THE DAY OF REST. BE YE ALSO READY. A Sermon by the Rev. W. H. Altken.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 213, 30 July 1887, Page 8

THE DAY OF REST. BE YE ALSO READY. A Sermon by the Rev. W. H. Altken.

(" Thereforo be ye also ready."— MaAt, xsiv. 44.) Expkkiicnck teai-liee us that peoyia avo only too apt to go on » with a generaLconviction that things aio sure to turn out 1 ight.at last, but who are nevertheless withoutiangr clear prescription of "-ha way before them. And it is thus that souls are lost. It is -not that men makes up their minds to chooso the worst path, ami to turn their bades upon the better life. It is not that thoy strike a bargain to bo tha devil's slavey, and to reeehe in the end tlie wages of "in, but it is that they on slipping' trom one.degree of sin to another. The service" ,of religion of tea fail to produce any good result," because people have become familiar -with the preacher's face and tone, and, to his ino».sa»o they give a general credence. The truth in clearly set, before them, , but they contuse to live oni day after day, and to make v\l kinds of excuses, m itho'-nt really laying liold of it. ( iod is still often pleased to employ special methods of awakening- souls ; ajid it not uufrequently, happens "that vjien men havo gvovn accustomed to the tinfch, that an imfamiliar lr^thod is employcl to awaken <ihesinner, to /m.spire him m it'ti the determination to accept the bettdi 1 thing.-, which.; make for iiis peace. The tilings of eternity, , which we allLtj^w fe.^s to believe in, and yeh which \\ c behe\ c in so little, those tremendous realities A\luch he beyond do^Jh, aie .sonivijn\o» broug l :t, vi\ idly before tUe mind^ ot sinnero. The signer is startled, , and tlie inquiry is thru.-}., home upon his conscience, "•AIU 1 readn 'i" It is

11% IMJUIKY WHICH XJNTKIINS IX A-I.L. | ".Vtnlieady? "jlio \undb were utteied not by some spiteful ccn.sor uhcvs object Mas to, make tj\o family of man v? miserable a.>,])a-;3U>le ; nixoy weie nob uttf ?cd by unc vJio' ejesius to us clothed with melujcholy and gloom. They wcso uttotod by the Fiiead of lmmatiity ; 1 / Ono who htvs the deujyjbt solicitude tor I'^so wliom I]jq lu\tl mjitl/j. They came fiort the lip^ of One who Seels the dee^e^t inpere->t in eae't of ub ! Ir< is because He desires your titie jqy, that He sends you thi-me&fjage, u\\l 1 want yoah to listen to th / ap]>eal wlivh He maVes to your own r'.-^on and to gee whethyi- it is not

TIIJ . UTKAL OF A I'KUK lUilK^lK If you regard thos^ words as word& of adrice, \,v)u may see that God is o&ly acting in hawv-my m ith wh^t Ho has laid down in pro\ itVcnec. How §o V you may ask. Ib mitjKl Ikhc been foA' each one of vis have a clear coAuciousnebb of om v term of years. It might ha\e bc^vn posiihlo for God to have indicated to \^ the \eiy moment the fall .should vonie froni, time to eternity, AYe niighi hase been able to say, — "lam oidained to li\e twenty, forty, seventy, or eighty year-3." (iod might luue made such an avrangcnitnt. In the vegetable ■world v,g boo that Hf hat> dono this. We can .say of a certain plant, it will last so long. Or we can say, Thi-. will notla&t so long abthat. Why did not God make such an arrangement with us ? Why has Gad put an element of unceiLiinty which can prevent u& fiom settling down comfoitably

I'l'U.N A CURTVIN TLKM 1)1' VKAKS ? But, although we arc without this knowledge which some derive, we have the : conviction of (,'od'.-, wisdom and of His kind and tender love. Ho knows how weak we aie. Therefoie, lie has so ai ranged ifit? pio\idental dealings tha* the world may lo^e a great part of its tempting power. If I knew tliat I should coitainly li\e until I was threescore and ten, Jiow far more .seducivo the A\ r orld'.^ temptations would be than now, when, in the midst of Diem all, 1 hear it said, " Any hour jou may luuo to iesign all thc&e." That hobei'h us, and makes v.-* consider what ])rovision to make for the end. If even it were ordained that I should certainly live for a few years, I iright begin to map out my life accordingly ; and be tempted to devote a certain time to the world and its pleasuies, and a miserable little remnant of time to eternity. If all that was needed wns for us

