CHAPMAN-ALEXANDER MISSION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16192, 19 March 1913, Page 5

CHAPMAN-ALEXANDER MISSION.

THE MIDDAY SERVICE,

There was a largo attendance at His Majesty's Theatre yesterday, at 1 p.m., when the service for business men was held. The theatre was well filled.

The service opened with .hymns, heartily sung under the direction of Mr Alexander, Mrs Harkness taking the solo parts. In response to the request of Di" Chapman, a number of ministers gave accounts of the services they had held in their churches that morning. Dr Erwin said that he had had thirty present, and a good meeting. The Rev T. Tait announced, amid applause, that lie had had 100 people present, at the ten o'clock service, and thirty people present at a special eight o'clock service. He had decided to have an eight o'clock service every morning in the week. A number of other ministers also gave interesting and encouraging reports of the services at their churches.

- I>r ChajHnan said that on the following day the last of the midday services . would be held. He exhorted those present to bring their friends during the last days of the mission. The doctor gave a helpful and interesting address from the eighteenth chapter of Jeremiah, fourth verse: " So lie made it ' again.” He drew an analogy between a potter making a piece of pottery and fashioning it over again after it had been finished, and God fashioning over again the soul of one of His creatures. He' asked those present to carry the Bible with them, and let it work. The? service closed with hymns and the Benediction. * .... . . THE EVENING’S PROCEEDINGS. ANOTHER LARGE CONGREGATION. The monster tent in Tuam Street tras crowded again last night, when the Chapman-Alexander mission was continued. At 7.30 p.m. the usual ;. song service was conducted by Mr C. A. Alexander. <•. Dr Erwin, before Dr Chapman addressed the gathering, briefly made the announcements for Easter. On Thursday, at 10.30 a.m., a meeting of minis•ters will be held at the Young Men’s ' Christian Association Buildings, at 3 p.m. a service will be held in the Tent and again at 7.30 p.m. a service will be* held. On Good Friday a special service will bo held in tho Tent at \0.30 a.m. At 3 p.m. there will be a special service for Sunday school teachers and Christian workers, and at 7.30 p.m.. th,ero will be tho usual evening service. Easter Sunday will see the close of the mission in Christchurch. At 9.30 a.m. there will be a consecration service, and at 3 p.m. a service for men only. At 8.15 p.m. the last service in the Tent will take place. To-day, from 1 p.m. to 150 p.m., Dr Chapman will give his last address to business men at His Majesty’s Theatre, and at 4 p.m. there will be a service for young people m the Tent. At 6 p.m. there will be a meeting for Church officers at St Andrew’s Hall. At 7.30 p.m. there will be the usual general service in the Tent. j

Dr Chapman preached from Jerojniah, 28 and 16, "This year thou shalt die." The average of human life as the world grew older was decreasing and now it was about thirty year?. A man spent twelve years preparing for life and ho devoted a third of the time allotted to him in sleeping. ■ A very little time was left for preparing for eternity, Death was not the reason for a man being a Christian, »ut the real reason was fifty years of life. But if a man believed that tho lliblo spoke truly for him he would prepare for eternity. The speaker ap' t /eated for the consecration of the altar in the home .and for tho Christian life In the home. His call, he said, was to the man, a call to a new God, and to a deeper meaning in Christian life. There ■ wero_ . churches with gre.n preachers, high-salaried choirs and an aristocratic congregation that yet were dead, and he felt that if the churcio-; iid away with much of the nlere show

they would get nearer to the real desires of God. The church that "got too close to the world lost its power, and that was the explanation of the fact that in America the world would not go to church. The greatest 'evil to be conquered now was disbelief of the people. Preachers were criticised, justly and unjustly, but they had difficult tasks. He knew why some churches halted, failed; why preachers had broken hearts and lost their power. It was because there, was someone working in tkos« churches who was out of sympathy with God and was dead. The world required a church on fire with a passion. There never would bo brought to bear aii\ influence;that had not been exerted in the past. God had done all He would do for redemption through Christ. '

After the address Dr Chapman spoke to a large number of men in the smallei tent.