SUNDAY READING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 24, 22 July 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING

' ..LIVING CHRIST. (Extracts from Sermon preached by Rev. H. Sharp, of Fitzroy Primitive Church). "Christ liveth in me."—Gal. 3^20, I remember reading in a morning newspaper many years ago when Wilson Barrett, author and actor, was playing the part of "Pete" in "The Manxman," that Hall-Caine, the writer of the story, said, "Barrett realises my ideal of Pete; he does not act him: lie lives him." It may be said of Paul that he did not merely act Christ, but lie lived Him. Let us not think about this as though it was something so extraordinary that such an experience as these words speak of is not possible to any but very remarkable men and women. There are none of us, however poor or untalented, but in whose life the life also of Jesus may not he manifested . Notice that which is spoken of is a life; not a creed. Paul preached Christ, declaring Him to be the Son of God; he taught the doctrine of repentance and justification; of adoption and sonship. He believed in Christ; but, more important, still, he lived Christ, and every one of us can do that. You don't have to understand the principle of the Atonement to live Christ. It is not necessary that you should be able to explain the mystery of the Trinity. It is only necessary to live in full and glad surrender to the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.

THE GREATEST NEED. Someone asked me one day what I believed the greatest need of our day was. I answered, "Men and women who will live Christ; who will abandon themselves to His service and will." The world can do without orators and artists; it could spare the philosopher and the scientist better than it could spare those people, however humble they may be, whose lives are witnesses for Jesus Christ. I know the world would be infinitely poorer without those men whose power of speech and their marvellous gift of eloquence has enabled them to accomplish a great deal of good. Thank God for the voices that have been lifted up in protest and denunciation of wrong; thank God for the men whose fierce, scathing message has caused the evildoer to tremble and feel the guilt of his sin. We remember what great help pictures have been. W. E. Geil relates that a hard reckless man stood gazing intently at Reuben's great masterpiece, "The descent from the Cross" in the dim light of the old Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame in Antwerp. The poor man looked at the picture, and as he looked he fell upon his knees before it 1 and wept. Time passed and he knew it not; and at length the twilight of evening began to settle over the Belgian city, but there he remained oblivious, kneeling, weeping, enthralled. At length the verger came, and, laying a kindly hand upon his shoulder, found him trembling with emotion, and said, "Sir, you must go out now; we must close the cathedral." With a look of amazement the rough man turned his {Me, wet with tears, and exclaimed, "1 cannot go, sir, till they let Him down." Yes, we would miss the artist with the cunning hand that paints and reproduces the grandeur of earth and sea and sky, and it is not necessary for me to say we appreciate the deep thought of the philosopher and the research of the scientist, but this great, sobbing, bloodshedding world wants above everything else men and women who are loving, merciful, sympathetic.

THE GREATST LOVER THE WORLD KNOWS. Well, now, how can Christ live in usj I think the first way is by caring for thetemporal and spiritual welfare of the needy. Jesus was the greatest lover the world has ever known. Somebody has beautifully set forth that love in the following linos: There is no pause to loving, None in the realm of God, For His heart is white with an infinite light, And His hope is boundless broad. Love has a hem of its garment That touches the very dust; It can reach tlje stains of its streets and lanes, And because it can, it must. It dares not rest on the mountain, It is bound to come to the vale, And it cannot find its fulness of mind Till it falls on the lives that fail. Cannot we manifest the life of .Tcmis a little more! "And when he saw the multitude He was moved with compassion." Is that how the sight of the crowd affects us? I think we could do more than we are doing to relieve the sadness and darkness there is around us. What a lot of latent energy there is in us all. What a tremendous amount of power is dormant. Oh, that the Spirit of God would descend upon us and grip and sway us until our hearts were filled with love so that we should be constrained to go out and minister in the name of Christ to the hungry and paralysed and fever-stricken. Does Christ champion in you and in me the cause of the Mary Magdalenes and the little children?. Dr. Jowett asked a searching question when he enquired, "Do men gaze upon the issues of your life and say, 'lt is the Lord'?"

