November 1928
691
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
■ By Dr. Stuart Holden
of choice and of will. There are details of life the or dering of which He leaves entirely to the loyalty of His servants, though never without giving them clear and ample direction. How earnestly should we regard these words, of Christ, questioning ourselves as to the supreme dominance under which we live ! Are the things of the body uppermost; or the things of the spirit? Are we walking after thè desires of the flesh, or after the mind of God? Are we devoted to the pleasures of sin, or to the service of our Lord? The answer which conscience unerringly gives to the man who thus sipcerely ques tions with himself, is the truest attestation of his read iness for the Return of the King. Ill ÎTïlaster’s Question
HR IST IAK LIFE
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I f T h e S alt H ave L ost H is S a l t n e s s ! St. Mark 9 :50 f HRIST’S warnings are a vital part of His Gos Should that vital union, however, become impaired from any cause, this essential, quality is lost and life becomes utterly worthless. Salt may lose its saltness from one of two causes. As every housewife knows, if it is brought into contact with certain other substances, it yields its properties and becomes Insipid. Just so is it with the Christian life. Its peculiar influence is inevitably forfeited by voluntary contact with things actually condemned or morally doubt ful. Positive sin and self-indulgence, of course, admit of no question in this respect. More subtle, but not less strong in its destructive power, is the spirit of worldli ness, which, at first reluctant and half-afraid, becomes tolerant and self-excusing, then casuistically self-justify ing, and is ultimately accepted as the normal standard of life without protest. It is in this way that many a dis ciple has deteriorated into actual worthlessness. On the other hand, salt may lose its saltness by failure of con tact. Such is its nature that it only saves its life by im parting it; and, if kept alone, it strangely forfeits its essential qualities. So, also, is the Christian life. Only by contact with the sin and need of the world can it main tain its own powers. Most serious, too, is the fact that such a process of loss may go on all unconsciously, until some outstanding occasion reveals the deterioration which cannot be atoned for. For there is really no an swer to the Master’s query, “Wherewith ?” except it be in His own Word, that “every one shall be salted with fire.” T ake H eed T o Y ourselves St. Luke 21:34 The mysterious conflict between ideals and tenden cies, and the perplexing contrast between intentions and instabilities, as they exist even in His most ardent follow ers, are well known to Christ. He never discourages the warm impulses of affection, nor despises the courage which would do and dare for Him. He does, however, frankly endeavor to create a consciousness of personal insufficiency which shall at all times drive His people to Himself. In view of the certainty of His coming again, and of the uncertainty also which surrounds that day, He bids us exercise watchful vigilance over ourselves. It almost seems incongruous, in such a connection, to speak as He does of eating and drinking as among the causes liable to involve men in the condemnation of unreadiness. And yet it is just the things of the body which most often dull the sensibilities of the soul. Even the hearts of Chris tian men may become so overcharged with these things as to render them prisoners of their own lower nature. For God does not shift from any, man the responsibility
pel. He who “knew what was in man” is always aware of the possibility of failing pur pose, waning energy and actual defection. By virtue alone of their union with Him they are to exercise an influence upon the world like that of salt—preventive, preservative^' and purifying.
Have ye looked for sheep in the desert, For those who have missed their way? Have ye been in the wild waste places Where the lost and wandering stray? Have ye trodden the lonely highway, The foul and darksome street? It may be ye’d see in the gloaming The print of My wounded feet. Have ye folded home to your bosom The trembling, neglected lamb, And taught the little lost one The sound of the Shepherd’s name? Have ye searched for the poor and needy, With no clothing, no home, no bread? The Son of man was among them— He had nowhere to lay His head. Have ye carried the living water To the .parched and thirsty soul? Have ye said to the sick and wounded, “Christ Jesus can make thee whole” ? Have ye offered my fainting children The strength of a Father’s hand? Have ye guided the tottering footsteps To the shores of the golden land? Have ye stood by the sick and weary To- smooth the cold pillow of death, To comfort the sorrow-stricken And strengthen the feeble faith? Have ye felt, when the golden glory Has streamed through the open door And flitted across the shadows, That I have been there before?—
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