RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 181, 31 July 1915, Page 14

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

C6MFORT FOB THE BEREAVED.

(By the ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.)

In the little dockyard church, at Shecrnese a touching memorial service was held for -those who lost their lives in the ill-fated warship Princess Irene •that blew uj> with tragical suddenness. The Archbishop of Canterbury, preaching on I he occasion, said:--The heart of all England hue be«n throbbing during this hint week with sympathy fox Sheernees homes, for the bravo Avomen sorrowing for tho loss of stalwart men and lads whoso lives, sacrificed for their country, were 'very dear, and whose memory will abide. I want to speak to you for a moment or two as simply Uβ I possibly can about the foundation and principle upon which at such an hour we rest our firm faith and our pure and high hope. 1 take as a text some words from the letter of an old man. the Apostle Peter, writing after many adventurous years and hard service to those who had known and lovod him years before, and who, like him, Hind had hard thinge to endure. If you look at his 'letter you will find that he beseeches those to whom he writes to look back, to look outward, to look inward —to look back and liaek into what God in His faithfulness lias always done for those who had trusted Him. and inward to all that lies behind the larger life when this world strain is over. And He puts it thus in the words 1 take as a teyt: "Let them that snflfeaccording to the will of God commit the keeping of their smils to Him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator." Xotc these last words: ''A faithful Creator." 1 ■wonder whether we ever think about God revealed to us as maker and suatainer of the world and all who are in it? Of course, we begin our Creed with an admission and attirmation of our faith in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Jleaven and Karth. But 1 think it is true, ito cay that the recollection of God's sovereignty as the Maloer and Preserver of all things is a little further of! from the thought* of even the test of us. It is a magnificent thought. Ifis sovereignty right through the world's story from.its start, and His enre fur ua all and His care over us alt. Not a Create.r only, tut (iod, who for us is a faithful Creator, who knows nml cures and judges. "Forget not the work of thine own hands.'' "Commit your souls to ]fim as nnto a faithful Creator." It ie a strong ptrrase, but St. Peter had heard those words before. Uncle across the years the- old man's memory would travel, to the most solemn and sad day in his life, -when in the darkness 'he hail i-iit below the uplifted Cross upon which his' Master hung. There, in the darkness he heard Him. us light ebbed, say these very words: "Father, into Thy haml« 1 commit my spirit," and they keep for St. Peter a significance which cannot ha obliterated, bringing home to him the knowledge of the Father and the Father's forgiving love. Many of us i:i church to-night have knelt in silence in the death-chamber when the one we love best on earth was ipiiotly passing away, to join in the commendatory prayer for the repose of one whose soul i« just about to -pass across tlie veil. ,r H'e humbly commend the sou] of this. Thy servant, our dear brother, into Thy lrnnds as into the hands of a fiithful Creator and a- most merciful Saviour." Ik that not exactly the very way in which "we want to face our sorrow DOW? Brothers and sisters, it ie hard, drra.l--fully hard, to stretch our hand into the darkness without fear or doubting, sure that it will be jrrar-ped and held by Him in whom we trust. And yet everywhere to-day we see that hand held out for His help. In my experience the heroism of our homes is &B real as the heroism on shipboard or along the shrapnel trench, and God. who knows and sees and marks all things. takes that at its true worth. And what makes the heroism possible is jnet this: To bo üblc to commit the keeping of our soul and the souls of those whom we have en dearly loved into the hands of a faithful Creator, who, as Christ hae shown us, knows and loves and cbtos. But onr feeling ie: if ■We could only understand! It is all so mysterious. f\Vhy should it not be plain to us! It is sorely quite unreal, and often irritating to the thoughtful, fur Uβ to speak or think about those we have lost at a. tinte like this as though they were in any tr-ne sense naints. They were Dot. They were manly Englishmen, full of sins and full of faults. Each one of those, lives God knew and planned from the fir.st, watched over ajid loved even when he was farthest away from Him and cares for now. God loves him still and caTes for him in the larger life beyond our sight. Ask God that it may be so: "Commit the keeping of the soul of hi-in to the faithful Creator." You "'ill not ask it in vain. The thought will rest quietly in our souls and we c.-vi if we will nwing out fro-m merely personal things into the larger life 'belonging to otir Lord and riear our part in the things resolved, in the things sacrificed for what is right and true. We believe that Ood is bidding us as a people struggle and endure and suffer until we bring to a victorious issue this war in which we are engaged. It is a terrible test, but it is also a high privilege to be in our land among the burden bearers and the sorrow bcarere, for the. good of our nation. That tremendous burden, that testing triaL, 'n in a degree laid now upon many here in Sliperness. Does the. thought noh knit us together—old and young, rich and poor, soldier and 6ailoT and civilian, in one family to dwell in Him? So n< my last word T, as your bishop and friend, to-night bid you join your prayers to mine to the faithful Creator revelled to us in Jesus Christ. He will help us, time after time, as we kneel in His Presence in the Holy Communion, or a-, .vc pray side by side in church, or as ne lift our hearts to Him, to know, to understand, and to measure the message of the personal, the unfailing love which Christ has revealed to us as belonging to the faithful Creator—as He "has taught us to see and know our Father. We commit to Him juet now jn Hjg grrat Hand our country and Navy and Army, praying that wo may be successful in due time. We commit to Him O ur own households and homes, our own burden and its sorrowings. We commit tn Him the personal lives of ourselves and those whom we love both here and beyond the veil. We do it in quietness and comfort because we believe that He hears our prayer, and that His blesein-r and His comfort are for us in all the

