CHURCH REFERENCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2520, 2 July 1902, Page 38

CHURCH REFERENCES.

I The good news received cf the improvement in the condition of hie Majesty the King was conveyed to all clergymen by Sir J. G Ward, Acting-Premier, yesterday forenoon ; while others learned the good tidings from the extra which we published. References were made and special prayers said in a!l the churches. First CaTßcn. At tho forenoon service at First Church yesterday the Rev. J. Gibb, after referring to the unfeigned regret felt at the affliction with which it had ylcased God to visit the King, and read the latest cablegram which Lad been forwarded to him from the Daily Times Office, went on: — '"We pray that ha may ri^e from this sickbed with a h-eart purposed above all things else to use his high position for the advancement cf that , everlasting kingdom, fidelity to whose in- j terests. is the condition of all true glory for < men and nations. We pray that the- Queen, that gracious lady, may be uphold by the tireless strength of the Almighty. We pray that the nation may humble it=elf under the mighty hand of Gcd, and purge out of its life all that is repugnant to the divine will and its high calling of God. May He who ' makes all things work together for good to • them that lovo Him, and who move* on to the accomplishment of his everlasting pur- j pcs-C3 with the cam majesty of omnipotence, grant that the nation's sorrow may be to it a means of life and the source of a deepened earnesiness and consecration to the service of the Most High. May rll be <o overuled that H:s glory shall be promoted oncl His kingdom more firm'y established in tho hearts ' and lives of the race for whom Jesus Christ laid down His life on Calvary." The first and last verses of the National Anthem were i then sung by the congregation, and th<-re- ' after special prayer was offered for the j King's recovery. At the evening service there was again a large attendance. Mr Gibb read the latest cablegram, and expressed the profound thankfulness of the people for the good r.evs that had been received. The National Anthem was sung . und prayer offered thanking God for his mercy and praying for the King's speedy ', restoration to health. St. Joseph's C\tkedk*l. At 11 a.m. yesterday, in St. Joseph's , Cathedral, a solemn high mats of suppli- | ta* ion was offered up for his Majesty the ' King, Father Murphy bring the celebrant. I The music of the ma- r — Mozart's Twelfth — | was exquisitely renderud by the choiT. On | commencing the n.ass Father Murphy exhorted ' the congregation to join with him in offering i up the holy sacrifice 'tliat Gcd might restore their Sovereign to ht-aJth. He said that it wa-s a time of great an\iety for the Empire, ; and that it was tlio duty of all its subjects i to beseech the Aln.iz-hty <o spare to them ' for many years to coino their dear Soveie't»n, ' ■who during the short time of his reign has given such splendid proofs of evccllent ad- ' ir.inistrative ability Towards the closp ef 1 the fccrvice t» telegram from the Acting- i Premier was handed to Father Murphy, j which stated that In? Majesty was out or immediate dang-er. As soon a3 the good news was announced to the enn C r«sation every face present beamed" with delight. Alt. Saikts*. i Intercessory services were held at \ll Saints' yesterday, S. Pater's Day, the special prayers authorised by the Bishop being used. In. the morning the Dean, preaching from Timothy xi, 1. speaking of the efficacy of i prayer, pointed out Si. Paul's frequent references to prayer for ourselves and others, the answer being God's grace to help, not man's will He referred to Christ's example when in fear of death. Prayer was an instinct belonging to our nature, a, part of ourselves In the preF&nt criris the whole nation had been drawn into pray«r. Ht. Paul urged prayer for all — for kings', etc. By prayer they bpecme qualified to receive and assimilate the answer to prayer He spoke of the objects of affliction "and the benefits demed from it. Their prayers that day were- mingled with thanksgivings for the hopeful ucsvs jiut received. Tho Dean al»o alluded to ti>e death of the Primate, and outlined his many services to the Church Just lir'fou the sermon news of the Kino-'s safety was announced by the Dean, and was received by the spontaneous singing of a verse of the National Anthem. In the o\ening tho special prayeis were ' again offered, and the preacher Itho Rev. J Warder, of Selwyn Collpge), in Ins =ercnon on St. Peter as the leader of the Church, ' mv.de pas^iuif allusion-* to both the King's ' i!'n.&.-,s mid the Primate's clpacii. ( The Srx\coGi'E. j Special prayers for the Iviug's recovery j were offered up in the Synagogue at Moray \ place on Saturday morning, thp congregation j being a large one. Th& Rabbi (the Rev. A. f T Chodowski) read Psalms xx, xxiii, and j i lxi, and after the usual prayer for the Royal ' ] Family weut on to rofer to the King's illness 1 almo=t at the very moment he was to receive | ] tho homage of the whole world. Reference J i was made to the King illness when he was s Prince of Wales, and the Rabbi proceeded: j i Then and now the ear of the Almighty was i open to the prayers of a grief-stricken | i people: and now, as then, countless prayers j ascend to the Throne of God that King ' j Edward may be spared long to live and reign over his people. We, the house of Israel, have much for which to thank and i bless King Edward and his royal house, j c liv norsonsd friendslup and lus active in- { t

