THE REV. C. CLARK AT KNOX CHURCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 36

THE REV. C. CLARK AT KNOX CHURCH.

As must have been expected, since the preacher is a man of world-wide fame as an orator, the sermon, which was wholly extempore, was a magnificent example of pulpit eloquence, full of power and purpose, earnestly evangelical in tone, and of sustained i and lofty thought, with - passages of great I power and brilliance, delivered in the most I effectual manner. It has been suggested that

the sermon, and every word of it, ought to be published. No doubt that is desirable, if it were practicable; but even then to all unaided by a recollection of its delivery it would lose much of its charm; and as to an epitomised report — well, one could almost as wisely attempt to summarise Tennyson's "In Memoriam." The text comprised the- words taken from the second lesson — " Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life." The introductory remarks only of the preacher, which have special reference to the

After an interval of many years, the Rev. Charles Clark again occupied the pulpit at Knox Church on Sunday evening, and a memorable service, commencing with the " Old Fundredth " and closing with the National Anthem, was held. The church began to fill rapidly at half -past 5 o'clock, and was quite full half an hour before the service began. Every portion of the edifice was thronged with worshippers — the aisles were crowded, all the extra chairs and forms that could be put in the building were filled, and all the space at the back, of the pulpit was occupied. After the opening Psalm, the hymns sung were : " God of Bethel, by Whose hand Thy people still are led," "Lead, kindly light," and ' Onward, Christian soldiers " ; and the lessons read were Psalm cxlv, and the sixth cbapter of the First" Epistle of Paul to Timothy.

community and the occasion, we shall report, leaving the impressions created by the splendid discourse undisturbed in the minds of the people who heard it, and they must have been close upon two thousand in The Rev. Charles Clark in his opening said : " You will pardon me for saying that it is with very tender feelings indeed that I find myself once more in this place, fragrant

with the memories of that apostolic man who for so many years was the minister' of this church. lam glad, too, that my first public utterance on this visit to New Zealand should be in connection with 1 that remarkable movement by which your colony, in common with your brethren throughout the length and breadth of Australasia, are expressing at once their loyalty to the Empire and their sympathy with those of their number who are going forth to fight — perchance to die — for the honour of the national flag. The patrio-

cic enthusiasm of a free, enlightened, and high-spirited people is to my mind a noble and a sacred thing. In our case it is a demonstration of our faith in the substantial justice of our cause, and of our determination to uphold and vindicate for Englishmen, in any country where they settle, those natural rights and liberties which Britain freely accords to aliens and strangers when they elect

to dwell within her borders. The true spirit of Christian democracy is not aggressive or militant. It loves no triumphs won of force, but it does not shrink from the appeal to arms when challenged, and obeys to the full the warning words of Shakespeare. ' Beware of entrance to a quarrel, but being in it, bear thyself so that the opposed may beware of thee. ' I have the prof oundest conviction that neither the Imperial Government nor any important section of the British people desired ov sought this war. On the contrary, we have

endured much provocation, injustice, and insult, and we have held our hand even though we had reason to know that while we werewaiting and negotiating, hoping against hope,, the' enemy was employing the interval in strenuously completing his long-continued preparations for a pre-determined contest in order to expel us from South Africa. The gauntlet being thrown down and. our territory

invaded, what alternative had we but to meetforce with force? As Christian people, we> can but deplore this war and its attendant horrors ; yet at the same time we can but honourand admire the men who from all parts of the Empire have valiantly come forward ins answer to the Empire's call to arms. Con"cerning those to depart from your midst, I am sure I am right in saying that our hopesand sympathies are with them, that our prayers* shall follow them, that while they take agallant part in securing victory, which assuredly shall finally crown our banners, they may be shielded in the shock of battle and brought back in peace and safety to theiifriends. At such a time as this, and in such a place, I could not, however much I might desire it ? if I did desire it, dwell ajb all upon the political or military aspects of this struggle. The only words I desire to say are those of sympathy with the men who represent us, and to lead us to look beyond the storm ar>d stress of conflict to those issues which will securethe diffusion of liberty, humanity, and' righteousness — righteousness which must work for peace, quietness, and assurance for ever."" The collection, which was for the funds of the Fourth Contingent, amounted to £37 14s. The sermon we have already referred to in quite unexaggerated terms, and it seems appropriate, in conclusion, to again mention the fact that the vast congregation, after the 1 benediction, sang with heart and voice " God Save the Queen."

Dr Oonan Doyle has frequently described first-class fighting men of various sorts in hi* novels, but, as is well known, he has never been in the army. He has volunteered, however (says the liondon Daily Chronicle), for active service in South Africa, promising, in the event of being given a commission in a regiment of horse of, say, irregulars or scouts, to provide his own charger, etc. His ideais that it is hardly fair to ask colonials, who> are all, or nearly all, civilians, to volunteer, and to accept their services, when the sameprinciple is not put into effect in the mother country itself. He thinks that a man who is a good rider and shot — as he himself is — would prove a useful addition to the army, and in a letter to The Times suggests that there aremany men "of the same stamp who would be only too glad to volunteer if they thought there was any chance of the acceptance of such an offer."