THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY 161 But to listen to the thrilling song of Orpheus is a greater, a nobler way to be deaf to the Siren's voice, and the essence of Christian teaching is always positive. The apotheosis of doubt, which prevails in so many domains of thought in the present day, is most lamentable. Negation and denial are such distorted results of the operations of our Godgiven reason. Faith, and its constant growth as a faculty of the soul, is the condition of sane, healthy, purposeful living. It is the ozone of the spirit. Through that pure and life-giving medium the grace of God comes to us by every relationship, and in every event of life; mother's loving guidance, home influences, school discipline and ideals, church work, and all the many opportunities of helping our fellow men. Truly Faith is the gift of God. But we must seek it, we must treasure it, and cultivate it, in hearts and minds made pure by its presence. So shall we be found "blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY Collect. O God, forasmuch as without Thee we are not able to please Thee; mercifully grant that Thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. Epistle. Eph. iv. 17. Gospel. St. Matt. ix. 1. The Sunday of Dependence. The heroes of all ages leaned on the divine, the power outside of themselves. Hector, Ulysses, Telemachus looked above themselves for guidance, and leaned not on their own understanding. Wordsworth, conscious of this universal law of great living, arraigned his utilitarian age, with its infidel tendencies : "The world is too much with us; late and soon, A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn, So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn ; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea, Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn." To lean on yourself alone is poverty, is self-ism, egoism. Descartes taught egoism; I am sure that THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY 163 Spencer and Mill teach it, even while throwing the onus of it on what they are pleased to call self-interested goodness, something to get in another world. No; something to be in this, "through Christ strengthening me." The first requisite is to feel your need of Divine aid. The first beatitude is to the poor in spirit, those who are conscious of need. How wise the church builders are who put the Font near the entrance of the church. For it speaks of that first step in the spiritual life, the confession of our greatest need, which only God can meet-the forgiveness of sins. The power to forgive sins, as part of Christ's Godhead, was justified in the miracle of the healing of the palsied man; but only symbolized in the outward act. We get an idea of how the sinful must appear before the seeing eye of God, when we realize that to Christ the sick man's paralysis of soul was far more appealing to His compassion than the feebleness of body. "Son, be of good cheer!" In the glow of those tender words it should not be hard for us to forgive others, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. There The evidence of the healing was shown by the paralytic's power to obey the Lord's command, "Arise, and walk!" So those who have had their sins forgiven must go forward. is no standing still. Progress—or degeneracy. "Have ye forgotten that ye were cleansed from your old sins?" is St. Peter's accusing question to those who were not adding virtue, and knowl 164 THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY edge, and loving kindness to their faith-who did not go on. Test yourself by conduct, is the burden of the Epistle. Those things that please God are there enumerated: those things which grieve the Holy Spirit of God are pictured. Our hearts, capable of both ways of living, cry out for guidance through the maze of human passions, for rule in all the storms of life. THE TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY Collect. O Almighty and most merciful God, of Thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech Thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which Thou commandest ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Epistle. Eph. v. 15. Gospel. St. Matt. xxii. 1. spirit made ready, has We come as to a noble things are ready; that The Sunday of readiness. Cheerfully accomplishing, with body and such an uplifting sound. feast. We feel that all the wedding garment is prepared, even for the careless, who were compelled to come in. Surely we who have long known and loved the Giver of the Feast will not fail to be there. Some are of those who "made light" of the invitation of the King, some are actively hostile, and others, like the speechless one, from indifference or self-satisfaction fail to clothe themselves in the wedding garment provided by the bountiful Host. These are they who are not worthy; their punishment |