY COLUMN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 26, 13 January 1912, Page 3

SUNDAY COLUMN.

“DELIVERANCE.”

By Dr. Newton H. Marsliall, London

I. Deliverance is what all the world seeks. And the longing for it lias two aspects. On the one side dreaded fate. I saw a book-cover on which was the cover of a- woman in the grip of a gigantic hand. Her face and gestures were full of horror. She was being crushed and could not escape. And mankind feels itself to bo in a grip of fate like this. Life is often felt to be a sort of nightmare. If this were all, mankind would no longer love life, but would give up the endless and hopeless struggle. But it is not all. Alongside this sense of a dreaded enemy, there is an inextinguishable hope. No one can persuade ns that things might not bo better. However abject a race may 1)0, or however 'sickened with deferred hope, there is an inexpungable conviction in men that, somehow or other, the evil may bo eluded, or, indeed, utterly broken down. Mankind lias an invincible faith in deliverance. 11. What do men desire to be delivered from ? Mostly they are not clear about it themselves, and often enough imagine that it is only physical evils from which they really need to escape. The world seethes with discontent to-day. Men and nations are writhing because they want to bo delivered. From what? From overwork, underpayment, cramped homes, inadequate food, lack of education. They struggle after liberty, leisure, luxury, and in some cases, one must add, licence. And yet it is just to say that behind all this is the hunger for higher things. Though a man may imagine that ho only wants material advantages, in point of fact it is the lack of moral and spiritual goods which keeps his discontent alive. This is proved by two incontrovertible facts. The first is that material advantages, when gained, do not put an end to the discontent and dread of life. Barney Barnato, the millionaire, was no more at rest in his heart than the poorest man in his employ, as was proved by his suicide. The most miserable beings are those who have had large opportunities to satisfy animal cravings—and have taken them. The second fact is that men who have received spiritual deliverance have become indifferent to those needs which materially-maided men have thought to he the only real needs. That is to say, experience proves that deliverance does ;ndt come. by way of senses; it does,! however, ■ come by way of the Spirit, and ‘the final enemy of the spirit |fc : sjn; 1 - - Hence,;. what all the world does really , ;seek is, deliverance of the soul from sin.

HI. j • Christianity, -is' the!religion of deliverance. ’ • It & well to clearly grip this truth. One of pur troubles today—as ever—is that Christian people do not ■'understand their own religion. So many'Christians think that Christianity means being respectable, or living'a fine moral life, or being associated with a church, or believing certain, doctrihss. In the main all these things are true. Christianity inevitably results in good citizenship, high morality, church fellowship, and a right understanding of the eternal truth. But its essential nature is to be found in its power to deliver men. Christianity is optimistic—not because it denies the existence of evil, as some teachings foolishly do, but because it has special knowledge of the powers and purposes of God, which is made known in Christ Jesus.

IV. Christ ianity is the religion of deliverance because it is the religion of a Deliverer. It conceives of God as far more than Creator and Judge and King. Ho is the Saviour intent on wiping away all . tears from our eyes. And he savog ns not by altering our surroundings, but our hearts. Ho seeks to set up definite relations with our souls so that we think and wish and work differently from the way we should think and wish and work apart from Him. His deliverance is not something done apart from ns, as when a gardener “delivers” his garden from drought by watering it. His deliverance is an intercourse, or traffic with ns, a “give and take” between God and man. That is why wo ought to pray for deliverance, because in prayer onr soul gets into proper relation with God, and God’s work of ;deliverance can begin. We will do well to make a list of great Christians and note (1) what each was chiefly delivered from, (2) by what process the deliverance came, and (3) what quality in the man it called into activity. Such men arc Paul, Augustine, Luther, Bunyau, Wesley, and Livingstone. This study strengthens faith, for wc know that the God who delivered these in times of great stress and for great services is ready to deliver us also in onr less eminent lives for onr simpler tasks.

GROWTH IN CHARITY. By Rev. J. A. Clapperton, M.A. Our charity, or love; is our crown. Three great maxims should ho impressed upon onr memory and heart, if we wish to increase in character. Reluctantly condemn; Habitually admire, Learn to hope. For there are three main ways of regarding onr friends and neighbours, wo can condemn what is wrong in them ; admire what is good in them, and regard them with hopeful love—not because of any present' virtue, but because of what they maybe in the future. Let ns consider briefly the three great maxims. !. Reluctantly condemn. In one of Shakespeare’s most beautiful works lie tolls us bow the old gentleman Jacques exhorted Orlando to rail upon the world because of its injustice. Orlando’s reply was sublime: “I will chide no breather in this world but myself, against whom 1 know most faults.” A golden saying and a noble resolve. The noblest of men when

they search their hearts discover much of weakness. The most faulty.being that they know is their own self. Condemnation is sometimes deserved and necessary, but it should always bo against one’s feelings and administered under compulsion. 11. Habitually admire. If you wish to help men to live better lives, admiration is infinitely more inspiring than condemnation. Christ could condemn when occasion demanded, but how wonderful an admirer He was! One day a poor Pagan woman met Him and in an agony begged Him to heal her daughter. He cried out in delight: “0 woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee, even as thou wilt.” If we would lie like Christ we 'must cultivate the art of admiring. 111. Learn to hope. It is to be regretted that Edna Lyall’s religions stories arc being neglected. They are full, not only of artistic power, but likewise of rich Christian instruction. In one she describes one of her characters in this significant fashion: “Carlo had the rare and enviable gift of seeing people as they might have been under happier: circumstances, and the still rarer gift of treating thorn as such.” This hopeful love is still the greatest saving power in tho world.