Congregational and Baptist Church Anniversary.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8455, 15 June 1896, Page 3

Congregational and Baptist Church Anniversary.

Spccmlsorvicosincolobratiouofthoconi' plotion of seven years'union of tlio Bap. tisls and Congregatioiialists for worship and work wero'yesterday conducted by the Kev, Q. Burgess, F.R.G.S., of Aucklahdinthotuorningandevening,andbytbe Jlev. J, Mackenzie M.A. in tho afternoon. Each sorvice was well attended, tho collections for the day amounting to £710». In the morning tho Rov. Mr Burgess preached from tho words, "That thou moyest know how men ought to bohave themselves in tho Houso of God, which is tho church of tho Living God, tho pillar and ground of tho truth." Prefacing his: remarks with a briof description of the great Temple of Diana at Ephesas, where Timothy was bishop, and of the contrast between that heathen and licentious worship and tho form employed by lue few slaves and freed men, obscure workers, in the immedialo neighborhood tho rov, gentleman pointed out that Paul had a twofold view of tho church, It was to him tho ccclesk, tho assembly, the seat of the living God, and a/join it was.the 1 pillar of tho troth—a simile doubtless inspired by his romombrauce of the mighty pillars and collonadcs of the grout Ephcsian shrino, but Paul saw but one pillar, one support, in tho great spiritual tomplo ho bad in viow. Demonstrating, first that the Church was only a pillar of truth as long as it sought to be a repository of truth Burgess urged upon his hparors tho groat neccssity of illustrating tho truth in lifo and in work, and of manifesting at all times a Christian temper of fidolity, geutloness, purity, aud rovcronoe. A smilo flitted ovor tho faces of the majority of tho congregation, as when enlarging upon tho " temper of fidelity," tho spoakcr remarked that to-day a shower of tain will do moro to keep pcoplo away from Gad'n Houso than tho persecuting storms of two or threo centuries ago, aud tho Binile broadened when ho suggested tho advisability of putting clocks outside tho churches that tho pooplo may know when to come in, instoad of putting thorn insido that thvy may know when to go out. Tho afternoon servico was socially designed for tho young, aud it is needless to say that thoronducb of itbv tho llov, ,T. Mookou?;io, who took <' Melioration " as lub subject, whs ominoutly sue* cessfu'l'. At night tho preachor basod his remarks upon-Romans XIV. t " For none of us livoth to himself and no man dioth to himself," and by apt and numorous illustrations forced upon his hoarors tho conclusion that no man could live unto himself and yot be a Christian. A feature of tho sorviecs was the music, the choir in the morning rcuderiug a very pretty anthem "Praise- % Lord," and in the evening }{r W»lton,of Auckland, sang most effectively tho solo " The ShephordVf the Fold."