SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14925, 24 February 1912, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

ON LOSING HEART. . BT REV. J. It. JOWETT, M.A. . And let. us not be weary in well doing" \m ' in due sp-asoa we dial] reap ii we faint not.-, ' Gal. vi. 9. To whom is this heartening word spokenf ' To a little company of men and women, in the primitive fellowship of the Apostolio ■ Church, who are contending with stupendous obstacles, rowing against a voluminous stream. It is never aa easy thing to resist and antagonise the spirit of the age and confront the solid majority. But such was the condition of the men and women to whom this epistle was written. _ Here is a ,* little company who are engaged in tilling a V;. rough, tough, and unpromising bit of ground, unclean and heavy, pervaded with roots of hoary custom and tradition. But you can contend with uncleansed ground and drive your plough through the ■ most obstructive weeds if only '. the atmosphere is.cordial- If, however,, to the resist-! ance of the impediments in the soil'there be'H lo added a, close, sultry, enervating atmosphere, which makes the muscles limp and brings V perilous lassitude and languor, the chances of progress are reduced. That was precisely ' the condition of this church. The atmosphere was heavy, sultry—little sections of the people were beginning to" take portions ; • of the field for their own cultivation, were beginning to pay attention exclusively to the salvation of their own souls, and looking ' every man on his patch only and not oh thwHli of others. All this was terribly hard for the earnest, zealous workers, who had set their ' ,;.'■' sanctified ambition upon the entire field, . that they might turn the whole area of tile desert into a.garden, and make it blossom as the rose. Many times they had stopped, with limbs weary, and sent up the tired cry ' [,| to the bending Heaven " Lord, how long, how long?" It was to men and women who were getting a little weary at the plough v. ■ they looked at the furrow still remaining to be cut that the Apostle sent'this. heartening evangel: "Let us " not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we' faint not." • It is a most - heartening figure Hot all Christian workers. Spiritual culture, work among souls, cannot find its analogies in the market or exchange. It is not a matter of safe investments - and deft transactions; it is a matter which concerns th<s mysterious processes of the field. When we are dealing, with souls wo are not mechanics dealing ' • with that which is seen; we are dealing with the invisible and unknown. Nor are we builders building structures every part of which is visible. We cannot find our similes for Christian work in the realtooF mechanism or the common market. If my work were to be judged by the standards ol ■■~.'• the "business man, the buildei, or mechanic, I should lay it down in cheer despair. But fit I am taken to the domain of agriculture I gain infinite hope. If I read my texraiM rightly it tells me that Christian workers are Not Magicians, but Farmers, who have to await the issue of their labour!. ■ Now, if our work is like that of the iWfMgj mer, is it not heartening to realise, that, J«?,|S| him, we are in league with mighty mysterious forces? I took my little primer on agriculture, and in it I ,found much about germination, the rotation of crops, fertilisers,- inv ~..■;■.;, plements. the modes of culture, and all > , about each season's work of the rolling year. But what impressed mo most 'was the eon* stant sense of the impalpable and mysterious ■ a forces hiding behind every page, never described, because indescribable. All tne f?#«W methods, maxims, and implements seeroeo to me so many contrivances which < ""'.SIB grewn out of experience, for men to ensnare m the hidden forces waiting for them, and .oc~ < M operate with them in securing &™M°*J ,',,, harvest. All my methods, reasons, theology, are onlv so many sanctifying expedients by which i enter into league with a.mighty Force in seeking to raise a spiritual harvest among my fellows. , *, : '; ijfl If our work is as the farmer thsn bow much of it goes on in the dark! ny*'{ can see a green field, but who can tell just when the seed is beginning to germinateWho can see the invisible process by wnicn the seed receives its first pulse, and passes ■ through the first process of its resurrection. ,hi Anybody can count converts at a larffe mission: nothing is easier, it is like measuring y § the green fields; but who can get bac*■ *« - tho time when the first impulse was felt? S It took place in the dark. , ' »,' ;4 .Those processes which go on in the oar* , t we must assume in our work for trod. s ;v There may be germination when there is ~,; no harvest; there may 'bo the first thrill or , now life, vet little visible result; yet.when .| tli-> labourer is going home with wearied, g feet and weeping eyes, bemoaning his irui"- ~ ess and inefficient day. the field breaks forta .;; into harvest. To the tired, despairing ■ worker I would say: "Think of all the m- .. risible ripening which s.| ' ... Proceeds in the Dark." What, then, are wo to do while, the liar* pest tarries? We assume we are in league frith a great, mvsterious Force, whose name s God. Suppose we further assume that nvisible processes are going on. about which ve know nothing, and which mayany monent appear above tho surface. While tlta mrvest tarries what are wo to do? we, ext is the answer, "Let us not bo weary . n well doing." lam going to alter that! vord "well, and bring it more into line frith the Apostle's meaning, ''Let us not 3© wearv in ' beautiful' doing." The sug-.. gestion "is that we have to put beautiiui ninistries into unlovely ground. Because* ;ho bit of laud we have to till is primitive, rough, and rude we are not to allow our nethods of culture to be primitive, rough, ind rude also. Everybody knows how ex- - jeedinglv easv it is to do beautiful things or beautiful"people, but to go on dang Hjautiful ministries without, seeing any ap- . ;, preciable result, and among people who in eturn simplv glare at you with the face ot i reluctant desert! Yot. we must • . Go on Doing the Beautiful. That counsel is altogether sane as a mere , , vorldlv maxim. It is always wise to pro:laiui the highest ideal to the most primitive mrl rude. This is a principle which .we iced to observe and obey in our Christian vork. It is always a mistake to descend to ho rude reality when you are dealing with irimitive. people. Early in my ministry 1 ealised the.truth. At Newcastle I used to isit lodging-houses on Sunday afternoon to , lold services, and I conceived the desire to ~ nvito the frequenters of the.** lodgingbuses to our own lecture hall, that we might i, ntertain them to supper. Scarcely knowing tow to moot, them, i consulted a friend of | hut experience in social work. The first imxim he gave me was this: "When you lave sot them to your lecture hall be sure on place upon the table A Scrupulously White Cloth." 'hat I should ask people who lived and ,". ?emed to delight in uncleanness to sit down -^-j -j. a table where there was laid & snow-white ,-■ oho never entered my imagination. Mr •iendsaid: " If you want them to see their irt. let them see something perfectly >,l ;<^ 'bite;" which meant, if you exalt the ids*i \ lie real will stand disclosed. " ' ;>, ",'/ 111