EDEN, GETHSEMANE, PARADISE

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 203, 28 August 1899, Page 2

EDEN, GETHSEMANE, PARADISE

Preaching on the above subject at the Pousonby Baptist Church last, evening, the Key. A. H. Collins said: j Text, in the common use of that term, I have none. No single passage o± Scripture would express the idea I wish to lay before you, and, to use {Scripture language as a mere accommodation should be intolerable to any reverent soul. Bible words ought to be something- other and something i greater than a clothes line on which to I peg our ragged thoughts. This is not equal to saying that 1 have not chosen a subject, for, as I hope to show, I have a Biblical theme, though 1 have not a crisp, clean-cut sentence to express it. Three of the great events in the story of the race are associated with gardens—Eden, Gethsemane, Paradise; the garden of innocence, the garden of suffering, the garden of triumph. In this the Bible is like human life. Every good man's life opens in the Eden of innocence, passes through the Gethsemane of struggle to end in the Paradise of glory and victory. Eden, Gethsemane, Paradise, types of human experience, stages in human progress. Quite naturally the Bible opens with the picture of man in his Eden home, living the life of unstained innocence, fearless because sinless; at peace with all the world because at peace with God. Head the first chapters of the Genesis how you will, call them poetry or parable, the fact remains that you have the story of innocence, told with singular grace and charm. Man appears as you would expect him to appear, fresh from the hand of the Creator. It was the world's infancy, and man comes forth enshrined in beauty, pure as the light. But, fair as was man's first estate, it was the life of a child and not the life of a man. It was a state of innocence Rnd not a state of holiness. His goodness was negative, not positive. Adam was pure because he had not been tempted, and while that may suffice for childhood, sunny, blithesome childhood, we look for something more than innocence in men. Man's highest achievement is not innocence, which is simply the absence of guilt, but holiness, which is the deliberate choice, the tireless pursuit of the right, the noble and the true. Innocence is a clean, new flag on which has never passed a whiff of gunpowder or a stain of blood.. Holiness is that same flag after it has been carried into life's battle, round which the shocks of war has raged, and bursting shell has screamed, torn, stained, almost lost, yet brought back in safety to be hung up in the sanctuary of life, the sign of conflict, but the proof of victory. Now, every life has its Eden period, its time of freedom from stain. No need to split hairs and discuss at what point the in-nocence-of childhood is exchanged for the stain and blame of accountability and riper years. Enough to know there is such a period. We are tempted to look back and wish for the recovery of these lost years. When the memory of wilful transgression burdens conscience we wish ourselves back in the Eden of innocence. The wish is idle and foolish as well. We are "called to be sjiints," and saintliness is something finer than the mere absence of guilt. To see wickedness arrayed in her most seductive charms, to feel her magnetic power, to hear her dulcet tones, and "choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" is to step forth a crowned conqueror and a throned king. Cloistered and untried virtues axe valueless. It is a waste of precious time and Christian energy to weep and sigh for the Eden that is no more. Our • wisdom is to spend the days that, remain in turning defeat into victory, and exchanging lost innocence for positive virtue. This, however, is no child's play. Paradise Hesc through Gethsemane. The agony and bloody sweat are part of the price of a developed and perfected life. "The Captain of our salvation was made perfect ihrough suffering." The soul must be cleansed by fire as the heart is cleansed by pain. Visitors tc Edinburgh Castle are conducted up a dark and winding stairway into an equally dark room, where are stored the crown jewels which are the glory of Scotland. These are "the treasures of darkness," which like stars shine with greatest brilliance amid surrounding gloom. It is so in human life. The soul returns from shadowed temples of suffering bejewelled with gems from the hand of God. Nighi reveals the stars. I do not say the process is joyful even when the end is kept in view. Suffering is suffering whatevr the issue. There is a very unreal way of talking on this subject, which strongly contrasts witji the horror of ■ \ darkness thai enveloped the Son of God The strong Son of God was -nc craven, and yet he shrank from the bitter cup and craved relief. Ever with Paradise in full view pain is pain, and the human spirit shivers anc starts as when a live spark lights or the naked hand, and whilst I do nol make light of suffering or pretend tc know why Gethsemane is the road tc Paradise, I only know that as fire is needful to give steel its "temper,' so the discipline of trial is one con; dition of spiritual growth. Phy&ica1 -perfection is reached by hard training1 The author buys his poem, the artisi his picture, the musician his score with his heart's blood. Pascal Taou<rhl hiis ideas by burning up his brain Kingship in the realm of spirit, h reached by kingship in .thp realm ni pain. All' that is fine and noble ir human story is won by struggle "No cross, no crown." Hp who hafh never a conflict hath never a victor'? palm." "These are they that came oul of great tribulation" is the song oi the Holy angels.