I will ask toti to kneel with mc in silence for a few minutes and to pray ao Paul taught us how to prny in words like these:

"Blessed be God. even the Father of our Lord Joeus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Who eomfortcth <us in all tribulation, that we may bo able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves r.rc comforted of God."

Be these your thoughts, bo these indeed your prayere. You will find that Ood can be as a faithful Creator and bring solace and comfort to us all.

CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES,

The Rev. F. Tucker, of Taradale, has been appointed by the Presbytery of Jhllicdin to the new church extension charge of Warrington on Seaclifl', (Hugo.

The Rev. G. T. Brown, XLA., who ie at present acting as locum tenons at f>t. Andrew's Church, Gisborne, has accepted a call to Knox Presbyterian Church. Mastertoti.

Bishop Williams, of Napier, celebrated his Stith birthday this week. He was born at Bay of Islands, and was elected Bishop of VVaiapu in ISP.4, which position he resigned in WOO.

The hymnological collection of the late James Thin, the noted- F.dinburgh bookseller, has been given to the New College of the United Free Church. It

comprises 3,000 volumes, gathered in all languages and in all churches.

The next Church Congress in England is to be held at Southhead in October. RirJiop Chelmaford will be president, and the Arc-hbishop «f Canterbury has agreed to preach the sermon nt the opening service at St. Mnry"«, Prrtliwell. The other sermons will be preached by the Bishop of Jxxulon. and the Bishop of Liverpool.

The Assembly of the Presbytetian Church oi Victoria has added "to its buildings in Melbourne an Assembly Hall, 30ft high, affording seating acconimoda tion for 700, added to which are some fifty well-appointed offices, committee rooms, etc. The Moderator has a carved triple seat and dc*k. the gift of the family <jl tiie late lion. James Balfour.

The Rev. K.ither Kinncrty. recenUv of Mary's parish. Nelson, has been transferred to St. Ann-icY, Wellington. Father Hartley, M.A., of the touching staff ot St. Patrick's College, Wellington, will succeed Father Finnerty at Nelson. Owing to the ecaTcity of priests in owe-qt-enee of "the , war. the ut.'.lT of St. Patrick's I ollcge is to lie drawn upon for the parochial needs of the church.

