THE CHURCHES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 42

THE CHURCHES.

ST. iTOnx’s. The services at St. John’s on Sunday, ! morning and evening, were conducted by | the Ikjv J. Paterson. 'The subject in the i morning was “ Christian converse helpful 1 to the Christian life,” Jlalachi iii., Hi : i “ Then they that feared the Lord spake f often one to another.” 'I lie preacher re- ! marked that the times in which Malachi lived j and taught were very degenerate, and those ! in whose heart there was still tho reality of religion, and whose moral life was conI sistent, found their converse and fellowship j one with another to be helpful, and so j they sought out one another and often J met together in tho sanctuary or in j their private houses, and spake to j one another of tho Kingdom of | God and of their own personal interest j in it. So it is still, continued the preacher. ; Social worship and private Christian con--1 verse are most helpful iu sustaining and 1 refreshing and invigorating tho Christian | i ;fe, and in developing and strengthening the i Christian character. .Religion must always 1 be a welcome subject cm which to converse. [ Not that Christians aro to speak on this ' w. alter i n any very formal way, or on any and j every occasion whether seasonable or unseasonable. There are times and circum- ! staV.ov'3 in which it would be out of place, j and to introduce it would do more harm j tlr-an 'rood. And it is necessary to warn ( r. gainst mere talking about religion witliVlt religions feeling and repeating mere | platitudes without religious conviction. ' ‘i lie urged young Christians who ft,-, e Xoginuing the work and warfare of tho 'hvistvau life to seek out companions of ! ’*'ndred spnrit’with themselves ; Christian • « a] -a nions with whom they can with perfect ! c,' •* It den A' open up their minds and hearts. ! p* the evening Mr Paterson’s subject was | “'-od Spi«iking to us from Heaven, and mi, duty and highest interest in hearing ! and obeying,” Hebrews xii., 25. Mr I JLmgl'.au Harnett presided at the organ, I and r..e choir sang the anthem, “ Enter j not in Judgment” (Attwood). ' li L'C'ft f.K STISEET CIIUKCII. The Rev Father Goggan, preaching at [ 9.30 o’clock Masson the Gospel of tho Day, in which Christ likens Himself to tho shepln’i'd, spoke of the shepherds commissioned to watch ovi r the fold of the Church. The priest who did his duty faithfully was a gondshopl. 'rd, bu t he who failed was like the lib-ding umitit i.i din the Gospel, who d-1 ;o !•' - wo)'appeared. There wore i oVvr hi? ii i f Iso. There were bad ;i!.-jits ho neglected to train their chip .oil. wo] ,rly, and he strongly warned virfl Is t .at they must show good example, vithout which precept was useless. Bad Catholics were hirelings—those who professed (o bo of tho faith, while their talk at their daily work was full of scurrility and scandal. Theso, he declared, did tho work of demons. st. peteiFs. At St. Peter’s Church on Sunday tho usual services wore held. At the evening service, when the church was crowded in every part, tho lessons were read by Mr j J. A. Tripe, 15. A. Tho “Magnificat” and I “ Nunc Dimittis” were set to ordinary chants, and the anthem, which was well sung by tho choir, was tho famous one, “ The Lord is King.” Air T. Tallis Trimnoil, Mils, llac., presided at the organ, and played an exceedingly fine voluntary as the congregation dispersed. 'The hymns were all in keeping with tho day and the season. Tho vicar preached morning, afternoon and evening, and gave notice that the offertories next Sunday would bo in aid of Hie general church fund, and also made an earliest appeal on behalf of the coming confirmations. st. paue’s. The vicar (Rev. T. 11. Sproft) was as* [ .‘fisted in the morning by the Rev 11. F. | Tuclo .f, who read the lessons ami assisted i,i tli" Communion service. The vicar I preached both morning and evening, his | text iii the morning being from the Kpistle 1 l a- the day, 1. St. Peter, ch. 2, v. 21, and ! i-i the evening he continued his lectures on | tho Book of Job. In the evening tho choir s ing the anthem, " Blessed be God,” the soio being taken by Miss Lpliain. st. .mary’s <-atj!i:i >kat,. Sunday being tho third Sunday of tho mouth, 1 here was Exposition during the day, an I iu the evening tho usual proee.s----..11-ii inside l he church. The Vespers were Kmorioh’.s P.-.dm-:, Rossi's “ Magnificat,” .'