RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 June 1919, Page 10

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

PRAYER. 0 God, Who art the Father of all, and Who alone makest men to be of one mind in an house, we beseech Thee, at this time of strife and unrest, to grant to use, by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, a fuller realisation of our brotherhood man with man in Thee; allay all danger and bitterness, and deepen in us a sense of truth and equity in our dealings one with another, for the sake of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. THE SECRET OP SOCIAL UNITY, PROSPERITY AND PEACE. A sermon preached by the Rev. Oscar Blundell in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, New Plymouth. "Seek ye first His kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6, 33.

Amidst all the unrest which marks and which hinders the progress of society to-day; amidst all the various projects which are being put forward as solutions of the problems which have arisen in our time, these words, of Jesus Christ shine out with a peculiar and powerful significance. They giye to use the only sound basis upon which to build when we endeavor to bring about a better condition of things in the world around us. Nor is it too much to say that any proposed solution of our social difficulties which is aot based upon the truth laid down here can never permanently remove the trouble. It may serve for a time, but it will surely fail to give satisfaction for long, because, having neglected this fundamental truth, it can merely change what is external; it quite fails to get at the heart of matters. That which lie 3 at the root of all our social distress, unrest, and dissatisfaction, in our refusal or failure to obey this great truth. That refusal or neglect results in selfishness, Selfishness: expresses itself in the common saying "Every man for himself," and so we have the rich exploiting the poor and the poor scheming and striving with might and main to get the upper hand of the rich, with all the consequent bitterness and misery and hindrance to progress.

It is not difficult, then, to see why disaster must inevitably follow all attempts which are made and the solutions which are being offered with a view to making our common life more nearly perfect. Such attempts and proffered solutions take no account of man's fallen nature, and, overlooking his fundamental need, which is the restoring of his fallen nature, and merely seeking to change the external conditions of his life, no permanent success can possibly follow. As has recently been said with truth, "The finest scheme ever propounded by a socialism which merely aims at a change of external conditions: would, if attempted in practice, be quickly ripped to pieces by reason of the fact that no provision ia made for man's chief need, that is a change of heart."

So long as men seek first the things of this world and are anxiously inquiring' as for things of transcendant importance, "What shall we eat and what shall we drink and wherewithal shall we be clothed" so long will our problems of society remain and its distress burden our hearts.

If we persist in ignoring the fact that we are made for God, and not merely to get all possible out of this life, then our efforts to right the evils of society must be in vain. Our Lord here gives us the key to the whole situation, and if we will only employ it we shall find that it will open to us the way of true unity, prosperity and peace. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all temporal benefits, which the Father knows you need, shall be added unto yon." This is simply to say, make the service of God the chief things in your lives and your wants and perplexities will fly away. It looks very easy, and so, but for one thing, it is, and that one thing is that we, being a fallen race, are inclined to seek any solution rather than that which means obedience to God's commands. Any way but His way is the attitude taken by the world. And yet His way is the only way, and do as we will we must yet find it so. Men are slow to learn and they go blundering along their own chosen path, but ever find "it impossible to attain the goal thev desire, a peaceful and unbroken prosperity universally enjoyed. Like the child who tries to reach the base of the rainbow, the attractive vision of universal happiness is ever in front of them, bnt they never get there by the way they seek, and they neyer shall. It is fondly hoped by many to do so, and they scheme and strive to bring it about, and often toil very hard to see their plans consummated, but such efforts . can never more than partially succeed. Their attempts are like those made to establish a huge gas-holder in Dunedin some years ago. They laid a bed of concrete nine feet in thickness:; they built a mighty retaining wall and reared the'steel girders and pillars and bolted together the vast boiler-plate reservoir, and, after all, had to dismantle and abandon the whole j thing because the very ground upon which it stood was shifting and unstable. ! So men think to reach a state of society wherein perfect satisfaction to all is to be enjoyed. With high hopes, they set out to construct an order which shall secure this, yet everything fails I just because they have not seen what is really needed. Their fine social order is founded upon the shifting sand of a .weak and fallen nature, and the result is, and must be, disastrous. In other words, a change of social conditions without a change in men's hearts toward God can but prove unsatisfactory and disappointing. "Seek first His Kingdom an(l His righteousness." Here is the only way which will assuredly bring us the conditions we long, for, .-When men 'of .every position in life definitely put iGod first.and seek inffim the renewal of their spiritual natures,, then we shall cease to be puzzled,; as to how we are to .proceed to the aqjustnient-.or removal of these grievous disagreements and wrongs which fill the world with sorrow and unrest

