Some joints in our harness, or, our young people for Christ : the address delivered at Auckland

Borrie, David, N.Z. Bible, Tract and Book Society, Dunedin, N.Z., 1906

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Title: Some joints in our harness, or, our young people for Christ : the address delivered at Auckland

Author: Borrie, David

Published: N.Z. Bible, Tract and Book Society, Dunedin, N.Z., 1906

Some Joints in Our Harness, OR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE FOR CHRIST.

Moderator

Fathers and Brethren, —I have again to thank you for onour conferred upon me in electing me to fill this chair. I consider it an honour conferred upon me as onvener of the Church Extension Committee of Otago for many years and your estimation of Home m work. As such I gladly accept the honour, and * v that 1 shall have your forbearance and heal support in the discharge of my duties as Moderator.

I have chosen as my theme to-night

SOME JOINTS IN OUR HARNESS, OR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE FOR CHRIST.

You will not for a moment think that I presume to lecture you in what I have to say, either because of supposed personal superiority or because you have elected me to the chair. I presume not, for I am very humble to-night. *But on such an occasion one must speak of what is deepest in him, what he deems to be best for the Church he presides over, and to deliver the message God has given him. I speak to-night as one whose lifework lies behind him, and who, conscious of this all the ly to find out its many imperfections and failures, and who" would warn his

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younger brethren against his own mistakes. I speak also as one who, with a fair knowledge of the Church, has studied anew the "Acts' 1 and the "Pastoral Epi to find that there is great room for improvement in our i hurch life if she is to have the proportionate success of the first century, be a truly Apostolic Church, and do the work to which Christ has called her. You will not call me pessimist because i peak the truth as I see it. I am no pessimist either as regards the Church of Jesus Christ as a whole or as regards our own part of it, for never did the Church do a iristian work or more in the Spirit of her Master. You will not call me optimist or "a dreamer of dreams" be looking anew unto Scriptures, I think I can see how a great and blessed change could be brought about sometimes catch visions of the Church returning to her curly faith in the presence and power of the M baptised afresh with the Holy Ghost in penti ness, going forth witli the banner of tl missionary army, winning the world for Christ, ha - the coming of the KinL, r and the crowning day so long foretold. This is what v. c need for our great v.. and if we are to be in the true apostolic sin cession. The Church of the twentieth century should be an en edition of the Church of the first century.

In dealing with my subject I would speak of—

I.—OUR PRESRYTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY—

that is, of our responsibility as elders or presbyters in the Church. Need I say that the responsibility for t! dition of the Church of any age ties primarily upon the office-bearers, and that the Church will be very much what the office-bearers make it ? The minister.' i and deacons have great power either to d or lift up a congregation. We presbyters have more to do with the spiritual condition of the Church than we fully realise. 11 the Glorified Redeemer addressed his to the seven Churches in Asia to the angels or min I am not addressing ministers alone this evening, but the elders also. We believe in the parity of the eldi and feel that the New Testament does not sanation the practical difference that even we make between minister and elders, far less the distinction made in some other

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Churches. It does not lay the whole responsibility upon the teaching elder, but upon all the presbyters. So the conditions for office are the same, and Paul addressed all the elders at .Uiietus when he said "Take heed unto yourselves and to all the (lock in which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers of bishops." Lathers and brethren, we have mutual respunsiuniiy in this matter, ■ ilea upon equally, according to our gifts, to fulfil our task. Christ has laid this responsibility upon us when he called us to office. Should the minister be a man of faith and of prayer': So should every elder be. Ought the minister to be filled with the Holy Ghost? 11 the elders to be. And till we waken up to this great truth the Church will be weak and languishing and the ministry an intolerable burden.

a further consideration will «ring this home to us. - - are practically the congregation. They form the heart of it. Take the office-bearers and their families out of any congregation, and you have only the -of a congregation left. What the office-bearers therefore, the congregation will be. If they are Laodicean in spirit, so will the congregation be. li they are men filled with the Holy Ghost, the congregation will piritually healthy and strung. A moment's thought will enable us to realise this and to see that here is one in our armour that needs attending to. It takes rophet to discern that if all our office-bearers were ned up to feel their individual responsibility there would soon be a great and blessed change in our Church, waken up to insibility and privilege, put ourselves right with God, be examples to the flock, and we shall soon see " times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord," " showers of blessing," and i revival surpassing even that in Wales.

lI.—THE CHURCH IN RELATION TO THE YOUNG.

We are pleased to notice the awakening interest of the Church—of our own Church—in regard to the young during these later years, when Sabbath Schools, Bible i hristian Bands, and Endeavour Societies receive attention and a place within the Church never dreamed of before. No lover of the Church and King-

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dom of Christ can do anything but rejoice at tin's and pray that they might Eulness and more, for assuredl; in the _ them when youi and to a consecrated life of service.

