ST. LUKE'S.

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

ST. LUKE'S.

The opening service of the mission at Sfc. Luke's was hold on .Saturday evening, and was iargely attended. An introductory piocession of a ceremonial character, similar to those arranged in j α-nntvtion with the Cathednl services traversed the adjoining streets. The work of the was formally introduced, and the missioner, the Rev. J. C. Fitzgerald, and his assistant, the Rev. H. A. Favoll, were blessed in the name of the Bishop by the vicar, the Rev. W. W. Sedgwick. An address was given by the Rev. J. C. Fitzgerald, u-ho spoke from ■•ho words "Behold thy Kir.g coraeth unto thee," contained in Matthew xx\ ,5. He said that Saturday night was not a time when a congregation «n.s expected, yox the opening .servico of the mission was an important one. It was import int that the people should appreciate at once the fact That the missioners were, t<: use an English cxiresMon, proper clergymen. It was very often said in tiie Old Country that however well-liked the missioners were, their methods seemed strangely different from tho usages of churchmen. They were, however, ''proper clergyjnen with tlie authority and sanction of the Bishop. The introductory service was also important as an opportunity for tho striking of the keynote of the mission, and that keynote was Imst expressed in the words of tho text. The preacher attributed iho success with which the mission had been attended in other parts of the Dominion to the magnetic influence of Jesus Christ. Christ was not an absentee landlord who had left the wurl'l to taU«« car.3 of itself, rtiid tho mission would provide an opportunity for the fulfilment of His promises. There could be no doubt as to the innnntr in wh.eh would be received if Ho appeared in the church that night, and the preacher urged that tho people should place Him in tho best place in their hearts as they would set Him upon the altar t.hrone cf their churches. Jesus claimed, and had a right to r.-kini, the best place in their lives, and when that claim had been recognised, thay would know the joy of calling Him their King. The congregation at the usual morning service yesterday was a large one, and the service for men in the afternoon was very well attended. The Rev. J C. Fitzgerald delivered sermons of the special character adopted in die mission work. The seating aceommouation of tho church was largely added to for the evening service, and the church was crowded. Jn his address in the instructional portion of the service, the missioner said that God drew v line dividing peoplo into two classes, and those who were on the wrong side of the lino at the beginning of the mission should endeavour to cross it on to the right sido beforo the mission had con- j eluded. The way in which they could do that was summed up in the one word "conversion," which meant a turning round into the narrow road that led to Heaven. Conversion implied not only a turning from sin, but a turning towards There were three attributes of conversion—conviction of j sins, surrender to God's love, and obedience to God's will. The sermon was based on the incident of the meeting of Christ and Nicqdemus, related in the opening verses of John iii., and {he preacher spoke principally on the work that the mission would do. "If there is anything about tho mission that yctn don't like," he said, "don't go away an<l leave the mission, but come and hear the whole truth. What we want in this mission is light, and we can get it only by coming face to face with Jesus Christ."