A YOUNG PEOPLE'S DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 33

A YOUNG PEOPLE'S DAY.

SPECIAL SERVICES AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. Fop: years past " Young People's Day " fias beea,an institution in the Presbyterian Church ol New Zealand. Until this year, Jjowe,yer, very little effort has been made 3bcally to secure a general observance of (the special daj set apart by the General Assembly. On Sunday, thanks to the efforts of the Assembly Committee on the Welfare of ,Youth arid of the Diuiedin Presbyterian Superintendents' Committee, a distinct advance was made in this respect. A special order of service, with an appropriate •illustrated frontispiece in the picture, "' Feed 51y Lambs," was circulated among the various congregations. In each instance "the teaeber.s and sc-holaro occupied the front scats ofthc church. The hymns were suited to " the intellectual capacity of the child, and included juch Sunday school favourites as "Jesus loves me; this I know," "We are but little children, weak,'' "Tell me *he old, old story," and '* Brightly gleams our banner." The Scripture readings were selected from New Testament passages dealdng with the love of and tenderness towards children shown by the Founder of the Christian religion. Responsive readings were given Jiy the minister, on the one hand ; and the superintendent, teachers, and scholars on the other, of the beautiful nineteenth Psalm, with its exquisitely simple jsumniary of the benefits which accrue from the religious life. Collections were taken up, to be allocated as follows :-— Three-sixths to the Assembly's Examination Prize Fund —the gathering at which the prize 3 will be presented will be hold during the sittings of the Assembly in Dunedin in November; ■ — two-sixths to be retained for the Sabbath school connected with the congregation ; ouc-sixth toward tho expenses of the Dunedin Presbyterian Superintendents' Committee, which has been entrusted by the Assembly's Committee on Welfare of Youth with the dtitr of ■orgranitiiii? Sabbath school work within the bounds of the Presbytery. The services- were largely attended throughout the city. Appended are reports of the addresses and special features * fe e Aar i" OUf churchfia;-^

! FIRST CHURCH. First Church presented an .appearance at the .«pccial service which must have boon eminently encouraging to the good people who devote themsehes to the work of extending the power and influence of the fcsabbath school. For a- very considerable seciion tha central aisle was occupied wholly and solely by children, in charge of their teachers. The children displayed, the utmost interest in the service, heartily singing the hymns, unitedly joining in the responsive readings, and listening " with all thoir cars'' to the admirable address »lp)i\ored by Dr Nisbet. The congregation was it \ery large oiif, the church being quite filled. Dr Nisbct's address was las-oil on the words, '" Feed My lambs " (John x\i. 15). He >poke fir=t of physical hungci — the fcodj's tVmand to b" fed. then of tie hunger i>f the t-oul. They all knew what it was to mi down to Lrcakfa : t or dinner lor tea with an empty feclinsr that only ! passed away as they ate of (he food befoio them. They all felt, too, that they would like to do what was right. They would like to make it quite <lear that they loved the Lord Jesus Christ, that they were determined to love and obey their parents and teachers, that they were anxious not to give eau=o for fault-finding. It was the hunger of the soul manifesting itself. In order to live the body must not only be fed: it must have the right kind of food. What was suited to the sheep or to the bird would not do for the child. The soul, too, must be nourished with the right kind of food. They found such food in Scripture : in the records which told of all that Christ had <Jpjic for humanity. The right quantity of food was necessary. And here he directed attention to the printed list of Scripture leadings for the month. By following these up month by month for a few years a thoroughly sound acquaintance would be obtained with all the best parts of the Bible. Elder people would find the same passages useful for family worship. The daily reading^ and remembrance of little passage from Scripture mounted up lajgjely during the The. be.»t way to satisfy the soul's hunger was to help others; to try to make others happy. If they do=ired to he loved, the I true way of attaining that end was to Ibe lowng towards oiheii. If the^ wanted

to be good they must be good towards others. The lambs- that were to be seen .ift^such numbers in the country were all marked so that the owners could distinguish them as their property. The children had all been marked as Christ's lambs by baptism. There was another mark which came later, -when the child gave evidence that he approved of what his parents had done for him when he was an infant. They could all gladden the heart of God and the hearts of their parents and teachers by steadfastly doing what was right. In conclusion, Dr Nisbet, who illustrated his points to the children by appropriate anecdotes, breifly addressed the elder people of the congregation on the necessity of giving attention not only to the clothing and education and worldly advancement of the children, but also to their spiritual upbringing. At the evening service Dr Nisbet, dealing with the subject of " Perpetual Youth," emphasised the importance of interesting tho young people in Christian work. It was among the youths, he sajd, that we found the great faith in Christianity: the beliaf that the very worst and lowest of men might be raised into newness of life through the power of Christ' 6 Cross and Christ's teaching. KNOX CHURCH.

