BAPTIST TABERNACLE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144216, 6 October 1913, Page 7

BAPTIST TABERNACLE.

OPENING OF NEW BUILDING. The newly-erected Baptist Tabernacle was openecT on Sunday with three very successful services. The new church is situated at the corner of Liardet and Lemon Streets, and is a handsome addition to the places of worship in New Plymouth. It is constructed in concrete. The main entrance, which is from Liardet Street, is approached hy means of stone steps and a portico carried on massive stone pillars, which gives a commanding appearance to the front elevation of the church. 'Whilst the new building as viewed from the outside possesses many architectural features, particular attention has been paid to the interior, everything being beautifully finished and presenting a most attractive appearance. The Tabernacle seats two hundred people, and each individual is provided with a neat and comfortable chair. The schoolroom is situated below, access to this portion of the building being gained by means of concrete steps at the rear of the church. Hero, too. everything is inviting and attractive. The local Baptists are to be heartily congratulated upon the splendid building they hare erected. Sunday’s services wore preached by the Rev. F, Hales, and there were largo congregations throughout the day. In the morning.at 10 o'clock the first meeting was held in the new building, and it took the form of a prayer meeting, quite a large number of the members of the church and other friends attending. At 11 o’clock tho service was taken by the pastor of tho church, the Rev. F. Hales, the building being filled. Tlio text chosen as the basis of the sermon was that found in John iy., 24: “God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” Mr. Hales laid particular emphasis upon the' fact that 'the desire for worship was in all human beings. The heathen imagined the universe to bo alive with Deity, and therefore he worshipped nature. Philosophers bowed before wisdom; Science spoke to them of electricity, gravitation, and force; this they called Rational Religion. Tho true man’s conception of God that of an all-loving Father, a Spirit bv nature and a Father by character, and he bowed before Him in adoration and worship. For pomp and ceremony and show' God cared nothing j what He cares for is a life lived in harmony with tho life of Jesus _ Christ, clean, sweet, and fragrant with everything that lifts up and ennobles life. Anywhere and everywhere whore such lives existed God could bo worshipped. In tho afternoon a largo number of children and adults gathered together and a simple and intensely interesting service was held. Mr. Hales first spoke to the grown-up portion of the congregation on tho importance of earing for the young life of the church, and quoted fnom statistics to show that the largo majority of conversions took place between the ages of twelve and twenty. A verv interesting talk, which was attentively listened tq, was then given to tho children. In the evening the Tabernacle was taxed to its, utmost to accommodate the largo crowd that camo together. The service was beautifully impressive and reverent. Mr. Hales based his discourse on tho words, “We are God’s fellow-workers.’’ The sermon commanded unbroken attention from beginning to end. Explaining that what tho text meant was that, every Christion was at ivork with God Himself, the speaker went on to show that wnat tlie outside world was interested in was not so much tho external part of Christianity, but the united spirit of self-devotion and lovo amongst all classes of Christian men and women. The time bad passed for any one church to say, “God’s work can only be accomplished in this church and by these moans.” Josus Christ recognised long ago that men were working for righteousness and for humanity who did not bear the ecclesiastical brand of His day ; indeed, His own sweet and fragrant life was proof of that. In all, society God is calling men to work for the good of humanity. Not creed and not doctrine can satisfy the wants of our fellow-men, but scores of them, even in this town, may be helped in the search after God by the faithful, practical, Christ-like work of true men and women. We have recognised at last tho Fatherhood of God and tho Brotherhood of Man, but until wo put that recognition into daily practice all else counts for nought. This church building, said the preacher, in concluding his address, stands for tho great fundamental fact of Christianity, that the men and women belonging to it have realised that they have been redeemed. not that they might bo comfortably housed in Heaven by-and-by, but that they might serve the poor and the faint.'the tired and the weary, tho forsaken and the forgotten on thy* earth, and by so doing put a little of Heaven into tbe lives that are full up to the brim with the sadnesses and sorrows of earth, and if this new building stands for that truth, not only to-day but in the davs that are ahdad of us. when many of us, if not all of us, shall have passed into the presence of God, it has riot been built in vain. During the day the choir rendered very sw-oetlv and impressively the anthems “I Will Love''Thee, 0 Lord,” “The Lord’s Praver,” find “The Lord is 3lf Shepherd,” under the leadership of Mr. W. Coleman, while Mr. Hoskin presided at tho organ. ( As a fitting close to the day’s services the ordinance of the “Lord’s Supper” was observed after the evening’s meeting, when. a solemn and deeply impressive service was held.