The fact is they-,;will adjust themselves as a natural consequence of the change in men's hearts. God and His Kingdom becoming the first consideration, His command that we love our neighbors as ourselves will then he obeyed. Every man's highest desire will then be, not to secure all possible good for himself, but to see that his neighbor is well supplied, happy, and prosperous. Now, this is not some visionary scheme empty of practical utility; nor do we lack witnesses to its experimental value. The truth of our Master's words has chvays been realised by individuals who have acted upon them. * It is not promised that they who seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness shall have great wealth of "arthly things and be able to wallow

in luxury; nor, indeed, would such a con« dition of things ever he acceptable or desirable to God's children; but it is promised that the things God sees and knows to be needful shall be added to them, and, moreover, this ia well known to be always fulfilled by every soul that sets God's cause and righteousness before liis eyes as the chief end of his being. Hitherto, however, it would seem that, with few exceptions, this experience has been known and enjoyed by individuals lather than communities, and never by society as a whole. While here and there a man is found who seeks first God's Kingdom and His righteousness and leaps the contentment and supply of his needs Which are promised, the mass of mankind is seen to be seeking first anything rather than God and His righteousness. What, therefore, is needed is that ihe whole body of society should seek to change, not first of all its present conditions, hut its attitude towards God. When that is done we Bhall advance rapidly indeed, but vain are all attempts without it.

The motive for seeking a readjustment of the social order must not be a desire to secure an easier and-happier manner of life, but a deep yearning for the glory of God; and when that motive drives us on, whatever changes are necessary to secure the happiness of the race will very soon be arranged for and carried out, because love for God in place of •love for self will lead the designs of men. It rests with every progressive Christian to clearly and unmistakably prove ('/it he is seeking first the things of God, for if this is done the sooner will mankind as a whole adopt our principle, and as a consequence, enter upon the reign of universal peace, prosperity, and love. The success of this divine ideal does not depend so much upon teachers and teaching as upon a practical manifestation of its power and benefit in the lives of Christian men and women.

This, like the leaven in the meal, will silently and surely work, and will eventually secure the great end, when "the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God and Christ and He Bhall reign for ever and for ever." HE COMES AGAIN. Life Is but a small hour's watching 'Twixt now and then, For afar I hear His footfall, He comes again. I know not when beside my door The Lord shall stand, And knock for entrance, sofl, and low, With pierced hand. To me that hour remains untold, Most wondrous kind Is He, who holds that moment, thus Mine eyes to blind, Lest childish fear might sometimes mar The work in hand. Ah, well doth God, who loveth me, All understand! Yet each hour shall find me watchful, 'Twivt now and then; For I know my Lord is coming For me again. With the tasks of life all finished, When tailings end, In the doonvay I would meet him, The Lord my Friend. —I. Meneh Chambers.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT LIFE. ,Do not wait to do great things; you may waste all your life waiting for the opportunity which may never come. But, since little things are always claiming your attention, do them as they come, from a great motive—for the glory of God, to win His smile of approval, and to do good to men. It is harder to plod on in obscurity acting thus than to stand on the high places of the field, within the view of all, and do deeds of valor at which rival armies stand still to gaze. But no such act goes without the swift recognition and the ultimate recompense of Christ. To fulfil faithfully the duties of your station; to use to the uttermost the gifts of your ministry; to bear chafing and trivial irritations as martyrs bore the pillory and stake; to find the one noble trait in people who try to molest you; to put the kindest construction on unkind acts and words; to love with the love of God even the unthankful and evil; to be content to be a fountain in a wild valley of stones, nourishing a few lichens and wild flowers or now and again a thirsty sheep; and to do this always, and not for the praise of men, but for the sake of God—this makes a great life.—F. B. Meyer.