Mr JJoyd George attended th<. twentyeighth anniversary meeting of the West London Mission in the Kings way Hall, and unveiled a portrait of the late Hugh Pricu Hughes, founder of the mission. Mr Rum-inmu, M.P., who presided, remarked it was the first time in the history <if Methodism that such a meet ing bad been addressed by the <Tiancellor of the Kxehequer. Mr Lloyd George referred to Hugh Price Hughes as « great Freo Churchman, and a great Welshman—a man of courage, resolution and faith.

One of the "fat"- livings in tiir City oi London, that of St. Alphage'd, London Wall, wae recently rendered vacant by tho death of the ll»v. Prebendary .1. Glendinning Nash. The St. Alphag' living is worth i'OfO v year. There are practically no parishioners, saya ilit; "Chronicle," and the congregation averages H.v. More than one attempt ban been made to amalgamate this church with some other City living, and co use .triSO per annum for h better purpose, but on those occasion* the then Binh-ip of London did not proceed with the suggestion.

Bibiiop Wakeficld. of Birmingham, who was to have presided at a tcmp«runi-e meeting in Leamington, scut a telosrruni apologising for absence, in which he said:

".Just oIT to •Southampton. My . .»i: leaves for the front to-day. He i.s the la.-t to go. and I must ccc him off. The people who can and will follow the example of the King arc doing a. patriotic service. We cannot ali go witL onr sons to tho front, but i>c cm show in a small way something of their selfsacrifice, and Germany give \im a:i example of absolute union and determination. We must all be doing our part for God, for King, for country."

The offerings at all the services held in Anglican Churches of the Auckland diocese to-morrow will be devoted to the Maori Mission Fund. A circular has been ie&ued by Bi&hop Averiil pointing out that the stipends of the Maori clergy are only jCT'i per annum, a totally inadequate remuneration under the present cost of living. In *pite of the serious fall in the price of gum, the Maoris have contributed £.">OU towards the stipends and general mission expenses. The circular also etates the work in the Wuikato i« decidedly more hopeful than it was. Three new Sunday schools lujd been started, as well as an up-to-date kindergarten.

The Rev. J. I). McArthur, Methodist Church, Ashburton, sends us a letter from a "Mother," in which she states:

"August 4th, -Uie first anniversary of the declaration of war, is drawing near, and the thoughts of all will naturally turn to the losses we have sustained through twelve months of fighting. Many homes have been overcast with bereavement, and many mothers are heartbroken. As one who has four sons on actrvc service, I can, fully understand the feelings of those whose boys arc gone. I would suggest that in this time of widespread sorrow, we set apart August 4fh as a day of prayer. To this end, I would urge every mother to request the authorities to declare that day, throughout the Dominion, as a time for waitin" upon God."

The Rev. Dr. (J. E. Weeks, M.A., 8.D., LL.D., of tit. John's Anglican Church, Lfweetoft, England. Ji*« accepted the call of vicar of Nefcon Cathedral, and has cabled that he hopee to reach his new charge and take up his duties at the beginning of the year. H e euceeedn tlic Key. J. p. Kempthorne. who ha H been transferred to Brightwater. The now vicar graduated at Queen's College Cambridge, as B.A. and M.A., took Bd' at Durham Dmvorsity, and L.LB 'at Trinity College, DuJbliu, and LLJD. at the came university in 1911. In 1893 he was ordained, and licensed to the curacy of St. Ccorge'fi-in-the-Eafit, and in the following year to that of St. Jameue Hatcham. Iji KS9B he became a chaplain for a. year in the Royal Navy and served in the Vcrnoii, the Duke of Wellington, and the Victory. J n 1809 hwas appointed vicar of -St.. Paul's, Durb»n, -in the diocese of Natal, where he did excellent service during tho South African war. AfteT acting for a year as principal of Hilton College, he' returned to England in 1908, and became vicar of St. Luke's, South Kensington. In 1911 he was apointed to his present vicarage at Iflwestoft.