THE CHURCH PARADE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11190, 3 February 1902, Page 5

THE CHURCH PARADE.

A church parade was held at the camp at eleven o'clock yesterday morning, about four hundred of the members of the Eighth Contingent and Colonel Charter and- most of hie officers attending. Shortly before eleven o'clock the Infantry Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Day, headed ky the Garrison Band, under Bandmaster Merton, marched on to the ground, and took ud a position on the south side of the parade ground, the Eighth Contingent being lined up on tflra east and west sides. The pulpit, covered iwth the national ensign, was situated near the north boundary fence, the Bishop of Christchurch conducting the service. During the address the men were allowed to sit on the ground, which was a welcome relief, as the morning was very hot. Seats were provided inside the lines for a number of Jady and gentlemen visitor*. His Lordship Bishop Julius took for his text Matbhew v., eighth Terra: "Slewed are the pure in heart, for they »hall see God. In tie course of his "addjws he said that come of the greatest saint* of the Church had been soldiers. There «v in the discipline of the soldier's life a very valuable training, and men hho were rough and uncouth, end even sometimes unmanly, after a, year or two's discipline and active service often came back very different men It was wonderful what an influence on life discipline had. Again the soldier's life had to be one of devotion to his country's cause, and there was a good deal of the soldier's spirit in the life of the truly Christian man, and when a soldier became & true Christian he became a good one indeed. The lot of the soldier going out to the field of battle in his cause, was, he took it, better than the lot of the politician at-Home in England who had to decide the great questions of peace or war, and the soldier's responsibilities were not so great. Personally had no doubt of the justice of the present war, and, ■when it pleased God to give us the victory he would, follow it with, his blessing to the people. There was another thine that there. oouW be no doubt about, ana that was that England had shown the world how to wage such a war.. But returning to the position of the soldier: he had nothing of tfee politician's worry and responsibility} he had just to fight if he was told to. la life there were men with a purpose, men with half-a-doßen purposes and men with no purpose *t all. It was the map with the one purpose who generally succeeded. Some of them had mad* their ohoice, and , were going to. Sooth Africa, and had to say "good-bye" to many of <the comforts, the luxuries and much of the ease of life. They would 'have to welcome hardship end 'fighting, perhaps sickness and eren worse. If they did not succeed he was sure they deserved to, and would go further and say they must succeed if they worked steadfastly with the singleness of purpose which, was the ttoldier* , aim. If they would onlyjjive them-, selves to God ■ wifcE this englenees 'of purpose what a splendid thing it would be. There were, it was eaid Iby some, oo absolutely pure people in the world, axA he believed there was much in this statement. He daared say there were, for instance, emokere amongst them who had tried to give up their tobacco and had found it very hard to do so—he had at any rote. And so it was with other habits and passion*. When -fchey went voloatarily to South Africa they nad to giveup a fob of their old habits and amoeemente to carry offt the single porpoeeef the soldier's life, and so the only way to become pure in heart end siagfe-nuaded was to give up everything ior God. He would *ek them to make *heir highest choice, and on board ship, in camp, or on the battlefield—»od further, on their return to N«w Zealand, to be men of single mind, and of one purpose in serving God. If they did this tbey would be pure in heart- With those who went to South Africa would go the prayers of those who remained behind; they fcnew that 4fce jnen they were sending -would l be brave and loysd, and he prayed God to bring them back safely, stalwart soldiers of the Master. v

THE TROOPSHIP CORNWALL. (FKESS ASSOCIATION/TELEGRAM.)

WELLrNtKCON, February 1. Tine troopship Cornwall arrived from Sydney at midday to-day, aad wtil leave for Lyttelton at five o'clock on Monday afternoon to embark the southern portion of the,Eigh*h Gootingeet..