SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 359, 9 April 1910, Page 10

SUNDAY READING.

A SERMON. (By the Rev. H. Sharp). "Wherever one looks—in religion, art, literature, the drama, and especially in ' the world of science—one discovers a burst of new energy with the new century. It is an age of free thought of innovation, of enthusiastic speculation.' So writes J. A. Hobson, M.A., in the Daily Mail Year Book. It is unnecessary to say that all recognise the truth of such words. In the religious world there are days of doubt anl difficulty concernin" religious subjects; days of uncertainty and unrest in reference to religious truh; days 'of theological restatement and re-adjustment. Another writer of these days believes it is quite possible that our generation decried so often as scepti«al and decadent may turn out to be in view of posterity an era of spiritual reveiation. Whether that will be so or not will depend wholly upon the way in which the Christian -Church meets and deals with the problems and questions that are now before it. Progress and development compel us to change or modify our opinions, but we must be on our guard leit we allow to slip from us those things which having lost leaves us minus power or life. There are some things which it is well for us to settle our minds on and close and padlock the door against any re-opening of them. Wiii.o we welcome any new light on old problems we must take care not to throw away principles not proved to Ik untrue. Our greatest danger, and wait should concern us more, is not the f ailing away from orthodoxy but from Godliness. It is well that we should know what we believe and follow the advice given by the Paul to Timothy"Take heed unto thy doctrine"; hut it is as important that we should '"beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping His commandments and judgments and His statutes." To fall from holiness and purity of life into sm and selfishness though retaining every article of the Creed, is more than tailing from the doctrines which may be discarded without any loss whatever to character or danger to the spiritual life. • A few lessons might be learned from Jude's epistle which. would help us in the Christian life. Many were in danger of ibeing drawn away by teachers whose immoral practises threatened to corrupt those to whom Jude writes. That they might be kept from falling he writes this letter to them. The epistle emphasises a fact too often overlooked by Christian people to-day ; that is, personal responsibility. This is one of the great secrets in the permanence of a Christian life. We sometimes appropriate the promises of without ever looking to see what conditions must be fulfilled before they can be realised. People often read that twenty-fourth Verse and imagine that God will do everything while they are expected to do nothing but "trust." Here we have pointed out that we must "keep ourselves." How are we to do this? Bv building up yourselves on your most holy faith. You cannot leave this to somebody else. It is your work—can be done only by you. Building requires effort, trouble, time. It is a work for every day. Tt is 0 vrorlc that calls for the best'material as well as your constant and best effort. Paul tells the Corinthians that their work shall be tried with fire. What are good materials? Bible study is one. Search the 'Scriptures for Tourself. Do not take it for granted that the commentators lare right or the great preachers of the day. Build yourself up on most holy, faith. If there were more Bible-reading j there •would be no need fo-r so much anxiety about being led away by the new theology or any other of the novelties that are debated in theological circles. Prayer is good material for your building. Lack of prayer is one of the most alarming symptoms of the spiritual condition of our Church to-day. It has been said that no Dead March m Saul will ever need to be played over a congregation that besiegeth the veiled throne of the Eternal with ceaseless opportunity. Prayer is the most natural, most rational, most worthy, most helpful exeteise of all the noblest faculties that man possesses. A third material necessary for building ourselves up is practica] Christianity. Many of us are seekinff for the higher life, but 'we tare not seeking thel ost. The great confession that Christ makes before the Father is of those who Had seen in the hungry and poor and sick and imprisoned the Christ and inasmuch as they minister to them they ministered to Him. Backsliders are not found amongst the "doers of the word"; it is only where this side of religion is overlooked that we find the unfaithful. A fearful storm was raging' when the cry was heard, "man overboard." A human form was seen manfuly breasting the fruious elements in the direction of the shore, but the raging waves bore the straggler rapidly outward, and ere the boats could he lowered a fearful space separated the victim from, help. Above the shriek of the storm and the roar of the waters rose his heartrending cry. It was an agonising moment. With bated breath and blanched cheek every eye was turned upon the struggling man. Manfully did the brave rowers strain every nerve in that race of mercy, but all their efforts were in vain. One wild shriek of despair and the victim went down. A piercing cry, "Save him, save him," rang through the hushed crowd and into their midst an agitated man, throwing his