But there is very much more to be done, and we to waken up to our responsibility in this matter and to the great possibility of good that lies here. I tike it as axiomatic that a church in a Christian land should far more by increase from within than b; from without : that the children born of Christian parents, brought up and trained in Christian I in connection with all the institution should be her glory and her strength. And no doubt this is the case to s considerable extent musi bi righteousness would fail in the earth. very far from being what they migiii be, and in this matter the might be is the measure of the 01 The neglect of the young in the homes has been the cause of the Church's declension and feebleni age. Keep the children Christian and i you keep the Church pure and strong. The ( hurch will he very much what the children make it -v hat the Church makes of the children. Bu on every hand—of leaka i School and the Bible Class, and again between tin Class and the communion roll. We can - a growing number of non-churchgoers who have dri from the Church of their fathers.

The causes of this leakage are not far to seek. We trace it very largely to the growing carelessness of p to the spiritual interests of their children, the ota family piety and worship in the home, and to the want of loyalty in the parents to the Church ; also I Church's own neglect of the children and of he] precious privilege and fruitful opportunity in seeki save, them when young. This was brought home to' me as by a vision years ago. I was visiting a family which had drifted from the Church. The father was complaining—strange to say—of the want of interest on the part of the young people, and was blaming the office-bearers. lie was not bold enough to blame the minister I face. While he was talking I was thinking, and th( of his own family flashed across my mind. 1 saw that the boys had just followed the example of the parents.

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The parents, to my certain knowledge, had hist interest in the Church first, and had ceased to attend ; and in due tii lowed their example. Then the whol< amily by family, passed in review ■i' my mind, and 1 sav rule, where the ts were deeply interested in the Church the children being converted and led to take an interest in the Church; where the parents were half-hearted the children and v here the parents had left off r< ship and ordinance the children soon ed their exampb . erally, when they bi the Sabbath School. There it was clear as a before my mind, and the conclusion then formed I have no cause to change. A'ld to this that the parents fail in training the children in habits of church-going in the ; ad allow the Sabbath School to be the »hih!" :. so that when t ; old for the ander away and arc lost, and you have Now, our Church must waken up to the truth : that her chief danger lies in the is not yet, ; ' y, doing her duty to those horn within

Lei me prove this, ai ention to four tilings of iy Church, things which, i f rightly i". would result in great and glorious ■ for time and eternity. 1 would call your attention to Infant Regeneration, Infant Baptism, the Sabbath I he Bible (llasses and Young Peopli of the Church. I have put them in that order not merely order of nature, but also the order of importance. The stress must be laid on the earlier ones.

I—INFAN I [ON.

I say regeneration. q« inversion is a thing of dered in the ion, on the other hand, is a thing that . th, or even before birth, and should be the rule in e norm of increasi church. But who now ever teaches or pi'' ■' Enfant Regeneration? There mi individuals here and there who hold it and seek bo have it realised, but assuredly it is a lost doctrine in the .:. a rid in lo osl one of the '■■■■■' and

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most fruitful truths given her to hold, to practise, and to teach ; and in consequence she has become like Samson shorn of his locks. I trust that, like Samson, she may get her strength back . . in. Ti as and g on f he - hildr n of be in a covenant relationship to Chi s sort of mystical union with Him, anil in virtue of it are sometimes looked upon as members of the Church and admitted i But i; ""-■ not for I cal ends—a " faith a- 1 again say, Who hold this truth, preach or teach it. practise it'to-clav. and make it the living, and blessed thing that it ought to be? True, we believe it in i to

CHILDREN DYING IX INFANI V.

and that they all go to heaven. That is a sweet and comforting doctrine thai ng. it is surely a precious truth to believe that our dear ones dying in infamy are lambs gathered into the fold by the Good Shepherd". I believe it is true, and one oi most blessed and -I'm ions results of the death of the m, the Lord from heaven; a result by which Hiii'h in heaven is being greatly enriched, and by which lie sees, in a great measure, of the travail of His soul an 1. Hut if they are thus being gathered into the Church of the First-born in heaven, it must be on the ground of their redemption by Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit. In their case. too. the sa ■ . " that '. '■ Inch is born of the spirit spirit." They all need to generated, born again of the spirit of God. But will we

DENY TO THE LIVING WHAT WE GRANT TO THE DEAD?

