ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13871, 24 October 1910, Page 8

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH.

Tho mission was opened :it St. Michaels Church on Saturday evening, when there was a very fair eonnrcMtion. The service was conducted by the vicar, tho Rev. H. D. Burton. The preacher dealt principally with tlio aims and objects of the mission, and detailed tho arrangements which would usually be followed. There were further sorrier* yesterday, an afternoon mission mooting for men being eundu.-ted by the Rev. E. K. Mules, and the. evening service by tlio vicar I'rior to the evening service tho choir, with a numerous retinue of assistants, marched in solemn procession through several of the streets in the neighbourhood of the church, singing mission hymns. Tho church wm filled when the service commenced, and extra chairs had to be placed in tlio spare spaces. Tho service was an informal, not liturgical one, the ordinary evening prayer being omitted, and the hymns being taken from tho mission book. An eloquent, practical, and impressive sermon was preached by the vicar. He took for his text the words "My soul is athirst for God," which, ho said, gave tho keynote of all missions. The only thing which kept people from God was sin, and the first thing they needed to realise was the great need for repentance. Some people, satisfied with their position towards God, said that they had no need for repentance, but they were deceiving themselves, and selfdeception was a tlagrant act of sin. Tho preacher enlarged on the ]>ivine promise that if we confessed our saris , God was faithful ant! just to forgive us our sins. There was no difference between little and great sins—every sin was an enormity, because every sin had within it tlio element of death. The dramatic story of Samson and his downfall was used' |to bring home t-hjo facts that the repetition of small acts led to habits being formed, and th.'.k habits determined character. Where the act? were bad, the habits would be bad, and the task of escaping from the consequences of sin would be exceedingly difficult. The preacher concluded with a powerful appeal for a greater recognition of God in prayer and worship, .and in the living of a true Christian: life. Tho mission will be continued in St. Michael's to-day and this evening.