SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

EVERYONE'S FINAL PERSONAL - ACCOUNT.' A SERMON BY REV. DR. TORREY. "So, then, every one. of us shall give account of himself to Romans xiv, 12. That is a very solemn utterance, both for saints and dinners, both for believers and unbelievers. Every on© of ussaint and sinner, saved and unsaved, Christian and worlding—every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Suppose I were to leave home early to-morrow morning, and just before leaving should call my sou and say to him, V Reuben, I am not coming back to-day, but I shall reach homo to-morrow at 'ten o'clock, and I want you to bo hero when I get home, and give mo an account of yourself, and of what you have done ail day," don't you think that my son would bo pretty careful about what ho did? Careful. to have a good account to 'five.';...' To-morrow would be a very solemn day for him—a glad day, but a solemn day.! He would say, "Father's coming homo at ten o'clock, and ho told me that when be reached home I would have to give an account of myeelf. of what I did all day." Our life is ■ ■

.'"■' A DAT IN OUR ETERNAL EXISTENCE, and at the end of this present day every one of us is to give an account, of ourselves to God. - That makes the ; present day of this present life a wry solemn • clay. ;: We , are drawing toward the close of this day,; none of us' know how near,?wo may be to tho end of it, and when this day closes it .hi appointed unto men one© to die, and after that the judgment. At the close of the brief day of this life you and I are to meet God arid to give account of ourselves to Him. Will you please notice three things that wo are told in the text? First, who is to give account; secondly, of whom we are- to give account and thirdly, to whom we are to give account. , - I.—WHO IS TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT? Every one of us. There is not a man, woman, or child in this place to-night who will not have to give account of themselves to God. That white-haired man' yonder, ho will have to give account of himself to God before very long. Pretty near th© end of his course. This little girl up here in front, she.will have to give account of herself to God, and no one can say how near she may be to the end of her course. The lady down yonder, who has everything that money can buy, so that she can live a life utterly without care, and give no account to anybody in this present life, when this short day is over will have to give account of herself to God. That poor girl hero to-night-servant, that housemaid—she will have to give account of herself to God. Every nobleman will have to give account to God. . The King will have to give account of himself to God. The Queen will have to give account of herself to God. . : The Tsar of Russia will have to give account of himself to God—l am glad of that. The Emperor of Japan will have to give account of himself to God. Every one of us. Sometimes, as wo go down the aisle after a meeting, we step up to some lady or gentleman and say, "Are you a Christian?" And they blush up and'say,; "That's none of your business. 'I don't have to give account of myself to anybody." That's so, you do not here; but you will hereafter. . " ■":".-'.•,•: ll.Will you please notice, in the second place, ■ ' . . OF WHOM WE AHE TO GIVE ACCOUNT, i Every on© of us shall give account of himself to God. We would a great deal rather account for someone else, would wo not? How we do like to talk about one another, and judge one another! How unwilling we are to judge ourselves! I come and talk to people about the coming of Christ; they change the subject and try to talk about someone else. " Oh,'' they say, " I want to tell you about a deacon I know of; want to tell you about an elder I know of; I want to tell you about a church member I knOw of." Well, you don't have to tell about thorn. You . are not responsible for any minister, unless you are one yourself, and you are responsible ■ for just one minister. just one person is yourself. You don't have to account for any deacon, unless you happen to bo a deacon yoursc'f. You don't have to account for any church member, unless you happen to bo a church member yourself. You will have to account for just one hypocrite, and that is yourself. Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Are you' ready to give account to-night? If you are not you had better get ready. You had better stop looking at others and their inconsistencies, and look at yourself, and then look at. .le3us and His atonement. Oh, men and women, turn your eyes away from' other people, with their faults and follies, and turn your eyes upon your own poor sinning soul. The only one you have to answer for in the Judgment Day, and get ready to give an account of, is yourself..

lll.—Now, notice to whom we are to givo account.' Every 000 of us shall give account of himself to God. lam glad it is ■'.-■"•■

. COD THAT I DAVE TO GIVE ACCOUNT. TO!

