SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 277, 31 December 1909, Page 1

SUNDAY READING.

XOTEfjfOF A .SERMON PREACHED fe.'KEV. F. P. KEIXOW in the .TOuth Road Wesleyuu Clmitli, Se\i : ~)i/*lf a man love lie lie will keep *»'' My words and my Father will *' love him; and we will come unto ~■¥■■ him and inal-e our ajjode with him. (John 14, 23). Ui Ulc UlUsi, Implant! IllolUeilw i:6ra mans.me i b Uiui in winch he first '..realises the' existence oi uwi. Jian. peojne, with uu easy mu.noieuce, unseat to the doctrine; bui perlups Uiu number oi peiauuo wno cuu utm., it»tily to the consciousness oi an experience is suuuier man we ohm appose, nut where una witen a uoes come

it is a marvellous experience. Late is transfigured, by it. Human destiny assumes a new significance. The luture looms out grand and awful: for there is seen to be a supreme power and intelligence "with whom we have to do." Jlut all this is not the supreme fact in a man's consciousness. That comes when he realises that the searching gaze of that God is upon him. When, so to speak, he finds himself individualised, and knows that he is the object of an active personal divine regard, and if, happily, there should oe joined to that experience the further consciousness that this same God comes to him. with the assurance of His pardoning and gracious complacency, then is known the supreme fact of a man's religious experience. Perhaps you will say all this sounds well enough, but is it credible? Does it actually square with human experience? Christian testimony could be adduced to answer these questions fully and satisfactorily, but 1 .shall confine myself to the standpoint of the text. And you will notice that the text is full of the clearest affirmation of this great truth. Now, when we come to analyse this passage wo notice that there are four things which stand out prominently and demand attention. ThejjPfctMs, loving Christ—"if a man lov|3iij|.ncxt, there is the keeping of will keep My words"; Then,fjiMf(nt the sequence to these love—"My Father will . and, lastly, the fellow- t ship sSßX&eTling of God—"We will come uflEgpn make our abode

Let us 16ok at these facts in the order in which they are presented. Well, in the first place, what does loving Christ mean as 6et before us here 1 Certainly not mere worship and adoration, though these emotions may be elements in that love,. It is rather that deep, pure, spiritual affection which has been evoked, and, shall I say, wrought, in us by the good, the true, and intensely human character of Christ. We have seen the man Jesus. We have beheld His excellence. We have come to site and comprehend, in some measure, the beauty and pathos of His utler selfdevotion to his fellow-man. We know that He is worthy of our entire trust, and He compels our love. And what follows such a view of Jesus? Why, are those words which wc must obey 1 First and foremost they are the word'? of Christ's own teaching as you may find them recorded in the Gospels. And

Joey are more than that: thev are His full revelation of the Father's will to you in whatever way, or by whatever means, it may come to you. The means by which Christ communicates His words or His mind, to a heart that k teachable, simple and that wills to obey are thousandfold. But I must say that-as loving Christ necessarily implies knowing Him, so obeying Him implies acquaintance with His words, for how can wc keep words which we have not heard? But the word is nigh thee. His words are in your hands and in your hearts. And every true disciple makes it.a.Jeading purpose of his life to search out and discover those words, and put them to the test by kcepinT and. doing them. "He that loves me will keep my words." Wo know by analogy thai this is true for wherever there is kindredness of disposition, wherever there is blending and harmony of pcrsonil elements, wherever, in a word, there is personal esteem and true affection towards another we are ready to do the least or greatest expressed wish of that person, we are even eager to anticipate the wish yet unspoken. We are sure then that if a man loves Christ he will keop ITis words. And yet this means a great det'l. Let me phee before you three ■r f-ur of His characteristic words: "(lod is your Father and all ye are brethren." That is the great distinctive word of Christ's teaching. lint have we got within calling distance ot that great truth? Why, if we had, even if the so-called Christian churches had come within hailing distance of it, those great agencies of evil—King War, King Drink, King Greed and King Selfmust have ceased their deadly work amongst us. But they are mighty forces to-day, not only affecting the man in the street, but the masses and classes and casting their malignant shadows over the things of the sanctuary. And then there is another great word: "But I say love your enemies." You sec this grows out of the word which went before your enemies are brethren, just as God's enemies are his children, "if ye love me ye will keep this word of mine."

There is another great word of His: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever lose his life for my sake shall find it." Thank Cod for that great word. It is the death warrant of a selfish life. Any attempt to keep life or the things of life solftshlv, ends in loss and ruin, but every life given in Christ's name is found again, even here and now, a hundredfold. ''He that loves Mo will keep that word." Just one other instance: "Inasmuch as ye do deeds of kindness and nelghborlllicss unto the least of these ye did them unto me." Oh! the dignity of a human life which is lived for man, as a gift to Christ and offering to God! Do these words mean that when a man in a ngtll spirit, gives help to a needy besL'iir 'thai he helps the suffering Christ? What else can they mean? The Incarnation has done wonderful things for human life and this is ono of them. Xow all those things arc i f the essence of personal religion—the reITgion of Christ—but of religion on the human side.

Xow I want to speak of the second section into which our text falls; ah.l let mo point out that this part of the text tells us what real religion is on its God-ward side. Wo have noticed that religion on its human side begins with love, and is followed by a ready and •oving service, as its Outward expression. The text shows us also that personal religion on its God-ward side graciously answers to what it is on the human side. Here it begins with love, the loveof the Father which is followed by service. Just hear how it stands. "And my Father will love Him and we will coine unto Him and make our abode with Him." Just think of it! We, the Father and the Son by the Spirit, will come. The great God ovci all will come unto a man, a woman, a child, and wake His abode with- them. This single fact elevates religion into a beatitude and invests it with a dignity and glory beyond our comprehension. But is is true. There it stands pari i.f the text, fixed nna unalterable, a thin? which stands or falls with all else we believe. I am speaklog of a blessedness of a solemn spiritual reality, anil lest we should hold this promise 100 lighllv let me emphasise again Ihe sole condition upon which it can lie fulfilled in ii.s. This is obedience in love. To the obedient in heart and life is the face of find disclosed and to none else. Christ said Hhc pure in heart shall see God." Hut who of us are pure and obedient? My friends, that is a question which we must ponder in our own hearts. ?.i|t this is certain: (hat as is the measure of our l»ve and obedience, so will be the revelation of (bid to us. As we love Him and keep His words, so does He love us and come (o us in conscious indwelling' tl)at He may abide with us to-day and for evermore.