THE LIFE THAT LASTS.

Evening Star, Issue 14003, 9 March 1909, Page 8

THE LIFE THAT LASTS.

MR HUGH PATON'S MISSION

In the Burns Hall last night Mr Hugh Pat-on, the Scottish evangelist, began" a week's mission in encouraging circumstances, a large and listening audience giving the speaker heart to talk effectively or '• the kfe to live, the life that tells, the lite which, lasts." Dr Nisbet presided and after reading from the Epistle of St! Paul to the Philippians, he asked the audience to bring their friends to the following meetings. Mr Paton said he would speak on ' The Life to Live.' His text was "For me to live is Christ; to die is Rain." It was not every man or woman who could honestly say that; but the man with, the personal grip on Christ could do so. It was hard to believe in a man's disinterestedness if he always stood to win. But let a man give up everything and then people were bound to believe in him. St. Paul, a man whose powers could command all the best of what life could give him, swept it all aside for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ. "This was the decision of a man of mighty intellect." St. Paul's decision had been arrived at in one wonderful moment; he had adhered to that decision all his years, and the effects of that decision would go on accumulating till eternity. Its suddenness had no bearing on its "lastmgness." After referring to St. Paul's belief that " for me to live is Christ," and that, wonderful conversion on the road to Damascus, the speaker emphasised the need of having possession of an enthralling passion for Christ to enable a man to conscientiously repeat the words of the text. "Living" Christ brought out all the powers of the soul. The operation of the higher law made a man walk confident and upright whither he had stumbled before. The evangelist concluded a telling address with an appeal to live for Christ.

During the meeting hymns were sung by the assembly and by the members of the combined First Church choir and Special Mission choir, under the guidance of Mr J. Timson.

To-night and to-morrow night Mr Paton will conduct meetings in Burns Hall, and on Thursday and Friday in First Church.