HOME MISSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 541, 7 August 1865, Page 3

HOME MISSIONS.

ST. PAUL S. Collections wore made yesterday in the Churches of St. Paul, St. Mary, and St. Matthew, in behalf of the Home Mission in connection with the Church of England in this Province. Bishop Selwyn preached an eloquent sermon, in the morning at St. Paul's Church, and in it pleaded with great earnestness for aid to assist in providing three or four clergymen to visit, periodically, various outlying settlements in the diocese, and to afford occasional opportunities of worship in places too thinly inhabited to raise funds for either the stipend of a clergyman or the erection and maintenance of schools and churches. The Bishop contrasted the richness of England with the poverty of New Zealand as to means of grace, and again, the richness of such a town as Auckland as compared with the settlements scattered up and down the bush, and eloquently begged that those who fared sumptuously each Sabbath, by being able to attend such" churches as that, with organ, singing, and every necessary adjunct for christian worship, should not act in the spirit of the rich man towards Lazarus, who left him unassisted, but should stretch forth a helping hand to those who so much needed their help in this respect. People had been brought here from Fnglaud, Ireland, Scotland, aud the Cape of Good Hope, and it would be cruel indeed to leave them without pastor, without church and without schools, until thoy were able to provide these for themselves. _ Property had its duties as well as its rights : it was a trust to be accounted for, and though charity might begin at home it certainly should not end there, but rather like that of the Maker of the universe embrace all within its merciful and kindly influence. Especially had the country settlers claims on the kind consideration of those who had painted the attractions of New Zealand to them in glowing colours, for it would indeed be hard to leave them spiritually destitute in the bush of New Zealaud. The sum collected at St. Paul's in the morning was 1 £32 9s. lid., and iu the evening £13 13s. 3d.; ; total, £46 3s. 2d. St. Matthew's. At St. Matthew's Church, in the morning, the service was conducted bv the Kev. Mr. Bree. The rev. gentleman chose his test from lixodus sth chap., lfith verse" There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, make bricks, and behold thy servants are beat, but the fault is in thine own people " In the evening the prayers were read by the Kev. Mr. Bree,and the sermon preached by the Higlit Rev. the Lord. Bishop of New Zealand The Bishop's discourse was founded upon 9th chapter and 14tli verse of the Hebrews, " How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." His Lordship's discourse presented a singularly full and admirable specimen of earnest and chaste pulpit eloquence, and was listened to with wrapt attention by a crowded auditory. 'he collection at the morning service amounted to £2-1 Bs. 'Id., and that at the evening servi?e to nearly £14.