THE ERUPTIONS IN THE LAKES DISTRICT-JUNE, 1886.

Hoa Maori, Issue 16, 1 April 1890, Page 1

THE ERUPTIONS IN THE LAKES DISTRICT-JUNE, 1886.

‘‘ Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man — Matt. § 24, 44. ' ' i

£ *Y this circumstance at our very doors; # which at the time was the topic of J conversation wherever one turned, we might s well have been again warned; hut were ® you, my reader, and with what result ? £ With things going on as usual on the 9th £ of June, 1886, was it expected I ask by the s inhabitants of the Lakes District on going l> J to bed that night, that they would be dis- >J turbed from their slumbers ,by hitherto J unheard of noises and signs and wonders °e from above, beneath and around, bringing ® to so many a summons from God. § Scripture clearly defines man’s position. J If he has faith which appropriates the * words of the Lord for himself he will £ be saved, if he rejects he will be ■. lost, £ “I came not to call the righteous but j

sinners to repentance” (Matt. 9, 13). “ Sinners ” mind, without any word about being great sinners, as we so often hear said, quite contrary to God’s word, where you will find written, “There is no difference, for all hare sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”- Romans 3, 22-23. Now a really hearty acceptance of this is the first step in blessing. For the unsaved to occupy time in wanting to know the meaning of this verse and that verse, and so on right through a lifetime, as is so constantly done, is the utmost folly. You must begin with God’s first step. Don’t you know this I press that you are a sinner, more, a sinner without strength and ungodly (Romans 5, 6-8), and further still a lost sinner , “ for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”—Duke 19, 10. ks you read God is seeking your soul’s good through these very words of His, yes yours! not your neighbour’s, or your relatives’, but yours! “ Can it be the God of glory is so concerned about the present and eternal joy of such as I do I hear you say ? why I am everything that is bad. I never did anything but gratify my own wishes all my life, and in fact,'if I must tell the truth, I have tried hard to shut God, and the truth of meeting him out of all my thoughts, but I am not happy after all my efforts. I am at times terribly uneasy when I hear of death, especially if it is sudden. I shudder at the thought that my time will one day surely come, although I do all I can to hide and keep it from being known to anybody.” Now listen attentively and hear God speak, for this is how faith comes, Faith someth by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”—Romans 10, 17. I point you to the passage before quoted in Luke 19, “He came to seek and to save.” He seeks you by many means and this little paper is one. The next thing is he would save you. How? does your poor heart tired of yourself ask ? Not by anything that you can do, be it ever so good in man’s eyes, but just by faith accepting with thanksgiving what is written that Christ has done, viz.: “ Christ died for our sins according to the

Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."—l Corinthians 15, 3-4. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree."—l Peter 2, 24. " In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His —Ephesiaus I, 7. This is the language of faith and one condition in which men live and die. Such will be eternally saved. Bej ecting this matchless love, or clinging to anything else is the other condition in which men die and this —dreadful delusion that it is—is to be eternally lost. "He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him : the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."—John 12, 48. I do not dwell upon the multitude of error that Satan is filling man's mind with to-day, but I point you to one verse which should silence them all, " Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." — 4, 12. Header, these are the words of- God who cannot lie. Heed them, I beseech you! You know not what a day may bring forth, as the foregoing circumstance clearly shows. " Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."— Cor. 6, 2.