QUALITY OF HOLINESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 667, 20 May 1929, Page 14

QUALITY OF HOLINESS

NEGLECT IN TEACHING DUTY OF A CHRISTIAN The text of the Rev. A. S. Wilson's address at the Grange Road Baptist j Church on Sunday morning was j “Holiness without "which no man shall see the Lord.” This was an extreme statement, said the preacher, and it had been said by a great Christian expert that there were more extreme statements in the Bible than in any book in the world. It was true, however, now that for a professing Christian to live without communion and fellowship with God was to lose what Christianity was intended to supply. “The pure in heart shall see God,” said Christ, but for many Christians instead of seeing glories in the Christian faith unknown to the worldling there was darkness and a little bit of hell. It was clear that the reason that the Christian Church did not more powerfully affect the community was its neglect of the teaching that for every Christian holiness was imperative. The way to happiness and power was to have self displaced from the inner throne and to enthrone the Lord —not to make the smallest compromise with the smallest sin. The demands of the outward life were equally definite. Never to speak evil of others, never to lose patience, never to trifle with wrong, whether impurity, untruth or unkindness. It was to be a. daily, hourly and continuous walk with God. They must not bo tolerably comfortable under failure, but they should be deeply conscious of discord and collision. These were days of bargain hunters, but one could not bargain with .God. He had for them a rich experience of joy and peace and satisfaction, but “tho price will not come down.” NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL PRESBYTERIANS’ ACHIEVEMENT DEDICATION AT DARGAVILLE CFrom Our Own Correspondent) DARGAVILLE, Saturday. The official opening of a fine new Presbyterian Sunday-school, which has been erected on the same property upon which the church stands, was carried out yesterday. The Rev. N. O. White and Mr. L. Davison conducted a short service in the church, after which all present proceeded to the new building. Mr. H. Rae, the builder, handed the key to Mrs. G. H. Wansbone, who unlocked the door and declared the building open “to the glory of God and for the furtherance of His Kingdom.” The Rev. N. O. White read an appropriate Scriptural passage and the Rev. T, H. Roseveare gave the dedication prayer. At the service a large number of children took part in the hymns. Rev. Mr. Roseveare gave an inspiring address based on the words, “No man having put his hand to the plough and looking back it fit for the Kingdom of God.” The Rev. J. C. Fussell, Anglican, Mr. F. Wordsworth, on behalf of the Rev. E. W. Hames, Methodist, who was unavoidably absent, and Captain H. McR. Jameson, Salvation Army, congratulated Rev. Mr. White and his church people upon their splendid achievement. An enjoyable and successful social took place in the new building in the evening, when a very large and representative gathering of church people were again present. The Rev. N. O. White expressed pride at having been associated with the enterprise culminating in the erection of the Sunday school. He was loud in his praise of the Ladies’ Guild, which had been the prime mover in getting the building erected and which had raised over £3OO toward the project. There remained a debt of £250 on the building and approximately £2OO on the church building, both of which sums the guild was now setting itself to liquidate by instalments of £ 45 yearly. The speaker heartily thanked all who had assisted toward the realisation of the object attained, and mentioned especially Messrs. H. W. and Have Rae, the builders, Phillip Osborne, for hauling the necessary logs, W. Martin, donation of water-pipes, Geo. Nicol, for carting, and an unnamed member of the congregation for hall furnishings. Mr. Roseveare offered his congratulations to the Presbyterian community of Hargaville for their fine effort and paid tribute to the work of the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. White during their term in Hargaville. In regard to their forthcoming departure, Mrs. Wansbone, superintendent of the Sunday school for a lengthy term, made feeling reference to their fine work. On behalf of the congregation, Mr. T. Martindale presented to Mr. and Mrs. White each a travelling rug, and in doing so eulogised their work during their term in Hargaville. Mr. A. Barlass, on behalf of down-river friends, presented Mrs. White with a box of handkerchiefs and Mr. White with a cheque. Mr. and Mrs. White both suitably replied. Mr. L. Davison, who is to conduct the work of the church during Mr. White’s absence, was then introduced. Those contributing to the musical and elocutionary portion of the evening were:—Mesdames C. Taylor, O. Olsen, J. White, Wansbone, and Wordsworth. Misses Thelma Smith, Eileen McLean. L. Wansbone, G. Drummond, the Rev. T. H. Roseveare, nnd Messrs. A. Barlass, J. Davies ancl F. Wordsworth. CHURCH HALL OPENED FUNCTION AT FOREST LAKE INFANTS’ PUBLIC BAPTISM (Fro* Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, Today. Bishop Clierrington’s remarks concerning the futility of Sunday schools do not appear to have greatly influenced the Waikato Anglicans. At the opening of the new church hall at Forest Lake, near Frankton, yesterday, GG children were enrolled as Sunday school scholars. The Rev. H. E. Jones, vicar of Frankton, expressed himself as delighted with the result of the initial service, which was further marked by the public baptism of three small children. This was the second ceremony of its kind for years in the Waikato, the first being when the bishop pubj licly baptised his own son some months ! aco.