HEAVM HERE AND NOW.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13393, 29 May 1914, Page 4

HEAVM HERE AND NOW.

A PRESENT REALITY.

BBRMON BY BISHOP AVERILL.

•y-jhdjt the state of Heaven is nqt above the" skies, bUjt is present now .jfpr those xvh'O - '; seelq salvation was -the theme of a , iSeripOtt" delivered by Dr A. W.' Averill) B^hfori of. ..Auckland, at> St. Marie's .G^vcli, Remu^i-ai _ l f.Biahop Averill said- that, if the Church " iufthe ]iast had suffered from ove^efi 1 nitiori- Sri its doctrines aiid teachings, •Ui'ei-efwas a danger to-day of individuals certainly suffei-iiig froip under-defiiHti.on iii v Jheir belief, thus allowing t^hftir re- - ligibVi l to 'drift into a vague ' s'lefttunent mil become jiierely a mystic, uiireriaii* belief. A refined form of agnosticism ,\vas a pt>puhu' c«lt at the pr^nt' day, aiid as. a result people were b.ese,t, and sojhetimes sor&ly perplexed. "by many ' plausible attempts "to provide a substitute for the creeds m order to tiy, to' satisfy man's longing and aspirations m the realm "of the spiritual. He Ifeheved 'that 'there was" a general Itnging tq. know something definite about what revealed religion had to teach, concerning the future.' •P ? AN:> ALTITUDE OF BEING:

VWfiat-do'fwe iriean by Heaven?'* asked^ the WiihopN There w*as~ a tendency t^J/da-y. .to [attempt to penetrate irreverenoy- iiito mysteries without £iilnlliiig Gtttjf-s ctfifidit^dps: "He did hot warit liis ne&ier6' *to' -imagine that -by making- that at&tement -he- *w*as advocating & hai'd aiid whioh the dry hones^ ,wer.e tne symbol or that" h^ Fas, the advocate ■for' -a fifefre' progressive faith.* ThV-rVswas rtecessit^ ffey» y giftwffli ill'^he realisation .(^/3fcruJth',:or- v elseffaith might die bfstargftixfa f apd ij^agii^on. ■■', -"- * '. v '.The popular ajjippeptiori oi Heaven Wilis about a$ inipo&ibfe' arid Unreal* asj v£tis thje popular ' cdncepoion of ' hell. . HeavfeiicAvas rpOpularlyf. conceived to> be little more tlian a localised place .some", where m spac,e, a ;^^c.e o/ gloriir.'d idleness arid self-satisfaction. Heaven, said a modern writer, was a perfected • .'social, state, iri which ;)ieaveiily-rfiini!edr.ess prevailed. V ' . , I "It'vhas been said," continued 'Bishop j Averill, "that the Christian Heaven floats beforerthe' telescope and the spectrosi^op.e...: Well, that, of course, is SOT^. ru^bjsh. All-,, the astronomy. that iMe^world; has" ever too^n, 'or ever wjll knb^V'dcfesfnoti'tejleh 'tlie 'question of. the Christian Heaven. fyEßaveh is not elevation ;in space,: but 'altitude of .being,' pepeic;tipn oJ,^eing. Heaye.ij.is here ajtul nay, 'aiid;' Heaven must , ge f t into us be^ fore we *cari v j_*ei> ihtii Heaven. 'It is far more' ifrnportdnt that Heaven ; rfiould be a. pi*esent> reality lo ug than a future possibility. *f die curiosity is-vtho worst •preparation j >'good^' earnest, practical i-eiigioh '''ls'- the' test preparation for' -the continuation 'of life with Jesus." -

'CA&RY OUT MARCHING ORDERS;'Theref wa#, pothiug, contraiytp reason m believing thai -.the spiritual world was present,' no^j ;-" the bishop proceeded. They belieVed there were worlds within worlds, such as the political^ social/and scientific worlds. "Go and carry out your marching orders," urged the preacher, "go arid do what *Tesu3.,ipld,f.yQii to. do. Go and str jke 9.. blow at the materialism which] separates the natural from the spiritual • world. and help humanity to claim itsVowny to realise its high calling m Christ Jesus. The Ascehrfbn lays upon you .the, £*.o£emn responsibility of wljieh you .will have to give an account., Go aria refriove ihe barriers '\vliich shut out thee ' world from the lives of nieii and women to-day. Be practical arid not merely speculative Christians. Do not talk about the unhappy relationship beftwdeh employer, and employee. Bring your Christianity tof bear upjqn it. That is what \ve • want -nowadays. ■'•■'. "~"'' ' '.''-,'

"Do no^criticise merely what 'you reaa JVl ab6ut the prevalence of ' diyorce i arid^tbevlafck -Of -horiie' influence, which is too^.afieri the: primary cause Of it; -4aad t^ vbjshop. Set uj> an, example yourselves, and help to crea % te a healthy public ojiihibn m there matters— it iis none too liigh at present. Do not merely talk .about the weakness of the Church,

orf merely -lament the fact that -.there -are hundreds, nay thoyands, of our jel^owCbristikris' land f^llbw-oliurchmoiii who

aye : shut out from 'tho ministrations off. .religion," concluded ' the b^jpp,. "S,tart and do something yourselves,' and you "will. not only, help Christ and the Church , but * yo.u f \vill

help"' -yourselves. Do not merely : '"pi*ay 'Thy Kingdom come.' but do somelhing to>kelp dt to jcome. It is Ijere now and waafihe to 1)e revealed." »- *'? - &an -AppAll%G idea." v PrOadliing ai>St. Pairl's Pi*o-.Ca.thedral, Weyin^fcbii, the Rev: C H-. Hiin'ey ;^aid tlw> fij^tg.-mind: caiuiot Inlly, grasji ;fll that ib- mieaht'by the term' ■"lieavenf"' Tt refers- to something ,beyond huniali experifehce; alxd .we -have 1 to fall back ! on rnqtaplior and symbol. When \yet-peak of !f lthe ' ascension of • Clu'ist into.^eay^ we really Jnea-n tliat He iven't'^wherp' QodfiS;''-* fSe'aven/fk I where God! is. "fit implies a change of. state rather tha^n a locality. : • Gjhrijst came f rom God .and; weht to-GodVi"- 'other words; Jfte oecanie spiri.t,naL Heaven is not actually a place fwith- eihiiiing streets and noisy bandsy: -andf^hat adrt of thiiig. We are lipt; r required to accept such metaphci'rs litftr^ly, . merely express .the ioe& off-joy,J[6r;everm6Ve. It isi art appalling idea- 1k> v think yof /as a plalie wheiro people wlllr do '/nothing tliroughout eternity but play- harps. . T^ie true cOjjce^tipn vis ,tha^ of jyoi-k witljout weanhesi.. ' / f