Presbyterian Church

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 4 February 1916, Page 3

Presbyterian Church

A special service was held in the Presbyterian Church on Sunday evening when the Rev. Mr Richards unveiled the Presbyterian Roll of Honour. The Church was beautifully draped with the British colours, and special hymns were sung suitable for the occasion.

The subject was “ Jacob Wrestling with the Angel,” G<p. 32, 24, “ And there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.” In the course of his remarks the Rev J. Richards said: In every age great souls have seen in this story the embodyraent of their own soul-strug-gle. In the startling and vivid form in which Jacob wrestled with the Angel they have seen expressed somo great crises in their individual lives, for there are times when every great soul will wrestle with God in the dark. What is true of the individual is also true of the nation. The English Nation for long years has basked in the sunshine of prosperity, but the prosperous years have not always resulted in the bettermeut of the conditions of the people. Prosperity of itself, does not spell reform. In many departments there has been manifested a forgetfulness of God, and conseqent weakening of the moral fibre of our national life. Our Nation, our Empire, is engaged at the present time in a night struggle that will leave its mark, perhaps for centuries. But in the struggle, and in the darkness there are being revealed truths that are eternal, truths that in prosperity the nation was forgetting. Perhaps this was the only way in which our national birthright can be restored. We are learning—we must learn that the world can only fulfil its divine mission when it is ruled by infinite and spiritual principles, and that righteous alone can build a nation. In this hour of national trouble God is seeking to come to soul-grips with the people. May it not be that as a Nation we have come to our spiritual Jabbok, and in this of sorrow we may wrestle with God and prevail. Let us hope that the dawn will soon come revealing the glory. At the close of the «address the the congregation stood while the names'were read, the Roll of Honour unveiled, and the Natioal Antham was sung. The service throughout was very impressive.