YOUNG PEOPLE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 33, 8 February 1908, Page 9

YOUNG PEOPLE.

THEIR HERITAGE AND IDEALS. The Congregational Union now meeting in Wellington devoted last evening to young people. Addresses were given by Revs. J. H. Mackenzie and B. L. Thomas. There was a good congregation. The proceedings wero opened by -Miss Hunt singing "0 Divine Eedeemer" (Gounod). Rev. Mr. Mackenzie (Maungaturoto) gave a most helpful address on "Ideals." Ho emphasised the necessity of the young Christian recognibing that the "place chosen for man by God was where he already was, and it was his to make tho most of the opportunities for servicewhich lay within his reach. It was not presumption, as some might think, to trust that God was leading one, and to follow tho course indicated ' in answer to pi-ayer was fraught with much comfort and abundant blessing to thoso who yielded themselves up to God for his work in the world. He gave an account o\ the work done in connection with his own church and of the training of the young people there. Rev. Mi-. Thomas (Nelson), who held that tho i young people had a peculiar heritage of their own, asked them* how they regarded li£,e? Ho agreed that New Zealand was 'God's Own Country," but it was for the young people to keep it £0- Tracing the origin of tho AngloSaxon and Celtic peoples from which the modern New Zea lander had descended in a most interesting manner, he admitted that all here was so new ; but he doubted if it had ever been known in the history of the world of -a highly civilised people having such an opportunity to extend the glory of praise of the centuries yot to bo. He showed how valuable had been the traditions handed down from their Puritan ancestors. These may have boen rude and narrow ; but they wero intense and thorough. They knew what they. were | about ; they know what they aimed at ; they knew what they were going to do next, and they did it. They saved England, and tho .work will not have to bo done again/ The Puritans I established tho British Navy, and if I they beheaded a king they saved Eng land from tyranny, and Cromwell's name was held in honour and respect by tho despots of Europe. What wero the young going to do with this glorious heritage? They needed to be men and women worthy of their day and the calls made , upon them. What, too, were they making of themselves? They were merely clay forms, similar to that "which Prometheus fashioned; but it was for them to vitalise and energise the clay with the fire of divine faith. Mr. Horace Hunt directed the musical portion of tho meeting.