REV. FLANACAN'S MISSION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13663, 30 March 1908, Page 3

REV. FLANACAN'S MISSION.

, AN AUSPICIOUS OPENING.

«' CHILDREN'S SERVICE.

There was a large attendance at the children's service conducted in the Theatre, Royal yesterday afternoon by Mr Stephens, tho singing evangelist, who is accompanying the Rev. J. Flanagan. Mr Stephens delivered an interesting discourse on "Hearts." In response to the evangelist's appeal" several children professed conversion as the closing hymn was being sung. MR. FLANAGAN'S FIRST MEETING In the evening tho Rev; J. Flanagan opened his mission, the Theatre, being crowded to the utmost. The misjsioner based his remarks on Luke 15, verse 17, "Ho came" to Himself. 11 Now, he said, suppose he should add to those words the two words which began tho' sentence and then added nt tho end four words from verso 20. He thought tlWy' would see that there was no breakage of the rule of grammar and thojro was no interference with the grajifl spiritual truths: "But when he came to "himself, he cattie to his father." 'The scripture that lay between the two portions, that he had. read was simnly the 'detail of this marvellous picture. Now ljavjnj* read that scripture lot him say that in the New Testament there were three primary truths., three truths that were supreme. Around ttyoso threcy truths, as planets around the sun, all the truth of Revelations circled. These, three truths were throt> "finds." The first was in this .scripture "for a man to find himself," tho seoonicl was "for a man to. find his Utyk" and the third- was "for a, man tp mad his brothersi" else was secondary^ So when, tlysi raaa came to himself hq came to his fathey., and. the question was whether a man : could find hMself — Qiat was his true Self — withoutr finding his God! He was not professing to, answer the question that ho suggested,, but let' them reverse it. Could a man find las God without finding' liiiusotf ? 'When he came, to himself hfl eamo to his father." .When a man Fonijd- his God ho found himself. And then they wer,© told in thte first chapter of St. Jqlm that when a fisherman named Andrew foimd Christ the first phing ho did was to find the man who .sat next to him — his brother. Ikfid agai^. ho suggested the question, ,can a anan wbo/has found hivntself and found his Go^'koop back from finding hie brother ?>°. "I£ yoiCtclJ mo you are a Christian and y that you! have made no t attempt jto find your brother, do yon know what I should be inclined to call you?" proceeded'tho missioner. "While I don't wiyh yoqyto think me vulgar, tho loaat 1 couW call you would be a storyteller. That is not vulgar is it? The Biblo is not so careful of our sensitiveness and false delicacy »nd it ;iavs that the man who declares he loves his God and does not put that hive info practical service for bi« brothei* is a liar and the truth is jvot'iu him."

I The finding of one's brother, he continued, was something that perhaps next week he 1 might spend a little while over. 'He 'wanted the truth he uttered that evoniiur. to have a practical application to the people that were before him. I«efc him go -over the truths again :-r-"(l) When ft man finds himf.elf he finds his character ; <■?) when a ! man finds his God he finds his destiny; |(8) when a'-sman finds his^twother he [finds himself in the larger manifestation of expression.?: 'JFor.jGod had so | built human life thfct no hf.o coulH be complete, in itself. , Suppose ho gave them a rew "statements after' tho stylo of some preachers cutting this tjubject up intio four parts :"♦'(!) There are some men who- are lost who hare never been found. There are some men who were 'lost and' have been found. (8) 'fhero are some men who were lost and were found, but they have "tost themselves again. (4) There are some men* who am • lost and who • may never be found. " I R. was' not- the dead men outside the church that were the problem of Ood. 1 It was the dead men inside the church that were the difficulty and tho problem of the Pivjhe. He was touching a point, he said,' which New Zeatynders tougnir to think upon. It was not tJie man on the street that was the problem 'of preachers', it was the man irifeide the church—^dead, head, dead. Where was their passion for God, Where %iie dreams of service, whore tho eagerness, the love that raado them leap to do S&od? Where was the, anxiety ftfr th<r%r>iritual welfare' of their children ami brothers? .Some ,of them" in i\\t\ Old Country knew the meaning of tho woixl glory,- ;but; ; he. wondered if they knew it now.. He wished they could got the youthful enthusiasm and flame and fire.' As a 1 stranger perhaps hrt had no right to criticise, and yet the Minister for Education had challenged hjm to speak out and criticise if> ho saw anything whioh he felt he ouccfit tp criticise. ■ If ; he had missed anything in their church. life — and "he kurw he had manyohurch peopla tliere — -b«j b*d missed that old enthusiasm, fchnt flame and fire that somehow one looked, for in the (Did Land.

"Now 'don't go away from the service with a' wrong idea!" he said. '•'Don' t t think, that Flanagan wishes for noise and disorder! I don't. 1 lovo calm, hut- alongside peace and calmness 1 want to' keep the old passion for Christ and' for souk. When I wont into the slums of London a missioner put in a letter which he trrotei to me a sentence which at that time I did not know the moaning of, but I know it now : 'Always keep the dew fresh -upoir your heait.' And I know in a land like this where there are so many v interests, where there i» such a desire to get on, that spmetitrtes the 1 snil*ittial is apt to get in the background, but I way that the churches of this land will soon be< in such a spiritual condition i;hat soula will bo won for Christ week by week." During the wnrvipe Mr T. M. Stephens contributed a solo. The conßregationaj hymns were led by a united choir from the ovangolical churches of the town.-

COMING MEETINfIS.

The mission services if ill bo continued* this evening when Mr Flanagan will again speak and Mr Stephens sing. Tho united ohoir will load the singing, which will commence at 7.45. Frionds aro asked to bring thoir Sankcy'a hymn books. - Mr Fianagaii will address a meeting of children at 4 o'ciock next Thursday afternoon in the Theatre. . > Mr Stephens will conduct Biblcrcad.ings to-morrow, Wednesday, and Thurs-, <Uy afternoon* in tho <jnecn Street Church, eomimmeing at 3 o'clock. -Tho subject to-morrow afternoon will be "Prayer."