REV. FLANAGAN'S MISSION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13672, 10 April 1908, Page 7

REV. FLANAGAN'S MISSION.

.. — ■ '^ AT INGLEWOOD. Rev. J. Flanagan visited Inglewood lasb evening ana addressed a crowded audience in the Parish Hall. Several were unable to gain admission and a hundred or more were obliged to stand. The preacher took' for" Itis text Luke 15, verses 1 to 3. — ;"Then djjew near unto Him. all the publicans ajdd' sinners lot to' Hear , hinl And thY Pharisees and scribes murmured saying, 'This man receiveth shiners and eateth with them.' •* And ,he spake this parable unto theni." The missioner preached in- his -Best manner. Ho pourtrayed the Father as .piotured by His Son. The redeinptioh wrought by Jesua wa.s represented as a, redemption of everything, and not limited as it commonly is to humanity. As sin had brought a curse upon the earth, so the irons of Calvary was the earth's redemption. Art had been redeemed, the best pro-, ductions of the masters being those inspired by the spirit and based on the* facts of Christianity. Music had been redeemed, the best compositions being those breathing tho Christian sentiment such as "The Messiah" and the "Hallelujah Chorus." ♦ Then human life had been redeemed, first by the redemption of labour. The ancient world had more slaves than free men. The EobrV. find ' the sick and the agedad no room nor sympathy. Unaer the. silent operation of -Christianity improvements had been introduced, which^ often credited to civilisation, were really traceable to Christianity, Governments which, were not actuated by the principles of Jesus were proofs .of the wonderfully refining and beneficial influence of Calvary. In an aside, reference was made to Britain's supremacy. To the speaker painful thoughts sometimes came 'whether England's glory might not pass away, and another Power take her place. ' He wondered whether there was not something in the Yellow Peril that might cause Britain to think? seriously. During his visit " to America, a , year or two ago', he had attended the* Congress of the Geographical Association of which he was a member. Over one hundred nations were represented, and the most significant personality was the Secretary of the Japanese Legation at Washington. - v He could speak English fluently,, also French, and besides the Russian representative, he was the only one wfio could speak the Russian language. During:. conversation Mr Flanagan asked him what was the reason for Ihe Western supremacy over the East. The Japanese replied that it was a problem to his people. Individually there Was little dierence between the Westerner and the Easterner. Theirhuman nature " was the same despite the difference in skin colour. In the recent war the East had shown its bravery. But, he stated., the result of debate in the influential circles in Japan was the opinion that there was an indissoluble connection between England's religion and her power. It behoved England, therefore, if she desired to- maintain her power to keep her religion prominently and sacredly before her in public and private life. In answer to enquiries made by the learned editor of "Hibbert's Quarterly," the leading journal of theology and science, the Professor of the Buddhilrti University of Tofcip had said,' "If you;, think that you English can foist on your Western methods of worship to the Oriental mind, y*du are mistaken. You cannot. We do not want your Church rites, your creeds, your forms Of worship. But wfe want your Jes\is." Jesus had mixed with men whom He Bad attracted, as his text taught. $hey> drew near Him because Ho drew near them. The greatest are the most condescending. A tribute' was paid to fiie present Queen Alexandra. The jnatch-box making women of London Worshipped hejr because had otooped to interest herself" in them. So God had shown His greatness by His cottr descension in the person of Jesus nos only to man's level but below it in ofBer to raise humanity. The fundamental feature 1 of no»-0hristian x religions was man'p search for God; of Chrisi&anity it was: God's search for man, As the shepherd's for his sheep. God 4fas more rejoiced . over a man's salvatdon, than was the man himself. So the parables taught. Rev. Slado's recent lament over non-church-going was caused .by the. Church's distance from the men. ,In his ministry the preacher had endeavours^ to take tho Church to men as Jesus had tak«n Himself to them. He believed" in the sanctificatjon of all ihe interests, of life. Man's MTorifeh was, infinite. In^be Cpngo^ in $ie Transvaal mines, iji slavery systems, man might exhibit lijs value of a fellow as very low. God's estimate of man's worth was shown by Calvary's a&mfice. Man's responsibility -was indicated by his ability to choose, by. the calf-pf God as to a free agent. The service closed with an earnest appeal for V'men to return to their proper sphere — fellowship, with God through $hrs3t. ; In answer to the. request of local residents, Mr Flanagan has promised . to call r at New Plymouth on his way South from Auckland and deliver a further lecture on his work ill London. A hundred limelight views will be showai to illustrate the lecture entitled, "Snap-J rthots in London Slums." The Theatre Royal has been engaged for tho date, Ma£ 27.