The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-02
Suing an Editor.
Alexander CItv 0uflonk
.THY KINGpoM COME,

(Selected for The Advertiser.)
Thy kingdom come; Thy will be
done on earth as 1t is in heaven
Matt vi. 10.
The kingdom Of God-what is it7
The phrase was not original with our
Lord He found 1t current among His
people; talked about everywhere, as
today We talk about money and trade
and fashions. 1t coiored their thought
and pervaded their speech: II was their
life and religion, and we are told that
a prayer which did not include petit
ton for the coming of the Kingdom OF
God was regarded as no prayer at all.
To the Jew, the kingdom of God was
nothing more or less than the kingdom
of the Jew; and Its coming would only
minister to his national pride. and es-
tablish the thought and opinions and
supremacy Of the Jew everywhere.
But our Lord meant something quite
different He .t9qk this pE gailine idea
wider ami fuller SCOPE TO Him II was
not the kingdom of man at all, whetf-
er Jew or GENTLE, but simply and
wholly the kingdom of Code
then ~ ess a Gw the
the Barbarian, the Greek--but our
Lord introduced a new kingdom which
should combine them all In one-nanle-
f Rns snsd ~ Of soys upon ne ae e' df
heaven is love. He calls II the king
dom OF truth on earth. for truth in its
deepest and purest analysis, whether
or stars. or in the depths Of the human
soul. is but the expression OF the great
All Fathers love.
Jesus Christ introduced this king
dom into the world. but He did not
establish 1t. His life appeared to go
out in failure. and yet He knew II
must and would at last prevail. Lifted
up on the cross as the pure expression
of that perfect love. He must In the
end draw all men to- Himself. Is 1t not
so? Look back over the past ages.
What is It that we. see? strife. and
contention. and bioodshed; much to
ali. and beneath il ali. there is q
steady progress upwards to higher
and better things, That man Is but a
poor reader of history who does not,
step by step, of kingdom of love up
on earth. Like the mighty ocean tide.
II rolls steadily on (with the fiotsam
and tetsam of many wreck) yet ris-
ing. higher and higher. to conauer all
Hatred and strife we see. for human
nature is passionate and weak. but
love is gaining ground. Bigotry? Yes;
Yes. but forgiveness. The infection of
wrong? Yes, but also patient endur-
ing of that wrong. In spite OF all, 1t
Is coming, this kingdom OF God, the
kingdom OF love that we see. and Il
will finally quell the storms Of life and
prevail over all!
why? Because it is the kingdom of
love. whose law. whose spirit. whose
method and motive power Is love.
Love! What fear can dismay IL, what
obstacle stop it? Love! 1t Is omnipo-
tence itself set free in the heart of
man. Lovei 1t is the great alchemist
by which the hardest task becomes
the sweetest Joy.
We hear much of duty, and our Juty
towards our fellowmen. But Il does
ed too hard we are sometimes vexed
and irritated. But when Christ speaks
IT do not want simply your duty.
want you to see. as ! do, the sublime
vision. rolling across heaven and earth
of the great Fathers Ioye-then ]
know You will trv-f0r you cannot
help trying-to build His kinRdam up"
We feel the force, and respond to 1t.
This power of love land 1t Is mighty
which Christ reveals He brings to bear
on human life. 1t is the weapoN which
He puts into our hands for us to use.
without 1t we can accomplish but Its
joyless task. and the daily work irags
YEARLY on But let the kingdom of
love appear which Christ reveals and
everything is altered. Its glory touches
/ the heart and opens 1t wide and wi6-
er still to awaken a new. strong and
burning passion within us.
Have we talents, health. strength or
power? Then our consuming desire
use me more ana more to make Thy
kingdom come" Are we laid aside,
hurdened by sorrow or crippled by
disease-then. 20 God. Thy will be
| done. Teach me how to suffer patient
\ ly. and to await Thy time"
| Our Lord came into the world TO es-
| tablish this kingdom. whose doctrine
! Is love, whose policy is love, whose
motive power is love. and whose King
is the King of love. He puts into our
hand the great banner of love, and
bids us go out into all the world to
| conquer In that name.
| Would you indeed have Christs king
| dom advanced? Then take Him for thy
King: Just give Him thine own heart.
| and then try to win for Him manv
! more. If you DO not wish Gods king
dom to come. don't pray for 1t: but II
you do. Won must do more than pray:
you must work for II.
Then when we can truly say. "Our
Father. which art in heaven" we will
he able also TO pray Thy Kingdom
come. Thy Will be done on earth as IL
| is in heavepW
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| Int hrOuru % coiar varxr T.aNrNh