Bishop Barry at Queenstown.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1520, 19 February 1886, Page 2

Bishop Barry at Queenstown.

The Most Reverend A. Barry, Bishop of Sydney and Priinate of Australia, who is on a visit to New Zealand, arrived in Qu«>enstown on Saturday evening lust, accompanied by the Rev. W. H.' Elton, precentor of Chriatchurch Cathedral. Both gentlemen were at onee interviewed by the Rev. I). 0. Hampton, who arranged with tl.em to take duty in St. Peter's Church on the Sunday. The Rev. W. H. Elton preached in the morning, the Primate being present as a private worshipper only; but in the evening the Primate read the lessons and preached, the other part of the service l»eing taken by the incumbent, the Rev. D. 0. Hampton. Though but a few hours' notice had been given the church was thronged, and the more thoughtful of the large congregation were well repaid for any little self-denial some of them might have exercised in order to be present oa the occasion. The Primate gave a powerful and yet beautiful discourse -simple but dignified in language, sublime in edifying thought, conclusive in the weight of its Ureat application to every heart, and without the least strain of oratorical display. The Primate seem 3 to be every inch a bishop (a large-hearted, practical Christian v.ithal), and he was felt to be so on this occasion. Taking for his text the words " Inasmuch as ye did it not . . . depart from me," written in the 25th chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, the most reverend prelate showed how the three parables written in that chapter—viz., the parab?e of the ten virgins, the parable of the talents and the parable of the last judgment, "if (said his Lordship) I may call the latter a parable"— presented in one view, the duties aud responsibilities of man to his Maker and the [ e ialties for neglect of them. All taught the same great lesson, all gave the same solemn waruiug, viz., thus that the severity of Divine judgments will rest oa hnman souls in the great future, not so much on account of their itaving done evil as on account of their not having done good. He poiuted out also how all three parables taught us, by implication and otherwise, that salvation was the free gift of God iu Jesus Christ, but that this salvation must at the same time be earnestly sought after and striven for hy every one who wished to realise or secure it. He showed, moreover, how the parable of the ten virgins »et forth the devotional side of the Christian character—the calm, reflective phase of the Christian miud as wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit towards Goil ; while the parable of the talents showed that phase of the Christian character which included a mission in life for God, an exercise of those powers of mind, wealth and position which God lias given to each iu some degree to be employed for the glory of His name ; and, finally, that the parable of the last judgment showed that phase of the Christian character which is the result of good thoughts and works towards our fellow-men. His Lordship then pointed out that in every true Christian life—although we, no doubt, differed from one auother in the individual characteristics of our inner selves—there was a due proportion of all three Christian graces combined, viz., a due share of silent devotion towards God, a due share of active working for the glory of God, aud a due share of charity and good works towards our fellow-men. He solemnly warned his hearers against the fallacy of a dreamy religion, ofa religion tliat was void of the testimony of a good life. It was negative evil more thau positive evii—the evil of a selfish, self-pleasing, spiritually, indolent life more than a life of active evil that would condemn Christians at the last day. ''lnasmuch as ye did it not . . . depart from mc." The eloquent discourse, which was delivered in a conversational style, was listened to throughout with rapt attention, and its very dignified simplicity gave it a power, as it came forth from the lips of the learned and exalted prelate, which made its weighty words of solemn warning siuk into the hearts and minds of those who heard them, in a manner not to be easily forgotten.

On Monday morning the Primate and party went up to the Head of Lake, and having returned by Wednesday started on Thursday morning for Pembroke, Lake Wanaka, whence they intended to have proceeded to Mount Cook. The party, however, did not go farther than Pembroke, whence they proposed returning to Queenstown this evening or to-morrow. As may be gathered from announcement elsewhere, his Lordship has kiudly consented to preach again in St. Peter's Church ou Sunday next.