THE SUNDAY CIRCLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19475, 9 May 1925, Page 5

THE SUNDAY CIRCLE.

RELIGIOUS READING FOE THE HOME.

"THOU GOD SEEST ME.” “Thou God seest me”— Thine eyes, O Lord, are like the flaming fire. Their lambent lightnings dart Into my darkened heart: And, like Thy living word. They pierce with two-edged sword. They slay each self-proud thought, And bring ray low-born nopes and plans to nought. How can i stand before that searching glance? “Thou God seest me.” “Thou God seest me”— And yet Thine eyes, O Lord, are wondrous kind, They know my feeble frame, They see my grief and shame. And once, ah once, they scanned This life from where j. stand. They wept ray tears for me, And saw man’s woes as human eyes should see. My God, Thine eyes are love and sympathy. “Thou God seest me.” “Thou God seest me”— But for Thine eyes, my Saviour, I was lost. They sought mo night and day. While I was far astray. They found me in distress In life’s lone wilderness. They planned for my release, They wrought at last my rescue and my peace. My God, for ever guide me with Thine eyes. “Thou God seest mo.” —J. A. W. in the British Weekly. PRAYER. O Lord, we need Thy forgiving mercy and Thy cleansing grace. We but little understand our own evils, we have our secret faults, things • contrary to Thy holy will, which our consciences are not sufficiently enlightened or sensitive to recognise and to condemn. And we pra*y Thee that Thou wouldst teach us to apply Thy word and Thy- will —our wills’ example—more rigidly, more closely to all our own doings that wo may discover the things as yet hidden to us in which we transgress against Thy supreme law. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. “THE FINAL DOWNFALL.” Dr Herbert Gray spoke to a large congregation at Crouch-hill Presbyterian "Church, London, on a recent Sunday evening in the gravest terms upon “The Tragedy of Eux’ope.” He said that over since his duty had taken him to Germany he had gone about with a very heavy heart. ‘The French plan of achieving security,” Dr Gray affirmed, “has, in fact, destroyed every vestige of it, so that if the real' policy of the- French had been to undermine their own country’s future they could hardly have gone more directly about it. They are digging the grave of European civilisation —but they are doing it m the name of patriotism and security. . , . The German nation thinks m terms at war and war as soon as they can get ready for it. And I do not believe that anything on earth can prevent the Germans from becoming ready for it. • ; • I£ . the downfall cf these peoples is drawing near, it will bo the downfall of very great nations, which have done great things in the realm of the spirit, and’who might, but for this blight of war do greater things yet And I use the words final downfall advisedly, for assuredly the end draweth near. Politically. I seo pneo one hope—a really strong League will have to include the United States and Germany, and, if possible. Russia. That, politically, seems to mo the one path of life. THE FATHER OF THE CHINESE REVOLUTION. Dr Sun Yat Sen* whom Mr Wu, the Chinese «Minister ; for Foreign Affairs, toasted as “the Father of the Chinese Revolution,” always acknowledged in unmistakable terms what he and his cause/owed to Christianity, the Bible, and , its Gospel of liberty and love. Mr Alexander Baxter, in an interpretive article on Sun Yat Sen, in the current issue of World Dominion, declares that he was always ready to cooperate with men of Christian, goodwill in the task of creating a now China. Mr Baxter often met him in Canton, but conversation with him was not easy, and he seemed to suffer from depression ot spirits. His wife was a beautiful, vivacious and charming. Chinese lady of the modern type and a graduate ot an American college, and Mr Baxter, on entertaining them one day, says h© would have been reduced to complete silence had he not been able to take refuge from despair by addressing Mrs Sun. Dr Sun became a new man when politics were introduced in a group of people worth while. iHe believed that Europe is exhausted by'.tho war and that China is now the,centre W the world situation Russia, he believed, is the only country that has finished its revolution, and is therefore the greatest state in the world to-day. Sun Yat Son was embittered against foreigners because the Western nations recliculed and frustrated his policy and would not Recognise the southern Government in China. THE FAILURE OF THE CHURCHES. A New York journalist who recentlyintervietwed Dr Parkes Oadxnan on “The Failure of the Churches,” got rather more than he expected. . “Yes,’ said Dr Cadman “if you believe what' the papers tell you, the Church has failed. Personally, I believe that tho golden rule was never in wider practice in all our history, and that the Church is quietly and steadily loading the moral life of the country. The groat national pastime to-day is Church baiting. When crime and theatricals and all the bizarre events which flame across that flimsy pulp we call the press, runs low, you turn on us. What right have vou pen-and-ink Napoleons to talk about religion You care nothing about morals—only for good copy. Tho preachers who draw great crowds are not always the" men who do the best work. There are thospands of quiet, unadvertued Christian pastors who do more good work outside their pulpits than some of us do in them, but it doesn’t get on the front pages of newspapers.” The interviewer had the courage and fairness to print all this and a good deal more—his only comment being that Dr Cadman let his cigar go out! NEWS ITEMS. Dr Campbell Morgan is having “an amazing time” at Fifth Avenue. Presbyterian Church, New York,*’ where ho is ministering for three months. At the ■weeknight service now held in the chinch itself ever two thousand people' attend. That Dr Morgan will be invited to the pastorate of Fifth avenue is now generally assumed At the groat banquet given to Dr Fosdick at the Astor Hotel, New York, on March 2, all the speeches showed a fine Christian spirit in spite of ihe bitter disappointment which is felt by the First Presbyterian Church over the loss of his mimstrty. But, a charming lady speaker got in on© shrewd dig at the Fundamentalists which was keenly enjoyed. Wishing her minister a pleasant trip abroad, she said: “As Dr Fosdick mops his brow while he struggles with his donkey in the, shadow of the Pyramids, his thoughts will naturally turn to the Fundamentalists.” There was just a brief silence—and then a groat roar of laughter! „ „ , In the Spectator Mr J. St. Lee Strachey has begun a series ef articles on “Tho Christianity of Christ,” which is being published simultaneously in The Forum (New York). Tho first article deals with George Fox and his effort to base his life on tho religion of Christ “as contrasted with its sad and sorry practice in the Christian Churches ” Mr Strachey, dealing with the, epoch to come, remarks prophetically that, “looked at superficially, that epoch seems destined to bo a godless and soulless ago. Yet it is almost certainly going to bo the greatest ©pooh of spiritual resurrection and spiritual progress that the world have ever seen.” The King has approved the appointment of the Earl of Elgin as Lord High Commissioner of the Church of Scotland in succession to Mr James-Brown, M.P. Before beginning the services on a recent Sunday in Cowdenbeath Parish Church Rev. John W. Emslie said he had just heard that the Earl of Elgin had been appointed Lord High Commissioner of the Church of Scotland. Ho felt proud that so worthy a representative of tho high office had been selected, and one, too, from the kingdom of Fife. The Earl had endeared himseit to all by his charming disposition and personality, his zeal for tho welfare of others, hia efficiency in his work for the county, and for his kindliness. He was the very type of man' to be called to that high office m the present time.