THE SUNDAY CIRCLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18513, 25 March 1922, Page 5

THE SUNDAY CIRCLE.

RELIGIOUS READING FOR THE HOME. THEY SOFTLY WALK. They ere not gone who pass Beyond the clasp of hend, Gut from the strong embrace; They are but come so close, We need not grope with hands, Nor look to see, nor try To catch the sound of feet. Ihey have put off their shoes To softly walk by day Within our thought; to tread At night our dream-led paths of sleep. 'lhey are not lost who find The sunset gate, the goal Of all weary years. Not lost are they who reach the summit of their climb, The peak above the clouds And storms. They are not lost Who find the light of sun And stars and God. 'ihey are not dead who live In hearts they leave behind. In those whom they have blessed They live a life again; And shall live through the years Eternal life, and grow , Each day more beautiful, As tim© declares their good, Forgets the rest, and proves Their immortality. Indian Witness. PRAYER. Almighty and most merciful God, we bring Thee our praise and thanks for Jesus Christ, for all that He has done and is doing for us. We acknowledge and confess to Thee that we need salvation. Our faith is so weak and poor that it has no deep effect upon our lives. Thou art willing to save us utterly through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and we are ashamed to own that we have no desire for this full salvation. Through Him we draw near to Thee, 0 God our Father; save us from all that is weak and evil, and save us to the uttermost. We ask it for Jesus’ sake. Amen. RELIGIOUS REVIVALS. REV. T. PHILLIPS’S EXPLANATION. Rev, Thomas Phillips, at Gloomsbury preached on a recent Sunday morning on the question of revivals. The word means bringing back warm, pulsating life to a run-down, anaemic church. The church must be revived in order that the world should be won. To bo revived was to become awake to the claims of God and to the interests of His Kingdom. He did ..ot know a church or minister or church member that could not stand a revival. Even the best of men are only partially awake t( t v g . 68 °f Christianity or the needs af humanity. In the course of his sermon Mr Phillips incidentally said that he nad hoard two sermons which stood out as unique and revolutionary in their effects. One was by Principal Thomas Charles Edwards, the pupil of Mark Pattison and Jowett, and the other was by Dr John Hunter. Ho had never heard Spurgeon, but these two men must have preached with his evangelical urgency and solicitude. The previous week ho had discovered that both were the children of the revival of 1859. “Some of us were Christians before the fires of 1859, but we were not worth much. But 'we saw something then that we can never unsee," said Principal Edwards. “Our supreme need,” pleaded Dr John Hunter, "is a revival of religion not in the narrow and craven sense of a panic for safety, nor in the more refined and intellectual sons© of interest in theological questions, but an awakening of those inner faculties upon whoso unfolding the divine manifestation ever awaits.” One proof of the need of a revival is that we cannot see a brother man endeavouring to make the world better without misunderstanding and caricaturing his efforts. DR JOWETTS RESIGNATION. At Westminster Congregational Church a brief statement was made) by the church secretary, Mr A. E, Marsh, regarding Dr Jowett’e resignation. Having referred <o the warm, sincere sympathy expressed by members of ther congregation, he said the church executive, supported by the unanimous vote of the church, was giving careful consideration to the possibility of making a proposal to Dr Jowett, whereby he might be able to continue some service at Westminster that would be within his limitations and his strength. Dr Jowett, before announcing the text of his sermon, referred to the matter very briefly. ‘T can only say,” he remarked, “that the step I have taken is quite imperative. Anybody who knows me knows that I have been fighting this matter for more than two years. Dur ing the last six months I have been fighting the doctors’ counsel in the assurance that I know better than they, and that I could get through without limitations of any kind. That, increasingly seems impossible, so that I had to take this step. 1 would not like my friends to think I am worn out. Some of the letters, overflowing with generous kindliness, which I have received, seem to assume that my work is done. I do nob think it is done. I do not feel done, but I do feel I need to get into a more limited sphere. I am sure I have plenty of strength in me, and plenty of work, if only the burden is a little more carefully adjusted to the back, and that is what I have got to do. I have every assurance that with care and common sense I shall be able to do what has been the passion of my life and go on for some years proclaiming the message of grace. I am more grateful than I can ever say for all the kind things that have come to me in the lost few days. And now,” continued Dr Jowett, “let me turn to my work.” Dr Jowett preached with little less than bis customary vigour, and with all his usual charm, a fine sermon on the voice of Jesus, as compared with that of the scribes. THE CHURCH AND CAPITALISM. STRONG CRITICISM AT KINGSWAY. “Is the modem Church capitalistic?” was the subject of a spirited debate at Kingsway Hall, London, after Rev. J. E. Rattenbury’s sermon on that topic. Mr T. E. Naylor, M.P., was an excellent chairman. Mr Walter Runciman was a silent but deeply interested auditor in the gallery. As at former conferences, only a small proportion of those who wished to speak had time to do so, and much of what was said was wholly irrelevant. My Naylor said that in spite of all Mr Rattenbury had so ably said, some of them might believe the Church had capitalistic leanings. At any rate, the Church should clearly define its attitude towards capital and all the evils that capitalism brought in its train. Would it say the present competitive system was in accordance with Christ's rules of conduct? An Anglican clergyman. Rev. Egerton Swann, replied that so far ns the official and corporate pronouncements of the Anglican communion were concerned, they were against capitalism. He referred to the Archbishop’s report on industrial problems. Many of the speakers—who had five, minutes each—expressed gratitude to Mr Rattenbury for giving them this rare opportunity of replying to the pulpit. In reply, Mr Rattenbury, who was loudly applauded, said that personally he had always sympathised with Socialism, ns his writings would show. Yet many of the best men in the Church and outside would not agree with him. As a corporate body the Church must remain independent of any such parties. On one point, all seemed to agree with Mr Rattenbury: that if possible it would be much bettor to devote a longer time to such a conference on a week night. TUSITALA’S BIBLE CLASS. R.L.S. AND L.M.S. Pleasant memories of R. L. Stevenson are recalled in the February Outward Bound by Rev. S. J. Whitmee, formerly an L.M.S. missionary in Samoa. Mr Whitmee had the novelist as a pupil for a time in the study of Samoan. No new light is thrown on Stevenson’s ultimate religious faith, but Mr Whitmeo bears witness to his moral conduct, his reverence for religion. and devotion to the Bible. “Shortly before I left Samoa he was speaking to me about the half-caste young people of ApiaHe hud tried by some social gatherings to interest and benefit them. . . But they failed. I suggested that he might try to reach and benefit some of the young men on Sunday afternoons by having a Bible class with them. He was pleased with the idea. I knew his admiration for the prophetic books and suggested that ho should take Isaiah. ... He took the class for some lime.” - "I do not think all missionaries equally wise,” said Stevenson on one occasion, “but for the work of the London Missionary Society generally I have nothing but admiration, I regard the presence of you missionaries in these islands as the one redeeming feature of the residence of white men in Samoa.”