ON SABBATH EVE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12991, 4 June 1904, Page 7

ON SABBATH EVE.

—» ■ , A COLUMN OF RELIGIOUS HEADING. (Conaucted by the Rev. F. W. Bokeham.) LIFE IN DEATH. I ]>eav a whisper soft and low, It floats across tho barren fells; While gloomy days may coma and go, Nature the same old story, tells Of hope and joy in coming days, W.au flowers shall bud and birds will sin?, And all 'the earth shall greet with praise Tho coming of another spring. When hills are gleaming whita and cold,' And woodland' ways arc still and bare, V.'hcn all the world seems growing old, And hearts liave. lost their faith, in The promise comes again to cheer, " Springtime and harvest shall not ceased Oh! doubting ones, why will ye ioai? " Rest in My love and be at peace , ."- Wliilo fading eves and rising moms Soft mingle with tho new yea's chime, An« all life's fitful calms ami storms Oo passing down iSie stream of Time, Vt 7 hilo what has besn long distance diui3| ■ And what shall be dark mysfcsry hides, To this sweet truth tho spirit clings, That , God's great love for aye abides. Thus, mingling with, tho tale of. years, Come echoes of those voices sweet; Which once spake comfort to our fears, And made the joy of spring complete; Tho smiling fuce, the well-loved form, These rise anew before the eye; Thrice blessed those of God beloved^ Beloved of us who never die. Oh, doath in life, and life in death, Sun in the cloud, in .night the stars; Sweet songs of praise Jiom prayer's £ofi brrath, Glad freedom,, after prison bars; All these tho eye may daily see, All these the ear expectant hears; In all that is, or yet shall be, •God will be better than our fears. THE THREE CORDS OF LOTH. A One-minnto Sermon by Dn George Mathesox. " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with nil thy soul; and with nil th"y mind."—Matt, xxii, 37. There arc throe kinds of love—perhaps rather I should say, three instruments on which love piuys. It may manifest itself through the heart, through the soul, or through the mind. My love for you may be either practical, admiring, or communing. The love of tho heart is practical; it ministers in comniou things. /Tho lovo of the soul is admiration; it looks upon & far-off glory, and longs to bo near it. The love of tho mind is communion; it has touched a point of equality with its object; it can listen and respond. A mother's love for her child is that of the heart; it is helpful. A poet's lovo for nature is that of the soul; it is wondering, admiring. A friend's love for a friend is that of tho mind; it is intellectual sympathy—com'miinion. I think our lovo for God plays successively each of these tunes. We begin with the lioart; wo say, " Our Father"; we try to work for our Father. By-and-byo tho vision of wonder breaks upon us—the lovo of the soul; wo bow with admiration beforo the mysteries of the universe. At last comes tho glad morning—tho love of tho mind; wo begin to know God—to commune with Him, to speak with Him face to face as a man speaketh with his friend. That is tho manhood of our love; JOTTINGS. The original warrant of arrest by which John Bunyan was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel is to be offered for sale, at Sotheby's. To nil lovere of the "Pilgrim's I'rogress" this is a document of peculiar historical interest, and it would bo a matter of much satisfaction if it were to remain in this country. Dγ Brown, of Bedford, had the offer of it at £3000, but naturally was obliged to refuse it, for thero arc no resources at Bunyan Meeting equal to that sum. Lilco so many other Puritan relics, it will probably find a homo in America. Rev. F. 13. Meyer slept ou the promises of Christ Church, Westminster Bridgo road, the night beforo his fifty-seventh birthday, so that he might be on tho spot at 7 on tho Friday morning, to receive birthday gifts on behalf of tho church from his congregation. Until 10 o'clock at night he pat in his vestry while rich and poor aliko brought, their offerings .towards the many activities of the church. Tho first-comers were chiefly poor people' on" their way to work, " and!" Gaid Mr Meyer, "it brought tears into my eyes lo witness their selfsacrifice and generosity."' A factory girl, earning not more than 10s a,week, brought half a crown. A young man, who had been out of work during the year, camo with' his sweetheart and gave 10s. A widowed charwoman brought 2s. A footman, who gave a handsome sum, told Mr Meyer that ho gave a tithe of his "tins" to religious