! JU.yr to i:scaim; the vajns ov hkll, if thi^ had been all, (Jod might have given ' u-3 a number of years that we could certainly have called our own, and we might have mapped out .so much ot our life for Him and so much for ourselves. j But such a defect-he of life would i be altogether contrary to what is revealed to us. Religion is not something arbitral ily imposed upon us from without, whether we will or not ; but it is something necessary to the true development of our .spiritual nature - so necessary that no man can be rfaid to be complete without it. The man who discards religion is doing a terrible injury to his own being. If a man neglects the laws of health, he does an injmy to his physical constitution ; and just so, the man who does not receive Cod into hi-> heart, who does not accept the salvation purchased for him by precious blood ot the Son of (Jod, is doing himself

A KKAL AND SUJ^T \NTIAL INJURY, and not one which affects his being in the present world only, but far beyond it. He lias deprived him.-,elf of true spiritual nourishment, and stripped hid nature of its strength. He is cutting himself oil from the true souicc of strength, and with hi 3 own ruthless and wanton hand he removes the crown of glory from his head, and tramples it in the mire. A man cannot sin against God without binning against his own .soul. And, becaiibe tin-? is so, God has so arranged our life hoic, that His own naturo re-echoes the command, "Be ye also ready. " But the words were addressed to (Jod's dear children, as well as to others, I fancy I hear some say. — " How am I to bo ready ? I have accepted God's .si Iva Dion, and my sins are blotted out." Well, thank God ! You have the foundation of the religious life. But is that all ? This is the first step towards your being- right ; but this is not all. We are not in a position of uncertainty with regard to this. In our Lord's parable of the householder, you will remember that, having given the paiable, Ho goes on to say, — " Who, then, id a faithful and wise servant, whom hi* Lord hath made ruler over His household, to ccivo them meat in due season V Blessed is that servant, whom His Lord, when He cometh, shall find so doing" (Watt, xxiw, 4G.)

THE MAN WHO IS " IIEADV "' is an active man : lie is pursuing tho Lord's purpose. Are there any trying to discover what their woik is, and for what purpose they have entered the world ? It will be an awful thing to discover what your life ought to be, just when you are departing. To wake up then to its reality will be a terrible awakening indeed. God has given you splendid opportunities ; and if you had given yourself up to the work He had for i you to do, all would have been well. Now, you lie there on your deathbed, hoping to bo .saved, yeb s-o as by tire. Your life-work is left undone ; the glorious opportunity

given you was given in vain. Are there any of you to whom this description applies V M no,, fcher© sounds a voice, and it is not? that/ c£ the- mission preacher, but the voice- of (&&d r saying; — "Be yo also ready." When thfir master of the bouse went on his Bbng'journpcy, we a-ire toM that he gavo "to ©\»ery man M» work," and God lias given us ©ur worlc We nnay Ewivo been dreaming j about it, lEfitead of tloin^ it ; but, if it is I nob done, the blame, the loss, the punishinonfc will be- ours. Are there any of us tihii&-fruitlefc<r branebesr of the vine ? It is tlie blesßcd 1 privilege of the child of Q'ndv to

HOOK' FORWJfIIDi FOiK, TTffi RETURN OF CHRIST. Day by day the cry goes up, ' ' Thy ltihgdom fsine. Thy will be done on earth a^-ib is- inj heaven." If you are a child of God, it T&, tthe predominating thought of your heart.. You may liave different views | upon. this- question^ !Nio man can be blind ;to the tmtih. that Us®* uctwra of the Lord is S^Ac great hope, of Hit Ghnrvh — that towards ! tHi& cpJor«uh- fact ozw miuids are to be con- | tinually bM'ned. lul* tho thought of it is ' our ht'u/ixtit joy. B>u.t, if we aio lcadinsr a Xolh'sli, gpod-toL"-ao-bhing life, do not tell me 'that we-aiie- lookimg; foa Christ. I do not 'believe any Clu'iftdsm has hold of tliis truth 'who is not' howl aiJ work, whose zeal is not 'burning clearly to confer his Lord. St. Paul S£)e«ilift> of a crown of rigliteousnc.-\s being promised, tto some. For Avhom is it laid J up ? ib i? laid «p for " Jill those who lo\e j His appearing. "* I

