Te Hoa Maori 1885-1910: Number 37. 01 October 1895 |
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TE HOA MAORI and GOOD NEWS " I haere mai hoki te Tama a te tangata ki te rapu ki te whakaora, i te mea i ngaro." Ruka 19 -10 " For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19 10 NAMA } 37AKARANA, OKETOPA, 1895 No. AUCKLAND, OCTOBER, "Ka mea a Ihu ki a ratou, Ko ahau te taro o te ora; ki te haere mai teahi ki a au, e kore rawa ia e hiakai; ki te whakapono hoki tetahi ki a au, mutu ake tona mate wai." Hoani 6; 35. " And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John vi 35
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TE HOA MAORI. mahue koe" Ka mahi tonu ia i tana mahi, akuanei ka kitea, ko ia te mea kaita o te rua tekau. Kua tae mai i reira te tariona; whaka- turia ana tana rakau mehua hohoni tonu te haere o tana tangata roa, ka tu i raro iho o te rakau mehua, kihai i pa tona matenga ki taua rakau, na reira ka whakarerea ia e te tariona—kahore ia i tika hei tangata mo te ope " Kaitiaki oranga " he poto ia, me te mea ko ia te mea poto o te rua tekau; I te 3 o nga upoko o nga Roma enei kupu "kahore he pokanga ketanga, kua hara katoa hoki, kihai i taea e ratou te kororia o te Atua " me tetahi kupu, "tu he ai te ao katoa i te aroaro o te Atua " Aua atu to ahua pai kino ranei, i te titiro a te tangata; ka noho koe he tangata hara i te aroaro a te Atua kua ruritia koe i Tana mehua, kahore koe e rite ki te mea kua whakaritea. He maha aku korerotanga ki te tangata mo te whakapono, kati kotahi tonu taku tangata i maia ai ki te mea, kahore kau ana hara. Kihai ahau i whakapono ki tana korero i reira, a no muri nei ka rongo ahau, kua hereheretia ia mo tana mahi kohuru ki tana wahine. Kati, he pahi tenei naku ki a koe, kia hia nga mahi hianga ka kore e tukua te tangata i roto i te rangi ? e hia koia nga mahi tutu a Arama raua ko Ewe, ka paana atu raua i Pararaihe? kotahi tonu! kati, na te hara kotahi i hei ai te raua noho i Pararaihe, waihoki ma te hara kotahi ano ka kore e noho te te tangata i te Rangi. " E kore ano e tomo atu ki reira, tetahi mea whakanoa, tetahi mea ranei e mahi ana i te mea whakarihariha. " Whakakitenga, 2l-27 Ki te kore e ma tonu, e kore koe e tomo ki roto Tena pea, kahore ano koe kia tino marama ki tou matenga. Ki tou whakaaro kia penei me a te katoa, te ahua o au hara, a ka ora pea koe a te ra mutunga. Kia mahara koe, ko te Aim hei rangatira mou, ko TAKA whakaaro te mea pono, na te mea. He marama te Atua, kahore rawa he pouri- tanga" kei roto i a ia. Tera pea, ka hiangatia te tangata e koe, kati, e kore te Atua e tinihangatia e koe. Ko te tino mea kia mohio koe i te tuatahi ki tou ahua i ta te Atua tirohanga, mei whakaae mai koe ki tana whakaaro io etahi whakaaro me whakarere. Ko te whakahau tuatahi a te Atua i te hangaitanga o te Ao e penei ana—Kia Marama! Waihoki ka whanau hou te tangata, ko tenei te mea e mahia tuatahitia. Ka noho te tangata i te wahi pouri, ka kore pea ia e mohio ki te paru o tana tinana, waihoki ko te tangata hara e noho ana i te pouri, ka kore pea e whakaaro mo te mate o tona wairua. Na te putanga mai o te marama ki a Hopa, ka mea ata ia. "Ko ahau te tangata whakarihariha!" Na reira ano ka mea a Ihaia, " Aue! ko au te tangata mate. " Na konei ka whaki a Haimona Pita, " E te Ariki he tangata hara ahau; " me Paora te Apotoro e ki ana, "Ko ahau te mea kino o nga tangata hara. " E wha nga ahua o te tangata hara e kitea i nga Roma (upoko 5), ko nga tangata enei i mate ai te Karaiti mo ratou. (1. ) "Ia tatou e ngoikore ana. " (2. ) " I te wa i rite ai, ka mate a te Karaiti mo te hunga karakia kore. " (ra- rangi 6. ) (3. ) "Ia tatou hoki e hara ana, ka mate a te Karaiti mo tatou. " (rarangi 8. ) (4. ) "I a tatau he hoa whawhai, ka houhia te rongo ki te Atua, i tana Tamaiti ka mate nei. " (rarangi 10. ) He pono te aroha noa e whakakitea maramatia ana i enei Karaipiture, e kitea ana te mate, me tona rongoa, e kitea ana te hara i te maramatanga o te arohanoa, e kitea ana te lino, me te aroha hei murunga mo tana kino. Kati ka whakakitea katoatia te ahua kino o a tatou hara, te take, kia marama ai tatou ki te nui o te aroha noa, ka tukua mai ki a tatou. E hoa ma, anake ra koutou e rite ki nga Parihi " i whakarerea ai e ratou te kupu a te Atua i puta ki a ratou kahore e whakaae kia meinga ratou he tangata hara. " Kati ma te mea ka kore e puta mai he maramatanga ki a koe, i roto i te marama o enei ra o te aroha noa, tera ka puta mai te maramatanga ki a koe a te ra whaka-
