ST. JOHN'S. CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 949, 17 October 1910, Page 7

ST. JOHN'S. CHURCH.

ANNIVERSARY SERVICES

" fifty-seventh anniversary of this Church was' commemorated at tho -services yesterday. The morning service was conducted by the Rov; J. J. North , who delivered a suggestive sermon to 'a'/ veiy good-'congregation('onv.Exodus in, 2. ismtabjo liymns were sung by the .congregation, with great-heartiness, aiid'-the choir .sang-fthe anthem' "Sing a Song of Praise" by Stamcr, and tho To .Deum-,in F by: Smart. s..v ;/ In the evening Dr. Gibb preached to a crowded congregation" on the cry: "Up with the Christ, down with the Church," in,the course of; which lie discussed tho criticism to which tho Church is subject ,in tho name of what was called practical religion. So far from agreeing that the failures of the Church were due to "other-world-linjess," the preacher- affirmed- that' the Church's greatest need to-day/was a new ; ; baptism of. this,. very thing. Otherwiso . holiness was, as Benjamin Kidd had termed itj "a colossal power," and in' the way of social amelior: ation it would acoomphsli more in a single generation than' al! the Gfovem-m-ents and fourth estates in- Christendom combinod. . The sermon doalt with the valuelessness of all j social amelioration, '- apart from tho vision jof things unseen and eternal; arid, secondly; the impossibility 61 attaining. to 'any i«al and permanent, improvement apart from tho inspiration of . 1 the ■. .j. spiritual, and thirdly, how inevitably the- work of social. . amelioration ' followed the vision of tho eternal things, and the dedication of the heart and life to; Christ as Redeemer and Lord. The liymns were heartily sung by the tergo congregation, and the choir excelled itself m the rendering of : Sullw van's anthem, "I will smg of Thy Power," and Stanford's "To" Deum' in B flat." Mr. Maughan Barnett played the "Hallelujah Chorus," from the "Messiah" as the concluding voluntary The '{collections for. the .day - .amounted' to upwards of fitty-two pounds.