‘••(••pay’s “ Tun I urn Ergo," L imlullote’s ! ••'Laud tie,” and Cimitio's” Divine Praises.” • Mr i 'unino was conductor, Mr MacDuil' ib-yil 1- i tho orchestra, and Miss Kelly presided at the organ. Before the procession Meinforth’s ijuaitetto “ Ad To ! Levai r ” was sung, Mr Rowe taking the introductory tenor soio. mom:;;'.vorth street weseey church. Tiie an iii urns arv services in connection with tho Alolcsworth street Wesley Church i were held on dunday, when the Rev A. !5. Chappell, v. iio Ins succe -dod tiie Rev li. J. | Munuy, preached for the first time last j Sunday evening. WESLEY CHURCH. The congregations of tho United Free Methodist and Bihlo Christian Churches attended at the "Wosloy Church on Sunday, it being the first since the union of these I with tiie Wesleyan denomination. The i picaehcr both morning and evening was ! the Rev W. f!aumber. In the morning the j discourse was based on Psalm 102, verse 13, j the preacher making special reference to ' the union, and also to the work of tho j church for the coming year. In the evening j the sermon was on Isaiah, chap. 12, verso

4, “ He shall not fail, nor be discouraged.” There were large congregations at all the services. In the evening the anthem “ In Humble. Faith and Holy Love ” was sung, Air Harland presiding at the organ, and Air Williams conducting. ST. MARY OF THE ANGELS*. At St. Alary of the Angels’ on Sunday, Gounod’s Alass was sung by the choir, the celebrant being the Very Rev Father Devoy. In the evening, at Vespers, the Rev Father Ainsworth was preacher. Aliss Ilewson, of Pollard’s Opera Company, sang lleckler’s “Garden of Sorrows,” with ’cello obliggato by Air Cleaver. Air F. J. Oakes conducted both morning and evening. st. Andrew’s. The Rev C. S. Ogg chose for his text Luke xiv, 12. The preacher said that in this language of Christ's there is a lofty spirituality that must not bo taken with narrow lilerality. lie gave several illustrations of what the poor are and how wo may invite them. One of theso was this : The poor may bo tho young in danger on going astray. There is, bo said, in this city an institution founded of principles of wise benevolence. It thinks of youths who have to encounter the difficulties of life and the temptations of the street. They havo evenings when they do not know what to do with themselves ; they arc tempted to make a bad use of their time from not knowing how to make a good use of it. This institution invites such youths, provides means of instruction and amusement for brave hearts that might go astray in this dark world where there arc so many pitfalls into which the unwary and inexperienced may tumble. Another illustration was that of a hospital nurse bringing a patient’s food, not only with care, but with all kinds of pleasant words. T E R R A C E CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. The services of the day were conducted by the pastor, Rev J. R. Glasson, who preached in the morning from ALitt., vi. chap., 28th .and 29th v. : “ Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin ; and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” From these words of our Lord to His disciples, a helpful and eminently practical address was given, the speaker dwelling largely on God’s care, love and solicitude for His children. Prior to the regular sermon, a short, bright address to the young people present was given from St. James, i. chap, and 17th v. At the evening service the preacher took for tho subject of his address Matthew, 12th chap, and 30th v., ‘‘He that is not with Ale is against Ale; and he that gathereth not with Ale scattoreth abroad.” In the course of tho sermon the preacher remarked : Each one is conscious of being free to choose and do, tho right or tho wrong; to be either gatherers with Christ, or opposed to Him, rejecting Him—seattorers abroad. Wo cannot circumscribe our influence on those around us day by clay, and by our life and actions are spiritually helpful to those with whom wo come in contact, or tho reverse. st. mark’s. Tho Yen Archdeacon Stock, 15. A., preached in the morning from Numbers xx., part of the 10th and 11th verses “Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock ? And Aloses lifted up his hand, and with his rod smoto the rock twice, and the water came out abundantly.” This rock, which is still flowing, said the preacher, is a true typo of Christ. Tho stream resembles tho water of life, ever flowing from Him, and of which all may drink freely. Some people doubt tho accuracy of theso writings of Aloses, but, lie said, tho writings are true, and explorers havo found everything to agree exactly with tho accounts given in the Scriptures. CHURCH OF CHRIST, DIXON STREET. The proachoron Sunday night was Air Edward Lewis, and his subject was “Tho Church of God.” Ho stated that all great purposes must for their very preservation be conserved in some organism, and God has preserved the purpose of mail’s salvation in tho Church of God, and that all communities being prone to apostasy, God lias guarded against this by making tho con.