C.O.D.

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1028, 19 July 1930, Page 8

C.O.D.

THE QUIET CORNER

(Written for THE SUN by the ltev. Charles Chandler.) TA* a previous “Quiet Corner” it has been observed that there are no bad debts in the Divine accountancy. As we sow, so we reap. All the forces of Nature conspire to whip the traitors, and nobody ever succeeds in “getting away with it.” As it is the fool who says there is no God, so it is the fool who imagines that lie can escape paying for every concession that life affords him. “What we gain on the swing, we lose on the merry-go-round." We pay Here and now for all that we get, with our lives for His love, and with our hearts for His devotion. That is the Christian concept. Even gifts are paid for with gratitude which, as a ray of light in the spectrum of love, far surpasses any financial assessment. Does a man go forth to war without first counting the cost ? Certainly not. Then, neither should a man venture even to thin A: evil, without considering the price which Nature will exact for the thought. “Unto the uttermost farthing.” That is the stern decree which is issued 'against all (whoever they may be) who seek to wrest some advantage from life without first paying the price. As a matter of policy, alone, it pays not only to be honest, but also to be just. In fact goodness (intangible as it may be, as one of the three principal values of life) is the only thing that pays dividends. C.O.D. First the fire, then the anvil, after which the shapened thing is ready for our use. Reverse this process. Try to get the joy without first the pain, and disillusionment awaits you. NEXT WEEK: A LAY SERMON