THE ADDRESSES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13739, 21 May 1910, Page 10

THE ADDRESSES.

The address by Bishop.Julius was brief, but eloquent. He commenced by referring to the fact that when, voting King Edward VI. died-three weeks elapsed before the news of his death had reached the further limits c:' England. Now King Edward VII. was dead, and we in New Zealand were on that 20th clay of May mourning and Eorroniiig' his loss with the rest of tho Mm pi re and thc world. As good news ■brought them together, .o with sadmews. That was a day of mourning, and he thought the nation never stood so- high ns it did in its days of sorrow, when our thoughts wero sad. and when thc cur._es of arrogance and pride were silenced. Suc-h thoughts as ijcod for tbe people, for had Christlli'.iself not said," ''Blessed are they t!v « mourn"; there is no ble_-sing to the.a.'that'rejoice. Such a'day as that arrested onr attention, bade us cease from our .labour, our amusements, and called us to silence and meditation. Tt was a day of national mourning. He had known sonje of these day. l , oi mourning. He .'could dimly recollect that day when'the terrible news of the mutiny in India reached England. He remembered the'day of mourning when they carried the "young Prince Consort to his grave. It was not long ago when the reign of our noble Queen was ended, and now, after a ehort space, oi time, we were gathered together to the memory of our great King Edward VII. There was no lose in the world that was irreparable, for God could mend all things. He could do far more than we sometimes thought, and He could mako much good out pf oOr present sorrow. Our late Kirn; wa- a man of many rich gifts, of rio** .judgment, of wide experience. He had had a long preparation tinder a noble mother, and the best of training that was ever given to a Jring. Our late Kiug had. no politics. Wo felt he stood for all that was best in tho land. Wo know he had sympathy with the masses of the people, particularly with tho poor, the buffering, the sick aud the needy-, and we knew that he had eonsiderateiioss. He hod shown it in his own home, among his own people, and no man in all the Empire was more keenly alive to the feelings and. sufferings of thoso around him. We had learned to trust him and to feel wo were safe in our country. And God had called him hence. It brought back to iis the ancient words, "Put not your trust in princcv nor in the son of man iO -whom there "is no help; his breath, gopth forth and he retumcth to his earth; in that very clay his thoughts nprish.'" It was a dreadful thing for a nation to have to moke excuses, for the vices of her kingi to hold up her pi-inert. as a warning against vice and not righteoiijmess as England had sometiroes had to do in the distant past. We could be thankful that God had saved us from that. Our late. King had, by God's grace, turned his back op fOlly,'. and become a strong, earnest and thoughtful man—-true to the onth he* had made to God and the nation. And so they would bear him to an honoured grave, and a few hours hence the funeral procession would .pass. out-of the ancient Hall of Westminster, and propped along wealthy and poor aiid squalid streets alike, as our late King would have liked, to. the last resting place at W.uitteor. And what of our .day of mourning? If there was anything worthless in this world it was a d",\v of idle sentiment—a day that .bfouj.ht them to a day of monrning as to a day of feasting jtist because it w-as a change in the monotony of life. Wa.s our dny of mourning to be a recognition of cur unworfhiness of. God's goodness? Would it bo an earnest prayer going up to God from the heart of thc ivhofle nation for ciur now King in the perils of his position? If our sentiment would: turn' itself to prayer, then the day of ! sorrow would .r__a_ss,. and God would grant His blessing and His peace. He (the preacher) as-ked everyone, to make that day a day of prayer, 'and God would give us a greater blessing than our nation had ever known. It might be that days of sorrow coming one upon another would deepen and strengthen the national character, and bring it t;> the feet of God iv humblenes*. of spirit. The Roy. W. J. L. Closs, president 0? the MinisteiV Association, in the course of a very able and appropriate sermon, said that- if kings were great I by reason of the dominions over which • they ruled, no King was ever borne I to his rest greater than he whete memory they lwiumred that day. Not only the little island in the No-*'i Atlantic, dear Motherland, owned him as its King. but Canada, "the Lady of tho Snow*:" India, tho home of civilisations Jong dead; South Africa, that now nation of light on the Dark Continent: Australia, "the Land of the Golden Fleece." and New Zealand, tho home of liberty and loyalty. bowed their allegiance to him. If kings wero great by reason of the

