SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 140, 16 December 1911, Page 10 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

HE SHALL COME AGAIN. Extract of Sermon preached by the REV. R. J. LIDDELL iu the Queen Street Primitive Methodist Church. "After a long time the Lord of those servants cometli and reckoneth with them."—Matthew xxv.-19. The text forms part of that interesting parable.of our Lord's commonly called "The Parable of Talents.' Here Jesus tells of an Eastern lord, about to take a journey into another country. He called his servants together and placed his poods in their keeping. To one man he save five talents, to another two, and to another one, and straightway took his journey, lie that had received the five talents" went and traded with the same, and made them five other talents. He that had received two gained other two. But he that had received one, went and digged in the «arth, and hid his lord's money. Have you ever done as this last man? Are you doing it now? Are you j digging and hiding what has been entrusted to you? God had blessed you I with ability, and has said, "Go and use it for Me in preaching the Gospel, in teaching a Sunday School class." You have replied, "No it involves so much self-denial." You stay at home, and you imagine you are doing nothing. But in reality you are digging and hiding your lord's money. You are ignoring all your opportunities and make nothing of life's great chance. "After a long time" the Master returns. God always comes after a long time. He gives all men a chance —yea, ten thousand chances —to make the best of life's opportunities.

''And reckoneth with them." The man of live talents is commended for iiis diligence; tlio man of two talents is also praised for the money lip hail gained, but the man of one talent is condemned and punished, not because he had no money to hand in. but because of his idle, sullen, wicked disposition. We imagine we see the di.-appointed look on the lord's face, and hear his angry tones a* he says. "Thou wicked and slothful servant .... Thou ought est to have

put my money to the exchanges, and then at my coming I would have received my own with usury. . . Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness." I use this parable to impress a few thoughts on the -subject of "The ■econd coming of Christ." He is the Lord who has taken His journey; we are the servants who have been entrusted with His goods. He is just tarrying, but "this same Jesus, which is taken up into heaven, shall so come in like manner.'' I remark first,

lIIS COMINO IS CERTAIN. There are two things we may accept witli confidence. The first is, Jesus Christ is coming again to this earth to receive and reward His servants. The ofcher is that Jesus Christ is coming -to judge this world in righteousness—coming to reckon with men. There are a great many things I am doubtful about; but about, these things I have no doubt. This is the most sure and glorious of all our unfulfilled anticipations. The whole of the New Testament rings with this announcement; it stands in the forefront of all the ancient creeds. "He shall come again." It is the burden of the prophecies of Jesus. He is pledged to a definite and visable return to this earth in language that is most expressive and most positive. When Christ stood before the Jewish Council, He declared, ''Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven." The Epistles abound with this subject. Paul and Peter had much- to say on it. They exhorted their hearers to be watchful and anticipate ''the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." John in the Apocalypse devotes much attention to Christ's second coming. Throughout the Revelation Josus is heard saying, "Behold I come quickly." and the Church —His Bride —cries out. "Kven so, come, Lord Jesus." Universal Christendom declares its belief in it by singing its Te Deum every Lord's Day—"We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge." So if reliance can be placed on the word of Christ and His Apostles it is certain He will come again to manifest His glory, to raise the dead, to judge the nations, to gather the redeemed to Himself, and make them partners in His endless reign. All prophecy that lias been fulfilled is a pledge to the fulfilment of this, giving the assurance that the sublime consummation of all things will be the .return of Jesus to earth. Now, while His coming is certain, 1 emphasise next,

THE TIME OF HIS COMING IS UNCERTAIN.

How frequently men have closely studied the prophecies contained in the Book of Daniel and in Kevelation with a view of ascertaining a probable date. Frequently times have been fixed, only to disappoint those who made them. It is folly for men to fix dates. That awful and sublime hour belongs to the secrets of Omnipotence and is guarded by the lightnings that arc about the Throne. This truth is enforced by the previous parable—the parable of the virgins—the time of the bridegroom's coming was uncertain. It is proper that the time should be undisclosed. It promotes vigilance and feeds expectancy. It is the text of our loyalty and obedience. To know that the Lord is coming is sufficient for servants who love His appearing. The exact time is of little consequence. Whether it be in the first watch, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing. Blessed is that servant who when his Lord cometh He shall find watching. The"dishonest servant may presume on the lateness of the hour, saying. "My Lord delayeth His coming," and may begin to eat and drink with the drunken. But the effect of the delay upon the Christian will be the opposite to this. The Master's delay is His affair. Your part and mine is to be ready at any moment to open the door and greet Him. "Be ye also ready, for in Mich an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh."