A considerable portion of the body of Knox Church was occupied by the children and their teachers, while the adult members of tho congregation fairly well filled the other portions of the building The Rev. W. Hewitson occunied the pulpit, and was assisted in the devotional exercises \by Mr W. T. Todd. The responsive readings were taken according to programme, and were heartily entered into by the children. Mr Hewitson asked the young people to lay their programmes on the bookboards with the picture of the Good Shepherd upwards, and on the picture ho based his remarks. The functions of the Eastern shepherd in guidiner and guarding | his flock were dwelt on and illustrated by incidents that had come under the speaker's personal knowledge during his recen? visit to Palestine, and it was then ! shown that, as the spiritual Shepherd, Christ fulfilled these functions perfectly. A shepherd's sling and rod. and also a picture of an eagls carryinsr off a lamb, which were shown from the. nulpit, doubtless helped to impress the lessons on tke children's minds. A sacred solo was acceptably rendered by Miss Campbell towards ! the end of the service.

ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH

The services at St. Stephen's were bright and interesting. The church was nicely i decorated, and tho girls carried flower?, which were afterwards sent to tho Hospital. The morning service was taken by Mr Kine. who ga-ve a helpful address pn the words. "I am the door." He summed up by emphasising the fact that the door was the only door of liberty from sin, that . it was always open, and that it was open ! for all. The children's responses were nicely made. In the afternoon Mr Calder addressed the scholars, taking as his subject i the first verse of the 19th Psalm. He : drew telling sDiritual truths by analogy from natural phenomena, ofaiefly the rainbow, and brought out the idea of the boys girls being Christ's most precious (Newels. The address was listened to attentively, and the service was altogether fitting and helpful. ST. ANDREWS CHURCH. The morninsr service at St. Andrew's was devoted to the younar people. Th Q ron <T»veration was large, and the- Rev. Dr Wadtlell occupied t-be pulpit. The discourse was based on Matthew xx\ii, 36: "And sitting down they watched Him there," and was suitable to the occasion. CHALMERS CHURCH. Tho Rev. D. Maclennan preached in the morning from the words in the Song of Solomon ii, 12: ''The flowers appear en the earth." In the eveninsr his subject was based on Matthew xi, 16-17 : " But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children «.ittinor in the markets, anr? eallinor unto their fellows, and saving: ''We ha\e piped unto you, and yo have not danced : we have mourned unto you, ■ and ye have not lamented.' " The speaker showed how Jesus had obssrvetl children at their -sports, and tho temper they showed when playing, and drew some practical lessons which applied to grown-up children as Jesus applied His observations to the prejudiced generation to which Ho had come. An address was als>o given the children in the afternoon.

CAVERSHAM.

The attrndaun at the Carersham Presbyterian Church in the morning was very cratifyinc indeed, the children especially beine piesent in large numb°r«. They joined heartily in the singing and in the rospon.-ive readings. The address of the K«\. D. Button was appropriate to the cocao ion. Mr Dutton expressed his pleasure at seeing so many young people present, and he couii'Selled them to try to come rcgu"arly to church. At the close of the service be commended them fo r the hearty manner in which they had joined in the service.

SOUTH DUXEDIN".

Notwith,tanding the fait that many families were not able to attend owing to the prevailing epidemic of meas'f-., the South Duuedin Presbyterian Church was quite filled yesterday morning. The school c-hildten and teacher occupied the centre part of the church. an,l their bright and interested faces mu-^t have been a pleasing and inspiring sight to those who had the opportunity of looking upon them. Mr Robert Waugh, divinity student, conducted the service, and succeeded in holding the attention of the children of all ages throughout, as he gave an interesting 1 and practical talk baaed upon the. picture " Feed My Lambs" on the frontispiece of the printed programme. The responsive readings were well taken by the children, and the singing, led by the church choir under Mr Pringle Wa'ker, was heartily entered into. During the offertory, the choir sang "Open the door for the children" very effectively. This new departure in connection with "Young People's IJay" proved mo«t eucre--sful throughout, In the •evening the young people* societies connected ■with the church mut-trrecl in force, when the Rev. R. Mackie delivered an excellent address on " Why 1 am a Presbyterian," showing that while Presbyterians were catholic in spirit, and gave every other denomination its due. they had a history unsurpassed by any other, and they had in their doctrine and polity a. eystem that he believed would gi\c the best scope for living out the lives they were called of God to live on earth. MORNECGTON. ' The senses at Morniiigton w«re w«ll

