SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15122, 12 October 1912, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

TRUSTING IN CHRIST. lf r I BY KEY. J. B. WADDINGTOX. ' fa The Eternal God is thy Befape and unitf, - » nrath are the Everlasting Arms - -Deut. a 27. ffi Has the Holy Spirit taught you "to knot, 8 the plague" of your "own heart'" (L Kings viii. 38). Have you learned your §1 "need of a Saviour?" (Matt, ix., 12). -1 Do you see clearly that you are not to da |~ anything to obtain pardon, hut simply 'to ; || accept it through faith in a crucified Sa-">- ; " viour? (Eph. ii., 8, 9). Can you tnilj['fv|| say :" I trust my.soul to the Lord Jesus, "-">j| to wash it in His precious blood, and to, 1 clothe it in His spotless righteousness?*- 1 (Bom. iii., 20-26). _ If. you have thus trusted Him to ff you, you ought also to trust Him you (John x., 28 ; Phil, i., 6). •• • 'M One who. had for many years aonghVj; 1 rest for her burdened soul, and found ill jl not —because : she sought it not by faith,-:*-If but as it were, by the works of s the lMpisfj (Rom. ix., 32)— at last found it by\ti&f| ing God at His. word," and -wrote, to, ; j£||s| friend as' follows ;. "There is no reamh;}! why we should not be sure that we «Tate : gjj —because it is in the Bible. ; ■should aim at .entire trust. .■, I often I fear for an hour or so; but generally, as soon as I can take up the Bide, com* : gj l .fi fort comes, and it is all clear there. Sol 1 -; || I hope I am now learning. to believe, whyj : i| I don't feel; to be quit© sura I shall go tojff heaven, because the Bible . aTB. so, though I may not always bo bright about.- [if it. Clouds may come, but my safety de» ||j| pend.s upon God never, breaking His pro- -. § —not upon my feelings. , &pl " Dr. Bonar says of this rest of sonlj'*-1 'The Gospel does not command us to d»V;*| anything ■in order to obtain life, but bids us to live by that which Another has done; and the"knowledge of its li& ;J giving truth is not labour, but rost—rtst ;n ; J| of —rest which is the root* of • true labour; for in receiving- Christiv»pg| do not labour in order to rest,'' btf, to frest in order to work.' In believing, ©ease to work for pardon, in or dor that I we may work from it.; and what inc?nUv<» - v to work, or source of joy in working, caa « be greater than an ascertained' and reai«|gl ised ■ forgiveness . lam sure that the mora 7we are able to realise a present j " ,s the more we shall .wish to live so as please Him' " (Eph. iv., 32). . ' . . ' "' The Ground of Assurance. When the Israelites, in obedience God'e direction, had : slain' the -Paschal ips Lamb, and sprinkled their door-posts wi&||l the blood, they were perfectly safe>v.wg&fi though they might still tremble -at jtHfr, v .jf|| thought of the destroying angel: Their -j| security did not depend upon- their feeling safe, any more than it. did upon their./rj worthiness; but upon the fact that ts&\&J§ blood was actually applied.' v Whafe v «f|i|s their feelings were, they made no diffsr|oJ| ence as to their safety j for God had said: ; When I sea the blood I 1 will pass^evff - ; you" (Ex. xii., 13). When they beiwy'i § the message which God had sent to' then!' ;■ by His servant Moses/ they Acted .upon i'; - 1 and-were from- that moment quite safe/ : ,, ; ? | No doubt some had great faith, ai'i; "J others little faith; but their security Mi pended not upon what the degree, hui ' upon the kind 1 of faith they possessed. /*. A little child's weak hand may receive ;|#|j a gift as well as the strong hand of % man. There may bfe " The faith of elect" (Tit. i., 1), when not in such r /''l degree as to bring a tense : of perfect j .curity into the soul. Christians who only a grain of true faith should be couraged to pray to Him who gently the young and weak ones of hi .flock.;g|;J| "Lord 1' believe : help thou mine belief "—in order that " the. smoking lux 'J 'L may be fanned into a steady flame of ®-; ;i 1 wavering trust in the Surety and | "finished" work. "By one offering lw .V hath perfected for ever them that sanctified" (Heb. x., 14). The ' TTnrViannpahlo find. : < .$

The Unchangeable God. - r.V^i The reason why some believers bav9,nyv-5-.--:| th© comfortable assurance which ochep,f - possess, is that they do not clearly the unchangeable nature c£ the love God, but think their safety depends their faithfulness, and that He because they do; whereas. He savs phatically : " I have loved thee with m,j' ' everlasting love : therefore with r. kindness have ?. drawn thee" (Jer. 3). "I change not; therefore ve soniioJjy Jacob are not consumed" (Mai. iii-» ")*p j See " the jpronlise of eternal life" (Tit;j 2) —confirmed with an oath (Is. lVi ','' ij 7-10 Heb. vi., 16-18). What . more/aft ■", we desire ? ' ,=f f I My love is ofttimes low, . My joy still ebbs and flows; ' But peace with Him remains the No change Jehovas knows. ,'f jivj I change—lie changed not; .. My Christ can never die: 3-M t-i His love, not nunc, the resting-place;- , His truth, not mine, the tie. ./ '. * A father was sent for to a boaitlfoßJ.ji j school to reprimand a wilful child, .£/£>':£ she continued obstinate, he left h?rs out the usual affectionate kiss; but ere 6 *= 1 passed out of sight he turned, and up at the house, caught sight of daughter's' face at a window, and, cou>g||*j not restrain a forgiving and loving smile. This went to the young f. 11 ',^ l | heart, and gave her such a deep insigQ into his unchanged affection, that she-*%j£i overwhelmed with grief at the thought o g her conduct, and from that moment 0 ' y came a loving and dutiful child.. •; 'f ®j| The affection of this earthly parent ®» 4 ■£,« fords only a feeble illustration ol the de e P»|||| enduring, and forgiving love of Huawhom it is said : "Like as a father eth his children, so the Lord pitiotatnex»|a| that fear Him. For He tnqweW* our jgp frame; He xemembereth that wo are dust ■ & (Ps. ciii., 13, 14). " We. have'rnoA« V| High Priest which cannot bo touched ,Yl :j)gggf the feeling of our infirmities hut ; was jM} all points tempted like as we a*S*; without sin" (Heb. iv., 15}., "".jr";'?