Will we doubt that regeneration is as free to the living as it is certain t ho die in infamy? Will we hold this truth as firmly, teach it, preach it. and seek its accomplishment as earnestly in regard to the living as we hold in in regard to the dead ? If we do not we make death a priceless boon, and life an awful calamity: and every child spared beyond infancy might well curse the day it was spared. I fear this doctrine of infant

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regeneration has I ■■ id doctrine in the Church. rot hold it. the ministers do not preach it, i,. ian parents act on it so as to the regeneration of their own children. Few expect the chihb ally Christian till they come to ye varying from 14 to 25 years of age. What increase has become the exception, and i is content thai it should be so. _ And hj a truth if Christian iken up to it and seek hj and piaycr to realise it. Soon this bering into I ordin- ■ ■■ ly vivified, and Qsely in numbers and in spiritual I

rS THE DOCTRINE SCRIPI URAL?

trine true, and can we count upon its this become the working faith of ■ arch! We think it can. and that it ought. You be beautiful incident of the mother- bringing hildren—infants, Luke calls them, —to Jesus, and how tl tried to drive them away. We read, much displeased, and er the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not for of such is t God.*" given rreat King. And to make it doubly suit- i unto you, whosoever shall not i om of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.' \. "Except ye be con little child ill not enter into the kingdom of heaven."' Surely if Christian ts, if the I ought the children to Jesus now as did tli- women of old -brought them in faith and prayer through His own ordinance, He would r< □ His arms, lay His pure hands upon them, and bless them. He would write their names of life. If this by Christian parent ■ ■ ■ ight it tigs to the Church. Her children would '/row up within her on earth as they do in heaven j ent of baptism would beco: with new I bal training, home influence and family

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piety would recei timulus, the Sabbath School, Bible Classes, and young People' mid receive constant accession of members and spiritual power, the Church herself would be changed by perennial accessions of those who would be her glory and strength, the 1, that we all deplore- would be almost stopped, there would be constant times of refreshing from the presence oi the Lord as the Lord daily added to the Church these little ones that were being saved, and the day ol I host would be hastened.

2.—INFANT BAPTI ■

I have just said that the : baptism would 1 ome instinct with life if infant ion became the rule in Christian homes and the norm oi istian Church; and truly it needs this revival, for become a dead ordinance' in the Church. We believe in infant baptism, or tlie baptism ol children, for, as : ' "The promise is unto and to your children;" and Paul tells us that the children of even one believing parent are holy. We have ample Scripture warrant for our practice, and should ob faith that He Who gave the sign will also signified, "the washing of regeneration and tl of the Holy Ghost." When have our children born again in infant years, what a and rich meaning will attach to their 1. what a blessed ordinance it will become. Baptism will then become instinit with new life and meaning, for in view of it parents will pray and look for the blessing signified, and prayer and faith will Decome intensified and concentrated as the time for their baptism ant on which infant baptism rests includes infant regeneration, and we should seek the latter as ea and that their names should be written in the Lamb's Book of Life before they are written in the baptismal er. If we do not seek earnestly for tl; retain the shell and ca arl, we keep the form and lose the spirit.

Now. what do we expect to get from infant baptism as presently practised? What, as a rule, do pare] friends, ministers and elders, nd members expect from it? Do they expect anything! Is it not !,,:, true that, as a rule, they expect nothing •

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just what they expect- oothing? According to your faith so be it. With some honour! 1 a i baptism ted into ,! decent ordinan I ' ith of the child. After solemnly performing it in the name oi the Father, the Son. and the Holy Ghost with prayer, one is shocked to see dear old grandmother iend patting the child and saying with a tful smile, " Baby has got its name now. [s that t this Christian ordinance means? Or if not, what n? And what do we expect front it'.' I say 1 fear that we expect nothing, and get what we I our Catechism says, " A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ wherein by sensible signs Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are repreel. and applied to believers." Baptism, then, . ly ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein by the ol v ater applied in the name of the Father. the Son, and the Holy Ghost, Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to ers and to believers' children: or, to put it in the hism itself, " Baptism inert wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagemei l, e the Lo i Do we in practice mean this, and seek or for our children'.' Does in practice mean or seek for this when performing the simple yet impressive ordinance? I fear not, and that ,ny our (reed. Hence this doctrine, too, ... has become a dead or a lost doctrine in And what a loss it is to all concerned no 'ate, no tongue declare. Fathers and breth in a Rood degree, to blame for this. We have not held nor taught the truth, the whole truth, in n . sacrament as we do in regard to the Lord's Supner. We have neither kept it clearly before our own minds nor before the minds of parents and of hurch. We have not demanded of all concerned in the ordinanci the living faith in Christ for His blessing 0 „ tic children. By the carelessness of those hould tend and teach the flock of God, who should specially care for the lambs of the flock, the meaning and spirit and blessing have been allowed to evaporate from infant baptism, and it has become a merely formal thing.

