CHALMERS CHURCH.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13728, 19 October 1908, Page 6

CHALMERS CHURCH.

A VACANT PASTORATE. CHILDREN'S SUNDAY. Xiio pastoral chaxgo <jl Chalmers Church, jLimaru, was declared vacant yesterday morning by the Iter. C. Alacdomud, of 'lemuka, Jdoderitlir of tbe session, by the reading of the edict of the i'lebtiylery ol UctoOer /iu, liie vacancy being due to the resignation of Her. It. Jackson. All parties having interests in that behalf were called upon to proceed to till up the vacancy in due iuriu according to the roles of the church. The following ministers -will take the b.nicia on ttio dui«t> given :—.Nov. 6, Rev. A. Whyte, M.A., B.Sc., of Havelock; Nov. lb and 22, Rev. Alex, fhompson, M.A., 8.D., of Masterton; Nor. 29, and Dec. 6, Rev. F. U. Grr, of Oiro, Otago; Nor. 1, Dec. 20 and 27, are not yet arranged for; Jan. 24 and 51, and Feb. 7, and 14, Rev. J. Milne, Thames. f. The mocoing , service was devoted to" the children of the Sunday School, who ■with their teachers were Mated all together in the body of the church. Printed slips were provided for them of the hymns and of passages of scripture in the reading of which they took part. Rev. C. Macdonald gave a sermon to tbe children on three texts 'Thou slialt worship tbe Lord tby God"; "Am we haTe opportunity let us do good to all men"; and "A mercitul man r«-gardetli the life of his beast." These three admonitions to tbe worship of God, service to our fdlow men, and, kindness to lower animals, covered nearly" tlie wjioie of life. Speaking of service the preacher | said that among all the tombs in St. Paul's, where kings and queens, warriors, statesmen, poets, were buried, the tomb most frequently visited was that of a poor man, a crofter's son, David Livingstone, whose' life was devoted to the service of his fellow men in the dark places of Africa and to the suppression of the slave trade there. Speaking to the third text, Mr Macdonald euid that to far as we know the lower creatures have no «-inception of a higher being than man, and it had been well sunt mat a man is a God to his dog. To stand in tlie place of a providence of these creatures was surely a great responsibility, and a demand for kindners and benevolence towards tht-m. To delight in riich a »pnli a* bull-fighting was barbarous, and no wonder Spain was a decadent nation. Rut what better, he asked, was the coursing of trembling hare* or the shooting of helplemi pigeons. He recalled the story of Actaeon turned by Diana, into a stag and was hunted to death by his own houpdn. Hon wonid tn v hk. ibo chased by a bull or by an angry dog? If they could imagine how th<>w would like it. if chased in reality, they would see *'bfre some of their duty lay as tlk* providence to the lower animals. He concluded his remark.* on thi l head with the story of the boy who was scolded by a lady for taking a bird's nest full of young one.*, because of the pain it would cause their mother, when the lad replied that the mother would not ear**, slie had been taken before and put on the lady's hat. ' The dirtribution of the Sunday Nehool prize* (books and two medals) was made after the sermon. Th<> following is the list of prize-winners with their marks.

Senior CI a*: Frances Itonald«on 230 (gold medal). Florence Knowles 198. Cluurtotte Gibson IW. Sarah 'Mori jf-ou 159. N. McDousall 152. Intermediate Clas* -. Claude Kvans 210 (Mr Waiton's special), T. Dark- 196, Adeline Aitken 188, J. McDoagall 164, 1-ike Sic-'iir 155. \V. Sinclair 114. Am.. Gibson 122. Jimi'ir t'|ii».»: 111 ■••• h' -I<• *"■ •" '6l \\ me Robinson 155, Maggie T )avie 140. }"•. Kvans 151. I.eil.i Fyfo 124. Mmni. Km--12.1. D. Kvani 122. Christie Morgan 122. RarHata I'rimary Cla.««: Keith l).ilgli«h IS2 f»ilver mo<lal!. Aicheson 173. Mr MardonaM r»ngr3tul;«t«-d tlu>sc "ii" were pri/.e ninriTi*. and e<»n>olcd t!:•■>" iili" w«-r>« n'>i by *.i\ing tlint Ihrv litl 'ibt aiiie<i a irts-at ilr.il of in*'r'if-t i-'n a' • b«i S»-}i.v.i] wh'-li would br of u.m? t« tln-ni in »ftT liff>. Teachers ;| n<l srh«lar« wero a holiday for the afternoon.