SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8348, 30 August 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

THE GREATHEARTED GOD. [by rev. .mark guy fearse.] "He despiseth not any, being great in wisdom and in heart" (marginal reading). -Job xxxvi., 6. " lifi .si>ake this |<ara ,,, .e "into certain that trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and de-spis-.'d others."—Sit. Luke xviii., 9.

God is great in heart—it is a conception of God which I do not remember to have met with anywhere else. Tennyson rings of on e |l Dowered with the love of love, the hate of hate, the scorn of scorn." It is as fine a description of a noble character as could be put into so few words. That made infinite is true of God. His beyond all is " the love of love, the hate of hate, the scorn of scorn." It will be helpful to us to take the picture of scorn set forth in the parable wnich the Lord Jesus Christ gives us, and then to see by all the force of contrast how God treats the despicable. Underneath the same blue heavens two men go on their way, each moving towards the Temple. It rises before them in all its stateliuess, the steps that lead up to the Gate Beautiful; beyond, there stretches the marble portico; all radiant in the sun is the gilded roof; and the spires rise up sharply to the sky. All procla.ms the greatness of the God of Israel. Ami in keeping with the grandeur of the place is this Pharisee who is going to pray; one for whom the people make way, greeting him with lowly homage —a man marked off from others by dress, by look, by manner. By his very birth he is accounted more and greater than others —a son of Abra-ham by descent unquestioned. By all associations and surroundings of his lite he has been kept from the rougher winds that beat on "common people." By all careful training fitted for such worship his whole life to its minutest matters is controlled by his religion. So he goes, a very favourite of Heaven.

And now the publican steps aside to give him place, and is greeted with a scowl of scorn, whilst the white hands gather up the robes lest they should be defiled by contact with this apostate. A publican! None were more utterly loathed than these wretched tax collectors. A publican was the lowest epithet, the foulest; suggestion to hurl at your enemy. They were traitors who actually collected the hated taxes which Roman authority had dared to lay upon this people of God. That was bad enough. But the method of collecting the taxes encouraged and almost compelled them to be unjust and extortioners. And because despised, of course they were hardened and reckless counting themselves lost, as men said they were, they lived accordingly. Every sense of the Pharisee was offended by him. For his own devotions the Pharisee was scrupulously bathed and anointed with costly oils and arrayed in white robes; and this man was coarse in his dress and careless about his appearance. The haughty Pharisee hurried on in his disgust. " Really it was dreadful that one should have to be reminded of the existence of these wretched people." The publican followed behind that radiant presence, and sighed, "Oh, dear me, I.wish I were like him, so good, so wise. lam so ignorant and so bad, too, I don't understand anything, and I have nothing beautiful or holy about me. And I have so many things to tight against. He has got everything to help him. Really, is it any good for one like I am to think of praying V and with a sad heart he conies on his way. The Pharisee goes boldly into the court of Isi ael and standsthe word means a great deal more than that. He poses in a studied attitude, for the posture was everything erect, with head flung back, and face upturned to Heaven, and hands outstretched. And he prayed with himself—it is a singular phrase. As if himself prayed to himself; himself was his own God to whom ho brought the lowly homage of his prayers. " God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men. extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or oven as this publican. I fast twice in the week ; I give tithes of all that I possess." Then I can think that the Pharisee turns, and afar off he sees the publican, not daring to come beyond the court of the heathen— and he prays ! If anything could move the Pharisee's utter scorn that does. The very climax of, offence —a fellow like that praying ! For a man like that to think about religion, really it is shocking ! Why, it is a, wonder that the earth v"oes not open and swallow him up, as it did the intruders of old. How can he pray ? He does not evep know how to stand. Look at him ; and attitude is everything in prayer, of course. His head hung down, and his face toward the ground, and his hands on his breast. Really such irreverence I think is quite shocking! Does ho pass near enough to hear the prayer that goes from that sad heart, " God be merciful to me the sinner—the sinner," auch is the word. "I am not like other men are, 0 God, not like- this good man. wise and holy and pure; lam the sinner. "Really, to tell God that! Why, if he has not anything good to say ho had better hold his tongue, People who .ire so ignorant and so bad as that ought to be kept out of the Temple altogether. Well, I thank God lam not one iot them! wretched creatures. I loathe the sight of them as things to be despised!" ' Yet, saith Jesus, 1 tell you, I who kuow tell you, that this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. He despiseth not any, for that He is great in wisdom and great in heart. The greathearted God. Where Pride finds room only to despise, Love will find room to pity and to hei;». _ If a publican begins to hate the evil of his life, and wants to be better, what think you? Shall the great-hearted God cast in his booth what he has been, and scorn hie trembling desires Never, never—that hand shall be stretched out eagerly and tenderly to welcoi.io. Because he is very ignorant shall the great-hearted God despise him and drive him away from His courts? Nay, never—never. He will make the truth very plain for him, and the way very easy, and Himself shall teach him the A B C of it all, sending forth tlae Spirit crying, Abba—that simplest; words for little lips—Abba Father. Because all his surroundings are full of difficulty and hindrance shall God mock at his endeavours ? Oh, blasphemous suggestion ! The great-hearted God shall stoop with infinite gentleness and watch with unfailin-' care and compass him with almighty do" hverauce. He despiseth not any. My brother, this message of love is meant for you. Scorn, it is a cruel thing; few things have a keener edge and cut more deeply. And it may be that you are just now a very target for its arrows. The man is here who has gone on his way, a leader in sin perhaps, himself the first to mock and despise the silly hesitancy and foolish scruples of any • and now he begins to long a A i er . 't0 be true and 'P ul "° and good Ah, there are a score of scornful voice.'! that despise you. There rings the laughter of heir within the soul. You set up for a saint, you belong to the good people so bad as you are. You will iiever get on ; good people are not made like you? They have another kind of, flesh and t>lood, they have habi^ n iPt rS antt B o *? 08 . weaknesses and habits like yours. And there is the set about you - flinging its scorn: "You to be so particular indeed; you to make so much ado about your religmh." It is hard to endure. Some uieu cook! better fight au d die th«£ I