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A TELLING ILLLS'J RATION.

Now let me show you how infant ba] ild he -. hole flood of light upon this blessed ordinan< e. William onverted during the Cumbuslang mong other good things, the following: "About Candlemas T had a child to off< c to God in baptism. In to this duty I went often to God pleading th and particularly that He would be God of my seed: and 1 was enabled to plead in faith, .so that while my child was receiving the b ";>ter T was looking to God For the »f the Holy ■ nabled to believe that it would be so." We have here the L r ist of the v. hj Observe how he speaks of baptism : "I hav< er to God in baptism." Observe what he did in view of that solemn offering : " / wi His ■ ■■. and 'particularly that il'• would bi m■/ God and t) my seed." Observe thi man himself : '" I ■ ■ that mi/ child was i• ■ ler 1 WAS LOOKING TO GOD FOR THE INWARD BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST." And obsi the triumph of Faith and prayi ■ ■, £ \i) WAS ENABLED TO BELIEVE THAT if WOULD BE SO." That man had faith in infant regeneration, and I have no doubt received in due time the answer to his prayer and act of faith. This is not baptismal reI ion as commonly held, ] iui by a eter. The important thing was the prayer iith of the man, and baptism became tl for stimulating prayer ;\]u\ strength -for bringing all to a focus. It was also a helping his faith I ■ d (dead these special promises and of enabling him to believe that they would be fulfilled.

A FURTHER CONSIDERATION

But thai is not all. There are more concerned in u bapl isi most deeply concerned b\ virtue i lationship. But the minister, the office-bearers, and the members of the congrej . I] concerned in the regeneration and baptism of this child, in its admission to the household of faith, and that it should not o e the

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n.,ni. but all the covenant bles i and all the blessings of the covenant ol Now. let us su] all these rs and ting with intelligent faith, as did :d in faith, and expected that as the chil -" <> f the e thing signified—the was hii d the renewing ol the Holy dd the Lord Ji ' theu ' o .nive il lun of old? I ould, and v ould again add. ■ the Kingdom of God.' would thus b ion for the united faith i nd prayer of ti of every child and an ordin; ntold blessing—the eof the Christian I hun hj. I make bold :i an ordinance for the exercise ol prayer arch i n the of the children to the hold of faith, il would be a ;ood thine foi the institute such an ordinance, or dedicatory B ervii i '■ ■' done. be to If, and we irry it out with His imprimatur and blessing. Now, this. ' ation, but removed from it by a whole diameter. It puts the Christ placed it, where it ought to be I —in the faith, prayer, and obedience of the p ;ation.

PTURALi

A;" there any who doubt that this should be the meanthis ordinance? Then let them read again their asms and learn Are (here any Then let them ' Christ's lessons on ; them learn what is the meaning of intercession ; let them read again I ight to Jesus as we have it in the three Synoptii ;: <' pels. Let them recall to mind the story of tl i borne of four let down throu . : " ; romembc r that "Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sir!: of the palsy, 'Thy sins an i e, take up thy bed,'" etc.; let them remember the faith of Jairus for his daughter, of the nobleman of Capernaum for his

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son, of the centurion f. ant, and. above all, of the Syrophcenician won i followed Jesus seeking for the run- of her daughter, till Jesus said. "0 w< is thy faith; be it unto the< thou wilt." Let us exer ith of these mothers of old, of these friends, of that Syropl i man, of William Bailie. and of thousands more who by fait! I the regeneration of their children before or at or through baptism, and this sacrament will become instinct with new meaning and lit V—will become the first rament of the Church.

IMPORTANT COROLLARIES.

You will observe that t! a it ism raises two important questions and throws considi light upon them. It rai

THE PUBLIC BAPTISM OF CHILDREN.

l! I am right in my view of infant baptism and of the importance of the faith an aot only ot parents, but of the membership oi it follow- • ration of the ordinance should, as far as possible, be in the presence of the congregation, and so as to call forth the faith and prayer oi it- : members. It seems to me that the ordinance by which our children are admitted into the Church should be public. In my judgment we have lost much by the private administration of this ordinance. and have robbed it of one of its strongest elements — namely, the united faith, the sympathy, and the p of the Christian congregation. We have also robbed the membership of a very great privilege in taking part in the ordinance. We have dej young of muchneeded reminders of their own baptism and of the d thereby resting upon them. The minister also loses the fitting opportunity for setting forth the meaning of the ordinance, the blessing thai it might become, and the duties of parents of the children and of the whole contion thereto. We have in this way degraded this sacrament, making it y matter, and greatly helper; to make it the formal thing it has too often become. In my judgment baptism should always be in the presence of the congregation, and an ordinance in which the members should unless there are strong reasons why it cannot safeh be so; and it seems

