ST. MATTHEW'S.

Auckland Star, Issue 23, 28 January 1901, Page 2

ST. MATTHEW'S.

S ■ - ' I Very large congregations attended, |at St. Matthew's Church yesterday.,l, I when impressive memorial services I were held. The altar was draped inj Iblaelc, while the chancel hangings^ ibore a white "V.R." on a black igrountl. The Vicar, the Rev. W. E. loillam, preached from the text Proiverbs xxxi., 28: "Her children rise up fand call her blessed." The rev. gen tie-j imari' said that it had pleased Cod to, fgrant the Queen a long lii'e. Above fall, He made her to enjoy, as no other' imonarch ever enjoyed, the unfeigned j ilove of her subjects. The reign of j Ivictoria not only broke the record by| Bthe length of her rule, but by the fvast improvement in the social, intel'ilectual, and moral condition ■of the Ipeople compared with any previous ■period of history. Without wrapping| ilourselves in the robes of patriotic farrogance and pride, without unduly Imagnifying the benefits of our mon|archical system of government, we: fsimight thank Cod for the blessings, iof her long and glorious reign. When < ithe Queen began her life the Church. ■ Sof God in England seemed to be suf- < Ifering a reaction after the intense. fevangelical revival of the latter part j lof the previous century. Many of the j iNonconformist churches were drift- s ling into Unitarianism—the Church of ) IJEngland was proud, intolerant, un- i iprogressive, and a cold deism was \ Spreached from many of her pulpits, j !"But, thank (Jod. the Church of Eng-1 iland and all religious bodies have to ; extent arisen from their lan- t aguor, and with.all the faults of norn- i |inal Christians, and all the evils still \ Sworking in Christian communities, \ Sthere was more life, more enthusiasm \ ifor humanity, more unselfish devo- s Etion to God in the Christian Church I jfjthan when the Queen came to the | Sthrone. The preacher concluded, withlj |an eloquent tribute to the virtues of a |our late Queen, and with the, liotVp^ ifthat the new King would rule wisely | gand well. Special hymns were sungf |while the "Dead March" was imprea-fe Isively played by the organist (Mr| ITowpey). A similar service was held| |in the evening. |i