■WANTING TO DO GREAT STROKES. There is another point I would like to raise, and that is, what about our bearing toward each other? What about tolerance, love, forgiveness? What about those little courtesies which seem so trivial but which make life so much happier? There are too many of lis who want to do "great strokes" —want to give a large donation or lead some great movement. We want to do some daring deed that will make the world wonder, but we overlook the little deed of kindness, the cheering word, the thoughtful question we might ask while avoiding obtrusiveness, all of which might bring hope and strength to the oppressed and disconsolate. Some of us might have to learn how to refrain ; from making the remark that gives pain. Let us try to make our lives nobler, for every noble life leaves the fibre of it interwoven for ever in the work of the world. RIGHT ABOUT TURN! Christ may live in us by our love foi righteousness and our hatred of iniquity. "Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed the with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." These words were spoken in reference to the Son of God, and if His life is to be reproduced in ours, then we must turn right about face and reverse the old order which is hating righteousness and loving- sin and go straight in for pleasing the Lord. Righteousness has to do with three thing—right speaking, right thinking, and right doing. "The tongue is a fire; a world of iniquity," says James. The story is told of a woman who freely used her tongue to the scandal of others and made confession to the priest for what she had done. He gave her a ripe thistle-top and told her to go out in various directions and scatter the seeds

one by one. Wondering at the penance, she obeyed and returned and told her confessor, To her amazement he bade her go hack and gather the scattered seeds, And when she objected that it would be impossible, he replied that it would be still more difficult to gather up and destroy all evil reports she had circulated about others. And then righteousness has to do with right thinking, It has been Said that "Religion is the art of disciplining the imagination." It is impossible to estimate what a profound influence a man's thought and imagination has upon his moral and spiritual life. "There is nothing more true in connection with human life," says R. W. Trine, "than that we grow up into tlie likeness of those things we contemplate. Literally and scientifically and necessarily true is it that as a man thinketh in his heart so is he."

Once more, righteousness has to do with right-doing. We must be just in our dealings with men. "What does the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God." In the ordinary activities of our everyday life we must manifest the life of Jeaus. People want Christ to live in them by some wonderful working power which will win the applause of men, but forget that the first thing is to be honest and just in our dealings with each other. No one can succeed in the spiritual realm who is not honest in the natural world. We must be right with men before we can be right with God. In the Book of Samuel there are some words full of pregnant meaning. They arc these: "And after that God was entreated for the land." How simple; how plain; but, what a wealth of meaning is in them! If we want God to hear us when we pray we must straighten out that kink in our life, pay that bill, refund that money, make that apology quit your meanness do something for God besides pray. Then the windows of heaven shall be opened and a blessing poured out that there will not be room to receive it

TWO OPPOSING ARMIES. The last way by which Christ can live in us is .by our perfect obedience to God in all things. The one word which sums up Christ's life is "obedience." "Not my will but Thy will be done," was the ready response at every corner and crisis of His life. God has something for us all to do. The talents we possess were bestowed upon us specially to fit us for that particular work. Most of us know what we, ought to do but we have not all obeyed the heavenly vision. Docs that word obedience sound tyrannical and slavish? Does it suggest fetters and bonds? Obedience to God does not cramp, but it gives liberty, room, space. "He brought me out into a large place," sings the psalmist. When His people are an obedient people marvellous things will be done in the name of the Lord. D. L. Moody once told the story of a certain general who came up against a great army of 30,000 men and he only had 500. When the commander of the large army heard that his opponent had only 500 men, he sent word to him that if he would surrender he would spare his life. But the general, in the presence of the man bringing the offer, called a man from his army and told him to take a dagger and press it to his own heart. He did so, and died. Then he called another man and said, "Leap into that chasm." He did so and was dashed on the rocks below. "Go back," said the general to the commissioner, "and tell him what you have seen. Tell your King I have 500 men who obey like that. Tell your King we'll die, hut we will not surrender. Tell your King I will chain him with my troops in forty-eight hours." And inside of forty-eight hours he routed that great army and had that King chained with fetters. Brethren, let us obey God, and he will lead us to victory. "One shall chase a thousand and two shall put ten thousand to flight." Longfellow has beautifully told us the value of obedience in "The Legend Beautiful." While the monk was wondering, worshipping, adoring before the vision of his Lord, who has visited his lowly cell, suddenly he hears amid his exaltation:

Loud the convent bell appalling, From its belfry calling, bidding him go to give the poor at the convent gate their daily dole of food. Should lie go or should he stay? Should he leave the poor to wait Hungry at the convent gate Till the vision passed away? Should he slight his radiant guest, Slight his visitant celestial For a crowd of ragged bestial Beggars at the convent gate? Would the vision there remain? Would the vision come,again? Then a voice within his breast Whispered audible and clear, As if to the outward ear, "Do thy duty, that is best; "Leave unto the Lord the rest."

And he went upon his errand with prayers in his heart and gave to the hungry their food, and as he fed them there with loving sympathy, Like the gate of Paradise Seemed the convent gate to rise, Like a Sacrament divine Seemed to them the bread and wine.

Then, turning to his cell, he found the gracious vision still there, and He felt his bosom burn, Comprehending all the meaning, When the blessed vision said, "Had'st thou stayed I must have fled." Shall we ask God to help us to be more obedient? If we do, and from our hearts desire to do His will, the indwelling Lord will give us victory. "I no longer live; Christ liveth in me," shall then be our everlasting song.