SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16722, 24 April 1920, Page 9

SUNDAY READING.

A sermon preached in the TV hiteley j Memorial Church by the Rev. J.) Napier Milne. A STUDY IN ASTONISHMENT. Acts 12-9-IG.—“And lie went out awl followed; and he wist not that it was true v.'liich was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. , "Hut Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened, they saw him, and wore amazed.’ That there is a spiritual world outside ourselves is the growing conviction ol thinking men and women in every wane of life. Some have gone so lar as to assert that it is possible to get into communication with inhabitants o) Unit world. Sir Oliver Lodge said some time ago that we were like men piercing a tunnel from different sides ot a mountain. Already the taps of the workmen could be hoard distinctly, and soon every separating barrier might be expected to have broken down. Since then “Raymond” has been issued, in which Sir Oliver claims to have estahlislied communication with, the unseen' land. It is necessary here' to speak with the utmost caution. Wo are treacling on delicate, and even dangerous ground. It is well to remember that for the most part the attitude of modern men of science to physchic phenomena is one of distrust. Investigation in'this field has revealed a great deal of trickeiy and roguery. In the sacred page wo are warned against lying spirits, and it is frankly admitted by spiritualists themselves that spirits do lie. So far ns the results of pliyschical research arc convincing, they are driving ns to a reconsideration of narratives like the one before ns, which record the existence and intervention of an order of spiritual existences xvho.se xvhosc work it is to post o’er land and sea to do service for those who shall ho heirs 'of salvation. Of late years wo have been too much inclined to relegate such stories to the category of old wives’ tales, to the clay wheix no ghost story -was too strange and no superstition too ridiculous for belief. Why should it bo unreasonable to suppose that God can send us help by means of some intermediate forms of being whom He has appointed, as His .messengers? If only our eyes’ were opened, perhaps xve should see that the space around us,, and above xyas crowded with angelic beings speeding on errands of mercy axxd coxxxpassioxx. I once Ixeai’d Shackleton give axx illustrated lectui’e on his Antarctic explorations, and was impressed by his faith in the gxiiding hand of Providence. The same strange, deep note is struck in his latest book, “South.” “AVhcn 1 look back at those days,” he xvrites, “I have no doubt that Providence guided ns, not only across those snoxv-fields, but across the storm-white sea that separated Elephant Island from our landing place oix .South Georgia. I know that during that long and racking march of 36 -liours-ox’dr’thlV'umiamod mountains and glaciers of South Georgia it seemed to me often that xve were four, xxot three. I said nothing to my companions on the point, but aftenvards Worsley said to me, ‘Boss, I had a curious feeling on tho march that there xvas another person xvitlx xxs.’ Groan confessed to the same idea.” It was the confident belief of Peter that his clelivex’anco xvas duo to an angel of tho Lord. Tho story of his release could oxxlv have come from his own lips. At first he xvas as one dazed. He thought ho saxv a xdsion, but gradually tho reality of all he had passed through became clear and ho knoxv of a truth that God had sent his messenger. His astonishment xvas tho astonishment of intense x-eliof and gratitude. God’s .mercies are sometimes so overxvhelmingly above all our expectations that our initial feeling is one of complete bexvildermont. “AVhen the Lord tinned again the captivity of Zion,” says the ancient Psalmist, “xx’o xx’ere like them that dream.” One has recorded that as Foxxvell Buxton lay a dying there settled upon his soul a profound gloom. He had counted not his life dear unto him that he might seo tho shackles of the slave rattle to the ground. And he was passing into the shadoxv xvitlx the feeling that his life xx’oi’k was unaccomplished, his yearning desire unfulfilled. Before it xvas too late a friend xvas able to hurry to his bedside xvitlx the great nexvs that | tho Emancipation Act xvas passed and the slaves xvoro free. The joy proved almost too much for his frail frame. But soon he roused himself, and xvitlx axxd accession of new strength cried aloud, “Then xvas onr mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing.” Just befoi’e the xvar broke out an incident xvas related in my hearing of a man, a faithful clerk, xvho was summoned one morning into his chief’s private office. Ho made sure that for him fhe cud of all things had come. Irade xvas bad and the staff bad already been reduced. But the inevit-rt-ble could not have come at a more inopportune moment. He had an ailing vyifo at home and there xvas a hi" doctor’s bill to pay. ■ " “I’ve been xvafehing yon for some time, ’ said the chief, “can you guess why I have sent for von ” “I think I can,” was the reply, and ho felt a sudden tightening of his heart strings. ‘ ‘Will you please toll me quickly and get it over.” “AVell, xve are opening a nexv branch in the States, and ns I knoxv you to he a reliable man, if you will accent the position of chief, 1 would make it worth vour while.” The man suddenly xvent pale and trembled. “Are you ill?” asked his master kindly. “No, not ill,” he ansxx’erod, “but just oyerxvhelmcd xvitlx gratitude.” For some time both he and his xvife had been praying very earnestly that it might bo tho Divine xvill to grant them a happy issuo out of all tiioir difficulties and here was an ansxvcr xvhieh almost took their breath axvay. Similar experiences are familiar to many. There xvas a sudden chaugo for tho better, and the dear one of whose life you despaired xvas restored to you. In tho day of your dire necessity God sent you a friend, and tho blank forbidding future xvas lighted up with the sure and certain hope that so long as life remained your bread would he given you and your water would he sure. After years of uncongenial service you found xtho position' which made yon forget all tho aching bitterness of the past. Never forget the days of God’s right hand. It may not alxvays please the All-AA r ise to deliver you, but. then yoxx xvill knoxv that there _ is wr»"n"- 1 In your trial a good to which l.’ r .-’tire''- {■•e-ft fverv. „11 outward The ant of (he dii.ipl.’ h;;:.

