SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 67, 9 September 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

Sermon liy IJi'v. 11. Sharp, Filzroy Primitive A?<■!In),lis), Church. "Strive id enter in at, !ln> ~tv;iii '■Nitr." Luke XIII: -2-1. Jin l \li~>ianir Kingdom is represented under ilir figure Hi' ;i palace into which men flu nut enter ;is might appear natural by I(I;Ii;I:;!en!• portal lull liv « narrow gate. low anil scarcely visible. In s-irsvi- refers in tin' dilliculty iif pass'm!_■ < 11 1'1111 L; 11 tin* narrow opening. lie'■'■in-'' it is a straight gale i(. is a good lira! ca.-ii'r to stop outride, as so many arr doing. For tliat. yon have tintliiiiff t" il'> l»it drift. ami li't. things drift. X,, decision. no i'l)or!, no comi out of yourselves is required. Ii is all as easy as i( is for a wild animal to enter in betw ecu Mil' broadly extended pallisadcs tlin I converge as I hey come nearer to Hie trap, .so thai the erealnre is snared before he knows. The gate is wide; that i- the sure condemnation.-of it.. It is always easy to licjrin had and unworthy things of alf sorts. Unt we mint remember that this gate is wide in the noblest sense. It requires nothing that a man is unable to bring. It has no invitation for sections, classes, I grades of culture, intelligence or morality. but in its great cosmopolitanism and universality it is open to every man, because it treats all as oil one level and "requires from each only what all can bring—knowledge of themselves and as sinners and humble trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour. It is narrow because there is no room for sin or self-righteousness to go in. It is wide as the world, and, like the capacious portals of some vast cathedral, ample enough to receive without hustling and to accommodate vvith J out inconvenience every soul of man.

MISSING TIIE POINT. Let us learn a lesson from Christ's attitude to the person whose question occasioned the words of our text. That is, we must not allow our minds to become obsessed by things of subsidiary importance. "Lord are there few that be saved?" asked one, and to a certain extent the question was only a matter of curiosity. Notice the sharp turn our Lord gave to the conversation. He left the question unanswered, and said, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." It was as if Jesus had said "What is the use ,of yon wondering about that? There is one thing of the highest importance you are overlooking. The question of how many will be saved does not concern you, but you should regard your own entrance into the Kingdom as the principal and all absorbing question." We have a close kinship to this ma,n who put- that question to Jesus. Wc allow ourselves to get so engrossed in many things that we miss the main point in life. How often we are perplexed about dozens of small things, wearing ourselves out over some trivial matter, racking our brains for an answer to some unimportant question, worrying about many things we shall never understand, and-all the time Jesus says, never mind them, give your thought and time and strength to the all important work of saving the soul. What shall it profit you if you do know many things you are asking about? How much better off will you be if you were wise enough to answer the many questions that puzzle the brains of men everywhere? Job had learned what Ave have to learn —that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding. I am constantly meeting people, and you are, too, who think that there is no greater thing to live for than to. find out who the English people are or when will the world come to ail end, and such like useless inquiries. T believe the Lord would say to many people of to-day,

"STOP YOUR WRANGLING about when you ought to worship God and what is the right form of church worship or government, and give heed to the thing that matters —entering in at the strait gate." That gentle rebuke Christ: administered to Martha is for you and me too. "Martha. Martha, thou art troubled about many things, one thing is needful." Our lives have been spent in cumbering about much unnecessary serving and the Master bids us leave them and come and sit at His feet. HARD WORK. There is a second lesson wc may learn from our text. Heaven cannot be gained without a supreme effort. I fancy someone savs, "You are wrong there; we have only to trust ill Christ for salvation and lie will see that we are not lost." Tt is true that the death of Christ has saved us and that we have not to supplement His work or redemption by anything we can do, but the difference between law and grace is: Do this and live and live and do this. Paul was quite right when he said, "To him that worketh not but bclieveth on Him that justilieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness." But do not let us be guilty of antinomianism; let us say because Christ hath justified us in the sight of God we may sin as much as we like without endangering our salvation. The doctrines of grace do not lead to sin. We have misunderstood the work of Christ, if we think they do. Having received forgiveness we must begin to work out, our own salvation, but let no man think that his works could ever be a substitute fot the atonement. Our works are but the evidence of our faith for faith without works is dead. The death of Christ was not to save us from struggle, but to create a new life in us to begin that struggle with. No true Christian would say, I will never make an effort to be a better man or to be a better woman than I have been. The very essence of redemption is to set us fighting against wrong. And what greater inspiration and encouragement could we have than the thought that our Saviour has by His cross broken the power of sin and says to His followers, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." I think we are agreed then upon that point. We have now to consider what it is to strive. The Greek word means agonise or contend.

IIOW MY MOTHER GOT HER SWEET FACE.

