Every-Day Religion

The object of the present series of Bible Readings is to bring out, as far as possible, the common-sense teach¬ ing of the Bible in regard to every-day religion. In preparing these Lessons, I have aimed not so much to get at the doctrinal truths of our religion, as at the every-day practical common-sense principles. How to live a Christ-like life in the midst of an un-Christ-like world; how to have inward peace in the midst of outward turmoil; how to see the hand of God in every-day matters, and how to accept the homely details of His will; how to be seated in heavenly places when in the drawing-room, or the kitchen, or the nursery, or the schoolroom, or the shop; when entertaining friends, or darning stockings, or selling goods, or managing affairs; how, in short, to apply the principles of our religion to our week-day lives as well as to our Sunday lives; — this is the object of these Lessons.

No one, therefore, must come to them with any expectation of finding a body of doctrine or a statement of religious mysteries. But if any one desires to get at the common-sense of our religion, behind or beneath all that may seem uncommon or esoteric, they will find here an

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effort, very imperfect, it is true, but still a genuine effort to reach this common-sense basis, and to make it avail¬ able for daily use.

The religion of the Bible is, I firmly believe, a religion “made for man” in a far deeper sense than is generally recognised. It is not only pure religion, but it is pure common-sense as well. To be a Christian means, to my mind, to be a sensible man as well as a religious one; and to follow out Christian principles is to follow out the highest reason and the purest philosophy.

In sending out this series of Bible Lessons, therefore, I can only pray that the same Holy Spirit that inspired the Bible may enable us to lay hold of its truest meaning, as this meaning affects our every-day and common-place lives.

Foundation Text “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” — i John v. 13.

One of the most common-sense principles in every-day life is a clear knowledge of one’s earthly position and one’s earthly possessions. And nothing is plainer in the Bible than that we were meant to have this know¬ ledge in our religious life as well. Uncertainties are fatal to all true progress, and are utterly destructive of comfort or peace. And yet it has somehow become the fashion among Christians to encourage uncertainties in the spiritual life, as being an indication of the truest form of piety. There is a great deal of longing and hoping among Christians, but there is not much know¬ ing. And yet the whole Bible was written for the purpose of making us know. The object of a revelation is to reveal. If nothing has been revealed to us by the Bible beyond longings and hopes, it has failed of its purpose for us. But I fear a large proportion of God’s children never get beyond these hopes and longings. “I hope my sins will be forgiven some day;” “I hope I may be favoured to reach heaven at last;”“I hope God loves me;” “I hope Christ died for me.” These are samples of the style of much Christian testimony in the present day. Indeed, I have even known Christians who could never get further than to say, “I hope that I have a hope.” If this word were used in the sense that the Bible always uses it, that is, in the sense of firm expectation, it might be all right; but in the use of it which I have described, there is so great an element of doubt, that it does not amount to a Bible hope at all. We need sometimes to bring our words out into the light of common-sense to see what we really do mean by them, and I am afraid in very many cases we should find that the word “hope” would mean, being interpreted, the word “doubt.”

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (i Cor. ii. 12).

The Holy Spirit is given to Christians, not to make them have longings and hopes only, but to enable them to “know the things that are freely given to us of God.” Doubts and uncertainties about spiritual things belong to the spirit of this world, knowledge belongs to the spirit which is of God. As long as we fail to say “I know” in regard to spiritual things, just so long are we allowing the “spirit of this world” to rule instead of the spirit which is of Godc

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the

Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name” (John xx. 30, 31).

u He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John v. 10, 11).

I he “record” God has given us of His Son has been given for the express purpose of making us know that in His Son we have eternal life. “This is the record,” />., that God hath given to us eternal life in Christ, and whoever believes in Christ has this life; and of course, ought to know it. If we do not believe this record, and consequently do not know that we have eternal life, we are “making God a liar.” These a»-e solemn words, and yet, taking the common-sense view of things, what is a doubt of God’s record but the making a liar of God? If I doubt the record of one of my friends, I do in effect make that friend a liar, although I may never dare to use the word. The only way in which we can really honour God is to declare that what He says is always true, and that we know it to be true; and are sure therefore that we have eternal life, because He says so, let the seemings to the contrary be what they may.

In the Bible it is always taken for granted that we know. In his first Epistle John says, “I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” He could hardly say the same in these days 1 “We

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