THE TAKAEFA DIBABTEH.

Press, Volume XXXV, Issue 4906, 9 May 1881, Page 2

THE TAKAEFA DIBABTEH.

Yesterday, in most of the churches of the city reference was made to the Bad disaster which has cast so deep and universal a gloom over the colony. In some of them special attention was drawn to it by the fact that amongst the lost were ministers, office bearers, and members who had taken a great interest in Church matter*. Below is briefly given a resume of what took place : ST PATTI's PBESBXTHBIAN OHUHOBi. This cburoh was crowded at morning service, the Eev. Mr Elmslie having announced that he would preach on the Tarurua disaster, with special reference to the late Dr. Campbell, who had long held office in it. Ths hymns and paeeagea of scripture selected fo? the day all bore upon the subject. The rev. gentleman took his text from Paslm xcvii., " The Lord roigneth: lot the earth rojoioe; " and after referring to the belief held oy some that dispensations such as had recently fallen upon thorn were the effect of chance, he went 011 to say that though euoh disasters at the fall of tho Tay bridge, the blowing up of H.M.B. Dotterell, and the losa of the Tarorua might be regarded e« severe punishments or manifestations of anger, yet they might he sure that they were sent for come good purpose. Hβ hod the assnrance of God that he would never forsake them, and though trouble and sfiiotion tened them they could rest aecrae that tngofl time they would recognise the love, ths wisdom, and the fatherly kindness which vrss evinced even in these. Boference wss then made to the universal practice of mourning for frionds gone before as though lost fat ever. The time would shortly be when a reunion would take place, when family meetings never more to be disunited would be held. Death was really the daira of day to the Christian — the beginning of a new and higher life and not us come scorned to tliirik the end ef existence. In that sweet bye-end-bye they would rise to higher and more ex° elted aims and ends. Let them remember that those who had gone on before ir bat & short while would be once more reunited to their friends left here. The preacher tien proceeded to speak on the special tut jees of bis sermon, the l&to Dγ Campbell. Aftor a brief reference to the position he had held in his profession and the general regret eipreaised at his melancholy end, the rjv. gentleman went on to say that the sincere love tho deceased had for hie profession induced him to go forth to the old country to ma?k the progress made there in the science of medicine. That his return with this knowledge would have bosn a boor, not only to this place, but to the colony at large, coald not be denied. But it was not to be, and they could only bow with reverenoo to tho dictates of G-od, mysterious though they might appear. Reference wee next made to the warm interest felt and always eviaewsd by the deceased in the church, and nlso his regular attendance at public worship. They oould confidently hope that ho had been moved to a higher and better sphere, where those who had been suddenly overwhelmed by the billows of the mighty ocean now rested in poses. Their removal had been sudden and rough, but tlioy could cherish the the hope that they were partakers of that peace which remained for the people of God. ST. AIBANB' WHSLBYAB , CHUBOH. The Weeleyan Church, St, Albane, was iaconveniently filled yesterday morning, when the Eev, James BuJler preached 3 utsnon bearing on tho sad event from tho sth vorteof the 15th chapter of Exodus: "The depths have covered them : they sank into the bottom as a stone." He ramarked that it was a providential circumstance that the Hey. A, Eeid had abandoned his intention of proceeding to Earope by the Orient line, and had gouo by way of San Frsnoisoo instead, or he too would have been added to the list of tboie vhm loss they mourned. The rev. gentlemen regretted the total absence of all particulars of the last moments of their departed brethren, and he would reserve all personal narrative connected with them till the meeting to b@ held at Durham street church on Thuriduy evening next. The service was most inipres* sive, and during the offertory the ohoir iea» dered Dr. Hodges' anthwn, " I heard a vre© say unto mc," with marked effect; Uli® Smith presiding at the organ, the eoagr ge» tion being played out by Pope's celeb etefi ode, " Vital Spark." The Eev. J. Boiler aiso preached in the evening, on the same subject, at the Crescent road churoh, Knightstown, ST. ITJKE'fI CffCßOff. At St. Luke'e Ohuroh, the Eev. E. A. lin* gard preached sermons bearing on the late disaster afc both morning and evening te?* rices, and made el-quent appeals on bobalf of She fund for those left destitute by tho lose of She Tarawa, which were liberally responded to. BAPTIST CHOBCH. At the Baptist Ohuroh, Oxford terrace, restarday, reference woe made to the lato dieliter in the prayers. The Eev. Mr Aldred (reached in the evening. The icoumbaat, lev. Mr Ward, held a servioo al Kaiapoi, bat rill conduot a special service in reference to he late »hipwreok, in the Baptist Church on lunday next. TRINITY COHGHBGATIOHAIi OHEBOB. The services were condnctod by the Bey. M. (Tflliams. In the evening 11. preached on tod's terribleEees, a subject suggested by the ecent disaster. The text was taken from the sth Psalm, verse s—"By terrible things in ighteousness wilt Thou answer us O Sod ot or salvation." The preacher briefly referred j the terrible calamity, and pointed out && •ssons to be learned from G-od'e judgsoesta. COIOMBO BOAD WBSI.BYAIf OUUECH. Thor<j was a good attendance at both serices in connection with the above oburoh, atticnlarly in the evening. The Bey. Mr iiabworth occupied the pulpit, which waa raped with black. After singing an approriate hymn, the rev. pastor c: gaged in earoeou rsyer, Bsking for Gcd'e bleening to mcoa ] who have been bereavod through the IaEJ i.-iriUs dkMlut on cur ccaat. Tho subject

for his morning discourse wu "God Providence in relation to man's r< epon&biKtyi" whioh waa illustrated in Very telling manner, and listened t very attentively throughout by the congregs faon. The texts quoted by the rev. gentle man will be found in Amos, iii c, the latte part of the 6th verse; and Act*, xxvii c, 27t to 32nd verse. After making ttie pulpit inti mations, Mr Bishworth said there would b to special collections, but -any one who wishei so contribute towards the families cf the lat jßev*. Bichardeon and Arznit&ge could do ■< bj stepping into the vestry and adding thei names to the subscription listt already in oir eolation in connection with the Colombo roae Church. In the evening the same gentlemai Again occupied the pulpit, the subject of hii discourse being—" The Death of the Bight coua," having particular reference to the laU Bey. J. B. Richardson, with whom the rev gentleman had been associated for a greal somber of years. The text choien wai Isaiah lvii chap., lit verse. ST. JOHK'e, IATIMEH BQPABB. There were large congregations both morning and evening at this church, when special reference wae made to the wreck of the Tsrarua. The preacher in the morning was the Bey. F. Snowies, who took his text from Amos, chap. iii. In the evening the incumbent, Eev. H. O. M. Watson, preached from 1 Thesa., chap, v., verses 1 and 2. Tho special offertory for the Tararua relief fond at thia church amounted to £37 2s. EOBTH BELT PBBBBYTBBIAH CHT7BCH. The BeT, James Hill preached here at morning service and delivered a veiy eloquent germon on the shipwreck of the Tararua.