THE FLANAGAN MISSION.

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 435, 2 December 1907, Page 4

THE FLANAGAN MISSION.

• 1 OPENED LAST NIGHT. SERVICES JN THE DRILL HALL. Tho Rev. James Flanagan, a wor- j ker in th© slums of London for the ; past thirteen years, and wlio is a lead- j ing figure in the Primitive Alcthodist persuasion, opened his five- days 1 passion in the Drill Hall yesterday. ' in the afternoon he addressed a large gathering of children, and at nigit the commodious building was packed to the doors with a very attentive congregation. The Feilding mission is being carried on by the combined Free Churches, which closed their ] buildings Jast night. Mr Flanagan i was supported on the platform by tho ! Presbyterian, Methodist. Primitive Methodist, Baptist clergymen, and * representative, of the Salvation Army. The visitor is not impressive in the opening of his addresses. Tall, greyheaded, with a cultured voice and very deliberate manner of speech, Mr Mauagan gives the impression of carrying the woes of the world and h great weariness. But as he warms to his work his voice and figure become more resonant and alert, and his gesticulations take on the semblance of the old-time "Methody" , evangelist. • Mr Flanagan gave an unconventional reading of the tenth chapter ot , Romans, making a running comment, with frequent quotations from profane poets and writers and illustra- '■ tions from incidents in his own life. A recollection ot an incident that happened only last week in Wellington reminded him that it was rare that greybeards come before him in penitence. The young came, but the old seemed to get too hardened. When he came to bis sermon, the preacher took his text from the Jfiphesians, "For by grace are ye saved," pointing out that Paul emphasised grace rather than faith. Wo were saved by grace, through Jaith. Developing his subject, the preacher said that whatever a man believed in supre.me.ly in his soul, that was bis god —it might be a dog, a horse, or gold. Men went to bell through belief—belief in the wrong. Man was not held by Higher Criticism— which hadn't got beyond tbe third chapter of (ienesis— -but was held by what was in his heart and conscience. He gave a dramatic version of the fall of man. applying the picture of the Garden of Eden to modern life. For himself, be bail not got beyond a belief in a personal devil. Tho. devil was abroad to day as much as in the Garden of Eden. Hell's rulo is "do as you like" ; Heaven's is, "do as you ought." What could men do in a fight against drink and other evils if they bad not something greater than intellect to lean upon. Definitions and dictionaries never saved men. And he knew what it was to light against evils and temptations— but he, James . Flanagan, had won, thanks be to ! God— had won tho fight thirty-six . years ago. Points were driven home j by apt quotations from his expert- : ences. Touches of humour were given, • too. It was easy, be. said, for God to . bring sinners to their knees. He had ' only to send an earthquake, and whether they were down in the mines or at the hotel bar, they dropped on their . knees praying to be saved from tbe devil ! They couldn't get along without faith. They wero sitting downdid they see what they were sitting on? Lack of faith filled the Divorce Court. And God did not ask for much in the way of faith— he wanted quality, not quantity. Speaking ot a London doss-house (a. place wnwn people lodged for tbe night) Mr Flanagan said: There were the aristocrats who for 4d could lie down,- there were those who paid 3d to sit up, and I others wbo for 2d were, bung up ! At j thesu houses much good could uu done ( by the missioner, for the people ' there, thank God, had stomachs, f Much good could be done with a. 41b loaf! Pathetic incidents followed, j and when the preacher finished he . had many of his listeners in tears. ' Then followed a long-continued appeal to "stand up." An "after service" followed. The singing was led during tbe evening by a conibiued choir, and whilst tho' collection was being taken ! up the Presbyterian choir sang an : anthem, in which Mr Geo. Bartholomew took tho solo, and Mrs James played the accompaniment at the organ. During the rest of the service Mr Temple White was at the organ. The meeting lasted just upon thre..* hours which is much too long, lbe mission is to be continued every evening until Thursday, when Mr Flanagan will conclude liis stay in Feilding with a lecture.