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TE HOA MAORI. wakanga. Ana koe e tinihanga, engari me whaki tonu atu koe ki te Atua, ki tou wairua huki, he tika tenei whakapae mou, ara he tangata kaha kore koe—he tangata Atua kore koe—he tangata hara koe—he hoariri koe ki te Atua—Ki te mea ka kore koe e whakaae ki tenei whakapae, kahore atu he huarahi ke e whiwhi ai koe ki te ora, i puta mai i te matenga o te Karaiti. Na te mea i mate ia mo nga mea ngoikore mo nga tangata hara, mo nga tangata e whakaaro kino aua ki a ia, kahore ia i mate mo nga mea harakore. Ko te poti whakaora mo nga mea e ngaro ana i te wai, ko te rata mo nga turoro, wai- hoki ko te Karaiti mo nga tangata hara e ngaro ana i to kino. Kei tinihangatia koe. Tena pea kei te noho marire koe e mahi tika katoa ana au mahi ki te tangata, he tane aroha, he wahine ahuwhenua, he tamaiti whakarongo, he pononga mahi tika, ahakoa ra pea ka kore koe e ora. He tangata karakia pea koe, kati e haere ano hoki pea i te huarahi whanui ki te mate. Ka kai hakarimete, ka tu hei mema o te Hahi, hei minita, hei kai whakaako mo nga tamariki o te Hahi. Ka awhinatia pea e koe te rawakore, me nga mahi o te whakapono. Kati, ahakoa ka mahia e koe enei tikanga pai, ka mate pea koe a te ra whakawakanga. Anaka koe e riri mo te ahua taikaha o enei korero, he mea pai kia whakakitea te marama ki a koe inaianei i tenei ao, kia kana koe e tukua kuaretia ki te whakata- unga whakamatenga i tera ao me whakaaro koe mo te RA MUTUNGA KORE. Kei te puta mai te ra, ka ngawhere katoa nga tino taonga, nga mea nunui o tenei ao, ka meinga he puehu. Ko reira pahemo atu ai nga rangi, tona nui hoki o te tangi, ka ngiha nga mea timatanga i te ahi, ka rewa, a pau ake te whenua me ana mahi. A taua ra ka noho ranei koe i te kororia o te Reme patua i te pa koura o te Hiruha- rama Hou, ka noho ranei koe i mua o te torona nui te torona ma kia whakawakia koe mo nga mahi kua mahia nei e koe ? Ka noho ranei koe i roto nga keeti peara o te taone, tona marama nei ko Te Reme, ka noho ranei koe ki waho, e tatari ana ki te whakawakanga ? Ka noho tonu ranei koe i te Atua, ratou ko te Reme, ko te ope ma kua ora, i te wahi marama, ka noho ranei koe, i a te Rewera ratou ko ona hoa, ne nga tangata ngaro e heke tonu ana ki raro, kite poka torere, kei te kaha tohu te reira pouri? Kia mahara koe e kore e ora i reira, ' kua tu reiti hoki! Kahore he paipera i te reinga hei whaka- atu te huarahi ora, kahore he rongo pai, kahore he kai kauwhau o te murunga hara, kahore he Karaiti hei whakaora, kahore he toto hei horoi. Kati, me whakamihi tatou ki te Atua, na te mea. kahore ano kia tu reiti inaianei; ahakoa ra me tupato tonu tatou, kei taka- hia tenei aroha noa. Me mahara tatou ki te ngaromonga o te kaipuke Kenetara Amerika tona ingoa (central America. ) Kua kino te haere a tana kaipuke, e tomo aua te wai ki roto, na reira ka hutia ake te tohu matenga, ka kitea e tetahi kaipuke, ka rere mui, ka patai atu i tana pukara "he aha to mate?" ka mea tera "he pakaru e totohu ana, kati me noho mai na koe kia awatea! Ka mea atu te kapene o te kaipuke ora " Engari maku koutou e whakaora inaianei" kahore e whakaae mai tera, ka ki atu i tana pukara. "Kati, me noho mai na koe i kona kia awatea. " Ka manu nga kaipuke i reira mo te haora kotahi me te hawhe, kahore he kupu, kahore he tangi, erangi na te ngaromanga o nga raina, i mohiotia ai te totohutanga o tana kaipuke pakaru, me ona tangata katoa i nga hohonu o te moana. TE HAERENGA MAI A TE KARAITI, to te Ariki pu ano e heke iho i te rangi me te karanga ano, me te reo o te tino anahera me te tetere a te Atua: a ko te hunga kua mate i roto i a te Karaiti e ara ki mua; ko reira tatou te
