SUNDAY COLUMN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 87, 22 January 1938, Page 3

SUNDAY COLUMN

NEWS OF THE CHURCHES.

(Conducted by the Ashburton Ministers’ Association).

GOD’S SECOND BEST

“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter, to make it.”

(Jeremiah xviii, 4)

A certain tree I once knew well, growing tall and straight on a windy height, had its top broken off in a gale; and as I passed that way I said: “Wounded and half dead, that tree is done.” But, as spring followed spring, 1 found, that it was not so. The tiny, green shoots, round where the break had been grew thicker and stronger year by yeaay till by and by, a stranger could hardly have told that it had been broken. True, it was not the tree it bad been, but it was big and high and leafy as before. So I learned that when the best is gone for ever. Nature has a second best in store, and with marvellous patience brings it out of her treasury. In the potter’s house, Jeremiah saw a vessel spoiled in the workman’s hands through some flaw in the stuff, reshaped and moulded into another form—the best that could be made with such clay. In such a homely school was the prophet taught a new hope for men. Blindly and perversely do they squander and spoil the gift of God; yet is their case not hopeless if they but leave themselves penitently to His merciful repairing. God will make of them still vessels unto honour. Though innocence be gone, God's grace can still make a saint. Jesus is this same Eternal Word of God, with hands and feet and a loving human heart. Drawn by His compassion, sinners, men and women, who knew themselves failures, came to Him, and went away convinced that even for them life still held blessed possibilities. Jesus persuaded men that God was very willing, however marred their past had been, to help and heal them still. He never belittled failure. He never spoke lightly of sin. Yet He is our surety for the blessed hope there is for spoiled lives in the patient Hands of God. * Sometimes we claim God’s promises in the heights, and forget that they hold in the valleys. So I want to bring the thought of our Father’s loving resourcefulness—to Avliieh nature and prophecy and ✓Christ have borne Avitness—down to homely levels.

I should like to speak of God’s great storehouse of reserve blessing to those avlio feel that they are growing, old. To the man Avho fears that, Avitli his youth, he has left behind him everything worth lniA'ing, I want to say that God has other gifts still. Youth does not exhaust our Father’s bounty. God has a gracious Secondbest far those avlio are ageing Avisely. We are all ageing, but some are groAVing towards hope and faith and a deeper need and a deeper experience of God. And that is not, in any sad sense, to grOAV old. The spirit that is in living touch Avith God’s Spirit does not age like the body, for God never grows old. What if the hair be white then? Is it not written —“They shall Avalli Avith Him in Avhite because they are Avorthy?” I am often tempted, too—though in this I trespass, I fear, upon the domain of my brother of medicine—to speak about God’s Second-best to those Avhose range of living has had to be narrowed, to those Avho, though not seriously ill, had to surrender many of the liberties and privileges of health. Even so, my brother, life need not be wholly sad or bitter. Not a little of the world’s best work is done by its courageous invalids. God has gifts' of quiet happiness even for those who have had to take a smaller house. Reckon up all you liaA r e left still and believe that God is very Avilling to help you to the blessings which He keeps for His lame and hindered children. That there are such is quite certain. And some Avhom you know have found them. But the great comfort of this doctrine is for those Avho have failed. Now there are failures and failures. One may fail, and try again and get Avhat he tries for at the first. But there is a failure that is final that shuts the door and turns the seeker down some other Avay to bear the st igm a—u nsuccessf ul. Yes, but hoAv? Embittered, hopeless? Surely not, with this word of God to encourage us. Even for the failures God has a second-best. There arc many avlio have found tho blessing that lies beyond failure. Like the oyster they have healed their hurt with a pearl. For, often and often, this Second-best of God’s seems richer and more precious than Avhat Avas lost. As a matter of fact, “Second-best” is a purely human measurement, on God’s scale it is really “better still.” Oliver Goldsmith failed in his examination for an unambitious post. But out of that failure came a great gain to English literature. The second-best in God’s good providence, lor Goldsmith and for us, was “The Vicar of Wakefield.” There is, in truth, no longer or more interesting chapter in the history of human effort than that which tells of the triumphs and successes that have been Avon out of failure. Let no one- Avho counts himself a failure regard that as the end of the story. There is a wonderful Second-best waiting for him in God’s keeping if he gets up to try again. “Though deep in mire wring not your hands and Aveep; God lends His arm to all who say ‘I can.’ No shamefaced outcast ever sank so deep But he may rise, and be again a man.” —Archibald Alexander. HOLIDAYS—A PRAYER.

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who richly bestowed upon us life and health and the power to enjoy earthly blessings: Look with mercy, we beseech Thee, on all who keep holi-

day at this season; charge Thine angels Avitli them that no danger overwhelm them, give them true Avisdom and temperance, lest they fall . into folly and sin; make them so to take their own pleasure that they lorget not the happiness of others; and lay them to rest at night with a thankful sense of Thy goodness, and ol Thy Holy Presence nea.r them; all which aao beg for His Sake, Thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

SUNDAY—A PRAYER. Almighty God, who hast given a dav of rest to Thy people, and, through Thy Spirit in the Church hast consecrated the first day of the week to be a perpetual memorial of Thy 'Son’s Resurrection: Grant that we may so use Thy gift that, refreshed and strengthened in soul and body, we may serve Thee faithfully all the days of our life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.