PRIOR VAUGHAN AT SOUTH DUNEDIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10572, 20 January 1896, Page 4

PRIOR VAUGHAN AT SOUTH DUNEDIN.

The Very Rev. Piior Vaughan, C.S.G., officiated at the early mass-yesterday at St. Patrick's Church, South Dunedin. . The announcement made by the Bey. G. Hunt at all the morning services that the prior would preach in the evening brought together at 6.30 p.m. an overflowing congregation. The preacher tcolc for his theme " How to love God." He said that the main point which should engage the attention of; every follower of Christ was how to get to love God. Love was tbe basis and tbe essence of the spiritual life, and there could be no real religion or supernatural union with God without divine love. All human lovo should be in God, for God, and through God; and such love as did not terminate in God was deordinate. Man was not merely a rational being, but had also been endowed with a heart, that Bought a worthy object for its affections. The heart lovsd nothing except under the aspect of the pleasurable or lovable. The true objects of the intellect were the true, the good, and the beautiful. When the intellect presented these objects to the will, the heart went out to them and embraced and loved them. Two thoughts should jpersuade man to love God. First, the consideration that God is, by nature and e-sence, Himself the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, and therefore transcendency beyond all Created creatures as the rightful object of our entire, love.. All nature is true and good and beiutifui only inasmuch as it is an outflow from Him who is tbe fountain of all that is beautiful and lovable. Secondly, thu argument whioh the beloved disciple used to inculcate so much upon his followers—" Little children, let us love God, because God has first loved us." The preacher then weut ou to describe what kind of love our love of God should be—viz , a love of preference: putting the. Creator first on all occasions, and creatures in'a secondary place. Then with regard to the dejroo or measure in which we should love God, it should be, according to St. Augustine, a love without m«as_re. God in a thousand ways wag continually crying out to his redeemed children, "Son, give Me thy heart." He cared for naught else but our heart. We might feed the hungry, clothe the naked, distribute oue wealth to the poor, and spend large sums in building churches, but if while offering these to God we held back our affections and gave our hearts totally to tho creature, we insulted God rather than honoured Him. This was as though we flung Him the setting aDd retained the jewel; offered lho shell and kept the yoke; presentad the dead corpse and held back the spirit. In conclusion, the preacher exhoitsd bis audience to devote their hearts to the love and service of God. Thia would secure for them peace and contentment of soni—" Tbou hast made üb, 0 Lord, for Thyself, and our hearts cannot rett until they rest in Thee." During tbe benediction, which followed, tbe choir rendered several pieces of music with artistic effec-.