A HARVEST THANKSGIVING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7733, 1 March 1909, Page 4

A HARVEST THANKSGIVING.

ST ANDREW'S CHURCH.

The annual thanksgiving services following on the ingathering of the harvest, were held at St Andrew's- Jfresbyterian Church yesterday. The pulpit and other parts were decorated in a manner suitable to the occasion, and the scripture readings, anthem, puahns and h>.. ::.-. v.\ . ■-■ :.ii of an appropriate ■nature. .. In t.io i-iorning,- Mr L. N. Hunt, who occupied the pulpit at both services, based his discourse on John Xil, 24 and 25: " Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the- ground and die, it abideth alone: but If it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He "that loveth his life shall lose it." JMr Hunt, after relating the immediate circumstances in which Christ had uttered the words of the text, pointed out that He had given in the verse a statement of the principles which governed all things, in this natural world, in Himself, and which should govern his disciples. The first application of the text was to nature. Before a grain of wheat there were two possibilities. It could be stored and kept for many years, but if this were done it remained alone, while, on the other hand, it could be buried in the earth, where as the result of its decay and death it would ■ give new life, forty, fifty or sixty fold. There was not a more beautiful sight on, God's earth than a field of grain ripe unto harvest, but when such a field was looked upon, it should be remembered that this beauty and fertility were all due to death. Death was the pathway to life: corruption must come before frmtfulness. Secondly, the application of this principle of Jesus Christ should be noted, for by his death Christ had liberated the spiritual forces in Himself. In the passage, " If I die I will throw oft this husk and many' years after I will brin"- forth fruits," Christ had drawn attention to the great importance of His death, and Christianity benefited no one unless the death of Christ, and not his life, were appreciated and placed at its proper worth. As He had said, " Unless I die I shall abide alone." In the third place, was the application of the principles to the lives of the disciples. The paradox contained in the words, lie that loveth his life shall lose it; and ne that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal," and m many other similar passages, seemed foolish to men of the world; but when the underlying principle was looked at, it was found to be a great one, and one which men could not afford to ignore. Before a man could be of Christ he nvust die and be crucified with the Master, and rise again with Him. No irian could com© unto the life everlasting unless he were willing to sacrifice himself and all that that meant; as Spurgeon had put it, " We need to be slain by the Sword of the Spirit, before we can be quickened by the Bread of Life." ,-,.-, The Cross of Christ symbolised not only the cruellest death and the greatest'love that the world had seen, but the principle of self-renunciation, which received its greatest illustration in the life of Christ, and which was the great principle underlying the Christian life. Our Lord lias reiterated, " If any man serve me, let himifollow me"; and again, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." The Tree of Life was guarded by the path of self-renunciation, and finally, he would point out that this was the only way into the Kingdom. In conclusion, the preacher endeavoured to ai>ply the principle to his congregatfon, and made a strong personal appeal to them. At the evening service Mr Hunt spoke from Galations> VI, 7 and 8: " 13e not deceived ; God is not mocked : for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap .corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."