SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12609, 25 June 1904, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

HAVE YOU BOOM FOB, JESUS! ■ "Behold, I stand 'at--the door, and knock; if any ••' man ; hoar tMy voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sap with him. and he with Me."-B<w. iii. 20. This simile if of an Eastern house, and it is the custom when anyone knocks at the door of such a dwelling that, as they knock, they state who they are and why they hare oome. Thus does Jesus.. Outside the door of the human heart He asks to be admitted. We do not need to pray' and plead with' Him ; it is He who prays and pleads with as. You will notice that Christ is outside. An unsaved man is without Christ. Now, ,if Christ be the light of the world and outside, the house' is in darkness. If Christ. 'be th© i bread of life and outside, " the heart is in a | state of famine. If Christ be the life and outside, the heart is dead. We have capiicify large enough to enjoy ; God, and without God we can never be satisfied. Christ is God. If Christ be outside, the heart, is not at rest. I heard it said very quaintly that even if we got; the whole world ■ into,our; heart we I should not :■ be. satisfied, for the world hieing round ■ would never fill up the corner. Adams, the Puritan, says that nothing: hut the three- persons of the Trinity can fill the triangular heart of man; and it is quite true. IBS HEART O* A HAN IS A PEATBB, ' ■TiIB.aEAET O? A MAS? IS A TEATSB, whose answer is God. ; But Christ is not only outside— is shut out. ,The .bolts of the ; door are all on the: ; inside; :- not ' one 5, put • there by J the v hand ;of Cod, but all by your own wicked, wilful hand There is the bolt of fear,, the bolt of doubt,'' the 1 bolt of carelessness, the bolt of doubt, Oh, friends, if the door, will not open, do not think Christ is, the' causa of it, but rather condemn yourself! I have seen a man upon going home, after knocking at his door, playfully holding it tight, so that from within they cannot open it, and fancy! something is wrong with the ] fastenings. But think ; not that Christ will thus; mock you by placing; any obstacle in your way. • If obstacle there be look for it within thine own heart. Now,", look again, you see that Christ is •standing.?J How,- is that? He, King of ; kings and lyrd of glory—why comes He not in His 'royal 1 chariot?}. Wherefore stands He like a beggar at the gate? Ah 1; He has come many a weary mile to find you. over many a rugged path to discover where you have your dwelling. and now \as He '= stands , His; feet are- alii torn and bleeding with the roughness of the way. .He stands— ij, that He may be ready at once to enter when you open the door. • , A long time Ho has I»h; knocking at your heart, and yet you have cot let Him in. An orator once said that--"' fortune"; knocked ?at everybody's door once io a lifetime, upon which one of the audience remarked that'if that was so he must have been out. CHRIST KNOCKS NOT OKCE, Bra OVttft, ami many who would readily admit '" fortune" keep Him out. ■r You remember when you hoard that earnest sermon how He knocked, i: and iyet ■. -yd ■■ did not let Him in. When you lay on that ; bed of sSKness, He kncckod more loudly, and still He was not admitted. When H» permitted Death with the rude grasp to tear away that darling loved one, and when | this '. blue eyes were closed and the ruby • lips sealed, the patter of the tiny feet silent, and tha little lisping tongue quiet 'for ever, it was « double knock at your heart's door.. And yet -and yet He is outside still. Oh, let Hies in! ..-.,. ' : ' You like to hear. of wonderful tilings. I can'tell'you one. It is that Christ should leave His home in 'glory to " knock :at such a hovel of a heart as yours—no, I mean such a' heart as mine. But it's is i more wonderful that when He 'knocks we do not instantly rush to let Him in. !- It is wonder He comes so near—a great wonder that we keep go far away. But it is the most wonderful wonder of wonders that He does not go away. i Have you no room for Christ? , • - : * >, In John Falk's orphanage the children took it in turn to ask a blessing on their evening 'meal; One night ; a -little fellow v bowed his head as usual, and said: ? Come, Lord Jesus, lie our,guest; and bless what Thou hast provided." Then !he J began!: to wonder how it was that, though they had asked Christ to be present so often, He had 1 never: come, and thought "that; perhaps 'it i was because ■: they had not;pat- a chair for Him. He ran and put one -at the head of-the table, ;: and said,' "That's for Jesus." , r

And sure enough, in a little while there was a knock at the ; door. * The little J fellow J ran excitedly to open it. u But judge of bis disappointment when he i found, not Jesus, i but » poor, frozen apprentice asking alms.' However, he soon cheered up, and said:-"Per-haps Jesus ; was so busy that Me couldn't come Himself, and so has sent this poor mail instead." .*■/ , * ,m • . A It was very likely, and a fine lesson is tilers for; Christian;' people: ;"Inasmuch as ye did it unto -oh© of the least of < these, ye did ait unto Me." But notice now that the littl» fellow , bad room * for Jesus. :: Have' you J Come, put a chair in your heart for Him today. He will not come by proxy, He will not send a deputy, He will come Himself and Sit down at the table with you, AN» YOU SHALL SUP WITH HIH and He With you. ,' And now let us turn th« picture, and look at the inside of the house, i Perhaps there we may find ; a reason]why, Christ ,is Hot admitted. ; The house is not empty. ''A"usurper occupies the place which rightfully f »bfilo«gi» to Christ, and many a lut.t and many a pas?. sion, are j there, warming ; themselves at »the fire of. sin which hums brightly within the dwelling. And what havoc they have made of that which should be the palace of the* King!