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to me that all other mod of a plain Christian duty. One is inclined to say strong tin: healthy parents who refuse to have their children publicly admitted to the Church, to doubt their religio - earnest ness, ii not to say that they are either ashamed of their of Christ. on< the} are either ned of their religion or of theii Church, and put lament ami no real spiritual meanin. into it. And one is inclined to say hard things of the Christian ministers who have tamely submitted to this m of this Christian sacrament. Of eon: the! iptismal regeneration and the sacramental easily understand the matter, itism by the priest anywhere and anyhow will ;! right. But on the part of a virile [ding the e loctrines of our I and a weak conniving at a e in duty.

Th< of infant baptism also raises the ': u!t question of

THE BAPTISM OF THE CHILDREN OK NONMEMBERS.

It n from the emphasis given to the faith and prayer of the Christian parents that wo preclude the Iren of those who make no clear pi sion of Christian! not themselves members of hurch in fu on. Now, I think th does not necessarily preclude the hat it is the only view apart from I [eaves room for it. We are a and to make a public ision of their faith in Christ, and thai this ought to '■••■ the rule in the Christian Church. We are agreed, that the mi] ce-bearers, and, if nee.' the members, should use every means in their pov instruct and win such parents to ed conn of their faith in Christ. The ministers and elders should how such parents the inconsistency of seeking for their children what they do not s to have received for themselves, and of asking for the baptism of their children while they refuse to a Christian profession. If this were more frequently anil faithfully Hone there would lie fewer such eases, for either the means used would be successful, and the

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mini tion would ing both ;■■ ' " l l , lie ■;.,„ pareni iot face the for their children unde conditions. Only the' those lion n hildren, faith and their families to <

But suppose the who still felt that thi that was good, ai ■ brought up in connectioi Christian Church and confess for themselvei had been made to clear away prejudice, to in I the meaning of the ordinance and to get them the bl to themselves, bu make a profession of their faith, and children, o for what I own hj and In ■ and exercise the faith and pi parents should have ch no a: ibility to the childn who arc yet in some connection wil iisibility in mi. hj It 3 to me that if tiie ministi . and i hristian Church would faith am! prayer that they ought I > this and < . ia!) ordinam . tin. gi with the full those "Mothers o whom the I ,vould have driven away, but whom i Did they believe on . ; - their own Saviour: Did they realise what it meant to bring their child] en lo Him, or hj nfused motives and feelings? Was there not superstition

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: their faith and action? They Eelt that Jesu a goo ■ ■ . i may be, and that it was g their little infants ■ Him, and that in some way i! is blessing woi them good. They hi ■ ar, strong faith of e fait hj Jesus commended and whose daughter he healed, and yet Jesus rebuked the Disciples for hindering them, and welcomed the ■ ■ the i hild ren, saj such is the kingdom of God." 1 think He would still, a.iid I Ihurch might safely do so in the ■cise of the same spirit and in His holy □ parents cannot see their way to make a public profaith in Christ, yei recognising the good that n a ( hristian training, and in being a (hristian Church, ask that their children si hristian baptism, 1 thii Chui ■ parentis, receive the children, exe: th and the prayer, and give. training that the paren not ■ ■ Surely a living ; dwelt in 1 God, stam hj ing in . and has a responsibility towards such children born pale and presented to her for ing ! 1 think she has . in sue! e children of even heathen : more bo the children of those brought up under But I do not iti the throw out these suggestions that natui t as helping to - confessedly delicate and difficult question.

3.—THE SABBATH SCHOOL.

I cannot say much on this head. We hj beer, v bath School work, and are giving it a better place than formerly. We are [ing schools that the children may be better taught : we ha ad helps, training classes, ex- . prizes, and al ■! and mr splendid band of tea Leir ■■ ork of instructing and winning the young for Christ. All this e cannot do too much for the Sabbath School, for it stands next to the family in importance as an institution for winning the young to Christ and training them for His service. I look upon tin Sabbath

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l<> thi ' then' ed to For thi oi intere I. ol prayei. ol i should have definite aims • their hearts to I set \ii e. Every child no ted in infani y no. ■ ted ele It Ii School. Thi thai we a!! deplore : and tl i become nursi tion and

Bui ia the Sabbath School not doing all this? But ill know that it is not doing it tho] many pass o i nun '-'■ to the Ki il of conveners oi S School and B (Jommitt* es as Ear back as I can pi the experience of prison governors and who testify that the great majority of thi under their discipline have passed throu S ibbath There is a growing mass of pie of both sexes who ha l ■■ our Sunda; Schools, and yet never darken a church door nor L r ive any evident e 1 interest in Christ. But can thi] : up to I - for ! - Deeds

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selves, and a passion of love for lesus Christ to win them to salvation. Let me ;ive you an example that nd friends of the ■

THE SECRET OF SUCCESS.

