THE SERMON ON SUNDAY.

New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette, Volume I, Issue 58, 9 March 1842, Page 2

THE SERMON ON SUNDAY.

As is usual, the new Court House, which is used as a temporary church, until the Cathedral, now in course of erection, is finished, was crowded. We pbserved present His Excellency the Governor and Mrs. Hobson, the Colonial Secretary, his Honor the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, and almost every other public functionary, besides the principal inhabitants (the majority being females), of the metropolis. The Rev. Mr. Churton appropriately took his text from the Acts, chap, xvi., verse 30 ;—"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?" We transcribe, from our notes, that part of the Rev. Gentleman's discourse, which had special reference to the case of the native malefactor, Maketu : «• And, brethreu, as an exercise of charity and pity, let us apply this comforting encouragement to another purpose. We know that, very soon, there must be exercised our obedience—our fulfilment of the command of God, "That he who sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." Under the law we were forbidden to pity,—under the merciful gospel we are not, Let us, my brethren, consider if ours is a happier condition, and it a happier prospect is open to us. To what do we owe it ! Not to our birth; nor education ; nor mere knowledge ; nor mere situation, but entirely to the grace of God. Apart from that, there is no enormity, no crime or offence, within the scope of the mental or bodily powers of man, of which we may not, every one of us, be the workers. " Is my servant a dog," (said Hazaal, in the second Book of Kings), " that he should do such things is, as to the murders and cruelties which the Prophet spoke of; and yet, he went home and committed them. From the very highest places, men have, and do, fall into the foulest atrocities of sin :—it is from the neglect of the precious grace of God. In this it is, and in our hearts' receival of the Gospel, of our Saviour, that we have present comfort, and a blessed hope ; —in this, that, sinners as we are, we read the promise of our pardon ; salvation; and that', believing in Jesus Christ, we shall be cleansed from every sin, and die at peace with God. Let us then, brethren, whilst thankfully owning this mercy to ourselves, pray God, for Christ's sake, to send the grace of the Holy Spirit into the heart of the poor prisoner near us, and to lighten his eyes so that he sleep not the sleep of death. I have ventured to promise, in proof of your care for his soul, and your concern for his salvation, that the members of Christ's Church will remember him in their prayers, and I hope and trust you will fulfil the pledge. We will pray that into the heart of that man, from whom we differ, and from whose sins we are free only by the grace of God ; into that heart, where, at'this very hour, the first

gleams of a spiritual daylight are struggling with a spiritual darkness, it may please God to send down in speed according to the time; and in strength, according to the need, the enlightening grace" and the teaching wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Pray God in Christ, to bring his heart to ask the Gospel question ; ** What must I do to be-saved," and may that Book, which is ever in his hands, be written in his heart; that he may believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for him, that he may be awakened to a real knowledge of his spiritual condition, and a desire to seek pardon and peace in his Redeemer, and to a state of real repentance; such repentance as acknowledges that his sentence is just, and that man is only acting as the instrument to fulfil the command of our God." This solemn address, which was delivered in a manner most emphatic, made a deep impression on the congregation of worshippers.