multitudes over which they r"'«j; Kirips Charlemagne and Alexander ten into insignificance compared with King Edward. Millions of bis .subjects- who had wandered over tbe sons felt sore .it heart because they i>lt ii son« of loss, and tlu-y were nr>t tin , ntilv one.s lor the native races had looked U)m:i him as a "Treat white father/ and they, too, realised that they had k*t ono' whom th«-y emild well cull friend. Thai da-.- one-fourth of the whole human race, roughly speaking, mourned Ins los.s. Is ki 11:4s were -rent by reason of tho influencethey witddod. who was w> ■/real a.s our late gracious Majesty Kiuji JCdward Vil.? How often had lie put his hand on the hilt of the sword drawn for wax. rtvl war. in an-er and pride, and thrown that sword back into its scablr.ird? Industry and commerce had increased, and art and science had grown richer, owinn to Vis influence and patronage. The hopes and desires of his people had been his albo. and he had ever thoujiiit of the needy, the hick, and the suffering. If king? were great by the prestige of their thrones and their country, 'lien who could com pare witli the late Kinirl' Hi- had lifted the Hovni Court to a higher level than ever hel'ore. and had wade the name of file dear Motherland more re.vercd at Homo nnd abroad than ever before in history. Never were the ancient watchwords or justice, truth, riphtcousiipss and liberty, more the heritage of the people than they were under the King who nau lw.c\\ called to rest by the Kins of Kin«s. Like One of old, the King walked with (!od, and that day they paid their tribute of love for him who had lived nobly and kindy in tho midst of the notion. There was not, on-' of us hut felt that the earth was poorer fit' heaven be richer) hecan.se of tho inssinji of our Kins, and our prayers went out to him who had taken up'the sceptre that had fallen from h's hand, and wo ;iavo ho in ape to tho embodied representation of all that was best in our Mulish life and Knclisli character, and English love of truth, justice, mercy, and love of Christ. PARADE STAT K. The pnrude states oi' the- brigade wore as follows: — District Staff: Lk>ut.-Colonel H'aukiiiH, 0.C.D., Lie lit.-Colon t>l Rliociov, Captains i'ottcr. A-A.'-i., UcGce, Serjeant-Majors lJo.iv, llcaley,'"\\ood. AVjlso'.i. and Grovor. Active Unattached List : Lieut Colonels Day, Slater, nnd Clayton, .Maio'r Hobday., nnd three captains. No. 1 Uattalian. Staff: LieutColomi Cicswell, -Major Ek'hardso.i, Captains Kinlus and 13atche!or. SprKcaiit-ilajor Hojikins. City Guards, CrtVitain Bishop. Lieutenaiit Burnett, and 21 all told.;' College RLiles, Captain riewk'tt, 1 lieutenant, ;-.nd -0; City Ilifles, Captain Farthing. 2 lieutenants, and -31; Imperial Hifles, Captaia Butcher, 1 lieut-euant, and 30. No. 2 Battalion. Staff: Licut.Colonel G. J. Smith, Captain and Adjutant Salter, Sergeant-Majors Muschamp and Bourdot. Sydenham Rifles, Captain Murphy, 2 lieutenants, and 32: Lin wood TJiflos. Captain King, 1 lieutenant, and 31: Highland ■•Rifles, Captain Stewart. 1 liouteuaiit. and oI; Native Rifles, Captain Hawkins, and 11. . • , - Field Artillery:'E Battery. Captain Duncan, two lieutenants, and 09: No. 1 Co." Endnecrs, Major Jones, Captain Andrews, threr nontenants, and <>f). Cycle Corns;, Captain Loach, 1 lieutn'ant. and 'I^". Field Ambulance, Major Talbot and 31. : " 1 Officers' Train ins Corps. Captain Gibcon, 3 lieutenants, nnd 70. Christehtirch fJo'rrison Band. Ijieuten-. ant Mertori. and 20. _ ■ Quneii's Cndfte,' Captain Cook, 1 lieutenant and 33: Hi«?h School 1 captain, i lieutenants, and 83: Tecluiicfil School Cadets, Ca.ptu.in Newton 33. Boy Scouts. Lieut.-Colonel Go&sgrove, 20 scoutmasters, nnd 380. Total parade- state, 113G,