A young lady was requested to teach a class of girls in a Sabbath School; she accepted the invitation and I:d in the work. She was seen to be very earnest, faithful, and affectionate with her youthful charge. In a little while one scholar after another became thoughtful, is, and anxious, until every member of he] onverted to God. She was then requested to give np hi id take another, in which none of the urs were pious. After due consideration she conl. She had not been long in her new class before lar effects were produced, and ultimately every ber of the i lass gave their hearts to Christ. She was finally induced to give up this class also, and take another class of children who were unconverted. She not laboured long when precisely the same results as before followed.

This young lady's work was now done. She fell in Jesus and entered into the rest that remains to the people of God. After her death her friends, on examining her journal, found the following resolution: —" Resolved, that I will pray ona each day for each member of my class by name." On looking further into the journal they found the sa resolution re-written and readopted, with a slight addition, as follows : —" Resolved, that I will pray onci each day for each member of my ame, l.Vfl AGONISE IN PRAYER." On into the journal tl solution - ;nd rewritten ami readopted, with another slight von. as follows:—"/.'''-''-"', thai ! will way once each 'l'ni for each member of my class by name, and aaoni '.yer, AMI EXPECT A BLESSING." resolutions give us the whole secret oi success, and and mothers would learn it. if our splendid band oi Christian workers in the Sabbath School would s; blessed n suits would follow, the leakage from the Church would be nearly stopped, there would he a very great addition to the Bible Classes and young People's Societies, and the Church perennially

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fed by this stream of young life and enthusiasm would be a strong and hurch.

Rut here let me add a

SOLEMN PROTEST AND WARNING.

against what is called the "Children's Church." The Sabbath School must not b< church, and the children must be trained in habits of church attendance on Sabbath morning, and that it is their supreme duty to worship ( (lis people. The services of the sanctuary mu suitable for the children if we are to win theiu to Christ and hold them to the Church. One of the brightest spots in my memory is the gathering of the young people for a special service on Sabbath afternoon, ah the church. As I looked into their bright, eager, upturned faces I felt that there was indeed hope for the Church of the future in such, a gathering. This was followed, however, by a sad reflection that almost crushed my spirit as I asked. Where were they on Sabbath forenoon? Why. if they were habitually pre-. lurch would to be enlarged to hold the ordinal And this is true of other congregations than mine—true, I fear, of the Church as a whole. The children are conspicuous by their absence from the ordinary diets of worship. This is a sore evil under the sun and the cause of the great leakage between the Sabbath School and the Church, and it can only be stopped by keeping at the parents till they are aroused to see that these "children come with them to the House of God on the Sabbath.

FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATION.

Fathers and brethren, these things are fundamental to the welfare of the Church and for the salvation of our children. All experience and the testimony of experts go to show that unless the children are saved' when young and early trained in wisdom's • will not he saved at all. Had I time, besides my own limited experience. I could give you the experience of such men lu 'g, eon ' Cuyler, Spencer, B. F. Jacobs, and Fay Mills, all eminent as soul-winners and workers among the young; 1 could give you the testimony of conventions thousands ol converted men and women were gathered together who declared by a standine vote that

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nearly all converted when young. But let this one ;• nffii e. " A Presbyterian minister, speaking at a meeting in Edinburgh, argued that decision for Christ should be required of their young people as the years of ri were attained. He quoted figures ilume of the Contemporary Science Series, by Dr Starbuck. This gentleman has been making a study of ci Lndpoint. He ' 200 prominent ] eligious personages asking for tneir conversion. Collating the ansuc nclusions he came to were—- ■ nine to 12 they rap:' ■. from 12 to 16 they grow still more rapidly. After 16 they slow down to 20. and beyond 30 This is confirmed by the te: eal many Christian conventions, and. i? scientific or verified truth. Add to this " is also stated publicly : that one-half of those born into the world die before they are 16 years of age, and eel the force of my contention. Surely these considerations should rouse the Church to do Jar more for the children than . and to the overwhelmof winning them when young to Christ consecrated service in the Church.

4.—THE BIBLE CLASSES AXD YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES.