-t il ill ion of His Church complete iu the New Testament script uies; that Christ is head over all 1 hings to t ho Church which is His ! roily ; llio woikof Jlis Church not being j to legislate, but to carry oiis the simple I regulations made by ils Lord ; licit tho j Church of God, under the New Testament age, is to bo made up of those who can ! understand, and understanding, .have the heart to believe and obey Jesus, their obedience commencing with confessing Jesus and submitting to the ordinance of Christian baptism, carried on in the ordinance of the Lord’s supper on the first day of the week, the teaching and exhorting one another, and in the general manifestation of the Spirit of Christ; that the Church of God is not constituted of various sects or deiiominati ms, but is one mi- , divided brotherhood. CATHOLIC Ai'OSTOLIC CHURCH. Air Tucker, from Melbourne, was the preacher on Sunday night. He took for ids subject “Tho Ark of Noah,” and its lessons of warning and hope for this time. Jn the first dispensation, ho said, wo see a good beginning—-a course of failure ending in apostasy and judgments from God—and a way of escape provided by Him for the faithful. The course of the second dispensation was similar—ending in the crucifying of our Lord, followed by the destruction of Jerusalem and tho dispersion of the Jews. But first there was warning given by the preaching of John tho Baptist, and an ark of refuge provided in the Church of Christ. The present dispensation began gloriously at Pentecost. There were precious ministries given for her perfecting—that by the hands of the Apostles she might bo presented to tho Lord at His appearing, and might reign with Him in His kingdom. As it was in tho previous dispensations, so in the Church. She soon lost tho hope set before her, and the fourfold ministry and those manifestations of

the Spirit which wero seen while she remained faithful. And now the one company of the baptized, divided into many sects, the very idea of unity lost, and spiritual life ebbing away in consequence, is fast ripening for the outpouring of tho predicted judgments of God. KENT TERRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. The subject of Sunday morning’s sermon was the Fifth of the Seven Sayings of the CrOiS, I thirst, John xix., 28. This cry, it was stated, teaches us the true humanity of our Lord, and proves that our endurance of suffering should be something distinct from the apathy and callousness of the stoic. The preacher pressed home tho thought that Jesus is still thirsting, not bodily, but for the love, the loyalty and tho services of His people, and the hearers were told that tho Redeemer has committed the alllieted to our care, and that any service we render to them He will take as done to Himself. It was pointed out also that the lessons inculcated were appropriate to the observance of tho Lord’s Supper, which was to be celebrated next Sabbath. The minister, the Rev J. Kennedy Elliott, preached again at night. COURTENAY PLACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. Owing to the visit of the Rev 15. T. Hallowes to Timaru, whore ho on Sunday took the anniversary services of the Congregational Church in that town, the pulpit at Courtenay place was filled by supplies. Mr John Keith took the morning service, giving an earnest evangelical address based upon Raul’s address before Agrippa. Jn the evening the address was given by AD Charles Luke, and also was both earnest and thoughtful. st. James’, nkwtown. Tho Rev \V. Shirei', preaching at this church on Sunday evening, said:—Tho lips that pray and praise should not defame others. The man who seeks to injure others injures himself. Words incite to evil, proclaim moral deformity, excuse wrong doing. Many say “ 1 make no profession,” and so consider themselves qualified to criticise those who do. Often such criticism only reveals the moral sluggard, if not the moral coward. All Christians should pray: “ Set a watch before my mouth,” “ Guard the door of my lips.”