THANKSGIVING SERVICES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2339, 5 April 1892, Page 3

THANKSGIVING SERVICES.

English Church, Geraldine. I The harvest service in connection with this church called forth a large congrcgration on Sunday morning. The interior wore a very fresh and pleasant aspect, being prof usely adorned with specimens of the fruits of the earth—corn, flowers, fruits, etc. The Rev. J. Preston presided at the service and spoke from Psalm 147 " Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to siug praises unto God." The. harvest season had once more come to a' close and they had assembled to give praise and thanks to God for His providential care of them. Farmers in this neighbourhood had fared better than farmers in other countries, although the harvest this year had not been what it had promised to be a few months ago. Large areas of magnificent crop had been damaged or destroyed, with loss to the individual and the country, but they still had many blessings and mercies to be thankful for besides corn. The favorable autumn and the abundance of feed, whereby young lambs and sheep could be made profitable to the farmer, was an oxample of God's mercy. It was the custom of the church at this season of I the year to give thanks unto God for His blessings, for in God they "moved and lived and had their being." .jt was God that covered the eart]* and made the grass to grow upon the mountains, and they had great reason to have a thanksgiving service, though many in this part of the country, and other parts, had been suffering terrible Iori?. J.n ancient timqs the people blessed the Lord in the midst of their calamities. When men became strong in the world and prosperous they yory often grew independent of God, and eye'n worked m the Corel's day,--all hurry and excitement, they worked and worked to get on in the world. God had a purpose in dealing with men, and in the times of the Israelites when they went away from Him he so ordered things that famine and pestilence caine upon Ihom, It was truly of thq Lord's memos that He did npt'shut up the Heavens, and refuse to send forth rain when His people ignored His divineprovidence. At the conclusion of the service a collection, was taken up in aid of the parsonage debt.

St. Saviour's and St. John's. Harvest thanksgiving services were held on Sunday last in St. Saviour's Church, Temuka, and St. John the Evangelist's Church, Winchester. Both churches were splendidly decorated with the "fruits of the earth " —flowers, foliage, fruit, grain. ins., being worked into most effective and pleasing designs. The thanks of the parishioners arc certainly due to those who