I have left myself no time for adequate dealing with the e. They are spit ndid adjuncts to the Sabbath Schools and training institutions for the Church. There all who leave the Sabbath School should be receiver), the stilled kept under Christian in! ! probably won for Christ and His Church. There they would be taught the ' hj is aide to make them wise unto salvation, would learn to study, to teach, to pray, and do Christian sei vice of various kinds. Tl have their piety fostered, their faith strengthened, and be well instructed in Christian doctrine, so that they I the Church needs to-day for her work at home and abroad. They would thus in the home not only be won for Christ and His Church, but in the Sabbath School, in the Bible Class, arid kindred societies be kept in contact with the Word of God, which is all given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof. for correction, for instruction in

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rightei unto salvation and be thoi ghlj furm work W l to id" that our institutions now :. and just what the young, for instructing t nst ™t stream of young life and spiritual enthusiasm into the Church and for training a ,' o) strong and willing workers to carry on the work of Christ as never before 1 : men and women so instructed, and trained would b( -i the King of Kings, ' cation and the spirit baptism to go forth at His rah as thi successors of the apostles and to .1" a great ap. work .And the promise of the Hoi pie. Cod said. " I will pom | y him that is thirsty and floods upon tl ind ; 1 " ill pour My spirit <•> offspring, and they shall spj among the Hows by the water, oui " :( ' '" pass afterward that 1 will pour out My spirit upon all flesh: and '.our sons and your daughters sin. your old men shall dream dr< ° shall isions : and also upon the ■ handmaids in those days will I pour out J And i'eter said, as before quoted. " t ; Holy Ghost is to you and to your children." I realise the unspeakable importance of the young i in the Church and to the Church! Do these precious promises and seek their fulfilment for mi ■ and lor our children? Could we not waken up the Church to these tilings anil make the Church ot the ntury an enlarged edition of the t he the first century, and so save innumerabh so band of "Christian workers, invigorate perennially hurdi's life, advance the Kingdom of Cod on and hasten the coming of the E hat is i omii all m as suae. Amen.

111.-THE CHURCfI IN EEL ITIO •) TO [GOING

to the great numbers of her children, young and old who have drifted from her pale. What with this growing mass thai by our indiffen i faithlessness we have allowed to fall l

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Church of their fathers ? They are with us to-day—a Home Mission problem scarcely inferior to the ign Mission problem that the Church is trying to solve In the strength and spirit of Jesus Christ. Howcan we reach these, brethren, and win them back to Christ and the Church? One thing is clear. They will not come to us, and we must go to them ; and go to them in the spirit of the Master Who went to them with comu and love and hope. We may build cathedrals and churches, we may improve our services, and have more music and less sermon, more sweetness and less light, we may have popular Sunday afternoon or evening lectures, we may advertise sermons with spicy headings. we may form clubs and other semi-worldly institutions, we may have industrial institutions, but these will not win the non-churchgoing to Christ nor back to the We may procure great evangelists, hire halls and theatres, advertise the services widely, yet you will not get the non-churchgoing to attend in any large numbers. What, then, are we to do? We must go to them, not wait till they come to us. We must imitate the Master Himself and the Church of the first century, and go out into the streets and Lanes of the city, and the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in as far as love - for their souls and love for Christ can do so. We must, with Paul, preach and teach from house to house, go to them where they work and play and congregate, and by our lives and by the living voice tell them of their sin and need of Jesus, the Mighty to Save. Have your churches and fine services and evangelistic meetings by all means, for these help to keep the Church keenly alive and to quicken her zeal for Christ and her real work of going out to seek and to save the lost. But we must imitate the Master Himself in His Spirit and go out to seek and to save those who have drifted away from the Church and are in danger of being lost to the Kingdom of Christ. And in the band of converted, educated, trained, consecrated young people issuing from our Young People's Societies waiting for the Church's call, and inclined to say, "No man hath hired us," have we not just the fitting instrument in the Spirit's hands for the work? And in these nonchurchgoing people have we not the sphere for the exercise of their consecrated gifts? There you have the workers, and there the neglected part of the Master's vineyard ; bring them both together and the problem is

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alnest solved. Pour that stream of young, consecrated, spiritual life upon those outside of the Church, and you will bless the young people themselves, bless the Church, and go far to win those who have drifted fro; Church back again to the fold.

THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF OCR PEOPLE.

Fathers and brethren, we do not make hall our young people nor use them in the - : - has been puttin ople, lias wonderfully ' fulfilling His promise of pouring His Spirit upon them according to the pre in Isaiah and the prophecy in Joel. He has been doing it in Wales in a wondrous measure. lie has been doing it in Waihi, we are told. He has been doing lund Dunedin ami He is saving young men and women, call service, and sending them forth Grace. The present-day revivals are among and th the young people. This is the Lord and it is marvellous in our eyes. Let us watch tie - working, and follow the Spirit leading, and thi century movement will be the crow l Christian ages and usher in the d glorious dispensation. There Church in this, the crowning cei where the last nineteen centuries left ol the noble foundation laid. There is a work bene. Church at home am! abroad, the magnitude and glory of which might well fill us wit';. wonder—'a great world-wide work for Christ fur tin establishing of His Kingdom on earth and hastenir coming of the King.