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TE HOA MAORI. hunga kua mahue ki te ora ka kahakina ngatahitia atu me ratou i runga i nga kapua ki te whakatau ki te Ariki i te rangi: na ka noho tonu tatou ki te Ariki. "—1 Tehar- onika 4, 16-17. I whai kupu tatou i tera pukapuka mo nga aranga e rua i te mate, e tika ana hoki kia korero tatou ki o tatou hoa Maori mo tenei Haerenga Tuaruatanga mai o te Kua mohio tatou ko te takiwa o te aranga tuatahitanga i te mate koia ra te takiwa e haere mai nei te Atua ki te mau atu i ona ake tangata, a kahore ano kia tae a reira ki te takiwa o te mano tau (millennium). Ko taua herenga mai te tino tumanako inaianei o te hunga whakapono. Na te rarangi i runga ake nei ka kitea e haere mai ana te Ariki, ki te mau i nga mea i mate i roto ia te Karaiti, ko reira ka whakaahuatia ketia hoki nga tangata ora e whakapono ana; ka kahakina ngatahitia atu ratou, a ka noho i te Ariki mo ake tonu atu. Ko te hunga kino kua mate, ka noho i muri, i roto i o ratou urupa, a taea noatia te aranga whakawakanga. Whakakitenga 20-5. Ko te hunga kino e ora ana ka noho i runa i te whenua, kia hoki mai ano te Ariki . ki te whakawa i nga iwi ora. Matiu 25, 31-32. NGA AHUA E RUA O TANA HAERENGA MAI. Penei ka rua nga ahua o Tana haeremai- tanga. Te tuatahi, mo tona iwi ake, mo nga mea i arohaina nei e ia, i mate nei ai ia mo ratou, ara mo te iwi i hokona nei ki tona toto. Mana ka mauria ake ratou, ahakoa tangata ora, ahakoa tupapaku, kia noho tonu ai ratou i a ia, i tana kororia. Ka whaka- kotahitia i reira nga tinana, me nga wairua, ka noho ratou i te hari o tana aroaro, mo i ake tonu atu. i Ko te ahua tuarua; mo te hunga whaka- pono-kore; Mana ratou e whakawa. Ko nga mea ora, ka whakawakia a te timatanga ko nga mea mate, ka whakawakia a te mutunga, 6 te Rangitiratanga (millennium) a ka noho ratou ko te rewera ko me ana anahera, i te reinga, mo ake tonu atu. — Matiu 25, 41. Whakakitenga 20, 13-15. TANA HAEREMAITANGA MO ANA. Tirohia inaianei te ahua tuatahi o Tana Haeremaitanga mo Tona iwi. Ka aroha te Ariki a Ihu ki Ana, kua hoko a nei e ia ki tona toto, kia noho tonu ai ratou hei hoa mona i te rangi. Na te kino a te tangata, kua kore ia e tika kia noho i tenei ae; kati na te matenga o te Karaiti, na tona toto, apititia ano ki te kaha a te Atua, kua meingatia te tangata, kia tika mo te noho i te rangi. Na konei ka kitea, ko te ahua o te whakaoranga o te tangata whakapono, he ahua no te rangi. Ko tana hiahia mo te rangi, kahore ia e kaha ki te whakatipu i nga hiahia mo nga mea o te Ao Maori nei E hara i te mea kua whakaorangia ia i te reinga kia noho hei tangata mo te Ao, erangi hei tangata mo te rangi, ko tona tino hiahia ko te hokinga mai a te Karaiti, kia mauria atu ia ki te rangi. " Nga mea o te rangi, rite tonu ki te mea o te rangi. " Ka nohia tona ngakau e te haringa o te rangi, he mea tuku mai e te Wairua Tapu. E kore hoki o makona to ngakau o te Karaiti, taea noatia te takiwa e noho tuturu ai ratou me Ia nga mea kua hokoa ki tona, toto. Waihoki ko te tangata e mohio ana ki a Te Karaiti, e aroha ana ki a ia, ka hiahia ano hoki, kia noho tuturu me ia. MURI IHO KO TENEI. " Ko te Karaiti te matamua"—(kua oti tenei te whakarite). "Muri iho, ko te hunga o te Karaiti a tona haerenga mai "— 1 Koriniti 15, 23. Ka roa pea ki ta tatou whakaaro te takiwa e tatari ana Ia mo ana tangata. I tenei roanga kua ora tatou, kati mo te mea ka oti katoa e ia ona tangata te whakaora, ka haere tonu mai nei ia ki te tiki atu i a ratou, kahore tatou e mohio ki tana ra, erangi " e kore e aha kimo kau te kanohi. " Kati, ta tatou tino hiahia tenei, kia puta mai Ia. Ma konei ka kore tatou e whakaaro nui mo nga mea o tenei ao, ka tatari tonu ki te whakamihi atu ki a ia, a tana putanga mai. Ko reira ka hari tatou, ara nga mea e whanga ana ki a ia, ina ka whakamihi atu tatou ki tana karangatana haritanga.
