TWO PICTURES AND THEIRTEACHING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 76

TWO PICTURES AND THEIRTEACHING.

We should all try to leave the world a lit+le better than we entered it. Never mind the religious side of this question just now, for that is beyond the scope of our Chats, but there will be no objection to your reading the following extracts from a sermon as an incentive to well-doing: — There had been a great picture painted by the great artist of modern times, who' most of them no doubt knew. In that picture there wore three figures, representing (1) a young man, strong in the full vigour of his youth, carrying over his shoulder a sign, and as they looked at him they would see h& was marching forward, and that nothing coald stay his course. And as they looked closer, they could see that the young man was, as the painter represented him, quite blind. He could see nothing that lay before him. He was meant to represent Time. And hand in hand with him walked another figure —that of a woman, with a face most sweet, and yet most sad, with eyes downcast. She was olad in a white robe, in the folds of which *sho was carrying flowers, and she, too, was marching forward to represent Death. Behind those two figures they saw another — a strange, mysterious figure, with flowing robes, the face hidden by one arm. In the one hand there hung a pair of scales — scrJ-es that oould make no mistake, —and in the other hand he held a plain sword. That was the figure of Judgment, following in the steps of Time and in the steps of Death. ... In the shade of those three great realities they were spending their years. The time was inarching on —time which saw nothing before it — and yet which nothing could stop. They knew of something in their lives, and they said it seemed to have happened but yesterday. They found, however, when they looked into it that it happened three, five, or seven years before, and they then realised the flight of time. Time was passing away, and they knew this, that though they could see absolutely nothing of what lay before them, yet there was one thing certain in the future, and only one thing certain —that was that death was coining on. It came into their midst, and took now the old man, full of honour and years; now the young man, in the pride and strength of his youth; now the child that had scarcely lived on the earth at all._ It was good, then, to remember sometimes that death was coming to them all. . . . But they had to remember that there was to be their judgment. ... It was this that made it so important for them to live out their time aright, and prepare themselves for their death. They spent their years as a tale that was told. Dy by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute, every soul present in the church was writing a book, was telling a tale. Upon the pages of the Book of God, in ink which they themselves could never erase, they were writing down a tale of their lives, and the day would come -when the book would be opened. In addition to the picture previously mentioned, there was a companion one, painted by the same artist, in which the three figures re-appeared. In the second picture Time lay dead, and JDeath herself lay prostrate by him, while in the far distance ! Judgment was seen disappearing for ever. . But in the centre of the second picture -was. a new figure —one with arms outspread, looking to heaven, while -underneath was I written the "words, "liove triumphant."