We must not expect to bo suddenly endowed with all the sweet graces of a saint without struggle. In "Margaret Ogilvie," .7. M. liarrie has beautifully (.old the story of his mother, and there is one chapter entitled "How my mother •rot her sweet face." She had a son about thirteen years old who was very ill somewhere away from home, and she went to get betwixt her son and death, lmt before she reached him he died. From that time she developed a wonderful sympathy, and when other mothers lost their children thev would go to her ami she would help them to bear their burdens. My friends, "God's choicest wreaths are always wet with tears." Sometimes we marvel at the love and patience and sweetness of our mothers. Whore did they get these tilings from? They got them through years of striving. T)o you see that man with the generous 'heart, that woman who uncomplainingly lives on amidst torturing pain? H was at the cost of struggle and spiritual sweat that they are thus. Those of you to-day who know anything about forbearance .and meekness, who know how to forgive injuries done, did you wa,ke up one morning and find you were able to be kind and thoughtful and

ready to forgive? . I am afraid not. Then, again, are tin re no; amiiy thingyon call do now which once yon were unable to do? I mean overcoming temptations. You know well that, it, cost you a great, deill to become so strong that, many tilings are no longer able, lo -tibilne you. II meant, years and years. and perhaps there are -onie tilings which von are -dill striving with. Well, if you are don't, give in. To him that oYicmiel h Cod giveth a crown. Through faith we sball conquer Though often ca-t down. lie who i.- iiur Saviour our ,-lrciigfh will renew. Look ever to .Ic-n-. He'll curry you through. I heard a man -ingingthat one day a.--In-lay in bed with a basil! of hot gruel in his hand. 1 doubt not that, he was earnest, but if we are lo win we must be up and have the whole armour on. Let, me urge each one to strive more and more, never growing weary in the fight, and then, even i hough the battle be long and hard, we .shall triumph. I think if we are to enter in through the Strait gale we must summon up tini LATENT ENERGY. An acknowledged expert, in matters agricultural recently expressed the opinion that bv using the best, methods of intense culture the produce from the soil of Victoria might be increased to equal that of the whole of the Unite'd States of America. The statement was almost incredible, and yet it was sober truth. There was so much latent energy. The area of barren land in Victoria is comparatively small, so that by the application of the highest skill on ascertained scientific principles nearly the whole face of the country could be transformed into one magnificent, garden. ( wonder how much latent energy there is in each of us. So many think they cannot do any more than they are doing. Have we done our best last week? Are we doing our very best now? Spurgeon speiks about fainting fits. We must have them pretty, often,. I think. In fact, there are some wlwse condition has become chronic. Now, let us call up our dormant powers. Let us rouse ourselves again and again. It was said of Henry Martyn that he was impregnable to discouragement. If we have declined in enthusiasm; if there is a numbness creeping over us, I want to sound again this word of Christ's—strive, strive, strive. Do not drift; do not loiter. Agonise, contend. SOURCES OF OPPOSITION. There are two sources from which opposition will spring. Sometimes the strife will bo with a visible foe, one you can touch and handle. Wherever there are people trying to become more and 1 more like Christ they will have opponents in two forms. There is the enemy outside. Has not Abel always been an offence to Cain? Has not Joseph always been hated of his brethren? Hhs not Moses always been reproached by the multitude? Has not Elijah always been a trouble in Israel? Then there is strife within. Some inon have spent their lives in warring against inward sins. There is no cheer from the multitude. It is lonely conllict. Day by day, week by week, year by year, the fight has gone on against the evil tendencies of vonr nature. It is better to die striving and ring out the shout of ail everlasting victory in death than to call a retreat. Before I close there are three things I want to say by way of encouragement. Do not be discouraged by the stupendous task involved in striving to enter in at the strait gate. For every demand made upon us there is a sufficient and overwhelming supply of grace to be had from God's storehouse, from whence all our .needs are supplied.

• CURRANT THE ORATOR. Secondly, do not, be discouraged by failure. Failure is not always the worst thing for us. In his youth Curran, the famous Irish orator, broke down on his first attempt to speak in a debating society. lie was a stammerer, and when he rose in his place bis stuttering speech was worse than ever, lie floundered at first, stammered something nobody could understand, and then stood speechless. His companions roared with laughter. One said in a low voice, "Orator Mun)," and ami)her peal of laughter followed this new tide-and it, aroused the invincible spirit of the boy. "You may laugh now." he shouted fiercely, "but I will conquer this stammering tongue, and some day you will listen and commend." All of which came to pass as prophesied. The gist of the matter was in him. and the mortifying failure served to bring it out. And so it mav be with our failures. And then, finally, do not give up the battle because it is long and lonely. Some day we shall shout: the victor's song. "Him that, overconieth will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God; and I will write npon him My now name."