objects.. This novel birthday celebration had for its object the reduction of a debt of £200. At the close of the day tllia sum was in hand, with 4s over. Tho electrophone: is installed in many churches now, and people are recognising what a boon it is for invalids and aged people unable to leave their houses to listen to the service' at their church. In Dr Parker's time the electrophone was installed in the City Temple. The whole service can be heard just as though the listener were actmillv present. There is- the sound of the church' bells, the rustling of tho congregation as thoy take their places in tho pews, then the peal of the organ, and the- ■ service begin?. The King has listened to a. service through tho gramophone, and in tho incurable cancer ward of a, London hospital tho patients aro onabled to hear a discourse! as easily as if they were in,church. Any resident in London can have the electrophone , service for £5 or £10 yearly. Those who remember (says the: Recorder) the sensation produced by Mr Holnian Hunt's painting representing the "tight of the world" will be interested in the news that he has produced an enlarged replica of it. Tho leading characteristics of tho first picture are maintained, but those who have seen the new painting say that tho expression of tho Saviour's face hag bear mado wore tender and more human. Wβ presume that Mr Hunt still thinks that he has pictorially represented tho idea of,the verso in the Revelation which says, "Behold, I stand at the door and , knock." We regret that he has" not taken the opportunity of studying that verse in its conneotion with the whole of the message to the Laodicean Church. Unless we- are mistaken, the hymrjwriters and the painters all miss tho meaning of Christ's words. They are addressed to a church which is supposed to havo assembled for its love-feast; a "lukewarm" church, which is careless of its absent Lord. Christ stands at a door through which a. crowd has paiscd. The brambles arid clinging tendrils. of- tho vine are altogether imaginary. That a man could open, by his own unaided strength, such a door as Mr Hunt paints, is improbable. Tho idea- of the violence necessary to admit tho Saviour jars upon a sensitive mind, and spoils tho artistic effect of the picture.. We are afraid, however, that our suggestion concerning the. alteration of the painting,is too "heroic." A wrong idea has often a- better chance' of. perpetuating itself in this world than- a right idea, especially when the , wrong idea is finely expressed. Dr Stalker recently gave a charming description of a man who profoundly influenced his life. He said: "In tho Sunday school of my boyhood I remember the most notable of the teachers, He did nofc happen to bo my teacher, but we all seemed to know him better than our own. Ho was no kith or kin of mine, but often, would lay his hand on my head and say a few kindly words; and to this day, whenever I am thinking of holiness, his imago rises in my inomory as the picture of a saint. So poor was ho that I do not believo he ever im ' his life earned as much as ten. shillings a week, yet he was tho best-known man in tho town. To the deathbed's of rich andl poor he was summoned to offer up prayer; and when ho died tho population followed him en masse to-tho grave; Lang, afterwards, when I was at college, and passing, through the difficulties winch—in our day— . beset belief, ho unconsciously helped me. because I know that such a character had not been produced merely by natural forces, and I was certain there must bo a heaven because he was manifestly on tho way to it Tho beauty of holiness is the supremo in-, fluence of the teacher. Lcssoms may be forgotten. After a few years the children in ' tho Sunday school may be unable to recall a single sentence the teacher has tittered; but if they have felt breathing from, his lifo and" chareeter i{p Spirit- of Christ, this well never bo forgotton." ■

It is noteworthy that many geniuses have had a lowly origin. In the parish church at Pentridgc, in Donctfihirc, where tho Browning family lived, a tablet •waF'er.ected not long ago in memory of (ho pact's ancestor, also called Robert. The memorial is inecribed:—" To tho memory of Robert Browning, of Woodyalcs, iii this parish, who died November 25, 1745, and is tho first known forefather of Robert Browning, poet. He was formerly footman and •butler in the Bankes family. All service ranks tho same with God.—Brownin". This tablet was. erected by some of t'MB noet'a fr|gids,and-..a<l.mjrers J 1902."- ' •"