The heart should be a bouse ofintyo'vbrt.l! they have made if, a don of thieves. .1 iv n ,\[ seen what was o»<»* a'baronial castle in Ire. * land, | and now i*» ; only. inhabitant* are pin. *$ This change is net one whit worse than the U deterioration of. ih©goul. ■~ ■■ Let m ; go'through the rooms. The chain, iber.of ; the mtelloit is, darkened; blinds ar* "drawn down. • The. chamber of the will ds'lH subverted, turned topsy-turvy. The chainbar i ,of tho affections-,'instead.of being spread with •; the * bread of the f kingdom, is «spread ;* with. : husks that, swine do eat. The chamber folia? the' imagination is I stored with" all sorts Of V ,evil pictures. The chamber of the conscience ;thickly carpeted, that; sins. can run across at i their pleasure without making any noise. t? " : . ; ' • WHAT A WBECK OF ITS lOBUBB SEW the house is! Arid yet, if Christ were ad. mitted, it would* soon regain; all its piimitir* glory. _ '; •-- :"; - /.'. . .',''|g|S ; And vwhy; is Christ not admitted? Ik-cans V?' the present tenants would have to give up possession ,* and consequently do all they can to retain their hold.'; Sometimes' when you;* 'sk better self—which is not yourself at all, bi»l the Spirit of God—when your better self desires to open the door the devii hinders. If ' uses many arguments, the chejf of which is', that there is time enough; another yearwulfl not matter^ or tlte end of this year, or youi > birthday, ,; some set : occasion—that : will' bepi time enough. , . ' ' ■This is devil's logic. A true heart would 4K say, "Woe is me ; that I have closed, my heart against Him so long! I will hasten to' open now, and perchance He will yet come in,'' - Soul, fling wide the door ; at; this mo* "-. intent! Lot not the Saviour wait. . Or perhaps : the evil one"-"persuades voii that to admit Chrisi, and bid farewell to yo-.n •present guests, is to take leave of pleasure.' Skilfully he injects the idea ,that Christ will not do you good. r It was no uncommon thing years ago for the slavers, when they shirmed a cargo, of slaves, to warn' : them, of the Bri- ill tish cruisers in i pursuit They said: ', "We treat you , badly, but if these men got hold'.?} of you they will tres.t -you much worse"' And so over and over again the slaves used to fight against their deliverers under the impression that-Jthey, were fighting their I enemies. How grieved they were when th«v knew - they .„were friends! * ; And how .• grieved - you will be, O sinner! " —fighting against Jesus Christ, and. like the slaves, doing your utmost to keep Him from II entering your heart—when yon discover th.it % you are opposing your best Friend, and i$M pulsing Him who comes to set you free ! But there is yet another way in which ; you are hindered. Wlun the adversary fears that you are going to t dmit Christthe stronger than the strong mfch armed—and knows that He, when He enters,: will i take from him the armour wherein he. trusted and spoil him of, his goods,- he does not w»iit to be nut out, •' but goes-out of,his own. accord. Then the man, lulled into security perhaps, i IttAGJNES THAT All. 13 WKM, and. no longer desiring to admit Christ, or, ' perhaps fancying thai; he has don© so, re-. *•' mains content. We shall understand it bolter by an illustration. S Take, any cat« yon : like—an ' impure, man, :; a swearer, { a drunkard. , - The man; becomes convicted of sin, and'suddenly gives l ; l it up; he. reforms— becomes sober, chaste, . pure. People wonder; the man himself is amazed at the change,; and thinks all is *ri%m —perhaps even says- ha has been converted.

