THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3334, 6 February 1918, Page 53

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOURNo. 232. By Duncan Wright, Dunedin. "TASTE AND SEE." \ s A PEAYEU. I would not ask Thee that my days Should flow quite smoothly on. and on; Lest I should kani' to love the world Too well, ere all nay time was done. , I would not ask. Thee that my work Should never bring me pain nor fear; Lest I should learn to work alone, Arid never wish Thy presence near. I would not ask Thee that ray friends Should alwaye kind and constant be; Lest; I should learn to lay my faith In them-alore, and-not in Thee. But I would ask Thee still to give, By night my sleep—by day my bread, Ai.d that the counsel of Thy Word Should shine and show the path to tread. And I would ask a humble heart, A changeless will to work and wake, A firm faith in Thy Providence, The rest—'tis Thine to give or take. —Alfred Norris. When, walking along one of the busy streets at the dinner hour a hard-working curate payed a lot of bricklayers having their afternoon smoke, and heard one of them (the funny man, perhaps) say. "I'd like to be a parson and have nought to do but walk about in a long black coat, and carry a walking stick in my fist and 'get a lot of brass." Of course there was the usual puerile laughter—described by Goldsmith in the Deserted Village: The watch-dogs that bay'd the whispering wind. And the' loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind— . at the expense of the parson; but he had the wit and temerity to turn round sharp and say : "So you'd like to be a parson? How much do you get a week?" "Twenty-seven shillings," was the reply. i'Well," said the curate, "though Im only a poor man, I'll give you 27s if you'll come along with me for six days and see how you like it." The bricklayer tried to back out of it, but his mates declared: "Nay, man, thou saidst thou'd like it; face up!" So, reluctantly, he put on his coat and started with the curate, amidst a roar of laughter; I Presently the parson turned down an alley, and'told his companion that he was going to see a sick man, and that he must not make a noise going up the stairs. "What might the matter be?" said the bricklayer. "Smallpox," said the curate. "Oh, then," said the mart, "I'll just wait outside for you, sir. I've not had it myself, and I have a wife and children to think of." | "That's exactly my ca6e,"' said the curate, "for I, too, have a wife and children depending on me. But you agreed to go with me wherever I went." The man of bricks did not like the look of things, and somewhat timidly asked: "And where are you going next?" "To a case of typhus fever. The father's in his coffin, and all the familyhave been down." "Sir," he said, "I'll go back- to my job if you please, and say no more against the parsons." Does anyone ask: , "Is this fact or fiction?" I don't know; but explain it as you may, people's tongues, in these times often wag too freely and very cruelly. So-called Christian people should not loosely and thoughtlesly hurl at people 6uch epithets as 'sceptic," "infidel," "Athiest" and the like, without reasonable evidence; and too many working men and others often show a bias and a bitterness against Christian people on pretexts that will not stand the light of day. True it is - that professed Christians, alas! often bring discredit in a hundred ways upon true, religion by which good men are ■ deeply grieved,- and the enemy has cause to blaspheme. Is this the fault of the Christianity of Christ? Never! Let it be frankly ( confessed that the Christianity of Christians is often so narrow, limp, stunted, crooked, and inconsistent that it is only a caricature of the genuine article. Is it honest or manly or fair to look at these regretful defects and use them against the high and lofty teaching of the Son of God? Shame! THE SCEPTICAL SHOEMAKER said in the usual loose way: "I have read a good deal about the heathen gods, and I believe the account of Christ is taken from some one or; o|her of the heathen writings." ' "Will you," said the Bible reader, "abide by vour own decision on two questions I will put to you? If so I will do the same." "Well," said he, "out with it, and let me see if I can answer you." "My first question, then, is: 'Suppose all men were -Christians and lived according to the teaching of Christ, what would the state of society be?"-" Pie remained silent for a time in deep meditation, and then was honest enough to say: 'Well, if all men were really Christians in practice as well as theory, of course we should be a happy brotherhood." "I promised I. would abide by your answer. Will you do the same?" "Oh, yes," said the tradesman. "No man can deny the goodness of the system in practice. But now for question number two. You have not one chalk against me. My next question is: 'Suppose all men were infidels, what then would be the state of the world V " After a short silence he replied: "You certainly have beaten me, because, to be honest, I never really thought of the practical effects upon society. I now can