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TE HOA MAORl. HE MEA NUI I TE RANGI He haringa nui tenei i te rangi, na te mea ko te takiwa tenei ka whakanohoia te Rangi e te hunga kua whakaorangia. Ka hari nga anahera a to ratou taenga atu, katukua he wahi watea i reira hei noho anga ma ratou. " Ko to Ariki pu ano e heke iho i te rangi . me te karanga ano, me te reo o te tino anahera, me te tetere a te Atua. " TE ARIKI PU ANO Ka penei te haringa nui a Te Ariki, e kore ia e pai ki te tono mai i tetahi atu ki te tiki mai i tona wahine marena hou ara tona Hahi—Mana ano e tiki mai, me te karanga anoka rite tenei karanga, ki ta te tian araki ona hoia, ho mea marama tonu ki a ratou, engari e kore tona tikanga e mohiotia e te hoariri. A tenei karanga ka hinga te mate, ka tu whakama hoki i muri, ko te rewera nana hoki te rangatiratanga o te mate. Ka hui- huitia mai i reira nga rarangi o te ope i mate i roto i a te Karaiti, ka noho mo tetaki takiwa poto noa i runga i te whenua nei, he mea whakaahuatia ketia ratou, kia rite te ahua ki te tinanatanga wairuatanga o te Karaiti. Ka oti ratou te huihui, ka peratia ano hoki nga tinana o te hunga whakapono e ora ana i te whenua katahi ka hakakina ngatahitia katoatia ratou i runga i nga kapua, ka tomo ki roto i te rangi, ka noho tonu i te Ariki. TE REO O TE TINO ANAHERA Ka puta tahi mai te karanga a te Ariki, me te reo o te tino anahera; na konei ka mo- hiotia te haringa o te hunga harakore i te haringa o ta ratou Ariki, na te mea ko te tino anahera, me te ope nui o ona hoa anahera, ka whakatika, ka haere mai i a te Karaiti, ka haere mai ia ki te mau ate i tona wahine marena hou (tona Hahi) kia noho i A ia. TE TETERE A TE ATUA Ka rangona hoki te tetere a te Atua ka hari te Atua, na te mea ka utua i reira a te Karaiti, ka ora tona ngakau mo runga i tana mahi nui, i a ia e whakakororia ana i te Atua i runga i te whenua. Ka tangi hoki te tetere, ka whakaarahia nga tupapaku, he mea pirau kore, na, ka whakaahuatia ketia tatou. " Katahi " Ka horomia ake te mate e te wikitoria. " 1 Koriniti 15, 52-54. Ka tomokia te rangi e tetahi hunga ora, na runga i te wikitoria kua taea e Te Karaiti. Ko tenei hunga, he mea tiki atu i roto i nga iwi katoa o raro iho o te rangi; kati ka whakakotahitia ratou i te rangi, kotahi reo, kotahi hiahia, kotahi whakaaro, e anga katoa ana ki Te Tangata Tuarua, ara ki a Te Karaiti. ETATARI ANA RANEI TATOU? Ka hari tatou, ahakoa Maori, ahakoa Pakeha, ki te mea ka uru tatou i roto i te hunga e tatari ana kia haere mia ia, ki te mau atu i a ratou ki reira—ko te he, ekore e whakaarohia nuitia tenei mea, e te tangata, ahakoa tangata noa iho. ahakoa tangata whakapono. Ma te Atua e tuku mai te aroha noa, kia tika ta tatou noho, me ta tatou tataritanga mo Tuna Haeremaitanga. H. H. T. [The foregoing Articles are free Translations of the following]. A MESSAGE FOR YOU, BETWEEN the British and Spanish territories at Gibraltar there is a quarter of a mile of land which belongs to neither, and is called " neutral ground. " It is to be feared that many people think there is a wide piece of " neutral ground " between those who are saved and those who are lost. They dare not say that they are saved, and they will not admit that they are lost. Go the devil,
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TE HOA MAORI. —old arch-deceiver that he is—cheats them alike out of the blessings of the believer and the opportunities of the sinner. With all the earnestness of which I am capable, I warn you against this delusion. There is no middle class; NO NEUTRAL GROUND. Sovereigns are either good or bad, and souls are either saved or lost. You may be able to say that you are as good as, or better than, most of your neigh- bours, and it is perhaps your opinion that if TOU don't get to heaven many others will stand a poor chance. That may be true, but there is an awful possibility that you may find yourself shut out along with them. Suppose that a recruiting sergeant came to your town, to enlist soldiers for the Life Guards. Twenty young men apply to be enlisted, and while they are waiting for the sergeant to bring his measuring standard, they begin to measure themselves by one another. One finds he is half an inch taller than another. "I have a better chance than you, " he says. He measures himself with another and finds that he is an inch taller. " Well, " says he, "if I don't pass you will stand a poor chance. " He goes on until he finds that he is the tallest man in