God knows me. God understands me,, and He is the Only Being in the universe that does know me ; He is the only One that does understand me perfectly, and Ho is the only One .that understands you , perfectly. .'Wo don't understand one another. I remember saying to a friend of mine, years ago, "I am so glad it isn't my business to judge the world;: I'd make such a botch of it." And I am glad that it it not the world's business to V judge ,;. me. I am so glad: that : I have to give account of myself to God. I know His judgment! will be just, I know His judgment will be merciful, I know His judgment • will be based i upon complete knowledge of all the facts. Any man who has absolutely surrendered his will to God* and is trying, to please God in everything every hour of the day, to him it is a ! very glad thought that it is to God and not to man that ho has to give account. But, men and : women, if you have not surrendered your will absolutely to God, if you are not ; striving to live to plea&o God in everything every; day, it is a very %h>ina tliougbi, and

,-.;» app*iUogr thought,, that you will have {<»■.", !>;,? aiya-Atjjoan't to th» wtol that « »it ought &v n.f,"] have. suff.'.idered : . and oil Id not, to f' p , e fforf that knows yost tfarottgh ohd *i*'<»«|lv- t& - ': the (led aha?, know* tot only w!«; w , ~. ,- in iho'nVut but what yon (.<■ m {!•* ' j to the God who k.'.■)'.' * fiery *\ r r f j|.,,,,i, ' «i\ 1 'tO.th.r-God who j- m "mStnileif ii«i> tim to;' I.W SJUUI'IUM *?'U- thus fawn. , l < f'iv in Hi* 'sight. ' .Oh, ('--.• o SI who »*. ] ; ,,r, x a life of. .el-dlmi: j.pi)-i G id -to thick' fcWifiv&ifi ho canst give, an. account to thai JkiH- Q a ,i '.. 'J ogajiH-f whom S-to-fo .* : jobei ts an aif.ti;,,, .\-M thought . • '" a „-.:*! IV.—Now, below* I cto <\ a'few thing?, »,» '■'' ' v'V will have to rim. 1 am 'usi to. Wtn;",| U |i ; •we. have; to givf .vcL-unt of* Everyi'tow'- '/■;■-"■' Every word. Every idl« word thai oiefj ' -, ; -■••■ speak they -dull give account th.-r-o. ,i. the - . VWay of,- .Judgment, _ Every thought, Kvtv» '*■ impulsive ; action, liverytimig. I. want to -' ' • call your attention to : Mine* specisil thing.. '' 1. Firs*, voti will Stave to givn ..account at, ' »••*''' your'use of God's day. We live- in * ,{,« ' ", that enjoys a Christian Sabbath <:>* To-'!-! .'": Day, *f!li> of the most till »- si JTV,. 1 ! *-••, ;}„";,. your .land or my land enjoys. I thank (toil '' "' thai ,1 was brought tip in a land that rr»i\;. idses one day tor rt«i ami worship. It ;. :. a niarveltou* privilegts to too m » sand which ■■-.-' ; ' i: at least nominally otoervtjs the Lord's !)&*. - •" But ._ friend*, ilia: privilege brings ,-; 'rf*',»n" i '-'' : '. J| - si bi lily. You.will have to g'iv»» an account to God of ..,..-!.-. l " * HOW TOP KEPT TUB lOKJl'n PUT, Some of you make it, a day of wkkedfipjj, the wickedest day in all the week, the <ist , that God intended to bo the ho!«*t in aft the week. You will haw to give- .account : - thereof to Gad. Some of you an: makiejr it a day. of frivolity and foolishness, a day \Z-sSiss of all kinds of amu:K?tnent and pleasure • .' ' card-playinjt, carn»g«*riding, walking, ■ oolf. '■■'.':..'■:;■'. in,?, foothall—alt sorts of frivolity ami too}. , i.shncss. God jravo it you for ■aosaethitu; hH- ■ '*! '$$. tor than that. (»od jjrvo it you for th(«<ultu»t ' : of .vour sold, 'and for «*tdtnro of the *-<hi!« « other people. You will havo to give «* ■ ' i count to God of way you have uwd it, - • [ Some of us luak* tho host use of it we know i how, in tho development of our own moral.-j ' | and spiritual nature, doing what wo can to | help other men and wornwi in the devefotj. I moot of their moral and spiritual nature. \\V j shall have ho privilege of giving an account - ■■■*■■ jof how wo used the day. flow did you tisn I last- "Lord's Day?' In a way that pleases "■ !■■'• God? '."■* ~'".'.- •' .;". .-''^ 2. '"Another': thing' we will have to give acI count of is • ■ '■■..■.■^r.i-y'HW-WHAT WB DID WITH THE UIBU'.. . ■ t ..',.;.:..,.('...'