SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 282, 25 May 1912, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

THE CHURCH MILITANT. Bxisraot from Sermon preached by the RMr. K. J. 7.IDDKLL in the Queen J Street Primitive Methodiit Church. I Text: "My Church."—Matt, xvi.-IS. Thi* passage of Scripture lias been a , theoloj-iciil battleground for many centuries, and many controversies hare grown out of its interpretation. I shall not attempt to take you into theimoke and. din of the conflict, except to say that one branch, of the Christian Church has contended that Peter is here declared to be the rock upon which the Church was to be built, and they, hare spent unlimited time endeavoring to prove their contention. But the most limited consideration of the context shows it was not upon Peter, but upon the confession which Peter made: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living Cod," that the Church is built. It was Peter's great confession which was to be the basis of the new community called by Christ His Church. There can be no doubt the true interpretation is that no supremacy was ever given to Peter either by Jesus or the other apostles, and that the Church founded on the rock of inspired confession should remain uneonquered by all the powers of hell. The word "church" signifies an assembly. A Christian Church is therefore a Christian assembly. Frequently the word is used in a limited _ and restricted sense, as when we speak of some particular section of the Church, it is used to 'specify the building in which the Church assembles. The New Testament meaning, however, embraces all who have accepted the Christian faith and who take the Word of God as their rule of life. The Church is a Society 1 of the Redeemer's people, redeemed by J the blood of Christ and made meet to I be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. In the text Christ speaks of His Church. The glorious title embraces all true believers. They compose His flock, his family. "My Church," He lovingly says. The words are not used by accident; they are an essential part of a blessed declaration. | 'MY CHURCH IS DIVINE IN ITS ORIGIN. "My Church," says Jesus. This was the first time Jesus used these words. He did not often talk about His Church, but it was always at the back of his mind. He had the formation of a Church always in view. Jesus wrote no I book; He consecrated no holy place; He | left no form of Church government; He | named no successor. But this He did: iHe formed a Society which was to | be a brotherhood of believing men gath- . ered around His person to carry on His i I work. He laid in Zion a chief corner stone, elect and precious, and on it built His Church. He laid the foundation; He sits in the pulpit; He must be the unseen Preacher, and without Him no i church can prosper. Jesus foresaw the needs of men, and in their interests established His Church, where the de- ] vout could meet for worship, where burdened hearts could find relief and sinI stained souls pardon.

The Church is like a chain of many links; the last link will be welded when the last convert ig made ere the archangels' trumpets sound, "Time shall be no longer." Where Christ is, there is Hie Church; where two or three are gathered together in Hi» name there He is in the midst of them. It is the organ through which truth is proclaimed; it is the witness to His resurrection, the evangelist of His message. A. wonderful picture of Christ and His Church was discovered in one of the old Christian Churches white-washed over. \o one knew it was there, until one day, during some renovating, the white-wash was removed, there came into view the magnificent painting. Some day the white-wash which has been placed on the Church of the present day will be removed and men will see more clearly the beauty of Jesus and His Church.

HIS CHURCH MUST BE COSMOPOLITAN. The intention of the Divine Founder was that it should embrace all sections of society and have the world as its mission field. Somehow the first Church at Jerusalem, although in the most definite terms, charged with the sublimest and most benevolent mission, and with infinite resources for its execution at its command, failed to rise to such a conception of Christ's meaning. On the contrary, it rapidly sank into one of the narrowest and most exclusive of sects, and addressed its gospel message to the Jews only. That was the great mistake of the Mother Church at Jerusalem, which so seriously impaired its power and usefulness, ilt was the Church at Antioch that opened the door to the Gentiles, that caught the spirit and meaning of Jesus, that His Church was meant for all. This new departure was therefore of infinite importance to the progress of Christianity, for it lifted the cross out of the encumbering ritual of Judaism, and proclaimed to all men salvation through a crucified but living Christ. The Church to-day must seek to gather in all classes and conditions of men. An earnest, aggressive evangelism is the ideal which the Church needs to keep before her at the present time. ' We must spend our strength in seeking first to win the great masses of people who are without Christ at our doors, and side by side with ..this work we must evangelise the peoples in the regions beyond.

THE CHURCH—A SPIRITUAL FORCE. It is here we see how it differs from other institutions. Its purpose is to raise men socially, moral]}' and spiritually, to ennoble their lives and fit them for both earth and heaven. It seeks to accomplish this by spiritual means. It is the medium through which the Spirit operates upon the hearts of men. To do tliis, of course, natural means and human agencies are employed, but the work itself is essentially spiritual in its character. At different periods the Church has had a higher or lower degree of spiritual power, but it has always remained true to its character as a spiritual force for restoring mankind to the favor and likeness of God. Various experiments have been tried to accomplish this purpose, but the conclusion always arrived is that the only effectual way to secure this is by accepting the Divine plan of salvation and living according to its rules. Education and culture have been prescribed as the best means of healing the moral maladies of mankind. But humanity needs something more than culture. Man possesses more than intellect; he is spiritual as well as mental; his spirit longs for communion with the Divine. As the climbing plants goes out towards something it can cling to, so the spirit of man goes out towards God. "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God." Socialistic leaders say the world will be a perfect paradise when it is socialistic, when all men have a living wage, good homes, and Abetter social conditions. Suppose all that were possible, and men with their improved conditions were tu ignore the spiritual, would they be happy? What about the prodigals, the broken-hearted, the bereaved? Nowhere is there such a blending of elements to satisfy the nature of, man as is found in the Gospel of Christ.

{ THE CHURCH—A PERMANENCY. ' Men talk of the Church being in dan- ' ger. A more foolish cry was never raised. The Church is the most precioui thing in the universe. She is the Bride, the Lamb's wife. His love is towards her, and His omnipotent arm is around her. Change and decay all around we see, but the Church is immortal and certain to survive. The Great Builder buries His workmen, tut carries on His work. Jesus declares, "The gates of hell Shall not prevail against His Church." "Gates of hell" is an Oriental metaphor of the counsel and craft and force of evil. It is an expression which covers all the concentrated and organised evil of the world in all ages to oppose and overthrow the Church of Jesus. In its infant days this evil power manifested itself in the great persecutions which swept the Church from one generation great persecutions of the early church without realising how awful they were, and yet how triumphantly the Church mastered them. We have only the faintest idea to-day of the fiery baptism of suffering through which the Church passed in those early days. But notwithstanding all, it has conquered greater foes, won more victories, overcome more adverse influences, and accomplished greater good than all other institutions. In our modern days the gates of hell are endeavoiing to overthrow the Church by so-called intellectual movements. The value of the Scriptural records is being discounted by many to-day. Rationalism is leaving no stone unturned to discredit the claims of the Gospel. Some preachers join hands with the rationalist in injuring the Church when they cut up the Bible and discredit its contents. The methods adopted by the gates of hell to-day are more indirect, subtle and far more dangerous than the open persecution of the past. But as the Church is Divine in its origin, spiritual in its character, and beneficient in its results, none will be able to destroy or permanently injure it. The only real danger to tha Church is that which arises I from within. s Contention and discord, alienation and unbrotherliness are more likely to injure it than all the efforts of its opponents. Given an exhibition of the Christly character among its members, great charity towards each other. unbounded love to the Divine Master, and untiring efforts for the glory of God, and the salvation of men, then the gates of hell can never prevail against it. Let this spirit be manifested by its members and the Church will stand complete in the image and likeness of our risen Lord —a glorious Church without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Wide as the world is Thy command, Vast as eternity Thy love, (Firm as a rock Thy truth shall stand, When rolling years shall cease to move.