see that where the Christian builds up the infidel pulls down. I thank you." Now, this narrative may be fact or it may be fiction. I do not really know, and do not therefore vouch for it. To me it bears the stamp of reality, in view of the fact that in the end the poor sceptic gave up his infidel companions to follow Christ. He was a changed man; the home was changed, and rags and dirt soon disappeared. In a better house and a cleaner street everything became bright and sunny.

Every honest man knows perfectly well that if the teaching of Jesus Christ were universally accepted and acted upon it would be Paradise Restored. The vast standing armie3 and* warships of the nations would be disbanded, and universal peace and contentment would prevail. Not spurious, but real brotherhood would be universal. Can you recall Longfellow's lines in "Hiawatha"?: Why then are yru no; contented? "Why then will you hunt each other? I ami weary of your quarrels, Weary of your wars and bloodshed, Weary of ycur prayers for vengeance, Of your wrangles und dissensions; All your strength is in your union, All your danger is in discord; Therefore be at peace- henceforward, , And as brothers live together. Stupid selfishness, grasping greed, pampered pride, green-eyed envy, diabolical malice, evil speaking, foul deeds, filthy drunkenness, and all the countless wrongs that mar and blight and blast homes and hearts would, if the Gospel received fair play, for ever disappear from; the face of God's lovely world. It clearly follows, therefore, that every true man in pulpit or in pew, hall or hut, hamlet or city, who helps by word or deed to spread the knowledge of Christ's name, and make known by lip or life what real Christianity is, and is capable of doing, is a genuine benefactor, and has the impress of heaven-born chivalry. Both the reader and the writer of this message know also that the best and the enduring fruits of Christianity are to be seen in living happy, useful, consistent men and women. To-day the world is in such a hurry and bustle to get on, as it is called, that it has no time and less disposition to notice the psalms or hymns we sing, or the length of our prayer-'? Not one brass farthing do men care. But—and note it well—your life and my life on every day of the week and in every place are microscopically watched and studied, and if we be mean or shabby, or crooked, or inconsistent, all—yes, all—our profession goes for nothing. "Now, when they saw the boldness ©f Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and , they took notice of them that thev had been with Jesus." The impatient and' unreasoning critic asks: "If all this be fact, as you allege, why is the world not converted? And what are all your preachers about?" The whole world is not yet converted to God, largely because many professed Christians are too critical, too selfish, too lazy, and too mean to move one finger to save a friend or neighbour. The second query (concerning preachers) may be met in this way: There may be in the pulpit, as there are in the pew, indolent men; but in far too many instances preaohers who are painstaking, and even heroic in effort, are not well sustained by prayer and real genuine sympathy and love. If the world is to be made better, if the pulpit is to be the centre of power and, blessing, if the home is to be purified, if Christianity is to achieve even greater triumphs—then every man and woman must come to the -front promptly, and loyally and lovingly cheer and help in the great and glorious work those who lead the van! If, instead of standing aloof from ministers, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and missionaries, true-hearted men and women everywhere would in a definite, manner strengthen their hands, a change would soon appear, and bear a rich and glorious harvest to the glory of God. Dr George Watts, when he was moved to write the words, and you are inclined to sing them, made no mistake:: — Jesus shall reign where'er the sun Doth his successive journey run; His Kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more. Reader, do you believe this? Then sing once again the words: — Spread, oh, spread, thou mighty Word, Spread the kingdom of the Lord; Wharesoe'er His breath is given Life to beings made for Heaven. How many readers will humbly and. reverently say amen to these petitions?: Lord of the harvest, let there be Joy and strength to work for Thee; Let the nations far and near See Thy light and learn Thy fear. "0, taste aiid see that the Lord is good : blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. (Psalm xxxiv, verse 8).