THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 7485, 25 May 1885, Page 2

THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY.

Yesterday was the sixty-sixth anniversary of the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen, who was born on the 24tb of May, 1819, Reference was made to the anniversary of the Queen’s birthday In several of the churches yesterday, and the national anthem was played morning and evening. At St Feter'e Church the bells were rung at 8 o’clock in the morning and after the evening service in honor of the event. Archdeacon Stock preached a sermon suitable to the occasion, in which he alludfd to the coincidence between the Queen's Birthday and Whit Sunday falling upon the same day. He rejoiced in the excellence of her law, her strict justice, and the greatness of her Empire. He referred to the high personal character of the Queen, which was in direct contrast to that of some of her predecessors. Her household had always been a pattern for every other English household, and every pablic duty had been well and faithfully performed. Sorrow fell upon her at an early date through the loss_ of her husband, whose last act was the writing of a memorandum which had averted war between England and America. A Messing had been upon her rule, since 1837. New Zealand was not then a colony; Sydney and Melbourne were comparatively small places. Never at any time had there been a greater effort to make known God’s truth throughout the world, and to find out and relieve the miseries of the poor. The Russians spoke of the wonderful luck that followed all the undertakings of England; we called it God’s blessing. Reference was made to the present crisis with Russia, the loyalty of the Australian Colonies, and the lamented death of the late General Gordon. At St. John’s Presbyterian Church, the Rev Mr Paterson offered up a special prayer that the Qneen might be long spared, and that she might be given grace to spread her benign influence over all her subjects. The rev gentleman said we had cause to be thankful that we had such a Christian Queen and mother reigning over us. The lesson was particularly appropriate, being taken from I. Timothy, li. X —6, wherein Bt. Paul exhorts Timothy to offer up prayers and supplications for Kings and for all that are in authority. At the Wesley Church, Taranalri-street, there were sneclal prayer and thanksgiving for the virtnes so long conspicuous in Her Majesty’s reign.