SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 242, 18 February 1911, Page 10

SUNDAY READING.

"THE OPENED HEART." (By PvL'V. John Laird). '•And n certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyativa, which worshipped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened, thai she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." —Acts xvi.-14. The Gospel of Christ was intended for the whole world, and its own inherent power is such that it cannot be bound by barriers of any kind, it is blind to human distinction.'!, its blessings .are for all and to reach and inlluence men in every relationship of life. This chapter lias a record of tnc first missionary ship that sailed for and reached Europe, as well as of the conversion of the first European to Christ. Out of this little company that crossed the sea and the glad tidings they brought with them, what a tide of blessing has come to almost every European land. The great missionary to the Gentiles arrives in Philippi and at once looks out for an opoprtnnity of making known the unsearchable riches of Christ,and the glory of His power to serve and bless. The lirst to welcome and accept that message was Lydia. The historian uses a very significant phrase in describing how her conversion was affected, ''whoso heart the Lord opened." It teaches us a number of profound and important truths. It teaches us lirst where spiritual life begins; it is in the heart of men. What the animal organ we call the heart is to the body the heart here spoken of is to the soul and moral nature of man. Ethicists tell us that the heart is the seat of the affections, the emotions and passions; the faculty of thought, intelligence and memory; the source of purpose and power; the faculty of moral discernments and conscience. In the light of this definition how full of deep meaning are the teaching of Christ and the Bible on this subject, lie describes the heart as the source of good and e»il: "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he." Out of tlie heart are the issues of life. A good man out of a good heart bringetli forth good. Christ looked upon the heart as the reservoir from which man's actions and speech flow, the fortress where the power resides. He saw, too, that the hearts of men were not right. Conscience needed cleansing, and the sense of moral discernment was dulled; the affections were darkened. He applied Himself to putting the heart right. This He did when on earth and this He is doing still. Christ does not advocate a superficial reformation of manners: lie demands the regeneration of the heart, When the water that reaches our homes from the water mains is impure men do not set about to purify it by painting the mains or pipes: they go to the reservoir or fountain to deal with that which contaminates it there. We would treat any otheft proposal with scorn and as folly- and useless. So temporary external righteousness will avail with Christ simply because it is useless and vain. Prayer, religious observances and good works in themselves are 4 only like painting the water pipes to make the water pure or like putting a plaster on a running sore. This fact is often ignored: we must be born again. Only the pure in heart can see God. We must be cleansed from sin by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in Him and in his great sacrifice for us: ''By His stripes we are healed." This incident also teaches who is the

AUTHOR OF THE CHANGED HEART. : The Lord opened the heart of Lydia. He alone can. It is out of the reach of all but Him. Word? and speech in themselves are powerless. Men have tried ' force of all kinds, often only to demonstrate the weakness and futility of their , attempts. To turn the desires of the heart, to put away sin, to purify the . springs of action, only the Creator's spirit ean perform. Who makes the Christian and righteous-loving man to differ'/ We must, however, remember that every barrier that hinders man from having a new heart has been removed. "The graee of God that bringeth salvation to all men has appeared, saying, 'AH things are now ready.'" Christ is the way to truth and life, to love and righteousness. The method of influencing Lydia to become a Christian is stated by Luke. The Lord opened her heart to attend to the things spoken by Paul. It was not by any mysterious occult method. Faith came by hearing. Many a hearer's heart is closed while the message of God is being delivered. He who spake as never man spoke knew that some of the seeds of truth fell into hearts as unreceptive as the wayside. The Lord influenced Lydia to apply herself to the truth spoken by Paul. The truth proclaimed edified and enlightened her in the lovo and grace of God. Paul's teaching was I demonstrated—made plain—by the Holy Spirit. There is the sign of the working of the Spirit of God. She attended to the things spoken by Paul. Paul was God' 6 messenger or apostle. God speaks to men ia many ways. The voice of God's providential care speaks every day. His mercy is new every morning. Day after day proelaims his faithfulness and truth. Seed-time and harvest, summer and winter preach to us all the year long. ConscienceGod's vice-regent—in the soul speaks often in a still small voice. Do we attend? Do we think? Christ is standing at the door knocking. We need Him. He is coming—is waiting—with pardon, power and purity. Open the door. Look at Him. If the heart is closed to God it is opened to something else. Nature abhors a vacuum. Where God and righteousness and love are not what gains admission, what rules the life? Selfishness and .sin lock the heart's door against the truth that would set us frce.° The admission of Christ brings a new heart. Trust in Him will bring peace and calm. A changed heart will manifest itself in its altered attitude towards God. The love and grace that changes us works in us love to Him. Whereas we may have lived without God in our thoughts or conceiving Him only as Creator and Ruler dwelling in His own splendor and glory, the changed heart knows Him as lather, full of grace and truth. The renewed heart reveals itself in a new interest in man. It sees him as the object of a heavenly Father's Love with possibilities of becoming a son of God -an heir with Christ. It is a fact of experience that all things become new to the regenerate soul. Words like love truth and righteousness have new meanings; life becomes worth living. "'Tis a little heaven here below •Jesus my Redeemer to know." The blessedness of those who put their trust in Christ can only be known by 1 «sp<'i"i«ncc. Words cannot convey e\- ; periences, only ideas. Ask the man or : woman whose heart God has enlightened . and who knows Christ as Saviour and J Lord what lie is to them, and they will -, . answer, "He is life and peace." How * \ can I possess Him? How does He enter [ [ mid purify the heart? Faith comes by i hearing, and this is His command: Be- [ lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou j I shalt be saved.