..5i;';:. ■ I have said that one of the moat blessed iu> I Iwritances of England and America was the j Sabbath. _ But an oven more valuable inI licritanco i* an open Bible. Wo live in » ! day of Bible*. Everybody either own* 4", Bible or can own one.: You can buy a ootid. j pleto one for a'.'f&w pence, and if you canI not buy them then* an; societies that will . ' give thorn to you for nothing. I thamt God that I live in a land of an open Bible. But it is a great responsibility. , You will h:iv<i to : give an account ot what use you have ,'. made of this privilege; how you have used this precious, prickles* Book of God. Do you behove it, or do you disbelieve it? Do ' you love it, or do you halo it? Do voti litutly it. or do you neglect it? Do you oWy '. it, or do you disobey it? There lies «, solemn .responsibility upon every man and ,■"'. woman in England and America to study th». Book which (tod \ir* jjivrn us as it wight to bo studied, and you willhr-vo to [five an account as to whether you did so or not. -'';- .. LET JIE ASK TOO A QUESTIO.N": Would you like to give an account to-night of the way you studied God's Book today? . How-much time have you put into the- study of this Book that God has given you to. i day T Have, you- put as -"much time into , reading the Bibio oa you have- into reading the newspaper? . Tins Bible is worth mora . than the newspaper—rather more value! Have you put as much time this year into the study of tho Bible as you have into reading the ric'e-thiff novels of the day? You ' will havo to give an account thereof, Godhas given you the Book, (tod ha« given you tho capacity to road the Book, and He will ask yon what you have done with tho Hook, Are you obeying tho Bible? That Bible sheds a strong, clear light around yoa. Every one of us ought to walk (he way the. Biblo shows us, Are you walking that way, or some other way? You will have to give an account to God. 3. Another thing that you will have to gir<! , . account of' is this::' -" . ..• ■ '■~;■ '■'-^•/Mi -'.......''..; - ... : . ,■ V■ ~, ■''.''. .. ■ '■ ■' "•:■ •. ":.^ : .:.'ifs!>s WHAT HAVE TOt) BONE WITH COD'S SOS? First, what havo you done with His day? Second, what have you done with His Book? ' Third, what havo you done with His Sou? .; That will ho ; the supremo question, of, all. That will bo the. deeiftivo question, as we read in John iii. IB: "He that belicveth on tho Son is not condemned; ho that bclicveth " not is condemned already . . . This ii the condemnation, that light is come into tho world, and men loved darkness rath©! ' ".--';,: than light, because their deeds wero evil." Many of you mm and women havo jov«I ■ ■:.-■■ darkness rather than light, have chosen tin iplfJ rather than Jesus, and you will have to giro an account thereof to God. What arc you doing with Jesus? Are vou accepting Him, or are you rejecting Him? • You will havo to give an account thereofbetter do it now. Arc you serving «ceus, or " J are you disobeying Him? You will hav« j to give an account thereof to God. ■ ; 4. One. other, thing that wo will have so give an account of that I want specifically to mention : You will have to give an account of -,". H what you aro doing • ~-', ....... . .. ... ...... , FOE THE SALVATION OF .OTHERS. By prayer and by testimony and by personal effort every ono of us has it within '< ' our power- not only to bo saved ourselves but to save others. Aro you by prayer, by . personal effort,v. by testimony doing what s | lies in your power to save other people?' '"." You will have, to give account thereof to ' God. Have you put tho time you ought to havo put to-day into prayer for the salvation of others? Have, you put the time to- * day that you ought to have put info porso.lftl ' effort to win others? Havo you put tho tint*' - to-day that you ought to havo put into witnessing to. others. about Jesus? You will ; " i have to give an account thereof to God. It , § is exceedingly solemn for us who aro Chris- ,"■ "•vf tians, for our reward will bo commensurate < < J ' ■ 1 to our loyalty and fidelity. It i* overwhelm- .•§ ingly solemn for you;.who are not Christian*, 1 for your eternal glory or your eternal shame ,| Will depend upon the account. As to wh<?- , V J' § ther we havo accepted or rejected Jcsii#, eon- "I fessed or been silent about Jesus, served , ' „ I Jesus or served ourselves*, every ono Elf's': § givo account to God." May God, by Hi* '. j blessed Spirit, lead each and* nil to seek tb» ■ i way of : preparation to meet God. Amen, • - •"'' 'I J- ■!. ... >\K\\-y.' :'";•■> ■--'''."-■■ ■>'-'-•' - : -. ; - ■'':'.".'.:■':■..:'"i-V.---:■"'■" ' :'/:':[;.■ !