HIS COMIXC WILL BE THE DAY . OF APPRECIATION. When .this Eastern lord returned heculled his servants and reckoned with them. He smiled upon the man who had used his five talents, and the man of two talents. He then rewarded them saying, "Well done, good and faithful servants . . . . enter into the joy of thy Lord." There is not much appreciation in this world. Here men misunderstand each other; (kre sparse in their compliments. It often jiappens that a man's real .worth is not appreciated until after lie is dead. The kind words are frequently withheld until it is impossible for the person to hear I hem. When Sir Henry Cumpbell-Bannerman fought,his last election in England he was the most abused man in the realm. Shortly after his great victory he died. Then eevrybody praised him. Hut the eulogy came too late. Bantierman knew nothing of it. When Lord Frederick Cavendish was murdered one firm spent £SOO on the obsequies, but if he had gone to that firm when he was alive and begged a loaf of bread they would have put him in gaol, so bitter was their hostility towards him. In the Battle of Camperdown a brave deed was performed by a ISritish sailor lad named .lack Crawford. lint it was fifty years after Crawford's death ere the people of England recognised his heroism. They then erected a magnificent monument in Sunderland to perpetuate hia mcniury. But the uppre-

ciation was too late; he knew nothing about it. He died a pauper in an English workhouse. I say, if you have any praise to bestow praise me while I live; I care not what you say about me when I am dead. But rest assured of this: the day of appreciation is coming—coming when the Christ comes. Here is a mother, devoted to her children. She toils for them, watches over them. They grow up and she is thrust aside. They turn out badly, and she goes down to a premature grave broken-hearted. But the reckoning day is coming, and in a brighter world the Master will say, "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these ye have done it unto Me.'' The preacher who wears himself out in the endeavor to win men to the Saviour. —his efforts not appreciated, often slandered and criticised—on that great day will hear the Master say, "Well done!" The Sunday Scljool teacher whose work is thought little of by so many, the thousands who bear the burden and heat of the day will find that when the Christ comes the day of appreciation will dawn, this world's wrongs will be righted and the consecrated toiler will be rei warded.

HIS COMING WILL Bl? ?HE DAY OF RETRIBUTION. As surely as this Book lays emphasis on the certainty of a day of appreciation, so surely does it emphasise the fact that there is to be a day of retribution. If it is certain there is a heaven, it is just as certain there is a hell. I have no desire to paint only the bright side of the picture. Suppose you are walking a road, and ask me what lies ahead, and I told you that on the right side of the track there were flowers and singing birds and magnificent trees, but I did not tel! you that on the opposite side there were wild beasts and pitfalls and dangers. Would Ibe acting fair in telling only half the truth) So I ring out from God's belfry the whole truth. "He that believeth shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." The words are not mine, but those of Jesua.

The New Testament is a most tender Book, but it is also a very stern Book. | Its sternest words are those spoken by j Christ. For the sins of the forlorn and I miserable and friendless He has only i compassion; but for the sins of those! who hate and deceive and betray His wrath is terrible; its expression is un-1 restrained. It was Jesus who pro- | nounced woes against Scribes, Pharisees and hypocrites; it was Jesus who spoke of the closed door and outer darkness. He who wept over sinners, and prayed for Tis murderers will one day say "Depart." God has only one rubbish tip for the universe—a place called "hell." ' It is the place of evil associations, of i deepest anguish, of memory and remorse —a place of consuming and unsatisfying desire, of ever-increasing degradation and shame. Yes, His coming will be the day of retribution. Finally, ; PREPARE FOR HIS COMING. There is only one way to prepare—acceptance of Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Surrender to Him and confess to Him. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Eternal retribution is too awful to risk for a day or an hour. Take Christ now. Perhaps some evil voice will whisper in your ear to-night, "Don't be frightened into being a Christian." Suppose a man is in a burning building. You warn him of his danger and he calls back to you, "Oh, you don't frighten men!" Would he be : a hero or a fool ? Bpt not so much a fool I as the individual in this congregation who says, "You can't frighten me into being a Christian." I was recently in Dunedin, standing on the road in George street, when the firebell rang an alarm. | I heard the alarm from the fire brigade motor as it came along the street. Do you think I stood on the road and said 'Oil, you don't frighten me!"? No; I quickly got to a place of safety. My friends, I hear the blast of the archangels' trumpet, "Time shall be no longer." I hear the wrath of God coming. I bid you fly to the only place of safety that has been provided—the wounds of a crucified Redeemer.

HOW MILLIONS ACCUMULATE

SEVENFOLD INCREASE IN ASTOR PROPERTY IN 63 YEARS. Thirty million pounds, according to figures gleaned from the New York taxbooks by a (Mail correspondent, represent the total value of land and buildings on Manhattan Island owned by the Astor family. The assessed valuation of the Astor property in New York, which is approximately 60 per cent, of the marketable value, amounts to £21,591,860, and of this immense total the share of Mr. William Waldorf Astor, who lives in England, represents an assessed value of £10,058,000. Colonel Jacob Astor, a cousin, pays taxes on £5,240,560, while the estate of his father, the late Mr. William Astor, is assessed at £2,293,300. According to a list prepared under the supervision of the Tax Commissioner, Mr. Lnwson S. Purdy, the Astor estate embraces 700 parcels of land in all parts of Manhattan Island. In Fifth-avenue and Broadway the most valuable plots belong to the Astors. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is alone assessed at more than £2,600,000, and of this the share of Mr. Waldorf Astor, junr., is computed at £1,070,000. In the poorer districts of New York the tenants of entire streets pay weekly tribute to the Astor estate, the coffers of which are enriched by the rents of dozens of the most pretentious apartment houses on the West side. A fortune of £4,000.000 left sixty-three years ago by the founder of the Astot fortune has thus increase more than sevenfold in the value of the Manhattan realty holding alone. The tax-books show instances of plots of land which were purchased by the first John Jacob Astor for £4OOO, and which have grown to be assessed in 1911 as being of the value of £1,600,000.