! sent gifts of harvest products, and also to the bands of busy workers who so willingly assisted in disposing and arranging them in such a manner that the thankful I worshipper might the more vividly realise i the bountiful goodness of the " Giver of all good things." In St. Saviour's Church a sheaf worked into the form of a crown, and placed upon the Communion Table, I attracted considerable notice. The font and lectern, and several crosses, were also objects of interest. Two enormous pumpkins, grown by Mr Pilbrow, and each weighing over 1001 ft, were conspicuous in the aisle. In St. John's Church the decorations of the east window and the font were especially good, the former being worked with passion flower creepers, and the latter with cabbage-palm flowers. Besides the products placed upon the Communion Table there were also loaves of bread, &c. Both churches were crowded to excess both morning, and evening, extra seating having to be provided at all the services. The congregations joined heartily in the the harvest hymns. At St. Saviour's Church the anthem " Thou Visitest the Earth" was sung in the morning, the incumbent taking the solo, and in the evening the anthem "Ye Shall Dwell in the Land " was excellently rendered, Mr E. Whitehead taking the opening bass solo, and Miss E. Pilbrow the soprano solo. Mr rroudlock presided at the organ in St. Saviour's Church, and Miss Gimson at St. John's. The incumbent officiated at Temuka, administering the Holy Communion to a very large number of communicants, and he also took the evening service at Winchester. Mr Gladstone took the morning service at Winchester, the subject of the sermon being " God in Nature," and at Temuka the evening service was read by Sir William Blunden, who preached from the text Deuteronomy, xvi., 13 "Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles. .... after that thou has gathered in thy corn and thy wine." The following is the substance of the sermon preached on both occasions by the Rev. T. A, Hamilton, who took for his texts Deuteronomy, viii., ii—" Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord,'' and John, vi., 34 " Lord evermore give us this bread." The texts combined formed a warning and a prayer. Ihe first was taken from a chapter which spoke of God's dealings with the children of Israel: His withholding of blessings in order that they should be " humbled," and realise more fully their dependence upon Him. The same warningwas needed in this nineteenth century, when men were living out their lives in a mad, selfish race for material wealth and comforts. Charles Kingsley, in his sermon on "National Wealth," spoke of Moses being the greatest lawgiver and politician of any age, and if we asked him the question "What makes a nation prosperous?" he answers "Good government according to the laws of God," and wise men accept this ahswer, but unwise answer and say "Wealth makes a nation great," forgetting that riches may be either a blessing or a curse. The disastrous harvest season called for the utmost sympathy for the farmers as the direct sufferers, but collectively as a nation a hard lesson had to be learnt, viz., that righteousness, not riches, exalteth a nation. There was much to be thankful for, however, as there was abundance of feed for the stock, and although many would have a hard struggle to keep the " wolf from the door," still things were not so bad as at the present time in Russia, where an awful famine was causing havoc, and nearly 20 millions of people were being starved to death. " Bread is the staff of life." The want of bread was at the root of all disputes between labour and capital, and here the selfishness of men, greedy for wrath, prevented that just disposition of things which gave every man a due proportion of the necessariss of life. Labour and capital should not cut each other's throat, but go hand in hand. Each one must look on the things of others, and sacrifice himself somewhat. The earth gave its strength to the seed, and the sacrifice resulted in a higher life, for the dull earth became thereby clothed with the glory of flowers, trees, and waving crops; the seed, in its turn, gave itself to animal life, and ministered to its wants; and animal life < ministered to man, and man, in his turn, should minister unto God. If we gave up the lower and merely physical view of life, we should find it hereafter in God's presence, untouched by sin, or by hunger, thirst, and any of life's sorrows. The temptation to " get on in the world" by making money quickly in doubtful ways was rebuked by the words " Man ' doth not live by bread only." Thus our Lord foiled tho tempter, and we should wait God's time and not make " shorts-cuts " to prosperity. Besides bodily hunger, there was also mental hunger, or the craving for knowledge, inherent in man. Knowledge was excellent, and tendered to ameliorate the condition of mankind, but knowledge, unless guided by religious principles, was absolutely Avorthless. An education devoid of religious teaching and daily spiritual food, as regularly supplied as the daily bread, would result in nothing else than the turning out of clever rogues, unscrupulous, I unprincipled —nay, even like the wretch I Deeming, who used his knowledge in such fearful and loathsome ways, He prayed that ho might see the day when religion, should once again become a part 6f the daily mental food in the curriculum of our State schools. He recalled the time, when teaching in the earlier days, when discipline was, more easily maintained than is now the case. Science had no message for the hungeriug sou}, Tlie rev. gentlemen Baid they all probably knew what heart hunger was, and proceeded to illustrate his meaning by referring to the messages sent from London to Paris while that place was besieged by the Germans. Jesus Christ says to each one of us "I am the Bread of Life " ; " He that cometh to Me, shall never Hunger." The preacher urged his heaveys to come to Church not to hea:r the sermon merely, but to meet therp Go.d in real heart religion, and SO, claim their share of the Bread of Life ; and thus living the higher Spiritual Life, all else would be added unto them.

Primitive Methodist Church, Temuka. The Harvest Thanksgiving Servicos in connection with the Primitive Methodist Church were held on Sunday, when two excellent sermons were preached by the Rev. W. Woollass to crowded congregations, the seating capacity of the church being taxed to its utmost limit. A number of the friends had been very busy on Saturday decorating the clmrch, and it presented a most beautiful appearance. Large quanties of flowers and fruit were hung around the building. Over the pulpit was hung a nicelypainted piece of work bearing the inscription "Welcome to the Rev. W. Woollass." A public recognition soiree was held las'-, evening, when a large number sat down to a most bountiful tea, the tables being given by Mrs Fletcher and other lady members of the church. Owing to the press of matter we are compelled to hold over the report of the meeting until our next issue.