ON THE THRESHOLD OF SUNDAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19443, 31 October 1925, Page 24 (Supplement)

ON THE THRESHOLD OF SUNDAY

THE RESURRECTION S.—THE INTERPRETATION OF THE FACTS. (Contributed.) (Continued from last Saturday) (2) The Resurrection makes it possible to vindicate God’s justice and benevolence in the Government of the world. If this life is all, God cannot be regarded as perfectly just and benevolent, because he frequently permits the righteous to be afflicted, and even to be unjustly put to death, while the wicked go unpunished and enjoy worldly prosperity. But if, as the Resurrection indicates, there is a life beyond the grave in which all earthly wrongs are righted and all wickedness adequately punished, the moral character of God can be successfully vindicated. (3) The Resurrection indicates that the future life will be not that of the soul only, but of the soul united to a suitable organ or “body.” Christians regard matter ns possessed of an intrinsic excellence of its own. It has reached its present perfection as the result of many ages of cosmical development, and therefore, it is probable, on the theory that, there is a final goal to which all creation moves, that matter as well as spirit will be ultimately perfected and glorified (cp. Ro. 8. 18-25; 2 Pet, 3, 13; Rev. 21, I), and that in the future life wo shall be surrounded by a “material” environment of some kind. Unless hereafter we possess bodies, it is difficult to understand how we shall even recognise one another, and unless there are beautiful objects it is difficult to understand how the soul will enjoy as Plato says it will, the contemplation of perfect beauty for ever. (4) The Resurrection sets the seal of the divine approval upon the l Teaching of Jesus, and in particular (5) Declares Him to be the Divine Son of God. GOES FORTH FOR PEACE. The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America is issuing as a peace hymn for use in the churches a radically amended version of “The Son of God goes forth to war.” The hymn runs:—

The Son of God goes forth for peace, Our Father’s love to show; From war and woe He brings release; Oh! who with Him will go? He strikes the fetters from the slave, Man’s mind and heart makes free; And send His messengers to save O’er every land and sea. The Son of God goes forth for peace, Nor lands nor power to gain; He seeks to serve, to love, to lift: Who follows in His train? A glorious band, in every age, In spite of scorn and pain. True sons of God, His peace have made; Who follows in their train? Now let the world to peace be won, And every hatred slain; Let force and greed be ovecome And love supreme remain. Let justice rule in all the earth, Auid mercy while wo live, Lest we, forgiven much, forget Our brother to forgive. We send our love to every land; True neighbours would we be; And pray God’s peace to reign in them. Where’er their home land be. O God, to us may grace be given, Who bear the dear Christ’s name, To live at peace with every man, And thus our Christ acclaim. PRAYER. We thank Thee, Lord Christ, for the days which crowded every corner of the build-speech to the dumb, and life to the dead. Let not our souls be left without vision to see Thee, speech to praise Thee, and power to serve Thee. So shall we know Thee to be the same yesterday and to-day and for ever:— Amen. SIR OLIVER LODGE IN THE PULPIT. At Above Bar Congregational Church, Southampton, on a recent Sunday evening, Sir Oliver Lodge gave an address on “Atoms and Worlds” to a congregation which crowded every corner of the building. Many were turned away. He was welcomed by Rev. G. Hartley Holloway, who had returned from his holiday in Scotland in order to conduct the service. Mr Holloway referred to the historic building in which they were met, adding: “We welcome you, Sir Oliver, with gratitude and affection, to a church which is seeking to bear its witness to the Eternal in terms not out of harmony with the knowledge and science of today.” Sir Oliver’s opening words gave the key to the spirit of the whole address. “There arc many paths up the mountain of truth; some fly up on the wings of faith, others crawl up making a road for the rest to follow. These latter are the. men of science. We are all working in the same direction. Ultimately we shall all meet on the top and shake hands.” The concluding words of the address were not less memorable. “Here we, are, and in some senses here we shall be for ever. We take with us our character, for better or worse, what we have made of ourselves here. That is what wo go away with, that and nothing else. And with that we shall continue to all eternity. God help us.” NEWS ITEMS. On going to preach in a country kirk, Dr Janies Black (according to The Scottish Australasian) was asked by the beadle, “Hae ye your sermon written?” Receiving an affirmative reply, the beadle exclaimed, “I’m rale gled, because when thae folks come w’ paper, yeken they’ll stop when that stops; but when thao hae nae paper ava, the Almichty HimseP disna ken when they’re likely tae fecnish.” The first man to receive the degree of “Doctor of Philanthropy” is Rev. Sam Higginbottom, at the Princeton University. U.S.A. Mr Higginbottom is an American missionary in India. He is Principal of Allahabad Agricultural Institute, superintendent of a leper asylum, and active also in work for the blind. He was recently decorated by the Indian Government.