[ at tho release of Peter is an interesting . psychological study. They had prayed I for his deliverance axxd when their prayI er xvas answered they simply couldn’t believe it. Bhoda ought to have been j on tho watch for Peter, looking out 1 while the saints xvere looking up. In- ■ stead of that we see her hearkening xvhilc fho apostle hammers at the courtyard door; she opens not the, gate for j x’ery gladness. The praying souls xvithin make no doubt that she is mad xvhexi she hurries to them xvitlx the news that Peter has come hack, “It is his angel, , his ghost,” they say. Meanxvhilo Peter, j practical man that he is, continues | knocking, and ceases net until lie has j joined his brethren. It is a portrait of ourselves. All t°o I frequently our golden faith is marred by the alloy of unbelief. AT e fail to look for answers to our prayers. AVo grieve God by our lack ot expectancy \X'c are unbelievers in our very helici. I nc great. lesson of the iiietdeul is surely this, that Clod is able to cm for us exceeding abundantly above all that xve ask or chink. His^ giving can outreach our utmost desires by a xvholo Heaven. It might seem impossible that even f.he Almighty could put in our expectant hands and beans more tlixxli “all.” He can surpass immeasurably our thought and asking because xve do not know xvhat to Him “all” moans. : Our measuring line is not His. ihe j dew-drop has its little ail. As applied j fo the Atlantic the word has a vaster j signification. When wo look at the j great over-arching firmament the idea i becomes boundless; “Imagination’s ut-I most thought, hi xvonder dies away.” | Our little notions of xvhat “all”, means I pales in the presence of tho “all” of the Infinite and Eternal. God cannot only fill your cup; He can make it overflow until there is a stream in xvhieh men can xvade and sxrini. It is because men • doubt this that tho Sanctuaries of , Chi'istcixdonx to-day are half empty, that the spiritual vitality of the Church is so feeble, that “Hosannahs. languish on our tongues and onr devotion dies.” AVo get hut little liox-e hcloxv because wo aro content xvitlx little here below. In one of his parables. Robert Loxxis Stevenson represents himself as cn- . i ((Hiring of his gardener as to a plant lie had found ovei'ywlicre flourishing in , his garden. “AVlxat is this herb?” ho . asked. “The herb of resignation,” xvas . the reply. “Out xvitlx it, man, out xx-itli it,” he commanded, “I xvill have none • ; of it any longer. Replace it xvitlx |he . Ixoi’h of joy, hut see that it is of the floxvci'ing soi’t.” , , It is the herb of-joy that xve xvanf. the joy of assurance and strength and i triumph in our God. There is no need i that is not met in Him, no difficulty , flint may not be utterly x-anqiiislicd : no , perplexity that may not entirely vanish i axvay. Wherefore do xve doubt? Is r anything too hal’d fertile Lord? Do xve ’ imagine that onr modern problems are . beyond the Ancient of Days? In tho x’ccently published Reminisi cencos of Katherine Tynan, George ; Russell, the poet, is made to tell of a x friend of his living somewhere in the ; xvilds of America xvho became very inJ tiraato xvith an old Indian. “Ho told

him all the marvels of the old xvorld—xvircloss. telegraphy, radium, men flying in (he air, speech kept long after the speaker is dead. “Wonderful, wonderful,” said the Indian, “tell me more.” At last the reciter paused, xvearied. “The xvliito man is very xvonderful,” said tho Indian, “can ho do this?” Ho stooped, lifted a handful of dust and threw if, into the air, stretched himself upwards, and then delicate flames ascended from his 1 ands and-his feet and his head - his body shone in the air; ho xvas a living jewel from head to foot. Then the glory failed. There xvas only an old Indian. “Can the xvhito man do flint?” lie asked. Oh, the Ancient of Days is not superseded bv our boasted modern discox - - eries. Men knoxv a great deal, hut as the drop is to tho ocean, so is their knowledge to that of file All-Knowing. AViili Him arc all the vast and still unknown secrets of the Universe. And His powers are all available for right ends for all xvho love and trust Him. The gigantic bulwarks behind -which flic ancient errors and evils of the world have entrenched themselves and xvhieh seem sonic! hues to blot out the very light of Heaven, may ho removed. “Who art thou, 0 gronf mountain? Before Zernhhahol thou shalt become a plain.” “He is able to do exceeding abnndantlv above all that xve can ask or think.”