t lux tuuSki: r.i: xo> .mistake. Even, those iyho desire fco do God s will, how fell' s>hoH they come ! While, therefore-,, there is- time, let v-? examine ourselves and Let us not take it for granted that be caupo we Me profe-ssois, Sunday-schoo' teachers district visitors, that therefore xv< ha\\'if thL> grand tiling us our own. Let us, lcy.'J; inlo.cwir hearts :, lot uo answer the que:- j lion, "■ Ala I ready f' ChristiAn lirethrrsa, are you ready ? It '^ a< solemn thouylit ttvit some of you are ou'yi \haJf au<iile. We aro living a /z/e 0/ etft'jj,^ ! Oh ! if this text Cannes Avith solemn appoul j to thos-o who do not lene the Loi'd. whai^^a I nie^sii^ft does it Tuofc leave a\ ifch those 'vho, have Eicver yet f^lfc the power of the traijh- ! "Bo ye albo rerii'ly/' How can you be ready while wifchi'^you 1 there reigns a tewse oj uv forgiven sin "J You ai o not ready fco stand before your J 4i(.lgc. ; if you have p.ot stood before the Cre-jsv IC | you have n.ot a pail in tho blood 0$ Calvary, how fein you face that solemajOrdoal when "the books shall be opened,, and when tho dead," small and £rc-Svs shall stand before the bar of Cod ? N-f) man is ready whose sins are not parda^piU You will hear a great many people 'n. our day say tlrafc anything like confidence- on this subject is out of place. They yty people cannot

KNOW WHETHER THEIR SIXS jftfl FORUIVKNI Then all I have to say is, ti^yb they never cun be ready. "How can tVj;v be V He is uot ready to live, we say of t^o-uncom erted ; and if he is nob leady to U\ o- he is nob ready to die. If, upon examimyHon of our hearty we feel that we date not *nter the presence of God, if this night ow souls were requited of lu-t, then if to-night wo should be caMed, we should know that we were dawned. Now, if any man feels so, that man is not ready to live. You are not' ready to grasp life's opportunity ; not ready to do the work w Inch Hod has sent you into the world to do. Your life has been a death in life. Your who^o being 1^ grasped by the pCmerof death; you are at thi-3 moment dead in tiespasse.% and sins. There you are, lying in your sepulchre, a loathsome object ! Your friends may bay a good u ord about you, about your good disposition, your amiability, and so forth ; but until your soul is right with God, and you know what it is to be at peace w ith Him, your whole experience in one of spiiitual death.

YOU ARE IX YOUH SM'ULCHKK. Now such a man is nofc ready ; he is not ready for anything high and holy. Temptation meets him", bub lie is not ready to meet it. There is somciiigh and holy deed to be done, but you are not ready to do it. There is an iniluence to bo excited upon the ungodly around, but you are not ready. There are friends to be appealed to, but you are not ready. You are not ready to train your childien ; and if you are an employer, you aie not ready to iniluence those in your employ. Eaith's opportunities are parsing away, they are rushing from you, because your are not ready. Life is going, and, by-and-by, except the whole current of your being changes, all will be lost. The past is lo^t already, and soon the futuvo will be lost. The past is lost for ever tit is gone irrevocably. Is your present lost ? Then, unless you change, the futuro will bo lost. Thefove, are you ready ? Do not let us talk nonsense, and say, we cannot know. God never intended us 'to lead a life of uncertainty. Christ did not die that wo might advance in life, weighted with this heavy "uncertainty. He died that *I might know my pardon was sure, and that I might rejoice in the blessed consciousness of His Grace. Are we then ready ? Only a short time ago, as I came down from the 'pulpit, I noticed a strong, healthy-looking man who was sitting not far from it. I went up to speak to him, and 1 saw tears in his eyes. X saw ho was willing to be spoken to, and I pressed upon him immediate decision for Christ. I pressed it home upon him, for I saw he was resisting. I saw him drawing himself up to oppose and to suppress every indication of emotion. He was fighting against God. By-and-by he said, " Don't talk to mo any more !" Only a few short weeks after this, he was struck down in a drunken quarrel, and unprepared ho passed away

