Norwich bulletin., 1916-04-21
FINAL UNITED LENTEN SERVICE
Archdeacon J. Ered Brown Delivered Address Christ
 Church-Choir Boys Led the Singing

Christ explains7 It is a disposition contrary to that old nature which dis plays itself in coldness, suspicion, malice and envy. It is a disposition which reveals itself in good will, confi- dence and mutual helpfulness.
 Now what does this new command ment of Christ mean and involve for us as Christs disciples2 Why, plainly it can mean and involve but one thing. and that is that we are all bound as we would obey the Master we profess to follow to have our fellow disciples. That is to say. after His example we are to be full of good will and the spirit of helpfulness towards them; to be patient and long suffering towards their errors, failings mad weaknesses; to bear long with their indifference or their back slidings: to be trustful and hopeful and prayerful in our efforts to hold them to Christ or reclaim them from errors and vice; to be ready and willing to sacrifice ourselves in their behalf; and, if called upon. to be will ing to lay down even life itself for them. Above all, to be careful always to. let them see that because they are Christ's disciples they are our brothers and sisters by the highest and mosi sacred of ties, and therefore that we love them for Christ's sake.
 Now if this new commandment was neither impracticable nor impossible for tn eearly Christians, why is 1t either one of these for us2 In reality it is not. For the love this commandment explains is no mere human virtue. We may think of it and experiment with n and worry ourselves sick in the efforts to cultivate it, and we shall never make any progress towards it as long as we suppose we can achieve 1t by human effort, or fail to realize that Il is a divine gift. And it is just because it is divine and comes only from God
 hot hnr. lra F# ticable if not impossible to us moderH Christians2 It is because we haven the early Christian strength and vivid. ness of faith. We have diluted anS adulterated our faith, by mixing i with too many human maxims and de vices.
 believe with all my heart and sou that in obedience to this new com mandment lies the only remedy for tn, problem raised by MT. Graham witt reference to the indifference and back sliding members of our churches. w, have failed to love them as we ShoulO and they have Strayed away from tn fold and wandered into the far coun try. But they are still Christ's sheep At least there has been a time in thei lives when they heard the voice of tn Good Shepherd calling them by name
 Now the holy communion does no act as a magical thing. It does not i'm part Christ's life and virtue to a man irrespective of the mans state or con dition. But if a man comes to it il repentance and faith, if he comes tl it in the effort and purpose to lead better and nobler life and in the faitl that Christ will help him to do SC Christ has pledged Himself to impar | unto that man of His own divine Tiff and virtue.
 He was enabled to leave His dtsci | pies with a new and divine type O | love will in the same manner enabl
 us to love one another even as He ha | loved us. It all comes in the fina ! analysis to precisely this: Either Chris | tianity is a supernatural system or 1 | is a myth and delusion. If 1t is wha | it professes to be, 1t is Gods ow | remedy for the worlds sin and corrup ton. This latter is what we profes
 to believe 1t is, but our belief is
 mockery and 1t sees us constant in ou l reception Of the holy communion a | the appointed means whereby Chri: | dwelleth in us and we in Him.
 | For 1t is only by means of this con | stant, natural in-dwelling that we ca | be true witnesses to the world of ths | Christian love which is the one thin
 the world most needs and can lea. afford to lose.