THE CHURCHES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1266, 4 June 1896, Page 42

THE CHURCHES.

ST. JOHN S.—ANNIVEKSAttY SERVICES. Sunday-school services wore held at St. John's Presbyterian Church on Sunday morn ing, afternoon and evening, "md there were large attendances at all tho services. Special hymns wore selected, the Sunday scholars (assisted by the church choir) loading the singing. Mr William Hopkirk, who has bestowed much pains in training the children, conducted, and the beautiful singing reflected much credit on the .skill with which he had trained them. Mr Maughan Barnett, as usual, presided at the organ, ft was a very interesting and impressive sight to see so many children assembled in the church with their parents and teachers and others for worship, and to hear thnir young voices singing so sweetly tho bcautrful hymns. Tho morning service was conducted "by the Rev J. Pateison, the pastor. His sormenette to the children was based on the text " I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts" (Psolms, lit), G 3). He spoke of the influence of companionship on character: the kind of companions to choose—those who are truthful, pure in thought and conversation, honest and open and straightforward ; thoso who would not scoff at religion, but reverence it ; thoso who fear God and who give their heart to tho true Divine Friend—the Friend that stioketh closer than a brother. In his sermon to tho congregation, Mr Patcrson dwelt on the Christian training of children, based on tho text " Train up a child in the way ho should go, and when he is old ho will not depart from it," Prov. xxii., 2-k Tho training has to do with the moulding the child's character, instilling right principles, forming right habits and leading into the right way of life, and this training, said tho preacher, should bo begun when tho child is young and tho nature plastic and impressionable. It should be directed not only to the intellectual, but to the moral nature of tho child, to tho heart, to tho conscience. True education must rest on a religious basis. It implies knowledge, tho highest knowledge, the knowledge of God, of our relationship to Him, of tho duties we owe to Him as well as to one another, the knowledge of the Gospel, of tho facts and truths of Christianity. This knowledge wo obtain, not only from material nature and our own moral nature, but clearest and fullest from the Biblo, God's word. Whero is this training to bo given ? In the home-school, tho oldest, the earliest and the best ; in tho Sunday school as auxiliary, and in tho school whero tho child receives tho rest of its education, bo it privato school or public school. Education is not complete without tho religious element. Tho Jiiblo, our noblest classic, and that book which contains tho most essential knowledge, should not, said tho preacher, bo excluded from our public schools. In the afternoon a special service was held in the church for tho Sunday school children, teachers, parents and friends. The Rev Mr Ward preached an appropriate scsrmon, and in the evening the Rev W. Baumber conducted service, and preached to a crowded congregation. The collections amounted to ,£33 3s. At the St. John's Sunday schools there arc over 800 scholars in attendance; these are taught by about 70 teachers. There are over 150 young people in the senior Bible classes, all over 15 years of age. Those services are to bo followed by a tea mooting in tho schoolroom and public meeting in the church on Wednesday evening. st. petek's. The festival of Trinity Sunday was observed on Sunday at St. Peter's with all tho special marks which always distinguish any of the greater ecclesiastical feasts at that church. There were celebrations of the Holy Communion at 8 a.m., and after morning prayer. Beautiful hymns were sung at the various soavices, and at evensong, when thero was a large congregation, Psalms wore sung to chants by Fostor and Monk. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis wore sung to Stainer in D, and the anthem was "In Humble Faith," the words by Renoll, and the music by Garrett, tho duet in tho same being well sung by two choir boys— Alick Geary and William Windsor. Mr J. A. Tripe read tho lessons and Mr T. T. Trimnell, Mus. Bac, presided at tho organ throughout tho day, and at evensong he played a beautiful voluntary, after which a merry peal was rung out on the church bells. TIUC CHINESE QUESTION. At St. Paul's tho Rev C. Tisdall was tho preacher both morning and evening, and on both occasions preached from Isaiah vi , tho first eight verses, being a description of Isaiah's vision. The time' in which Isaiah lived, he said, was the most flourishing time in Judah since the time of •Solomon, but underneath all tho commerce and progress there was a great deal of immorality, venality, land grabbing and fearful luxury. Was the sin of luxury unknown now in New Zealand, he asked, or was land grabbing an unknown sin? Tho preacher then went on to speak of the lack- of religion in the present system of education, ami heartily en lorsod the remarks made on the .subject by •• Scrutator" in last week's New Zealand .Mail in which, while agreeing that the Chinese are responsible for much of the evil done among young girls, ho speaks of the conduct of the parents of these children in allowing them to run wild about the streets. Tho preacher contended that it is apparent to the most casual observer that there are a large number of children growing up in a Godless and irreligious state, and the Church, knowing that, wanted to introduce the Bible into schools, knowing that these children did not get any religious teaching at home, in many cases for the reason that their parents were unable and unwilling to give it them. In regard to the Chinese, lie did not uphold their immorality, bathe contended thatin decrying the Asiatic they were to a great extent pulling the mote out of other people's eyes ami ignoring the beam in their own. If they would provide mU.-.iouf.rics for the Chinese in New Zealand they would do far more good than by sending an occasional missionary to China. As to tho Anti-Chinese League, he characterised such a body as unchristian. st. .mary's cathedral. 1 he Rev Father Costello celebrated Mass at 11 o'clock on Sunday, and in the course of a brief sermon urged tho necessity for fervour and (vholo-heartedness in tho worship of God. Ho uttered a special warning to thofco who were lato in attending Mass. Tho music was as usual effective, tho choir singing with jjreat spirit.

TERRACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. The Rev J. Reed Glasson (pastor) preached both morning and evening, his subject in tho evening being a further address on the subject of "The Higher Criticism of the Biblo." KENT TERRACE I'RESHYTERIAN CHURCH. On Sunday morning a practical sermon was preached from the words " Be ye holy, for I am holy"—I. Peter i, HJ. The points dealt with were the nature, the necessity, and the means of obtaining sanctification. The sermon was preparatory to a mission shortly to bo started by tho Rev George Soltan, who has been labouring in the South with remarkable success, and who is coining here shortly to hold meetings for the culture of tho devout life. At night the pulpit was occupied by the Rev Mr Southey, who is connected with the China Inland Mission, and who is in the Colony awaiting the arrival of tho Kev J. Hudson Taylor,"the founder of this popular and useful mission. The discourse was deeply interesting. st. mark's. Tho Rev R. Coffey preached in the morning from St. Matthew xxviii, verse If): " Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of tho Holy Ghost." He spoke of tho doctrine o( the Holy Trinity taught by the Church, and proved by the Scriptures. It is, he said, a great mystery which we aro bound to believe, but which we are unable fully to understand. We aro to believe it because God has revealed it to the Church. Tho Kev R. Coffey preached in the evening, his subject being''The eflicaey of blessing." Being Trinity Sunday the music was fully choral, and the anthem in the evening was "The earth is tho Lord's," by Trimnell Thero waa also a special anthem, the hymn "Lead Kindly Light," set to music by Sir John Stainer. Tho Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis were sung to Stainer in A and D. WESLEY CHUROH. Tho Rev. J. Ward preached on Sunday morning at Wesley Church, Taranaki street, tho discourse being based on 11. Kings, chap. 2, v. 11—" And it came to pass, as they still went on anil talked, that, behold thero appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of lire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven." In tho evening the pulpit was occupied by tho Kev. J. Paterson, who took for his text 11. Corinthians, chap. 12, v. 2, " I know a man iu Christ." Tho preacher dealt with being in Christ, and what it implied and the blessings of it, and also its duties and responsibilities. Tho anthem in the evening was appropriate to Trinity Sunday, being "In humble faith and holy love." CJURTENAY PLACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. " Walking in the light " (I. John, i., 7) was tho text upon which tho Revß. T. Hallowes built his discourse on Sunday morning at tho above bright little church, his similitude being tho need of living in tho sunshino spiritual as well as natural. " Tho Deluge " ((Jenesis, vi., 12, 13) was tho subject of one of Mr Hallowes' popular special evening addresses, which he gives monthly, and ho treated tho subject most instructively. Noah's deluge, said tho preacher, was probably local, affecting only a portion of the earth's surface, the opinion now of most Christian writers. ST. JAMES*. The Rev W. Shirer preached at the morning service from Hebrews, i., 1-2, dividing his subject into throo branches—(l) The inspired Word, (2) the recorded Word, (3) the Word incarnate. In Christ God had spoken to tho world. Through Him tho fullest revelation had come to men. In tho evening the text was Genesis, i., 1. The cosmogony of Genesis was compared with that of Chaldea and Egypt. In contrast Genesis tells of one God. Wo must remember in our study, said tho preacher, the purpose of the revelation, the method of tho writer, his timo and personality. The inspired record, rightly understood, does not necessarily come into conflict with scienoo. st. Andrew's. Tho Rev C. S. Ogg, preaching at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, took tor his text IL Corinthians 13th chap, and sth verse, " Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith." His discourse was upon the subject of faith, and ho said the object of tho Christian faith is God revealed in Jesus Christ. In tho evening Air Ogg preached from St. Mathew xi., 5, " Tho poor have the gospel preached to them." In an impressive serman he dwelt on the simplicity and fan-caching nature of tho Gospel and its great influence and popularity when stripped of mere dogma and formalism.