THE CHURCHES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 248, 13 July 1908, Page 8

THE CHURCHES.

IS LIFE'WORTH LIVING? DISCUSSION 'BY CONGREGATION. " Is life worth living?" was! the topic dis-cussed-by'membersof the Vivian Baptist congregation, last evening,. at the conr 1 elusion of a selmon.by the Rev. J. J. North. ( v .. The preacher.-had admitted that therowero 1 ; a greatv many people who did not find-life worth-living. -1 Theywere: (1) that we should •gedy. 'There - -' were)' however,; certain.;.terms : ' on 'which- he'-believed , that life becamo; well ■ : worth living. They were: (1) that wo should ■ bo at peaco -with ourselves, ..that tlio discordant parts of our nature should be brought ; into 1 harmony, :which-Christ' did for'every ' man; (2) that life ;should 'have i a -touch of adventure HL it, we should adventure on ■ the great quest of the higher- manhood, the betterment of society ; (3) that there should fall upon our path the eternal life, the assurance ' that wo were, not building sand castles, but working for eternity, ; ; . - ' - . -About a third;of; responded ito" the minister's invitation to remain ' after the service and discuss these questions. ' Half a dozen-men and two young ladies,made. . ,v -short speeches. - . A -young man, who was the first to come: ■ -forward,'said that Alh North had; helped him to understand that . life;, was-worth'living. ■ He bad previously .decided^otherwise,, andi Beren months before he had.'had no inten'tion of ever living it through.; Ho had felt that it was a sham>arid hollow: "The surrender of his will to.God had wrought happiness; for him.. ■ ■■':; ... , ' A second man urged that the one thing • which we had to -find' was . something to do. • .Lifo.wonld'be'found if spent in: saving, others.' ' • ■ - Another.speaker owned; that to him even, now life was sometimes 1 not worth living, •cause, of the-:unchantableness -of human naturo," even when 0110 ■ tried to do others i» good turn. -Ho.dwelt.on-the importance ■■■ of making allowanco for differences of temperament. Some ' years agohe'had 1 felt' in 1 ■ the-mood to do away with himself; : hjit', now: -his rebgion mado: him- willing - to> live 'his; ' .life-ast long .'..-as God thought fit, though; .sometimes he wondored still whether it was ; worth while. ■ - ■- - i . A lady - admitted .that there .was a ' time' . ■ ' • when sho had thought that life was not worth' -living. Beforo'thatj;'again, there; was a time 1 . - when, sho thought herself one of; the happiest ■ ;: .■■■!■■..- girls on - earth. : ''A sure way to be happy was' ' to work for Christ.' •• , 'A young girl;;stated)tha,t the service had i :'greatly, helped her. . She'had,been trying for •a long'timo/.to-do a certain Christian work, ■ but had by her, pride. - Now mo. -she. was deteminedfto: succeed; i • " A mail at'the turn," who also described, ■himself ; as and a:" man on • - the kerbstone)'' ' expressed a . .wish that : the .' sermon could lie -made' to reach ' others.- like i -hira in- tho outside: world.., , ■ ■■■ Tho Rev. J,.; J.. -North,' in. summing up, said "■ 'that practicaliylall-.the speakers had agreed 'that'the selfish life was doomed from tho -start,'yet perhaps'J's'everi-eighths of the citi- i zens wero living.it..;.,Referring,to-Socialistic ' . panaceas, he said that the improvement of i imen's-moral and social conditions should be attempted simultaneously - • • - ■ Mr.'-North announced that;an opportunity • for similar .'discussions- would be given . ...on 'succeeding Sundays,Wwhen-ihe- would, like to ••'hear more "/men;on the.'kerbstone." .• >»...

Anglican ministers from the other,', provin:; rial' towns, ; who - are ' attending ■=Synod, j filled ■ the ipulpits : of -the< city^';AngUcan/'churches :• yesterday.. •. ,'/,' ;'-/ •••'« Colonel •Ho'skinsj'Chief;, of •' the Salvation "Axmy ,'for, . conducted. . :rowded meetings .yesterday -in; the Vivian' -• Street Citadel.' ~. '~; Lv 1 The foundation" stone of the ;new .Congregational Church '■ at'i Mastertori i will be laid ■ next Thursday by ; Mrs. W./R..Williams,> of, ■" this city. : Tho, Rev./A;: Hodge,; of St.: Clair,; 'Dnncdin, lias been appointed. pastor, and "will probably commence his' dutiesin about six weeks' time....... • As a consequence of the.recent;mission of ' the Redemptorist,. Fathers: at: South;. Welling-; ton, tho men's and women's branches of tho Sacred Heart' Society at. South Wellington have been placed 1 on a very/strong footing «.•- (state's the "Tablet",)'. .The, several .faered ■ Heart societies 'throughout' the. city are m; a ' most -flourishing state. •, • ■