THE MELANESIAN FAREWELL SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4488, 1 April 1876, Page 3

THE MELANESIAN FAREWELL SERVICE.

A fare-well service to those -who leave today by the Southern Cross for missionary service in Melanesia, was held in St. Matthew's Church, last evening. The Kevs. J. Still, J. Palmer, and G. Wadrakal (who has been lately ordained), and a boy belonging to the Islands, were present. After the ordinary evening service, which was conducted by the Kevs. R. S. Hassard and Dr. Purchas, the Rev. It. S. Hassard delivered the farewell sermon from the following text: —" And they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city, and we kneeled down on the shore and prayed, and when we had taken our leave one of another we took ship. ,, — Acts, 21 c, 5 and 6 v. He first spoke 6£ the missionary labours of St. Paul, and of the many touching scenes connected with them. In reference to the present missionary efforts he said:—" Since those days missionary enterprise has become almost a different thing. It was only a few miles St. Paul went over. His district, perhaps, was about as large as New Zealand; but in these days missionary enterprise has spread to almost every part, if not every part of the world. We may. say that Central Africa, and Central Australia,: and the North of China, are perhaps the only parts which haTe not yet heard the Gospel of Christ. Look, for example, in India, where the Prince of Wales is at present visiting. I was reading, only this week, of one place there where there were 60,000 Christians andlO,ooo comniunionists. So great is the success of missionary work there that they have not merely asked, but demanded : the appointment of three additional Bishops. Take Africa, where there were only two Bishops a few years ago, there are now seven Si3hops, seven dioceses, and ■! cannot tell you the number of clergy. These are two examples of missionary enterprise, and here we have with us to-night those who are going again to join that mission, of which we know something—a mission, perhaps, the most interesting which there is belonging to the English Church. I say the most interesting, because there was one very great difficulty to cope with—the very large number of languages to be met with in those islands. It was also, besides being laborious, a task of danger. As you know, even lately these islands could not be visited with safety. You saw in the papers how a few months ago the captain of a ship was killed there, and you know well how that it is but a few years since the head of this mission was taken away by a violent death It is one of the most interesting of English missions, both on account of its dangers and on account of its labours ; and is it not much the same .with us to-night as with these in the time of St. Paul ? God forbid we should expect those -who are leaving us will meet with such a death ! Let us hope and pray such things are at an end. But we cannot forget that those who go forth, go forth as St. Paul did, with their lives in their hands. They go forth, not knowing what a day, certainly not what a year may bring forth; and we have come to bid them farewell, as J those men did to bid farewell to St. Paul. Now, what should be the thoughts thatshould pass through our minds ? .First of all, I think there is this thought, how thankful we should be that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is given to us ; that we have not been left in ignorance,—not like those in these islands, who have not heard of the Gospel, and are yet in ignorance of life hereafter. We have had all this which has been brought to us by the first missionaries ; perhaps it may have been St. Paul himself who brought it,to England. Then, when we bid these farewell, we ought to be thankful to God for the mercies we have received. Secondly, it seems to me there should be a feeling of shame on our part. These can go forth with their lives in their hands for the sake of Christ, and we should feel ashamed when we remember how little we, who profess the same Christ, do for His service ; ■ how little we are ready to give up for Him; how little we are ready to do actively for Him; hon , much we consider every Uttle trouble that comes in the way of our Christianity. Yes, brethren, when we bid these farewell, who set us an example as St. Paul did those men at Tyre, it behoves us to feel ashamed of the little we are doing, the little we are giving up for Christ; and to determine to do more in the time to come. The men and women of Tyre knelt down and prayed. That is what we ought to do. We do not ask you to-night to give any money, but to give what is far more precious—your prayers to God that He will be pleased to prosper His own work—that He will prosper these men, and that His blessing may be over the head of those missionaries, and especially, those here to-night; and let ue pray for a, prosperous voyage to the end of their mission." The service was concluded with special prayers on behalf of the missionaries.