CHURCH SERVICES.

Evening Star, Issue 8808, 25 April 1892, Page 3

CHURCH SERVICES.

The St. Andrew's Church anniversary services were held yesterday, tho preacher in the morning btiog the Rev. A. P. Davidson, and in the evening the Rev. Rutherford Waddell. At the former service the anthem sung by the choir was ' Harken unto me, my people' (Sullivan), Mr J. Montgomery singing the solo. In the evening * The grace of God that bringeth salvation' (Barnby) was the anthem, Mrs Howorth contributing the eolo. Both services were very well attended.

The anniversary services in connection with the Bible Christian Churoh were held in the City Hall yesterday, and were all well attended. The Rev. J, Orchard (Christchurch) occupied the platform in the morciDg and evening, and in the afternoon Miss Cannon was the preacher. After the evening service, which was very numerously attended, Mr R. T. Booth gave an address on ' Gospel Temperance.' Harvest thanksgiving services wore held yesterday in St. Mary's Church, Mornington, when the church was beautifully decorated with wheat, flowers, and fruit. At 8 a.m. there was, as usual, a celebration of the Holy Communion; at 11 the sermon was preached by the Rev. G. W. York, of St. Paul's; and at the evening service by the Rev. W. C. Cotes, curate of St Mary's. __ At both services there was a large congregation, the attendance being particularly largo in the evening, when the church, which has been enlarged during the past twelve months, was crowded. The number of communicants on Easter Day was seventyfive, fifty-39ven of whom communicated at the 8 a.m. service. Last the total number of communicants at Easter was thirty-five. At St. Matthew's Church harvest festival services were held yeßterday ; there were large congregations at both services, In the morning the incumbent, the Rev. E. T. Howell, occupied the pulpit, and the Rtv. A. R. Fitchett in the evening. The choir at both services was a stroDg one. The boys excelled themselves in Sullivan's beautiful anthem • Sing, 0 Heavens,' taking the opening part by themselves. The evening service'Wis Wincheiter'* Gregirian flatting, with a" pretty harmonised accompaniment, Mr A. W. Lilly, the church organist, presided at the organ. The offertorium played waß ' Nazireth,' and the outgoing voluntary was Wely's Offirtoire in G. Both pieces were played with great taste. The harvest thanksgiving services at St. John's, Roslyn, have been unusually successful. Commencing on Thursday with a full church, they were continued yesterday. Ladies had once more given dainty touches to the decorations, and their work produced a really beautiful effeot. The sanctuary, the chancel screen, and fonts had received the chiefest attention, Corn, flowers, autumn leaves, fruit, and pampas grass were moat artistically arranged, and the whole effect was tasteful and charming. At matins yesterday the churoh was filled in every part. The services were bright, hearty, and congregational. Toe incumbent (the Rev. W. A. Disgens) was the preacher. Taking for his text I. Cor., xv,, 23: '* Christ thefirstfruits; afterward they thatareCoriet's at His coming," he remarked that nothing struck a new arrival in the Southern Hemisphere more than the fact that the seasons were completely revorsed. In the Old World Easter was always associated with spring time, when Nature, awakening out of her winter's death, on every Bide reechoed the glad Eister cry "Christ i 3 risen." In the Southern world, on the other hand, the drooping leaves and fading flowers and gathered corn seemed to speak of death. However, what we have lost in one respect we have gained in another. For, after all, the autumn fitly represents our present state. Wo have no immediate evidence of resurrection, but we know that, as surely as the winter will be succeeded by spring, the apparent death about us will be followed by a glad resurrestion. The preacher went on to describe a most striking ceremony that took place under the law of Moses on the morrow after the Paschal Sabbath, that is our Easter Sunday, The priests waved the first handfnl of gathered corn before the Lord, and the people brought a basket of first fruits, which was presented to God and laid before the altar. So our hope of reßurrootion lay in the fact that the first sheaf has already been waved, and the first fruits of the tomb already accepted. "Christ the first fruits; afterward tbey that are Christ's at Hia coming." And because Eister proclaims these great truths, because it anticipates a great ingathering at the last day, it may with equal appropriateness be linked with harvest time as with spring time. The preacher concluded with a reference to the last great harvest, and exhorted his hearers so to sow now that then they may be, in the words of St. James, a kind of first fruits of God'a creatures, and in St. John's, words, may be among the number of those who are "redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb." At the evening Bervice the church was densely paoked. It wbb with difficulty that the churoh officers found room for the overflowing congregation. The anthem was 'They have taken away my Lord' (Stainer). At the offertory Mr A. Martin Bang most acceptably the beautiful aolo «Consider the lilies.' The Rev. Henry Bolcher, D.D., was the evening preacher. In a very striking and characteristic sermon upon the text "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, the rev. doctor described the mission and work of the Christian church. It was a kingdom destined to spread throughout the world, and to make all men subjectß of the King of Kings. It was a temple in which the ohnroh was the ohief corner stone; tbe Apoetles the foundation ; men and women the walls; and the rigbteouß "the polished corners thereof. It was a body in which the members should play their individual parts, in subservience to the Head of the Body. It was a vine whose branches and twigs derived life from the common stem. The preaoher, quoting from Plato, deacribed that philosopher* ideaß with regard to mankind, and went on tp compare Plato's theory with Christian truth. Intheonecasehumanitywassupposedtohave fallen to earth as a wounded, flutteiing bird. In the other case the whole system of the Christian faith was based upon a resurrection for mankind. He finished a learned discourse by bidding his audience to lead a risen life-a life which waß held superior to I the grovelling things of earth; and whioh aeeka continually "the things whioh are 1 above " Previous to the benediotion the Te Deum was sung to Dr Smith's popular chant. Throughout the whole day the i mußioal portion of the services was very , effectively rendered by a lull objoir; and [ I Miss West's admirable playing added not a little to the success of the festival.