bear \,nus to be despised. "BlimTT" ' own interest, so stupidly particular J^ 1 you-self up to be so much better flfjjH lo ? people!" Listen, my brother listen} the sweet music fall upon thf s^ n % Lord sendeth thee this message Zv, & love : " He despiseth not any, or that M ' B great in wisdom and great in* heart " " e ** He ilespisc-th us not even in Surely if anything could make < L?J sinv,B it were thai. Ignorance ' h0i.,1 es P>se misery have their appeal; they ~'. CSSne Sa, the heart to pity and claim its ]'i y Soft «0 little child is made sacred by■ itoT," , ,* ness. But sin is so utterly loathsrJ. ~leas Bight of (Jo.l; such utter FoUytß ,0 .*! move God Himself to scorn us if U ni?hi not bo great in heart. I have seen*?*?' we ill! have seen-again an,] a,™,, h ! a » cursed (.fleets (if drunkenness- 1, n 7 t acseemed to look down so tar into i* D ] Ver misery fus I did one day at ■> house Jl dcc P intoxicated huslu:,,|. hiccou-'hin! I'?' tlle laughter, a senseless fool, although '" good position, and at other tim M an ° f clever man. His wife follow,. a Ver J door, and there, red eyed and *?• th < lips, with hands pressed ~„ eehr *' h '""« sobbed "Oh...rny'.r.^l^t.S keep from despirtin" him." Eva J? 4 ? heart could scarcely refrain from A ■ 8 as a fool the husband th ff |JW» love. To our God in Hi, hnii ' ed lo utterly loathsome must he c 'u Jn* l° v mean, how i K ly, how d<:si,i . aP " ; ho * make men-lhe ill-temper the «,ii f ," m fishnet, the lyi..« and cW-ntin Tfi" Ui Y^He'despitethnotany.f'o/^W

