The Call to Service.

Waiapu Church Gazette, 1 September 1910, Page 33

The Call to Service.

Sermon preached by the Bishop of \ Waiapu, at the Cathedral, on \ Sunday, July tttfth, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Cathedral Branch of the C.E. M.S. Romans XV, 1: "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." We are told, m the Book of Esther, that when the young Jewish maiden was informed, by her adopted father Morde'cai, that she must plead with the King of Persia, Ahasuerus, for the lives of her fellow-countrymen, against whom, by the machinations of Hainan, there was a Royal decree for their destruction, she decided to face the difficult work at all costs, show her true patriotism, and, if necessary, perish m the attempt. Her decision is handed down to us m impeiishable words: " If I perish, I perish." Again, you may remember that when Ezekiel was face to face with the difficult work to which God had called him, a work which demanded courage, manliness, and loyalty to truth, viz , to declare His will to a rebellious people, and was inclined to shrink from the difficult and arduous task, the voice of God came to him and said : " Son of man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak to thee : " i.e., " Man, don't grovel, and make excuses, stand up and listen to what I have to say unto thee. Don't play the coward, and pretend that the

message is not clear, or perhaps is meant for some one else. Stand upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee. Remember that thou art a man made m My image; go and do thy duty." JNow, my brothers, I have a message m God's name for you to-night, and m God's name I say to you : "Son of man, stand upon thy feet,, and I will speak unto thee." I pray God that we men may have the courage of the young woman Esther, who not only realized her duty, but was prepared to carry it out at all costs. I would that we could truly say : " I wili strive to do my duty, to save my fellowmen, and 'if I perish, I perish.'" 1. What does our religion mean to us ? What does it mean to other people ? What does it mean to our families'? What does it mean m our daily work? What does it mean m our dealings with our fellowmen 1 What does it mean m the face of the indifference to God and His Christ, which is lowering the standard of the moral ideal m our midst? "My religion is a matter of my own concern" — men sometimes say. " Why should 1 bother about the spiritual welfare of others?" We hear still an echo of the murderer Cain, who, m answer to the question of God: "Wheie is Abel thy brother?" exclaimed: "Am I- ••my brother's keeper?" There is still too much of that spirit of selfish individualism abroad which forgets that "No man liveth unto himself and no man dieth unto himself." We may attempt to live unto ourselves; we may attempt to pervert the meaning of life into selt'-pli-asing ; but we cannot die unto ourselves. We cannot escape then from the question : "Where is Abel thy brother?" 2. Again I asJc : " What does our religion mean to us ?" Is it baswd upon the one and only sure foundation ? Religion is not " Saving pur own souls," and getting to Heaven. Religion is not a refined form of selfishness. .Religion is not a kind of spiritual life insurance? Religiot is not the assurance of a reserved seat to witness the misery of the unsaved, There is no such thing as individual predestination to "damnation" m the teaching of Christ and His Church. There is no connection between Christianity, as I understand it, and what is popularly known as Calvinism. God wills all men to be saved and

come to the knowledge of the truth, and God wills that the strong shall help to save the weak by bringing them within the sphere of Christ's influence. My brothers, we shall never be able to justify our neglect of our religious duties by pleading the 11 stumbling-blocks" iv religion, unless we have honestly and sincerely faced and dissected those stumbling-blocks. Every honest man knows that most of the popular objections to religion, which are made the excuse for so much indifference and carelessness, are the, outcome of ignorance, and the foolish habit of accepting caricatures and excrescences for the real thing itself. Again, men talk about following the di tates of their conscience, and affirm that (heir conscience does not condemn them for doing this or that, or for neglecting this or that duty. Is this a real secuiity ? We shall never be condemned for obeying our consciences, but when some of us are ftski-d why we allowed our consciences to become biassed and warped, why we allowed the " light within us " to become daikened, we shall stand speechless. It is only the trained and tested conscience which is au infallible guide. The compass of a ship has sometimes guided that ship to destruction, because it has been acted upon and influenced by some outside attractive power, and so the conscience, like the compass, netds to be constantly tested, or h may lead a man ta say " peace, peace," when and where there is no peace, but merely spiritual decay and death. • Aie you tiusting to a "drugged" conscience 1 My brothers, stand upon your feet, be men, and let God speak to you. Put off for once the cloak of excuses, let the light of God into your souls and consciences, and ask yourselfes whether you are really " acting the man 3> m the world, whether you are really witnessing for Christ, or whether " self-pleasing " is not your God. Is your life really drawing men to Christ, or is it perhaps the real stumbling-block which has got m the way of other mail's vision of God 1 3. My brothers, when we were baptized, we were pledged to tight manfully under the banner of Christ against sin, the world and the devil, and to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant unto our life's

