The Law of Reverence.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 77, 3 April 1897, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Law of Reverence.

By the Rev. J. W. Shekingham, (Archdeacon and Canon of Gloucester)

'Mercy and Truth havo met. together, Righteousness and Peace have kiaseci eacn ether.'—Psalm lxxxv., versa 10.

Tkue Reverence is the work of Chrie_ianiby alone, because Christianity teaches us bo believe in a God of Love, a God who totes impurity, and looks not to the outward show, bub to the inward hearb. If we really reverence God we musb adore His example and love His law — moreover, we musb remember bbab reverence implies bhe love of all God's works. A sinful man is a selfish men, and a selfish man cannob look beyond hia own unbridled will. Ib ia, perhaps, a new lighb in which to view the cruel, the sensualist, and bhe voluptuary ; bub is ib not also irreverence? You remember bhose mosb impressive words in the hiabory of Creation : ' God aaw everything bbab he had made, and behold ib was verj. good.' 'For Thy pleasure bhey are and wore created.' Whab ia the wickedness of tho man who, so to apeak, daree to cross the path of the merciful God, turns beauty inbo deformity, defiles what is pure, and bringa shame upon whab is fair and without reproach ! Can there be a greater irreverence than ko despise what God made in Hia goodness and preserves for Hia pleaauro ? People think very little of these things when they givo way to bheir evil passione. They forgeb that they may not only outrage bub insult bhe Aubhor of all good. Now I wish to open oub a new thoughb. We muab go to our Lord'a example for everj thing thab ia good—for mercy, for truth, for righteousness, for peace; and though i!; seema strange to aay ib of Him to whom, and nob from whom, reverence is due, we musb go to that Divino Example for bhe Law of Reverence itaolf. Ib io Tery remarkable bhab our Lord, in Hia human life, did exhibit the utmosb reverence in all bhings, He conatancly speaks of Himself aa eenb forth to do fche will of His Father, and it ia olmoßb wibh awful care bbab He executes thab will. You know thab as a child the first place which Ho soughb was His Father's house, though ib was only an earthy house, and bho whole world was His'bemple. St. Luke's words aro tranelabed :—' Wiab yo nob thab I must be aboub my Fabher's business ;' bub the Revised version vory properly renders bhem, 'in My Father's house.' Observe these acbiona of our blesaed Lord'a life, in which, aa ib were, He lifbed up Hia eoul inbo divine contemplation far abovo this world, even into the presence of God alone. When Ho was rebuking the unbelieving cities of Galilee, St. Matthew tolls us thab He said : ' I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because Thou bast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for bo ib Beemed good in Thy sight. 5. Do we thua acknowledge God as bhe Aubhor and Giver of all wisdom ?

Again in Sb. John's Gospel, when He was approaching the ineffable sacrifice of Himself, He eaid : ' Now is My soul troubled ; and whab shall I say ? Father, save me from bhis hour, but for bhia cause cama I unbo this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.' Do we thus pray God bo accepb for His own honour whatever sacrifice we may make ourselves, our substance, our will, our earthly hopes? Thab is the true reverence which we owe to Him Who gives and receives all.