DR. SOMERVILLE AT THE THEATRE ROYAL.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1271, 15 April 1878, Page 3

DR. SOMERVILLE AT THE THEATRE ROYAL.

Yesterday afternoon Dr. Somerville gave the first of his mission discourses in Christchurch at the Theatre Royal. The hour appointed for the opening of the service was 8 o'clock, but at a quarter before that hour the lower portions of the Theatre were crowded and seats could with difficulty be found in the dress circle. The stage was principally occupied by a numerous choir, under the leaderehip of Mr W. F. Somerville, who played a harmonium. There were also several ministers of religion on the stage, among whom were the Rsvs. W. Morley, J. Elmslie, J. Smalley, C. Fraser, W. J. Habeas, Luxford, and W. S. Potter. Punctually at three o'clock the choir sang the hymn " The Lord is my Shepherd," after which Dr. Somerville ordered the doors to be closed, while the Rev. J. Elmslie offered a prayer. A few minutes were then occupied by the settling of as many as possible of the audience in seats. The Rev. J. Smalley read a portion of the second chapterof St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, and the hon. sec. announced that there would be a noon prayer meeting daily at the Oddfellows' Hall from 12 to 1, at which Dr. Somerville would preside. On Monday there would be an address by Dr. Somerville to Ministers and Christian workers, at the same hall. Admission to this would be by tickets, which could be obtained from ministers or from booksellers. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, there would be Evangelistic services at 7.30 in the Oddfellows' Hall, and on Eriday it was expected that another meeting in the Theatre Royal would be held. He concluded by asking attention to the advertisements of the meetings which Avould from time to time appear in the daily papers, and by enforcing the necessity of punctuality at all t'he meetings. Dr. Somerviile expressed anxiety that Christians should attend the noonday meetings, as upon these depended very much the success of the evening meetings. To-night's address, he explained, was to be delivered specially to workers in the ministry, but the meeting would be open to all. None but ticket-holders would be admitted till five minutes before half-past seven, after that time those who had not tickets would be admitted if there was room in the hall. The choir sang the hymn " I've been redeemed." Dr. Somerville then came to the front of the stage and began his address, reading several verses from the fourth chapter of the first epistle of St. John, from which he selected the words of his text "God is love." This he said was the sum and substance of the law of God and of the gospel of Christ. This love of God had beou wholly displayed on the cross. As astronomers, when thoy were anxious to make researoh into the nature and structure of the sun, chose as the best time for their observations the period of total eclipse, so Christians must seek for a true idea of the love of Gad in the darkness of Gethsemane and Calvary. The subject was so vast that there was danger of losing oneself in its contemplation. He would limit himself therefore to one style of illustration, and call their attention to some of the aspects in which the Divine love was shown to us in the Holy Scriptures. The preacher detailed these aspects as follows : pity, compassion, grace, merer, long suffering, forbearance, readiness to* forgive, condescending kind ness, bountifulness, and comphcency. He distinguished and compared these, illnstrating them by numerous examples and tests t*m M&m »a 4 vmpx?i tUe

love of G-od in its many aspects to the grand river St. Lawrence, with its lakes, and outlets, and rapids, and cataracts, ever the same grand river, but with numerous names given to it from the varied manner of its flow, or from the changed hue of its waters, or from the different characteristics of its banks, or from its thousand ish'ts. The mighty river of G-od's love had been flowing for six thousand years through this accursed earth, and every man could draw from it the water of salvation. The preacher then compared the Bible to a prison, through which the light of the love of God was refracted ; but if he was asked where all the refracted rays were brought into ono focus, he would answer, " In the Cross of Christ." He exhorted all to receive Christ and trust in Him for salvation. There might be some present who would say that their sins were too heinous to be forgiven. To these he woidd quote from the first verse of trie 63rd chapter of Isaiah —" I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Here the preacher introduced an anecdote of a husband and father endeavoring to save his wife and child by swimming from a wrecked vessel. The father's strength gives out, and he i 9 coinpellod to choose between the two objects of his affection, which he shall sacrifice in order to save the other. The story produced a great sensation in the audience from the graphic manner in which it was told. Christ's arms, the preacher continued, never wearied, they were mighty to save multitudinous millions. Into those arms he exhorted his hearers to cast themselves and all that were near and dear to them, trusting to find there a home from which they would never be thrust. The address took just one hour. There was one short interruption, caused by the cries of an infant, whose removal the preacher requested, suspending his discourse until his request was complied with. The hymn "Mighty to save" having been sung, the Bev. W. Morley pronounced the benediction, and the meeting dispersed, the choir singing a hymn meanwhile.