SUNDAY COLUMN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 41, 27 November 1937, Page 3

SUNDAY COLUMN

NEWS OF THE CHURCHES.

(Conducted by the Ashburton Ministers' Association).

This year sees the celebration of another interesting bi-centenary, for it is two centuries ago that John Wesley published the first hymn-boot of the modern type. This historical volume was entitled “Collection of Psalms and Hymns,” and it was issued while Wesley was on his mission to Georgia, under the direction of one of the well-known missionary societies. There had in fact been earlier hymnbooks, the first English hymn-book being “The Hymns and Songs of the Church,” associated with the name of George Witter, and dated 1623. In the remarkable Wesley family the father and three sons were all hymn writers. Charles was responsible for no fewer than 6500 hymns, and ho and his brother John wrote sufficient poetry to fill thirteen volumes when their efforts were collected and officially edited for the Wesleyan Methodist Conference in 1868-72. A HEALING CLINIC. The healing clinic at the City Temple conducted by the Rev. Leslie Weatherhead, is described with some detail in an interview in ±he'“Christian World.” The suggestion that the healing art should form part of the Church’s ministry came to Mr Weatherhead while serving as a chaplain in Mesopotamia, when a medical man dealing with shellshocked officers, said to him: “This is really a padre’s work.” Hundreds are flocking to the City Temple, the interviewer tells us, to seek release from their fears and obsessions. The cases include folk suffering froh phobias, hysterias, buried complexes, unresolved conflicts as well as actual physical maladies and for six hours every Tuesday, as well as by appointment at other times, the minister, assisted by four fully-qualified medical men who are “in attendance,” gives treatment. The widely-shared belief is that ills of the body and mind can r ; often be traced to some psychological origin, and that prayer and reliance on God can remove many of them. Sometimes relief * is immediate, often it follows lengthened treatment. Remarkable “cures,” which remind us of Biblical incidents, are vouched for by the interviewer. “It is impossible to doubt them,’’ he says, “though it may be impossible to explain them.” ENTHUSIASTIC CHRISTIANS. The following statement is taken from “The Labour Movement in Perspective,” by the Leader of fhe British Parliamentary Party, Major C. R. Attlee, which has just been published: “I think that probably the majority of those who have built up the Socialist movement jn this country have been adherents of the Christian religion, and not merely adherents, but enthusiastic members of some religious body.” THEY KNOW! There was once a dear old lady who went to a revival meeting and got converted. , She returned home full of her experience and could not resist the temptation to tell the servant, who had served her for many years, all about it,. # “Ho you know, Mary, I never knew what a really great sinner I was.” “Bless-you, ma’am,” said the faithful Mary, “I’ve known it these many years.” FOR THE QUIET HOUR. The Set of the Sail. Have you evdr seen a sailing vessel with all her sails spread? Imagine two vessels headed in opposite directions—two sailing ships glistening in the sun, bound for opposite ports. They have no engines, no gasoline, no oars. They depend on the wind to sail the ship. Some ships sail east, some ship's sail west, By the self-same winds that blow. It is not the gale, but the set of the sail That tells which way they go. Stop and think. What kind of a ship are you? People complain of the circumstances of their lives, and say that it is of no use to try to do anything in their condition. It is not the gale, but the set of the sail, that determines whether you go up or down. What you have within you decides how you take the breezes of life.

THE UNTROUBLED HEART. By George Jackson, D.D. Erefc anti fuss, like friction in machininery, mean wasted power, energy working to no end. It is the still, strong man, the man of faith, who comes to the top in a crisis, when they who are all fuss and fluster can do nothing but get in the way. When the tempest struck the ship which bore St. Paul to Borne, the most “practical” man on board was the man who talked with the angels and made his home in the Unseen. Let not your heart be- troubled: but in a world like ours is such a peace within man’s reach P Two things must be remembered. The word is Christ’s word. There are some who when they cry, Fear not, only move us to anger: thin, shallow souls, without eyes to see or hearts to feel, what should they know of the fears that rack and rend the soul ? But Christ knew all ; He drank of sorrow out of a full cup; His clear eyes read, His tender heart ensured, the worst that life can do; yet still Ho said that men need not fear. Had He not the right to speak, and shall we not believe Him ? Let not your heart be troubled—believe in God—believe in Me: the three word 9 must bo held fast to-

gether. It is useless to say, Let not your heart be troubled, it is useless even for. Christ to say it, if there is no more to be said. With death looking in at all our windows and breaking in at all our doors, how can we not be troubled? We must believe in God. Yet there are times when even that is not enough. Believe in God? if we could, then indeed our fears would be quieted and all would be well. But it is just there that faith sometimes finds its hardest task: who, where, is He that we may believe in Him? On the road Thy wheels are not, Nor on the sea Thy sail. One word remains: believe in Me. Faith’s last refuge is Jesus—last, but sure. The weakest believer can hang upon Him. “Other refuge have I none” ; and none other do we need; “Thou, O Christ, art all I want.”