A WAR SERMON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10107, 15 October 1917, Page 6

A WAR SERMON.

<HA PLAIN HURGIN AT ALL SAINTS’. Ai All Saints' Cluinli last evening; t hapUiiu-Giipiuin Hui-gin. who wont to the front with the N.Z. I’illo Hrigude, eoiv.l.uetcd an impressive service, clurnio the course of which bo preached a powerful and timely discourse, in which ho mndo fitting; nTerenee to the war and its progress. His text was taken from Exodus XII., IMG: "When .Moses iiold tip Ijis hand. Israel prevailed. Tim preacher stated that since the eomnienieinnt of the war many men had passed away whom it was thought impossible to pet on without, and the question was aked; Was it possible to till their places, and can we carry on tile war to a .successful conclusion? All •knew to-day that'their places had been stilled, ami We had to thank God for ,sneli men an we had on the Western and other fronts. We were not a military people or military nation, hut in the lasi three years we had raised and mobilised between six and seven million men. On the Western front there were from three to four million men. When we thought of the adequate supplies of nuns and ammunition and the appliance.! and attention for the sick ami wounded, we saw that it was a most wonderful organisation. Never in the world's history hat! there been such an organisation as there was on the Western front to-day. We had leader* of skill, but they do nothing without the rank and file, who were 11101 o) courage, eiuluraiuv. and unselfishness; No finer men have ever fought ’Hiatt the men who are lighting our battles to-day. It was a wonderful tiling, to see the brotherhood there, the Chaplain staler!, who spoke of the Somme battle, where men from all parts of the Empire had fought side by side. The pi'eat'lmr referred to the Kreneh people, who had all fell the necessity lor prayer, but in New Zealand, where intercession services were held, these were not largely availed of. He sometimes asked himself: "Why is it that victory is so long delayed ?" We have the. men ami the splendid help of the M'ornen of the Empire, and we have the material, and also the cause. Was it because we were not putting forth our hands and taking hold of God's and praying with him as we never prayed before? The Chaplain said one from Vis community, the late Dr, Martin,

i new the joy of service. It- was his ’ milnes-s, thoughtful ness and anxiety for their .safety that had cost him his lltf l . Thorp had been no need for him e go through the barrage of lire, but be felt that his place was not in a place ol satiety, but by the side ~{ Isis own clear men, and because he Judd that idea of service he went out and gavi ids Hie for those men. He was olio of those tvJio had lea ml to pray, and he eame in to services with his men Sunday after Sunday. The .same applied to all the brave doctors ami ambulance men ut the front. The speaker went on lo say that at the beginning-of the war our brave little army was driven back step) by step ami mile bv mile because of .superior forces. Vet. when we remembered the. guns the enemy had, it wav a wottd t we had ant army fell. All that, was now reversed. Tim women and':children of the Empire had h-arnt to serve the Empire. The women in Eranee not only did men's work, but tlu-y did lioi'scs’ work. The women of J.nglnnil were also doing a great work, its the women here, could assist- in ser- ' ices ot intercession and plead with (bid while their brothers and husbands were fighting. In the meantime, Mr linrgin exhorted his hearers lo pray nit, hope on. trust on, and onr great, wonderful and noble army would light on to the di‘.-Cum ft tin i- ol the eni.-mv.