But for this great Christian enterprise we shall need

THE TRUE MISSIONARY MOTIVE.

the constraining power of the love of Christ. We shall need fresh baptisms of the Holy Ghost, the love of God shed abroad in our hearts in a ne by the Holy Ghost given. The great missionary motive of the Moravian Church is said to be " To win for the Lamb that was slain the reward of His sufferings."

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That is a noble motive and purpose, and it should be ours, too. A realisation of Christ's love for us as exemplified in the Cross, calling forth personal love to Him, is the only motive strong enough to carry us over nil difficulties and make us victorious. We must gap upon the Cioss and upon the Crucified Son of God till u passion of love to iliui wells up in our hearts, and we feel that we must compensate Him for His sacrifice of love. And the only way open to us is to men for Him, so that He might see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied. For this we shall need Isaiah's ■: of the Lord Jehovah high and lifted up, His fire ourged lips and the Spirit-filled heart; we shall need the i of Paul, of the once-crucified but now glorified of Nazareth; or of John when he heard behind him a great noise and turned and saw the glorified Son of Man walking between the seven golden candlesticks. -hall need", with prayer-purged eyes and spiriti contemplate the glorious and glowing visions of Isaiah and of the Apocalypse till we feel the pathos and power of the Cross and are filled with infinite hope for the Kingdom of God. For the Cross is not only the centre of the world's history and the solution of eries, but the true source of inspiration and power for Christian service. And our daily, hourly. prayer should be, "Jesus keep me near the Cross," till we'feel its full inspiration, see its innermost glory, and know its transforming power.

A MISSIONARY EXAMPLE.

A missionary told an Exeter Hall audience that the holiest woman he ever knew was a negress, a member of his church on the shores of Ambas Bay, at the base of the Cameroon Mountains. She regularly attended his services and took part in the prayer meetings. One night she was more than ordinarily drawn out in prayer, and on rising from her knees made for the door. A brother Without turning she beckoned to him, and said, "No speak to me, I've been seen the Bleeding Lamb." Ine vision of the Bleeding Lamb filled her heart and sent her forth on a mission to the heathen hill tribes camped near. Ah, brethren, that is the holy vision we need; then we, too, would feel the world's "great need, and go forth with hurrying feet and burning heart to tell them of Jesus,

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the Mighty to Save. If we were thus enthused and filled with the Spirit and with love to Jesus we would overcome all difficulties, and would go forth ourselves or send forth that great army of young, regenerated, and consecrated souls to win the world for Christ. Then the Church would make vast progress at home and abroad; then we would have a world-wide revival surpassing even that in Wales —surpassing all the revivals that have gone before; then would soon appear the sign of the Son of Alan coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory ; then would follow that greatest of all great visions, " the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Then would be heard that great Voice out of heaven proclaiming. " 15,., t (il.l i THE TABERNACLE OF GOD IS WITH MEN, AND HE WILL DWELL WITH THEM, AND THEY SHALL BE HIS PEOPLE, AND GOD HIMSELF SHALL BE WITH THEM AND BE THEIR GOD. AND GOD SHALL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FEOM THEIR EYES; AND THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH, NEITHER SORROW NOR CRlijnG; NEITHER SHALL THERE BE ANY MORE PAIN, FOR THE FORMER THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY/' May God hasten the vision and prepare His Church for it. Amen and Amen.

I rioted by the Otago Daily Times and Witness Newspapers Co., Ltd.

St. Andrew's Church

APRIL, 1930.

PARENTS' MONTH

SPECIAL SERMONS.

April 6th—

11 a.m. —" The Sweetest Word in Our Language."

7 p.m.—"The Test of Experience."

April 13th—

11 a.m. —" On the Glacier."

7 p.m. —"The 'Movie* Show."

April 20th—

11 a.m. —Rev. C. Wickham.

"A Happy Family and a Strong Nation."

7 p.m. —Rev. C. Wickham.

"The Claims of Jesus."

April 27th—

11 a.m. —Parents' Question Box.

7 p.m. —Young People's Question Box.

Preachers:

Rev. G. T. BROWN, M.A., and

Rev. C. WICKHAM, of London.

Questions to be answered from the pulpit on the 27th should be in Mr. Brown's hands, if possible, before . Easter.