the company. Then the sergeant comes in and sets up his standard, and the tallest man steps briskly up to it. " Pass on, " says the sergeant, " you are too little. " He was taller than all the others, but he was not up to the standard, and was rejected as a Life Guardsman, just as much as the shortestman in the company. In the third chapter of Romans, we read these solemn words, "there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; " and in the same chapter "all the world" is pronounced "guilty before God, " Whatever you are before men, or in comparison with others, you 'are " GUILTY BEFORE GOD. " You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. You are not up to the standard. I have spoken to some hundreds of people about salvation, and I never but once met with a man who was bold enough to say that he had never committed any sins. I did not believe him at the time, and I have since heard that he has been in prison. for at- tempting to murder his wife. Now, how many sins do you suppose it would take to keep a man out of heaven ? How many sins did Adam and Eve commit before they were driven out of the garden of Eden? Only ONE. If ONE SIN made them unfit to dwell in ihe earthly paradise, do you not think that ONE SIN would make a man unfit for the heavenly paradise ? " There shall in no wise enter into it anything that de- fileth. " Rev. xxi. 27. You must be whiter than snow, or never enter there. I dare say that you do not FEEL LOST. You are not conscious of being unusually wicked, and you expect to be all right at the last. Let me remind you that it is with God you have to do, and his estimate of you is a true one, for " God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. " You may deceive others, and what is worse, may deceive yourself, but you cannot deceive God. Hence the
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TE HOA MAORI, 4. " When we were ENEMIES, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Ver, 10. How wonderfully do " Grace and Truth" shine together in this Scripture! Here the foul disease and the certain remedy are seen together. Guilt is fully discovered, but it is in the light of grace. Sin appears in con- nection with love that puts it away. And if our true character is painted in its dark- est colours, it is that we may know the riches of the grace that seeks our blessing in spite of it all. Do not then, I beseech you, imitate the Pharisees who " rejected the counsel of God against themselves, " and refused to take the guilty sinner's place before Him. For if the light of God's grace does not find you out and expose you in your true charac- ter now, depend upon it the light of God's judgment will find you out by-and-bye. Be honest with your own soul, and with God, and take home to yourself the solemn truth that you are " without strength, " "ungodly, " "a sinner, " and "an enemy" needing to be reconciled to God. If you refuse to accept this four-fold de- scription as being true of yourself, you thereby shut yourself out from the saving value of Christ's death. It was for those who could by no means save, or help to save, themselves, that Christ died; it was for ungodly sinners, yea, for those who were enemies to God in their mind, that He gave His life. and if you are not such an one you have neither part nor lot in the blessings which flow from His death. A lifeboat is for the drowning, a physician is for the sick, and a Saviour is for lost sinners. Do not make a mistake. You may be decent and moral in your, life, fair and up- right in your dealings with your fellow-men, a good husband, a dutiful wife, au obedient child, or a faithful servant, and yet be UN- SAVED. You may attend church, chapel, or mission room with the greatest regularity, and yet be among the many who are on the broad road. You may even be a communi- cant, a church member, u liberal giver to charitable and religious causes, a Sunday School teacher, or a preacher, and at the same time be a lost sinner on the way to death and eternal judgment. Blame not that honesty of speech which warns you in plain terms of your danger. It is far