SUNDAY COLUMN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 6, 18 October 1941, Page 8

SUNDAY COLUMN

DEVOTIONAL READING.

(Conducted by the Ashburton Ministers’ Association) . A FOOL FOR CHRIST.

Christ’s fool! A public laughing-stock. Truly that is myself. Forty years, half of my allotted life, I have passed as Christ’s fool. The world’s so-called pleasures have all slipped by me. I have not leisurely witnessed even one cinematographic display . . . Tied up to society’s rubbish-heap I have passed half my days. As one narrow of mind and stubborn of will, a fit subject for ridicule, I have ticked off in tears, day after day, half my life. I have been summoned from the scenes of lust, caused to stand at the foot of the Cross, and numbered among those who are labelled hypocrites, heathen, and anti-nationalists. But even in these circles I have not been ostracised as a heretic and a socialist, as one who is flippant and shallow.

But these things move me not ... I am' Christ’s captive. A slave of the Cross. The world’s fool. I am determined to abandon everything that bears the mark of this world, and naked, sally forth along the road which leads upward to the state of the sanctified. If to others this seems foolish, there is no help for it.—The testimony of Toyohiko Kagawa. WANTED—A FRIEND. A woman who had just returned from a long European trip was congratulated by a friend on her opportunity for travel. But she answered rather sadly: “Nothing is much fun that you do alone.” When one realises how much pleasure depends on companionship, it seems surprising that we do not take more pains to be agree able companions. One of the penalties and ill-temper is that the time comes when we have to do most things alone. How much happier, then, is the traveller who is accompanied on life’s journey, not only by dear friends, but by the Divine Companion. TIMOTHY'S PRAYER. Its Lesson for All. Praying to God should be as natural an experience as talking to one’s friend. In “The House of Prayer,” by Florence Converse, little Timothy has discovered this secret of intimacy in praying. He has been introduced to some of the Knights of King Arthur's famous Round Table, and he interweaves what he has learned into his evening prayers: “Our Father, Who are in heaven,” he says, “please listen a few minutes to one of your littlest sons. These are the things I want: I want forgiveness to my enemies—the way Sir Gwaine was forgiving; and to be very generous to the people that hurt me • the way he did when he was wounded. And not to think myself too important —I mean humble— humility, I think—else I couldn’t he forgiving and generous. And I want to stand by my friends like a rock, and never to break my word to anybody. And I want to help people that need it, and invite them to my house, like Sir Launcelot, and share with them, and not be greedy or stingy ever. “And I want to be honest, like Sir Palomides, and be ready to say ‘l’m sorry, when I’m wrong . . I am jealous of the Ambassador;; but I don’t want to be. Make me not jealous of the Ambassador . . Yes I will ask Y?ou to make me love the Ambassador. 1 don t believe I can love him unless You help me to. I want ot be pure in heart, like Sir Galahad and Sir Percival, and never self-indulgent like Sir Launcelot. I want to be a true friend like that other Sir Galahad —the one that is buried in Joyous Gard . . - I want to be like my Elder Brother, the Prince of Peace. Make me worthy of my heritance, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

TO THE END, MAN! Discrimination is called for, and Ten-

acity, Too.

The first thing is carefully to discriminate in these days between road and road. Beware of false prophets. “Believe not every spirit, but try 1 , the spirits whether they be of God.” Put on your considering caps, and when you see a road wihch looks broad, smooth, pleasant, and well-bordered with flowers,-say to yourself: “There are many ways, but since only one of them leads to eternal life, I must be careful.” Believe the truth and follow the truth. Do not believe that sincerity is enough; you need truth as well. “If we are sincere in our religion,” says one, “it will be all right with us, whatever that religion may he.” Nonsense! You know better. If you sincerely drink poison, it will kill you; if you sincerely cut your throat, you will die. If you sinceiely believe a lie, you will suffer the consequences. You must not only he sincere, but you must he right. Therefore, submit your judgment to the Word of the Lord. This infallible Book is given to you, and the infallible. Spirit waits to instruct you as to its meaning. Cry unto the Wise One for wisdom. Yield your minds to the teaching of Him Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life; so shall you not be deceived, but shall attain unto holiness and bliss. When you know the road, you should scrupulously keep in it, for many ways branch from it. Let no man drag you aside from it. It is one straight line. Keep you to it, even as the stars keep in their courses.

May the Holy Ghost so rest upon you that you may have no wish to leave the straight and narrow way; no desire to start aside from it, even for a moment. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. Temporisers who begin for a little season, and run well, and then are hindered, what shall become of them? Why, this, that it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to turn from it after they have known it. To the end! To the end, man! Hold on and hold out, or thy faith will prove to be a thing of nought.-—C. H. Spurgeon.