arms wildly into the air, shouting, ""A thousand pounds for the man who saves his life!" But his staring eyes Tested only on the spot wh,ere the waves rolled remorselessly over the perished. He whose strong crv__broke the stillness of the crowd was the captain of the ship from whence the drowned man fell, and was his brother. This is the feelinrr w p should have in the various ranks of those hearing commissions under the great Captain of our salvation. "Save him! save him! He is my brother!" When we have done our part we mav claim God's help. We have seen what to do to keep ourselves. Now in what sense can we say that God. keeps us? There is not space to mention many ways in which we are kept hv Divine power. Let us notice two. r hit Heavenly Father will keep us from falling in the hour nf trial. Trial stands distinguished from temptation thus: Temptation persuades tn evil: it is seduction to evil, solicitation to wrong: it deludes that it may ruin. Trial tests, seeks to discover the man's moral qualities or character. Abraham was tried when his faith was proved. Job when successive calamities made it manifest that he served Cod for nothing, save the duty of the service and the giorv of the served. David was tempter! when. blinded and enticed by lustful desire, he plunged into the crimes that were so terriblv punished and so grandly confessed and lamented. In trial the issues are made fairly apparent: in temptation t.hov are concealed. God keeps us in the hour of trial —the testing time. When the erons fail and the business goes down; when

death comes into the home and lays its 1 icy-cold, hand upon some loved one; when comforts flee away and disillusionment comes—it is only the man who trusts in God that can believe all things work together for good. ° '■ God keeps us in the hour of crisis. In theh our when you are halting between 1 two opinions; when you stand at the parting of «the ways; when you are called upon to decide some question the ' issues of which will affect your whole caieer. The point naturally brings to ■' our mind Shakespear's words: ( ' There is a tide in the affairs of men 1 if taken at the flood leads on to for- ' tune; if omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound up in shallows and " miseries. There may he those who can turn back ( and think of every difficulty and every ; crisis and assure themselves that the i jpillar of cloud End the pillar of fire were •£ visible when they sought them. ±Sut s there are many .who think they see, that if at this point and that they had made another choice they would have 'had much more sunshine and much ( more peace. How bitterly we regret 1 some step we have taken in the past! 1 some wise friend could have advised, i eome experienced person warned but i alone and inexperienced we chose the t way that seemed best but found th« e end thereof to be sorrow and ruin. But J let us not think our position is irre- t trievable; let no one despair; i There is a way for man to rise ! < To that sublime abode, i An offering and a sacrifice, 1 < A Holy Spirit's energies, ! * An advocate with God. j ~ i Great opportunities may have missed, 1 but sp long a single shred of humanity -1 remains about him man need not de-! ] 4pair. - There are aids, human and di- ■ vine, awaiting him, by means of which 1 he may triumph over himself ana i I every vice that cleaves to him and be- ' comes worthy in the eyes of God and his ( fellows. If you will let Him God will, ] •keep you in the hour of crisis. Jude ' tells us what is the ultimate object of ■. our own and God's keeping—that we may stand faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. The '] •New Testament in modern speech says ■■ we shall stand without blemish and fulJ j it joy." It seems wonderful. that this • should be true. Richard Bax- 1 1 ter said: "I find good men are not so' good as I thought they were, and bad men are not so bad as their enemies make out." While there is a good lot t of goodness in man there is a great i deal of blemish. i In men wiiom men condemn as ill i I find so much of goodness still; ' • In men whom men pronounce divine i * I find so much of sin and blot, ; < I hesitate to draw a line ! « Where God has n'ot. ! J Blemishgs that the world can see, blemishes that only God can see, shall be' - removed and we, will appear faultless i before the Throne. Far, far from the ;t radiant image of Christ's moral purity - are now His soiled, sin, starved, tempt- 1 a ed and imperfect followers, but the work 'A of transformation has begun and that | which He begins He will not leave in- 1 i complete. I We came not in with proud, ! 1 Firm, martial footstep in a measured V tread, , £ Slow> pacing to the crash of music + loud; j 1 No gorgeous trophies went before, no S crowd Of captives' followed us with drooping I head, e a [ No shining laurel sceptred us, nor \ crowned, , c Nor with its leaf our glittering lances j bound; ° : ' This looks not like Triumph, Wn j thev said, With faces darkened in the battle ] flame, c With banners faded from their early ! pride, J i Through wind and sun and showers of bleaching rain, ' Yet red in all our garments doubly "j dyed, " j • With many a wound upon us, many a stain, We came with steps that faltered; yet we came. ' This is a song which none but the re- s deemed can sing. ''