better to be disturbed from your carnal security in this world than to be damned in the next. Think of ETERNITY, The day speeds on when all that men call great and grand will crumble into dust: " the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. " At that day you will either be seated in glory around the Lamb once slain, in the golden courts of the New Jerusalem, or you will be suspen- ded in space before the great white throne to be judged according to your works. At that day you will either be inside the pearly- gated city whose light is the Lamb, or you will be outside, lighted along the dark road to judgment by the crimson torch of a burning world. You must spend eternity either with God and the Lamb and all the shining hosts of the redeemed upon the plains of light, or with the devil and the demons and all the damned, sinking deeper and deeper into the awful blackness of the bottomless pit. And. remember, it will THEN be too late to escape. In hell there will be no Bible to cast its blessed light upon a pathway of safety; no gospel message will ring through the cheerless vaults; no evangelists will offer pardon; there will be no Christ to save, and no blood to cleanse. Thank God! it is not yet too late, but do not trifle with present grace. You may remember the loss of the vessel called the " Central America. " She was in a bad state, had sprung a leak, and was going down, and she therefore hoisted a signal of distress. A ship came close to her, the captain of which asked through the trumpet, "What is amiss?" "We are in bad repair, and are going down: lie by till morning, '' was the answer. But the captain oa board the rescue ship said, "Let me take your passengers on board now. " " Lie by till morning, " was the message which came back. Once again the captain cried, "You had better let me take your passengers on board now. " " Lie
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TE HOA MAORI by till morning, " was the reply which Bounded through the trumpet. About an hour and a half after the lights were missing, - and although no sound was heard she and all on board had gone down to the fathom-, less abyss. Unconverted friend,. do not say, "Lie by till morning. " Now is the ac- cepted time. To-day you may enter into lire; to-morrow the door may be shut. THE LORD'S COMING. THE Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. " 1 Thes. 4, 16-17. The subject of the two resurrections, which we spoke of in our last issue, intro- duces that of The Lord's Second Coming; about which we shall now say a few words to our readers. We noticed that the time of the first resurrection was at the Lord's coming for his own, which is before the Millennium. Now, this is the next thing in the order of events, and is what the believer has to look forward to, being his own proper hope. But the verse at the head of this paper shews that others than the dead are affected by His coining. The dead in Christ are to be raised, but also, the living believers are to be changed at that time; and altogether to be caught up, to be for ever with the Lord, The wicked dead will remain behind in their graves; awaiting the resurrection of judgment! Rev. 20, 5. The living wicked will be left behind upon ihe earth; awaiting the Lord's coming to judge the living nations! Mat. 25, 31 -32. TWO ASPECTS OF HIS COMING. There are thus two aspects of his coming. The one has to do with His own beloved people, those for whom He died, and pur- chased with His own blood. He will take them, whether living on this earth, or dead and buried as to their bodies, to be for ever with Himself, into the glory where He is gone. There, body and spirit reunited, they shall enjoy His blissful presence for ever — John, 14, 3. The other has to do with those who are not His own, to judge them. First the living, at the beginning, and then the dead at the close of the Millennial reign. They shall dwell with the devil and His angels in hell for ever. Mat. 25, 41. Rev. 20, 13-15' HIS COMING FOR HIS OWN. Now to look a little at the first aspect of His coming. The blessed Lord Jesus loves His own, and has