attended. In th* morning 1 Rev. W. Seorgie preached from John x. 14- and 15 : "I am tho good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." In the course of his remarks the' speaker commented bn the fact that the characteristics of a nation found expression in Us literature, religion, and daily life, and as the Jews were a pastoral people, their^literature, religion, and life were mouldecraceordingly. As being written in the metaphor of a pastoralist, Psalm xxi in the Old Testament and. John x in the New Testament were touched on. Christ's character as a good shepherd was proved by the fact that He knew His sheep and that He laid down His life for them. Mr Lang spoke in the afternoon and evening. The collection during the day was for the Sabbath school, and about £10 was raised for this purpose.

MAORI HILL.

Particularly bright children's services were held at Maori Hill P^byterian Church yesterday. A choir of 40 Sunday school scholars has for some time been in training under the baton of Mr K. Chisholm, and at all three services yesterday it acquitted itself admirably. Mr G. H. Jupp, of Kelso, conducted the three services, and the addresses delivered at each were most appropriate to the occasion, and were chiefly .base,-! on Sunday school work and the duties of parents and SSS ff relation thereto. TlTe greatest croSt is due to Mr A. Wilson (superintendent) for the way .n Tvhieh he worked vm and organised the services; also to Miss SomerviUc, who presided at the organ. NORTH-EAST VALLEY. 'Young People's Day," as |»«*u»ted by the Dunedin Presbytery, tcok the place of the usval morning Ee-vice .in the Wth East Vallc/ Presbyterian Church. - Iho Sablath school children (with superintendent and teachers) turr.ed out in large numbers, quite filling the centre of the church. The order of service was that adopted by the Presbytery. The minister (Rev H. B. Gray) read for the Scripture lesson Ist Samuel xvii. 33-50. The responsive readings were excellent, the scholars reading their parts in an unmistakable manner, showing careful training by the superintendent and teachers. The text was taken from Psalm xviii, 28: "For Thou— that i", God— wilt light my lamp («••/•). M»Gray held the interest of the children throughout, showing in simple language the necessity existing for the lamp of life to be lighted by Christ at the outset. In concluding, Mr Gray asked the children to remember this prayer: "O Christ, light the lamp of my life." In the afternoon the scholars again assembled in the church, and this time Mr Axclsen addressed them. The Scripture reading was Matthew vii, 24-29, the children repeating the verses after Mr Axelscn. The speaker, in a short, interesting way, made plain to the children that the "house of life " to stand must be founded on tho Rock, Jesus Christ. . ..

PORT CHALMERS.

The weather was all that could be desired for the observance of Children's Day at the Port Chalmers Presbyterian Church. There was a large attendance of teachers and sdhplars, who occupied seats in the front of the church. A large number of parents and friends were also present. The service, which was in accordance* with the "Order of Service" drawn up by tho General Assembly, was conducted by the Rev. E. C. Tennent, who road 2nd Kings v., 1-14, as a Scripture lesson, and took for his text verses 2 and 3: "And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid, and she wa-ited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, "Would God. my Lord, were with the prophet that is in Samaria, Ho would recover him of his leprosy." The speaker gave an interesting account of this little maid's action, and commended it to his hearers. In tho course of his remarks ho said that this little girl had been stolen from her home, from kind parents, brothers, and sisters, and had been ca»ried away into a straii7e and heathen land and amongst strange people. She who orce was tho darling of her home is now the slaw of a despot. Fortunately for her she had come from a homo where the litt'e one« were taught abont God and about His love, and fioni a home where God's prophet was revered. She had heard of Elisha and his wonderful miracles, and she loved the God who had sent His servant. She had been taken "'from a home where happiness was enjoyed into a home filled with sorrow, for lier master was a leper. But her separation from lo\ed ones, and strangeness of her new home, did not make hor forget about God. He was fctill left to her. Sbo did not fret and worry, for she knew that God would never fail her. Her desire was to do something for God in her new homo. and with this in view she told her master of the prophet in Israel, who would boal him of his leprosy. In doing this she showed charitableness to those in trouble. Tho result was that her master was healed. The speaker pointed out that no matter in what circumstance? we are placed we can do something 1 for His glory. Several short and interesting anecdotes were told duiing the. addre a -.

SAWYERS' BAY.

A similar service to the above was conducted in the Sawyers' Bay Hall in the afternoon There was another large attendance of children, teachers, and friends. The Rev. E. C. Tennent was again tho eneaker.