SUNDAY COLUMN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 133, 16 March 1940, Page 3

SUNDAY COLUMN

NEWS OF THE CHURCHES. (CpNDUCTED BY THE ASHBORTON Ministers’ Association), OUR EARTHLY TASK. By Dr. \V. Graham Scroggie. “I (We, R.V.) must, work the works of Him that sent Me, while it‘is day, the night comoth, when no man can work.” —John 9r4. , Every Christian should be a worker. We cannot delegate this responsibility nor discharge our duty by nroxy. 1 must work the works of Him that sent me; I'must do it if nobody else does; lam commissioned; lam under an obligation ; and I shall be held accountable. If every Christian took this to heart, how different would be the Church and the world! We are in danger to-day of losing ourselves in societies and associations, and so of evading our individual duty and privilege. But each of us should realise that he has a work which can be done by no one else, and which, if he do it not, must go undone. “I” must work: “you” must work; and the more earnestly as wo remember that The Opportunity is Limited “while it is day.” Let us not mistake our Lord’s moaning: the words “day” and “night” must be taken in their most general sense as the seasons for labour and rest in regard to the special end in view. After oiir Lord’s Passion there was no 'longer the opportunity for the performance of the works characteristic of His earthly life. It is not to be supposed that the “night” here describes an abiding and complete rest of Christ: it presents rest only from the works which belong to the corresponding “day.” The language is figurative for life .and death. Death puts an end to all human, activity on eayth, even to Christ’s own as a human .Friend and Teacher; and undoubtedly He had His death in view when He said. “I must work while it is day: the night cometh.*’ There were things which Jesus could do in His state of humiliation which He could not do after His resurrection. It was only while He was on earth that words of life could be spoken fresh from His human lips that His acts of personal kindness and compassion could be performed, that His example, • destined to be so infinitely fruitful could be set forth. So lar as these tilings are concerned. liis death ended the “day” and inaugurated the “night.” Nor is it otherwise with us. Limits are set to our opportunity, and we cannot extend them. Our lias its evening as certainly as its morning. The period of our work on earth is a prescribed and unalterable period; wo cannot add a year to our life, and it is given to us not for pleasure, but for progress; not for ease, but for toil. How much there is to be done, which must be done before sunset; if it is not to remain undone for ever.

Jesus had much to crowd into the remaining -weeks of His life, which could not have been d<one .after the Cross. And to us are given a few years, or months, or maybe days, in which to serve God and our fellows; and if we idle now, the night will overtake us, and our task will remain forever undone.

Full soon your opportunity to win souls for Christ will be past. The street, will miss, you, and your tracts ; vou will no logger be seen at the openair service, or in the hosni,tal ward; your class will have to find another teacher, therefore do vour work well, for your sun will soon set; life at the longest is short, and the night cometh when no man can work- we must therefore, be diligent here or nowhere, now or never.. Earthly service can be rendered only upon earth. Here the Gospel must he preached, and here it must he embraced: Now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation. We cannot do to-day what we omitted to do yesterday; and we cannot do to-morrow what we omit to do today: we must do our work now, or never. Therefore, labour before *your hand is palsied, give before your substance be. beyond your control, sjjoak before vour tongue be forever silent. “Work‘while it is day, toy the night cometh.” Work while the dew of your youth is upon you. Toil in the heat of the mitt-day sun. Labour as the shadows of even gather thick around you. “Be ye steaittast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” for “the night cometh when no man can work.” There is soil to he ploughed; there are .harvests to be reaped ; there are sick ones to be healed ; and sad ones to he cheere^l; there are lost ones to he found and backsliders to be restored; there are hungry ones to be fed; and fallen ones to be raised; there are ignorant ones to be taught, and wicked ones to be rebuked, and if ever it is to he done, it must be done now. Well said, Rabbi Tryphon:— “The day is short, and the task is great, and the workmen are sluggish, and the reward is much, and the Master of the house is urgent.” In view of all this, wo shall see that, ' The Occupation is Impelling “I must.”

Surely we feel this holy constraint, this divine compulsion!. No man will do anything really great until he feels that he must. Paul felt like that about his preaching. “Necessity,” he said “is laid upon me, yea, woe is me if I preach not the Gospel.” The world Jieth in wickedness, therefore we must work; gin is getting very bold, therefofe we must work; men are dying all around, therefore we must work: souls are going down to death, therefore we must work. Let us feel the impulses of the coming eternity, and get to work, constrained by the sight of sin, and love of Christ.

We have the Word of God, and the Mercy-seat, and the Holy Burnt, and the Risen Christ, and life’s little day; therefore, while the night tarries, and hearing the chariot wheels of eternity behind us. let us speed on with all our might; and until the night of death ushers in a more glorious day, let us work.