(But what a mistake! ■ The unclean one hii» ' '/. gone out, bat. Christ has not como in. Than tbe< man discovers how defiled hit housij is, arm sweeps it clean. ,At times the emptiness", H ' forces itself upon him, and in his secret huwtt ; •:"■ lie knows something is still wanting, so lie secures another makeshift. . Be garnishes ft." V 4 He goes to ©hureh, perhaps even sits down' , r ~* at the Communion table, and thu» th« empty : :vsi f home gets ornamentation,"'- > , l-iii . lint it is still an empty house. It is ,1«,, ' habited * ■' is beautiful, but y i <^'«?^*^|S habited. TDK MAN IS MORAL, BUT ffg IS NOT CHMSTIAIT. n. An< L one day ** uncWn spirit ■'■ i i the old desires come back, and finding th© ; '•% house 60 much better than before, it is not" '" content to dwell done,- but brines seven cffift*M^i worse than itseliF to dwell there. And T, -I the man goes back to his former life-no, not to his former life, but to a life ; far : beyond it .in wickedness, and - adds 'to his ' old sins ■ ' others. /'The dog, returns to his vomit, and the sow that is washed. to her wallowiasr in the,mire.' , .", , <\ t u.\ The great mistake that man made, 'so--:' many maka, is that though for a White «£"■-' goes out, they do not let Christ in. And we are not safe till Christ • guards our '. hearts, ■• •; -'i until we have " Christ dwelling in ; bur bowts H'^ - ,by faith" unfit Christ ie " our heart the ' - hop* of Rlory," as Christ jfe in glory the hops of cur heart. .. - . *; *... - '•&& < A Qlr.: man. admit Christ fi Re r «lte*fciK *ne rest He will overcome tin evil one. Ha I HSI will deliver thee from sins. If Christ com*!. in at the front <!oor the devil will' go out at ■'•■". ; *•*«*• •', Q ;..>v--;,': LOOK. AT THB GRACIOUS FEOJBSX I f§ (> lt is » ad & ed ■ to those - who -' "hear** rfM open. We have all heard, and if we paw i :■'. now we will hear again: i It oarv remains forf'to* us to open, -, to. cease our opposition to cowsent. . I remember a, young man's prayer ns,\'.: '■ alter a meeting, • he: knelt '.in'■;an anteroom;^' '■' It was touching in its simplicity. "0 Lord w'U, • ji*XC °pened my hfiMt. Won't yon come in ?:. Do you think it was long before Christ answered that prayer!.; Instantly the answer ■'■'■'■ '?S!F:-i9^ your heart ! »-' like manner.i'.-*.^t:;"s- - Did I hear you say you could not? Svirolv ■ '' h if you put the bolts. th.»re you can put theov back-but ', if you si ill think you cannot titex?;:-* let # Christ do for you what He did for the fin* ... - ■buTOpean .convert, of whom-, it --.Hi written, ~##. : .The Lord opened Lydia's heart."; r ;:';:jv.'C-'iy V A ministe-r, calling upon an old womas, knocked and 5 knocked again, without admit; K' : tance. At length ho aboard'her cry, "Lift " the,latch, »ad ; come in." She was too ill -V to open the door, but she asked him to di! &i V. :J^^?/^5^ £ . te; fl^ fc to her of admitting Christ, and whence said;ah« 'couldn't : h!i ■ '-^v ss. ' .'V Jusfc teM Bim wh * fc yo« tttMme." the : old woman's piraym would make a capital one tor you if you have, not yet admitted '" Christ., " Lord, lift the catch, and come in.'M His promise is sure*:-'! I will." '- * ; :•■ •♦-.?•• "■ ' ' ; If i you , had been on earth when Clmat; lived, and had heard . Him say to • vou what . ■ He . said to Zacchmufl, •« To-day 1 must ; abid* !' * «L y » home > w h»ifc would you have done? >'■• Oh you say 'I would have made Him •- 1 .right welcome.*' Then do it to-day,: for Hiri?« stands and knocks at your door *