purchased them with His own blood, in order that He may have them for ever with Himself in Heaven. Man's sin has rendered him unfit to live upon earth. Christ's death and blood to- gether with God's power, makes him fit to live in heaven. From this it may be seen, that the be- liever's redemption is altogether of a heavenly character. It gives him the hope of heaven, and does not foster earthly hopes, or desires. He has escaped hell, not to live upon earth aa an earthly man; but to live as a heavenly man, in hope of the Lord's return to take him to heaven. " As is the heavenly such are they also that are heaven- ly. " Already he has the joy of heaven shed abroad in his heart, by the Holy Spirit. Nothing will satisfy the heart of the Lord Jesus, but to have His blood bought ones with Himself, where He is for ever. And nothing will satisfy the heart of one who knows and returns His love, but the thought oi being thus with Him for ever. THE NEXT THING IN THE ORDER OF EVENTS. '' Christ the first-fruits. " This has already taken place. The next thing in God's order of events, is: —" Afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming. " 1 Cor. 15, 23. He may wait long, as we think, to have all His
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TE HOA MAORI own: and has waited thus until now, that He may have us: but as soon as all His own are gathered in, He will come for them. This will be in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we know not when; but no greater space of time is placed between us and it, and we are to live on in the hope of it. Thus will our hearts be kept above earthly things, and we shall be ready when He comes to greet Him. Blessed will it be to answer to His shout of joy, which those who are awaiting Him will do. HEAVEN'S INTEREST IN THE EVENT. We may see from our text, how much this event is au object of interest to heaven. It is the time when heaven will be peopled with redeemed men; and the angels will give them place, and rejoice at their coming "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. THE LORD HIMSELF. The joy of the Lord at receiving His bride, the Church, is too great to allow Him to send anyone for her. He comes himself, and He comes with a shout! This word indicates the shout of a General to his troops, which His own understand, and His enemies do not. At this shout death gives place, and he who had the power of death stands back abashed, while all the serried ranks of the dead, who believed in His word when living on the earth, aro marshalled, and in bodies like Christ's spiritual body, stand once again, for one instant, on the earth. Then the living believers are changed, their mortal bodies being quickened, and made also like unto Christ's spiritual body. All are then caught up together into the clouds, and go in to be for ever with the Lord. THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL. The voice of the Archangel accompanies the shout of the Lord, and shows the inter- est and joy of these unfallen beings in the joy of their Lord. The chief angel, with all the attendant hosts of angels, rise to come iu His train, as He comes to take His bride to Himself. THE TRUMP OF GOD. The trump of God is also heard, God being delighted that now the time has come to confer upon Him who glorified Him upon earth, a reward that shall satisfy His heart, the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Then shall death be swallowed up iu victory. I. Cor. 15, 52-54. A living people enter heaven, in the victory which Christ has accomplished. This people was composed of every nation and people UNDER, heaven. Yet they form one IN heaven; they speak one language, and have one set of interests, and one bless- ed object, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Man. ARE WE WAITING? Happy for us, whatever our nationality here, to Ke amongst the number of those who wait for Him to come to take them there. Alas, too little is earth, or even the believer, interested in this event. May the Lord give to reader and writer the grace necessary to live in the expectation of His coming! G. J. S.