THE HEALING MISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18518, 1 October 1923, Page 9

THE HEALING MISSION.

QUEUES AT ST. MATTHEW'S.

A MEMORABLE SERVICE.

EXPECTANT ATMOSPHERE.

MANY SICK PEOPLE ATTEND.

. "Stiver. before has Auckland witnessed & scene quite like that which took place at, St. Matthew's Church last evening tho House of God besieged by a crowd of intending worshippers so vast, that it would have taken two or three churches to accommodate these who were turned away from its doors. :,

oSo matter what doubts there may be in certain quarters as to the virtue of the Hickson Mission, there is .no doubt whatever as to tho intense and burning interest, it has roused in Auckland churchgoers and non-church-goers alike. In the great crowd which gained admission to St. Matthew's last evening, among those who ' humbly waited on the' threshold, there must surely have been scores wiio had not <-nteied the Place of trod for many and many a year; perhaps no>. .since their parents brought them there for baptism. Looking round on that concourse, the words ot the Master, spoken 2000 years ago, came irresistibly to mind, " What went ye out for to see"?" The cynic would very probably echo tho sneering jibe of a motor-man, flung after a dozen passengers who alighted opposite the church. "• Hickson mad!" But one prefers to think that, the impelling force which brought that great throng to God's Temple last evening was something deeper than . tho mere impulse of curiosity. The _ deep earnestness with which the. service was followed, the tenseness of tho silence which fell upon the multitude when Mr. Hickson mounted the pulpit, had its foundations far down among tho vital things of the spirit, not in tho mere emotional thrill of the moment or in the gratification of some idle whim.

It was an atmosphere* of tense expectancy, of a reaching out of mind and spirit after something dimly apprehended. together with a longing for clearer vision and a brighter light. There may hav b been, and most probably wore, sceptics and cynics among the thousands'of people who attended that memorable service, but. there was a living message to each and every one of them in the eloquent and powerful address; delivered by the leader of this great mission. And to those who came in humility and faith, there was a message of strong comfort and encouragemerit, which should go far toward buildin- up the spiritual life of all those who believe that the healing mission comes as an instrument for tho working out of God's good purpose. Queues At Five O'clock. It- was late in the afternoon when the first 01 the crowd began to assemble outsi do the closed doors of the church. -Jany would have remained on from the afternoon service, but the church was cleared so jthat ventilation; might ( bo effected. When the doors reopened at five clock, there were queues of people awaiting admittance.- at both the 1 main doors. _ By six o'clock, overv seat was occupied, every inch of space utilised .(he east and west galleries were densely packed, and people stood along the walls" behind the choir seats, and anywhere they could obtain foot room, save "in the mam aisles; which were kept clear. The ushers did their utmost to find accommodation for tho crowd, but the task was beyond them. Wherever • possible, however, a scat was obtained for those suffering from physical disability. And as that stream of humanity passed sJowJy into the churca, sights were seen -which -same as a thrust to the heart,' bringing poignant realisation of all that vast accumulation of pitiful human hope, which centred on (he Hickson Mission, a here was nothing like the burden of suffering that will bo made -visible this morning, but there Was quite suficient to. show that the maimed,. the halt, and the blind are ■ awaiting the touch of the healer, even as they waited the touch of Christ m ages gone by.

A Pathetic Figure. Ono of the most pathetic and striking figures -in «U that great crowd was that of an aged man, patriarchal in appearance, with snow-white hair falling. abundantly on his bowed- shoulders. He wore a bandage-across his eyes, and his hands trembled greatly as he sought to feel his way after the manner of the blind even though kindly hands were fading him. A young man dragged himself by on crutches.. Another, who -was pa and enfeebled, sank into a chair as though his strength were well-nigh, spent. Several times the remark was passed to the usher offering a hymn-sheet, "Thank you, but I cannot sec." When the great church was full, the people gathered outside. As , the chimes rang out at a quarter-past six, thev stood in a dense-packed crowd which extended from the church portals to the gates. Erery tramcar brought its quota, and soon there was a line of motor-cars extending tar up the street. From entrance to entrance the late-comers hurried, but always they were greeted with the disappointing answer that all seats were filled. In hundreds they turned away, in hundreds they waited- on in the vain'hope that they might yet gain entry. The reading of the evening lesson, the wonderful episode of , the healing of the lame man at the gates of. the temple called Beautiful, was followed with breathless interest. Many hearts must have thrilled with quickening hope as the . deathless words echoed through , the church, " . . . In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk! And He took him by the right band and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he walked with them into the temple, leaping and praising God." It was a wonderful moment, in which seemed to be centred all the hope and faith and yearning of a thousand human hearts, a 'moment intensified, by the utter stillness of .that great white church, the ringing voice the only sound. Strengthening of Faith. With reverence the congregation fol- ! lowed the bishop through the special prayers, and through tbje prayers of intercession and thanksgiving which came as the culmination of weeks of preparation. Thanks were offered for the healing gifts of the mission, for the clearer vision and spiritual uplift already received, and intercession made for all the sick and suffering, for the blind, for the children, and especially for those who had no friends to pray for them. The anthem, " All Ye That Labour and Are Heavy Laden " seemed once more to focus "all thought upon the object of the mission, and- when the preacher mounted to the pulpit as the last verse of " Lead, ! Kindly Light " rang through the church, there was a depth and pathos in the singing that made it, more of a prayer than a hymn. With the same rapt attention the congregation listened "to the inspiring words of the address and, as the thousands of. worshippers stepped out into the quiet. night at the conclusion of the. service it seemed as though the volume of faith and belief in the Hickson Mission had re ceived a strength and confirmation thai must stand firm, against all doubts and criticism.