THE GENERAL MISSION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 130, 10 September 1910, Page 5

THE GENERAL MISSION

i • -mi YESTERDAY'S MEETINGS. Last night by far the largest week-day congregation during the mission assembled in St. Mary's Church. Canon Tup-per-Carey pro-ached on the text, St. Luke, 15th chapter, 20th verse, "And he arose and came unto his father.'' The preacher first reviewed the past addresses, and then went on to say: The prodigal son ■ found that the world could not satisfy him. And this is the case with all of us who try to he contented with the world. Dissatisfaction is the Divine restlessness which leads men eventually |to God. The prodigal came to himself. JHe made tip his mind to arise. Nothing will now hinder him from going home—the long journey, the possible reception by his father and mother, their deserved reproaches. He arose and came. He is willing to stand anything, to accept punishment, to be even a servant, to bear reproach, so long as he only gets home to his father. And that, said the missioned is the attitude of all penitent people. To bear or suffer anything so long as they can get into living touch with their Father and Savior. "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross - I cling." They do not wait to make themselves better. They know that the Divine Jesus will not cast them out. That is the attitude of the true penient. But how many fail to accept this 1 position? They want to put off coming home to another day, to a more convenient time, to wait a little longer. And how often it ends in their never coming at all. We can never make ourselves better or more fit for God's presence; for the disease called sin prevents us from coming to Him. We sometimes say. "T will make myself better, morei fit for His presence." But when we say that we forget that God alone can make* us fit. We don't trust God enough. And then we fail. And it is a good thing to fail, because failure makes us feel more deeply our need for a Savior. We cannot save ourselves. If we could save ourselves what would be the benefit of a Savior? Why should the Divine Redeemer have suffered on the cross for our sins? People so often want to ibe saved in their own way. They say, "We don't believe in the Church's way of salvation ; we don't believe in baptism," forgetting that the Bible said, "He that' believeth and is baptised shall be saved," and that Jesus had said, "Go out into all „ the world and preach the Gospel to' every creature, baptising them in the i name of the Father and of the Son and . of the Holy Ghost." These people say, ! "We don't want to be confirmed; we 'don't want to go to Holy Communion; j we should never be able to live up to ' it." Such people want to see every step before them. They make no self-sur- , render. When people, came to Jesus , Christ did they say, "We don't want all I this crowd around us; we want Him to' I come privately to our house ?" They | came to our Lord on His own terms, | or thev did not come at n il. But so ; many seem like Naaman, vho was too proud and important to obey the prophet, but wanted to be saved in his own j way. It wa,s not until he was content to become a little child that he could be cleansed from his disease. We too must become liko litfe children; we must (trust God more fully; we must have more faith. We must be saved not on our own terms ibut only as Jesus wishes to save us. It ?s useless to think that comin;?, to church alone, or even to j the Holy Communion, will save us; we must be. converted; we must turn right I round .and have our wills turned to God. Some people felt that the mission was very upsetting. They were saying, "Why should we. be so roused up ? We don't • get drunk, or give way to other vices.' So why should we not go on as we have been for years." But the truth . was that we must be moved out of the I ordinary life, so that we may get up | and go straight to God, so that we may !be willing to give up all for God. The I goin.w on in the same old groove is the I great curse of Christianity. People see I us professing to believe in the tremeni dnus sacrifice of Christ and they say, "Why, there is no difference between these* people and ourselves. They profess to be lights of the world, but, alas! the lieht has gone out. They profess to be friends of the Redeemer, but He is betrayed in the house' of His friends. The mission was to appeal, not only to outsiders, but to church people as well. To plead with them to take a stand for the Divine Master. We need something startling. We are encased in a fearful struggle against seen and unseen adversaries, and if we are not faithful in the battle, the fight may go against the forces of the Lord. Christ never told His disciples that their Christian life was to be an easy one. He always taucrht them to-take up their cross and follow Him. Tf an eye or hand offended them it was to be cast away. And so the present day Christians must be prepared to deny themselves for their Master. If religion is made too easy, too cheap, if it means merely coming to church and singing hymns, it is no good. We must come and deny ourselves if we want to make Christianity triumphant. If religion is to be of nny'vnlue it must cost us something. If von find it hard and difficult to lead a Christian life, remember what your Master has done for vou. It is only by looking at Jesus Christ and remembering what He has done that we can be helped to bear hardship for our Redeemer; The services to-day will be as follows: H.C. at 7.30, and preparation for Sunday Communion at 8 p.m. The Sundav services are to 'be found dulv advertised.