end. Does this mean anything to us or not ? Is a promise anything to us or not 1 Is it the duty of the soldier to sit still, and let the enemy Lave his own way ? Is it the duty of the soldier to look on and criticize? Surely not. The soldier is a man under training and discipline for service. The soldier is a man who must hold himself m readiness to go where he is sent, and do what he is told, and not to please himself. The soldier is a strong man whose duty it is to support the cause of the weak. He must do something more than wear an uniform and hold an office. Remember, then, that God has put us into His Church to be trained for service, for active service. He does not intend us to form a body of permanent reserves. When we were confirmed, we were commissioned and sent out into the world on active service. We have accepted that commission ; how are we carrying it out? How are we obeying the commands of our Superior Officer, the Lord Jesus Christ ? What are we doing to make men realize that the Church is the great brotherhood 1 Are we trying to draw our fellowmen into the fold of the Church by giving to them a warm welcome, and holding out to them the right hand of fellowship ? 4. Thank God there are signs of life amongst the " dry bones," signs of a great awakening, signs of the strong coming forth to "bear the infirmities of the weak," signs of a new' and warmer life m the old Mother Church, signs of men standing upon their feet, and really listening for the voice of God to tell them what to do, signs of men rising up m their influence and strength and saying : " I must do something, and if I perish, I perish." Thousands and thousands of men throughout the British Empire, and members of the old Mother Church, are rising up and saying: "Too long have we deluded out selves into believing that the Church meant the clergy only ; too long have we allowed the clergy and devoted women workers to struggle on without us, m their endeavours to set up the Kingdom of God m our midst ; too long have we numbered ourselves amongst the reserves; too long have we shirked our duty, and kept out of the 6ghting line, but to-day we hear the voice of God calling up the reserves;" to-day we are gathering round the banner of the Cross ; to-day we are ready and waiting to serve,

That is the meaning of the Church of England Men's Society. God bless it ! I want to see a real live branch m every parish; I want to see the branch m this parish leading the way and inspiring others ; I want to see the men m dead earnsst for Christ and His Kingdom. I want to see men coming forward and asking : " Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" I want to see men meeting together for prayer, and then I know that they will go forth to witness and to work. I want to see more brotherliness m the Church, and less of the spirit of self-seeking and self-satisfac-tion. 5. My brothers, you are losing the real happiness of life until you have realized the joy of service. Are.you for ever going to allow your little difficulties and doubts and fears as to «.What-will-be-said?" to rob you of the privilege of really helping some soul before the grave closes over your mortal remains? Ls not that young man who comes from the "old country" amongst strangers, worth helping and keeping m touch with the Church ? Is not that poor fellow who has lost his selfrespect and character through drink, and m whom there is still a vein of true gold, worth helping ? Ts not that poor girl who has been betrayed and deserted by a false lover, worth helping, even if the respectable Pharisee treads her under foot and despises her ? fs not that silly youth, who thinks it manly to drink and gamble and wallow m debauchery, worth helping, if only for his mother's sake ? I appeal to you, my brother men, I. appeal to you, members of the O.E. M.S. to be strong, and help to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please yourselves. I have a life with Christ to live ; Bub, ere I live it, must I wait Till learning can clear answer give Of this or that book^s date ? I have a life m Christ to live ; I have a death m Christ to die ; And must I wait till science give All doubts a full reply ? Nay ! rather, while the sea of doubt Is raging wildly round about, Questioning of life and death and sin, Let me but creep within Thy fold, 0 Christ, and at Thy feet Take but the lowest seat, And hear Thine awful voice repeat In gentlest accents, heavenly sweet : " Come unto Me and rest : Believe Me, and. be blest,"