Ordination Sermon.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 1, 1 July 1913, Page 8

Ordination Sermon.

( Preached by the Rev. J. B. Brocklehurst. ) A single glance at the history of our race shows that God, m dealing with mankind, has always used man as His mouthpiece. To reach mankind He does not deal directly, but indirectly. Certain men are chosen, prepared, and fitted to be messengers, watchmen, and stewards 1 . Abraham, Moses, David, and the long line of prophets reveal this method of God to us. Of course, it is conceivable that God might have caused His message of love to be written m flaming letters across the sky. He might have arranged for each child *Dorn into the world, to be bom with a knowledge of the conditions of salvation, or He might have coerced men into obedience. But God never works this way — the central truth of Christianity, the Incarnation, proves it. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us. This principle of God's method is seen m our Saviour's life. He refuses to give a sign from Heaven which would compel men's submission. In His miracles some medium is used — the human voice, the human touch, the anointing with clay, the employment of water and bread. When therefore our Saviour asks the question, how to propagate His teaching, He chooses twelve men, "that they might be with Him." On them He would build His great society, the Church, and the Church is directed to employ external things — water to convey regeneration, bread and wine to convey the very life of the Redeemer, and through the layings on of hands of Bishops and priests, others are to receive the Holy Spirit, for the office and work of a priest m the Church of God. So we can say God's method is always indirect ; it is through the human body Christ reveals the Father's love, through earthly channels the Divine comes to men, and through human agency this love is to be

made known to all men. Here, then, this morning, God is .sending one — giving a commission, and through His representatives conveying the powers and gift for the work of a priest. But remember, it is God at the beginning, God all through, God at the end, using the earthly as channels of Sis grace. Let me, then, direct your thoughts to one aspect of the priest's office. He is a messenger called and sent by God. As it is S. John the Baptist's Day, when we think of our Lord's forerunner -and messenger, we see things standing out clearly — the nature of the message, the difficulty of it, and the secret of power. . A. The Nature of the Message. — It is preparatory. It is the voice of one crying m the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord ; and the Collect reminds us that the way to prepare is by the teaching of repentance. That was the Baptist's watchword, and therefore tht watchword of every priest. Probably there is no word more misunderstood to-day than^ " repentance." It is not simply sorxow for sin, not merely turning our backs upon it and forsaking it. Repentance has a deeper and wider meaning, as used by our Lord and the Baptist ; it means, change your views of life permanently. Why, after preaching repentance, did the Baptist turn on Pharisees and Sadducees, who came as spectators, saying, " O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come." Was it because they were hardened sinners ? No, but because they took refuge m privilege, because they could not see the necessity for changing their view of life ; they were satisfied because they had " Abraham to their Father." Again, the Scribes, Pharisees,; and Leaders, who. did Christ to death., did it not because He was an opponent, not because His words had angered them, but because His teaching was revolutionary ; it was zradical ; it struck at the roots of Judaism, and insisted on ai complete and entire change, a change of thought, of act, and of worship. " Except ye become as little children, ye shall m no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." Their view* of life and life's meaning ,was wrong. On every hand to-day we hear "that men are indifferent to religion.

Anyone who knows his fellows knows the reason why. It is because religion insists upon an entire change of programme. It comes with its searching cry for repentance ; it emphasises the sense of sin, the soul's need of pardon, and its need of grace and dependence on God. The masses to-day have turned from it as the Jewish leaders of old, because they don't see the necessity for it. Therefore the priest to-day, if he is true to his message, cannot toy with words, seek to please, or give the people what they want. He, too, must be radical. In season and out of season he must insist that reformation of conduct is not enough ; it is a change of life and life's meaning which needs to be brought home. The two parties m the English Church, which have left their stamp upon it, are the Evangelical and Tractarian parties. Now, underlying their differences there was one thing they had m common, viz., the sense of sin, the need of pardon and grace. They taught always this under-meaning of repentance, consequently they led souls heavenward, and touched them with the peace of God. All our preaching organisations and well-ordered services are not true to our message, unless this aspect is kept like a star — shining clearly above. B. The Difficulty of It. — The priest needs courage and faith. In the Collect for to-day we priay " we may, after His example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice." Some one once described the pulpit as " Coward's Castle," because, a man can there take shelter whilst firing on his congregation. But those who know anything about the ministry would be the first to tell you it requires courage of a high order to unflinchingly speak the truth. A coward can preach a mutilated Gospel, a coward can tell half the truth, for fear of giving offence ; the spirit of the Scribes and Pharisees still lives m or over congregations m New Zealand, and a man may quail before this spirit. Therefore the priest here must not, for fear or favour, shrink from, declaring the whole counsel of God. And m dealing with individuals, he needs especially to be on his guard. The publican and soldier did not find the Baptist a flatterer or giver of easy

advice. Straight and sharp the knife of advice cut into their lives. Courage, then, the man of God must have. Secondly, he needs faith m his message. Some time ago I received a letter, covering the experiences of two years, two years of suffering, storm, and disaster. At the end of the letter came these words, " You can go on preaching the. Gospel, for that and that alone has pulled me through." Here lies one of the secrets of Christianity— we must believe the Gospel can pull the world through all its varied movements and aspirations, all its struggles and sorrows. A glance at the past is enough to prove it, for the Gospel has been like a seed-bed, out of which the fruits of civilisation, reform, and advancement have come. Amid the cries reaching us from various camlps to-day, one can detect here and there a returning belief m the power of the Gospel. But whatever the world is thinking, the priest must first believe that Jesus Christ holds the key to all the questions which pelt us to-day. Not only must the priest believe m his message— he must also believe m people's hearts. Whatever hard-headed practical men of the world may say about humanity, he must believe the Divine is buried m the human. The miner is satisfied if he can find indications of gold, though he cannot see it. The Gospels and life's experience proves that the gold of human hearts will be found m the least expected quarters. My brother, no disappointment or failure must blind the priest's eye, or chill his hopes. If ever 'tempted to despair, think of the Crucifixion, for if Divine love has shown that men are worth dying for, then we must believe they are worth living for. C. The Secret of Power.— l. Spirituality. The Baptist won men's hearts because, though m the world, he was not of it. He was not ambitious or self-seeking, because he had learned that " man idoes not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." All our Bishops are familiar with this trouble. Many a priest writes, " After all I have done — more services, more classes, social gatherings—nothing happens ; all is of no avail." Have we not to recognise that we can forget the centre,

whilst attending to the circumference. The laity don't want a priest just to "be like themselves"; they know their own world better than we know it. They want the man of God to be spiritual, unworldly ; to come from the Mount of God, like Moses of oid. 2. The second secret of power is self-effacement. He must increase, but I must decrease. Exalt Jesus Christ, and hide yourself. Let the deadly serpent of self lie coiled at the bottom of the heart ; let a man preach, organise, visit, simply to win praise of men ; let him be ambitious for himself, and not his Lord ; let him strive to advertise himself for the sake of promotion— that man's ministry will be as sounding brass. Uplift and exalt your Saviour, and Christ will be glorified m you.