INTO THK PRESENCE OV HIS GOD ! I was once visiting my father's parish at Pcndccn. I saw a young man whom I hart nursed on my knee when lie was a baby. A friend, at the close of one of the services, asked me to go and see him, and I went and knelt by his side. I pleaded with him for an hour and a half, but I could make no impression upon him. He was not ready, and I could not bring him up to the point of decision. And a week or two later I heard that he had fallen from a ladder, and had been killed. When God sends a special messenger, it is the last rail to so?ne ovc. Let the question be asked, Is it to bo life or death, salvation or ruin ? Is it to bo a blessing, or a curse ? Let us ask ourselves, Arc we ready ?

THE PIOUS MINER. That accident has brought into my mind anothci . Just outside my father's vicaragegate there is a little miner's cottage, where a poor servant of God resides. One morning he had gathered his family together for prayer, and they could not help noticing that he prayed with peculiar fervour. He went to the door of the cottage, but turned back ! and he laid his hand on one of the children tenderly, as he said, "If I am brought back on a board to-day, never mind ! It is all right ; it is all right between mo and my God. lam His, and He is mine." "' Why do you say that ?" he was asked. "It is enough to make a woman miserable to hear you," his wife said. " I don'fc know why I said it,' he answered ; "it came into my mind." He had hardly gone to the mine, before he was, through, an accident, precipitated to the bottom of the shaft They brought him up, and, as

they took home ti >c poor shattered corpse, his words recurred to their lemembrance, — ) "'Remenßber, if I. am brougbb'ufoack on a ' b&ardl ttex&Sßjv i

i "• c jfiia cwristt 'sands and he zisjmine. " ; Wow;, rare- you r& idy ? Cfiavyou lay your 'i£ad c oni your pillow to-nigh to, .avid say, "I iva read;?."' What a blessed'? thing to feel f.hat^you- sui/B' iready it'or life arid U>& trials, for j>? osperiJt? ©jr adve rsity ; ready for life or i-ead-y foi? ck®i\kh I TCo bo rJb'e ta say, "I <>&vo goti' an- armoc ir arourd nic which no '"acmyM- afaarb caa penetrate".; I have a b^noply TSthdah haa been prcpaßetl for me in nftaven, anxi I can ;advance in eecttriiy t If «kath Goim)s r or if t liere is ucklen fb&li of ji^K6i.an«S ftfea voice of the pjankangeL sounds |iGt summeni ijsie on b igh, — s&ihe prayer of a J ,'/»ifcingvC3i«a*ch for its Lori.fae-tuia-vrei.ed by thc^LorrT'ir appear: mcc ir sthe adir,, I am j raaeLy. " fe it not a blesse- UtJiiiJ^ to fee able One- Mrouti more. Br ''EyAUrVD) neady. 1 HVfero a»!»iromo who have idfcjfciTtlaciu- opjxa--:.umity,.a3ai3i cannot be rcadw now,. Staaxl--iig here «uaw between t"^j. Jivaß!g,and. tie .leßtli,bettv.fcen the saved inOk fcUcee who/are 40no'tx>'pei'uiition, I ask ;.9T0:,t0 thahkeof' the \\ Wionomiftivh emphasis' wi .k which •H\&) wostte !i^hrt.ukl JCfiJjrse to you, " Be..y{f p^o^roaciy." jPlie dee/A cannot come \ &ck. T&, yon-,, tile juing, <s«>you who liavf .-j'quv oppai->fcnns s y, i-Q.yjou who are Avibhin {iiJejreac'diof Div^ie j;race,, tS3>jrou the iness?^eof,,Dixtne- lbu&is it is sent b< t:»A,m H^lbves-yaa. ''43fe ys«;iikso ready."