terest in onr national aspirations, bo far a* these can be shown by one- so elevated, and > | the allegiance -we all owe to the King of - j Great Britain, caJl on us to testify to hia . I manifold virtues and gifts as a ruler under ; G-od Almighty And that such a King,, . on tho threshold of what ip :ht be expected. [ to bo a glorious reign, sho dhe in danger loads us to the footstool of God to join oun feeble prayers that he may be healed. And?'' not for him alone shall we pray, but fo* 1 that gracious Queen who has so long set art ' examplo of wifely and motherly devotion/ i to all the world. There pre moments when; '• ' language fails to express feeling ; when we • ' see a whole nation, even a whole world, ia ' ' dread and sorrow. God help us to attune ; our hearts in prayer ! The congregation! '• joined reverently in the recital of a special '< prayer. i | OTHEB CHT/ItCIIES. ! At St. Paul's Cathedral yesterday morning ; Archdeacou Robinson read out during the service the latest cable regarding the mv ' proving condition of thp King's health, raid! the special prayers authorised by the Bishop, 1 for the occasion were employed. At thei , close of the service the National Anthem,' , was sung. At Trinity Wesloyan Church the Rev. P.. J W. Fairc-lough referred in his address to the latest satisfactory intel gence of the King's j health received, whic-h he read out, and thanksgiving prayers and hymns were the order of the service. the choir singing th« " Hallelujah Chorus." At Moray place Congregational Church! | the welcome cable was made the subject of special thanksgiving reference at the morn- ' ing service, a special intercessory service being held in the evening, the Rev. WiSaunders occupying the pulpit. j At St. Andrew's Church yesterday mom- , iijg, the Rev. Dr Wadd-ell made special and ' i sympathetic reference in Iris sermon to the illn-ess of his Majesty King Edward VII, taking for a text John iiii_. 36. 37, and 38.. The subject of discourse was most appropriately designated " The Withheld Com--pletions of Life," the preacher drawing a ; striking analogy between the experience of the Apostle Peter and the pathetic condi- ■ tion in which our Sovereign was in. Th-e hand of God was laid upon the King, end we all hoped and prayed that it was fcr his own and his Empire's ultimate good1 At the conclusion of an impressive- service,- ! in order to mark the occasion, the rongregai tion sang with feeling the well-known hymn commencing w ith "God moves in a mysterious { way, His wonders to perform." During the* ; course of the sermon Dr Wndciell read fcbe i latest cable which had been received by Sir J. G. Ward giving an assurance of th# King's steady improvement. ' An Auckland inetsage state* that in Sir. t Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday Bishop Lenihan sjid that the Catholics heartily grieved a-id -.\.th the lost of the EmI pire over the X ng'a illness. They recogr- ! nisccl tho King a? a friend, though tho Kinjj | was forced by a Protestant nation 'to call! i Roman Catholics idolaters, and to say that the holy sacrifice Ihe rongi egjation were now engaged on was Llasplicmy. Catholios fully l>elieved that to do »o was not objectionable to the King. Tho congregation offered paters and ayes for restoring the King* health. Bath services at Chalmers Church had sppcal lefcrenca to the illness of his Majesty. The Re-v. J. Urwin Spent* took - I for his text m the morning Neheinia's i prayer when preparing for tue returm - of the Jews from cipthity, coujoined wifli *. tho prayer of the early church for their imprisoned apostle. Peter. The duty and ." privilege of praypr were enlarged upon, and! the whole ser\ ioc was one of intercession. The subject in tho evening was "God Saie> the Kirn;," cjuoted fiom the narrative of the anointing of the first King of Israel Never in the history of the world had tl'i* Hebrew prayer received such an acclamation of heartfelt and genuine expression as within th«* past few days had been the cai& towards the per=ou of his Majesty Kins; 1-Mward VII- The fact tl at King- JEdwarcß vas dangerou.-!y ill evoked sympathy from/ | foreign Governments no less than from ihet numerous and \aned people* who formed) the. British Empire. The cable which was read in the o\ening announcing that thetf ' King was out of id nediate danger wa=J received with feelings r.f intense relief and gratitude to the Giver of all good. The" Psalms sung were " God is our refuge and' our strength," "0 God give ear unto my cry," " Lord, from the depths to Thee I tried," '" Lord bless and pity us," etc. Special services were hdd in the MosgieU Baptist Church on Sunday and were well l attended, especially in the evening, whem" the building was crowded. In the morning the Rev. F. W. Boreham preached on the sickness and recovery of King Hezekiah, andJ , made suitable references to the present ill^£t ne^s of the King. In the evening Mr Bore-"!gJ ham preached from the words: "Thou wiltf^ prolong the King's life, and his years asli many generation*. ' Before dealing with hi 9s} subject, the preacher rea>d the telegram £rom:'£ the Acting-Premier giving the latest infer- •• motion as to his Majesty's condition. Hymns ' specially suited to the occa-ion were eunfjfrom hymn eheets, and the choir rendered appropriate selections during the evening. Our Palmerston correspondent writes thatf news of the Kine's illness and the consequent postponement of the Coronation fesUviU«3 yru revived Jlier© on, Wedncsda/

with every sign of deep regret, and a notice by the Mayor that all public ceremonies would be postponed iras issued at once. Consequently the-re was nothing doing yeeterday with the exception of a short service for intercession for the King, which was held in the Presbyterian Church from 7.30 to 8 o'clock in the evening 1 .

Our Cromwell correspondent telegraphs: — On receipt of the news of the postponement of the Coronation the preparations for the local celebration were suspended. A public meeting- was held in the afternoon, when it was decided to postpone all ceremonies except tho children's treat, which was postponed to Friday.

Children's Coronation fetes were held in many centres in New South Wales. Our Clyde correspondent telegraphs : — Widespread regret was manifested here on receipt of the news of the King's illness. Coronation celebrations wore postponed immediately.