See it, indeed, in the Etorv of m. r >. Here is the creature taken from t Fi,L and entrusted with the majesty of will !? pendent upon God for everything Miii e " by Him with every Rood V K , and bl ' st against the Most High, and defiant! le ,T his hand and assets h is lntlv , lifts Well might the «rea C God of He"endenCeearth have despised ho£a<V^*? 0 lnd so mad a deed; so stujff "° d reatuf s' " Silly soul, I will fling thee off i blw i snatch from thee this hicli rift ? ' i'" 1 have ennobled •h^Sfeft, , shall be no linger thine. Qo.fiketlivrr with the beasts of the Held- Si 1 ' la ? heneeforth of good or ill; incapLhH'S or choice; obeying as the beasts thy (,„ pulses—with instinct only and with reason ; with a present only but ao f B l" and no past; to eat and drink ands'en I then returning to the earth whence■ t-h wast taken ; unworthy thoa hstt „ ? thyself, unfit to be so "blest." Soffit have look.',d for God to speak. BatHp^ great in heart. With a brave hope witV U patient trust, with a great, enduring W He bent over the man and did notdVniv him And, 10, to him is riven the nromiw of the Son of God for his deliverance and salvation. The seed of the woman shall . bruise the serpent's head: • But more is there in this truth—infinitf'v more than Elihll ever dreamed. DespisefM nay, indeed that He may uplift and deliver the despised H>: Himself becomes the despised. Is the weak and little despisedthey who have no strength to protect themselves; no helper for their deliveraice! Hβ Himself is born the little Babe -nd laid in the manger, wrapped in the coarse svraddling clothes, amidst all the rude c&eomforts of poverty. He Himself is weak and little and helpless that He may hallow and endear the weak and little. Is the poor despised—the lowly, the slave of others? H t who was rich for our sake doth empty Himself and make Himself oi no reputation, and take upon Him the form of a servant'that we through His poverty may be made rich. Yet, most wonderful of all, He hangs the despised and rejected of men that He may bear the very curse of our sins, and lift us up from our guilt and condemnation to His own trlory and blessedness. Never was any so mocked and so despised as He when He hung in the shame of the cross. The passers-by wagged their heads at Him in derision ; the priests and scribes hissed out their cruel scorn; the soldiers flung their rude laughter; the multitude mocked Him, and the very malefactors joined in the bitter taunts that assailed c . Him. The cross of Christ is the very illumination of the text, setting it forth in glorious fulness—He despisetli not any, for that He is great it heart.

And linger on that life. Never was any passing scorn upon that face, never was ray despised of Him. See, the leper comttli, despised and loathed of all men, for vliom horror and disgust was the only greeting, and pity itself was forgotten. But ; 10, fie bendeth over the leper with infinite compassion, and puts forth His hand, and touches him, making Him whole. There comcth the outcast woman whom the Pharisees stoned with looks of scorn, and of whom they whispered in horror as she came; but, 10, for her that great heart hath room, and, sinking down at His feet, she finds lore swd blessing and a new life, pure and street like the life of a little child. Let us be bold to take this blessed truth as our own. He knoweth ub through and through; He readeth all the life in its weakness and folly and sia. Yet Se de. spiseth not any, for that He is great iu heart,

IT IS ENOUGH. It is euough ; to know That Thou my life dost plan) My ways ate in Thy hands, Who loved ere life began. It is enough, my Lord; The sorrow has no thorn [ However long the way, I cannot be forlorn. It is enough ; Thy lore Doth bear the load for mg| Ihe morrow brings no cares, For all is ruled by Thee. It is enongh ; when dwith Shall come with velret tread, The pain is soothed by Thee Who suffered and wast dead. It is enough; to clasp The handrail of Thy will. Anil down the winding stairs To by step fulfil. Though dark and long it seem, And I know uot the wayIt is enough ; it leads Into the perfect day. Horace Helsdos.