ST. ANDREW'S MISSION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9, 15 May 1913, Page 7

ST. ANDREW'S MISSION.

SECOND OF THE SERIES. The second of the series of special services was held last evening in the St. 'Andrew’s Hall. The attendance was good. Miss Moon sang very sweetly the sacred solo, “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” A number of the popular Alexander choruses were sung during the evening. The missioner gave a Bible reading on tiro subject of some of the fools mentioned in Scripture. ABOUT FOOLS. (Contributed.) The , Bible being a universal book, contains a message suited to all classes. 'lt has a revelation from God to all men, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, to the self-righteous and the sinner. It has a warning amongst others for fools, for those who make a wrong use of the knowledge they possess. There is not time to trace the different kinds of fools referred td in Scripture. Three classes may be mentioned. ' * 1. There is the class of whom the Psalmist,has said,. “The fool hath said in his heart there is no God. I'oitunately the theoretical atheist is seldom met'-with in these days. In the census returns of the Dominion, some write themselves as being “no-relig-ion,” some put down their names as “Pantheists,” but few, very few, style themselves as “atheists.” The evidence of the existence of a Supreme Intelligence, are so many and so strong, that any man with honest heart and open eyes cannot escape the conviction that God is. Dj. Torrey tells the following well-known incident which helps to illustrate this point: “A French scientist was travelling across the desert with an Arab guide. As the sun went down the Arab spread his prayer-mat arid kneeling with his face Reward Mecca, prayed. What have you been doing asked the scientist, when the Arab arose? ‘Praying to Allah,’ the Arab replied. ‘How do you know there is a; God?’ asked the scientist. ‘Have you ever seen Him ‘No,’ Or heard Him?’ ‘No.’ ‘Or put out your hand and touched Him?’ ‘No.’ ‘Well, then,’ said the Frenchman, you are a great’fool to pray to a God you have never seen or felt, or heard.’ The Arab said nothing, and they retired. In the morning the Frenchman said: ‘There(-was a camel round niy tent last night!’ ‘How do you know?’ asked the guide. ‘Hid you see it?’ ‘No,’ replied the scientist. ‘Did you hear it?’ ‘No.’ ‘Did'you put out your hand and touch' it?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then,’ said the Arab quietly, ‘you are a great fool to believe there was a camel round here, if you did not . see it or hear it or feel it.’ ‘But,’ said the Frenchman, ‘here are its footprints on' the sand, round the font, so I know it was here.’ Just then the majestic orb of day rose .above the horizon in truly Eastern splendour. The Arab, with a majestic wave of the hand;(p'dinted to the rising sun. ‘And behold;.’ he said; ‘there are the footprints 1 pf the Creator, and so I know there is a God.’ And I think the Arab had the best of the argument.” 2. But a greater fool than the man. who says there is no God is the man who iprofesses to believe in His existence, and yet in life and conduct denies Him..

Personally, I do not fear theoretical atheism, but I have a great dread of practical atheism. The trouble with many to-day is that they do not follow their professed beliefs out to their logical conclusion. Multitudes who do not question the Divine existence seldom think of God. In. the midst of the pleasures and pursuits and cares of this life Ho is forgotten. Granted that there exists an Almighty and Perfect Being, the Author of all tilings, our Creator, and Heavenly Father, on whom we are absolutely dependent for life and health, and all things, and to whom ive are accountable for our conduct and character, this implies tremendous . claims upon our lives. We are' under direct and positive obligation to worship Him in truth, to hear His commandments wholly, to love Him with all our heart, and serve Him with all pur strength. But, alas! these obligations are not recognised, or if recognised are forgotten. ' There is no fear of God before the eyes of many in our time. His commandments are trampled on; the laws of temperance, and honesty, and purity are broken, with scarcely a thought of the ■ consequences. As Victor Hugo says; “The great mistake (we would use a stronger word) of the present generation is that it is staking all on the prfesent life.” Men are thinking of farms, and cows, and getting on in the world; they are looking only upon the seen and temporal—the unsubstantial and evanescent. In a word they are living as if there wore no God, no need of salvation from sin, no coming retribution, no future life.

3. Those who make no preparation for, tho future. ' Jesus tells of a wealthy farmer whose ground brought forth plentifully. A series of prosperous seasons brought him riches. Ono year after a plentiful harvest ho decided to pull down his old barns and build now and larger ones. When his grain was stored up ho addressed himself: “Soul thou hast much goods laid up-for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry.” So he soliloquised. But the scene suddenly changes, and the man hears the swift and unexpected message: “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall bo required of thee.” And the lesson of this incident so typical of what takes place in the lives of men in all ages, and is happening all around us to-day is tersely and strikingly expressed in a sentence: “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich

toward God.” This man’s folly did

not consist in his getting riches, or (possessing them. j There is no crime jin affluence provided men get rich | honestly, xiso their wealth wisely, and in proportion to their means support (those schemes which extend the Kingdom of God. The folly of this man (consisted in his forgetting that his riches, yea evpn the power to get them came from God; that he ignored the cry and claims of his needy fellowbeings; that he imagined material possessions would satisfy the needs of his soul; and that he took no account of the future and made no preparation for it. Are these things not being repeated around us? The Trinity which Taranaki worships, I have been told, is gold, the mountain, and the cow. Whether this be true or not, I know that multitudes seem to ho seeking to satisfy the demands of the immortal spirit with earthly possessions, and- | appear to leave the future unending life as completely out of reckoning as ,if it existed only in myth or legend. Tha story is told of a king in the olden days, who had a fool whom he kept to amuse him. On one occasion he presented him' with a costly walking stick, adding that when he found a bigger fool than himself he was to present it him. The days drew near when the king was about to die. He sent for his fool to take his leave of him. Said the fool: “Where are you going?” “On a long journey, ri rej plied the king. “And when are you returning?” asked the fool. “Never,” said the monarch. “And have you made any preparation for the journey?” enquired the fool. “None,” answered the king. “And you are going on a long journey to a distant land, and will never return, and you have made no preparation?” quoted the fool. “That is so,” said the king. Then, said the fool, “take this walk-ing-stick, you are a greater fcol than I. Such is the folly of unpreparedness in spiritual things.