ANNIVERSARY SERVICES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14004, 13 September 1909, Page 2

ANNIVERSARY SERVICES.

CHALMISiIS CIIUHCII. Very pleasant and successful were the sJrvii.es which were held in Chalmers Church yesterday, when the -anniversary was celebrated. ■ There were large congregations both morning and evening; the church was prettily decorated with flowers, and the .sermons bv the Uev. A. Macaulay Caldwell, of Auckland, were greatly appreciated. At the 11 a.m. service he took his tt-xt from th-j tenth chapter of John, and preached :i forceful sermon on the need tor a more abundant Christian life. The moon, as Sir Oliver Lodge had said, had no atmosphere because it was not large enough to generate or attract I one: and so it was with some Christian people their lives were not full enough or rich enough to generate a Christian atmosphere around them. And tins, notwithstanding that the great desideratum was that every Christian should possess fullness of i life. Sir Andrew Clark, a noted phy--1 sltian had said that it was possible for | a man to live on three ounces of kid- ! ney tissue, but he could not live a I ba'ppj-, full or joyous life. He would be an invalid. Some people found it necessary to go to au invigorating climate m"order to get u larger measure of vitality, and they envied others, their cxhuberanee. AVc admired those who were full of vigour and pulsating with, physical life, and we should ever remember that God desired to see his people surcharged with vitality so that an atmosphere would he created which would draw men and women unto Him. The trouble with a good many Christian people was that they were not fountains, hut wells, and they required to bo pumped when there should be a continual overiloflw. The motto .of all should be: Christ for us. Christ with lis, Christ in us. This was the goal they should all be striving for: aud while striving for it.- they should remember that it was not to be attained without labour: there must be labour before there could he life in the truest sense of the word. The preacher dwelt uixm the folly of wasting time ■over discussing theory, creed, or dogma, as Christianity did not rest upon ■"•hese. and we the great central fact that Christ died in order that we might live and enjoy that full life, which "could lw ours for the taking. There was a wide difference between theory and fact, and if men could only be got to face facts, how serviceable they would heroine in the srreat .work of reformiug the world. Men would discuss when they would not believe, but. what was wanted was a better recognition of the fact that Christ was always with um that His presence gave triumph in j?v««ry trouble, and kent i's in abounding life. Row many of Grd's spiritual children, were content to live in the slums when they ought to l»e on the'mountain top. ' This should notbe. but it should-bo'the aim "of idl to secure that trreat enrichment which the spirit of Christ alone could- give. . Another sermon \ which met with mneli acceptation was' delivered by the same preacher last night before a large congregation.'

AVESLfciA.N CiicitLil." Forty-four yui-j ago yesterday tlie tiroi \>vnvy;i.» ouiiua/ ocilyol lus uncueu m a.i.iai'u', .ii.u'tiiL' a.iinvoraajj OI Una e»eiiL i.L.tuiuK« v>«-:«y .»«-•" by ui Sliv.i.o. -n----"waya ot u i)i. o .u «mi. iuciujui'u' t-iiat-acicr, uu:'luitj-iuUi'Lii uiiiiit'ei&ary w~.» no loss atifu'cuvu uiau hi puatt-yvuio. As Usual, me cXx>el.cuceu' CuwiHuishi'. Air \>'." uilclirisc, Hau trained me children ot tno acnuvi in mo sinking ci selected iiyj'iiiis iiiiicu were pnuicu iii leaUet loin! and uislribuud a.ijung'me congregation ami vuo big ciioir mu credit lo llieniscives as well as to . Uurir choirmaster m ih;j splendid way ju whicli tiiey sang tiie- beautiful "melodies. 'J'liu cmlure.u occupieu a place in the iront oi lho .churcu interior nnuig ilic:. usual ciioir seats-a? well as tiie space on an jmproviaed. plattorm. 'i'ue cnurch was prettily decorated for tlio occasion. J_u_ adunion to tne singing, vviiicii was a spcxial and very attra'ctno feature of tile services, tne instrumental music Oy an oivuestra •; übielty of jyung peopio belonging to the cuurcii, wu.» aiso very luce. Tiie orchestra was- composed as iollows: first violin, AUss roster and .Miss .Norma; second wo.in, Aliss .-ifi>''. ..Yorrisii, and JrranK Oi».iii; cornet, Air ri. Mecklon; nutc, -A»r rt. Jtloldgat.-'; nass, Mr C. H.oldgau.-; /cello, -Air Ellis AVood; viola, JUr "H.' r \S ood..- An intro-: duccd item, in the".-fqrni : ."of an In Alemoriaiu duet,, byv Jliss' Aniy. Hoidgate (soprano), and: Jlis.s.lJorjs .vogeler. \to), was sung was the outcome of•'--a -nappy, thought on the part of Mr Gilchrist, the duet being sung as a mars to the memory of those members of • the con--gregation who Jiavu passed away during the year. : The congregations were largo both morning and evening, the j church- being packed at the evening serricei I' : As/tisual a number of coiu:try people were attracted to these special services, some driving a good many ifiilMs in oroer to la; prci-eiit. Services were held in the morning, afternoon and evening, the preacher Wing the ltev. C. H: Garland, of the Durliam street Wesley an Church ,Christchurch, whose discourses 'were some what off the beaten track, were forcefully delivered, and being of an informative and 'in'-, spiriting , nature, were \-ery greatly appreciated. At.the 11 a.m. service bo addressed his remarks primarily to the guardians of the children;. in the afternoon he spoke-directly to the little Ones, and last evening bis sermon was addressed to the elder scholars. Taking his text from the eight verse of the first chapter of Daniel, lie impressed upon his hearers the fact that it is the small things of life which give the test of accuracy either in the physical or the moral, realm; that it is the small things which matter most. asit is in. these that our principles are proved, and they had tho authority of Ghiist'for saying that "he that is faithful in that, Which is least, is faithful also in much." They bad also the experience of their own lives that this .was:so. Daniel, in the words of the text, ** purposed in hit* heart that he would not defile himself with the por;tabn of the King's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. 1 ' There were those who would bow down to the god; of expediency and of fashion, but there were others who would stand for the right at any cost. For all such, theyhad reason to thank God. The world had plenty of brave men, but it had always had'an insufficiency of leaders. Danier; at the risk of losing his life, had refused to cat tho meat or drink tho wine of the Babylonish King in whose charge ho found himself, because it had been set upon an altar in worship of a false god. He felt that ho would bo defiled if bo partook of that wliich was dedicated to a false gbdJ and so lie took the stand that he would not cab it. Having set the example, three of bis companions followed it, and all lived upon pulse and water for three years, in place of the wine and meat whicli they had refused. In taking a stand of this kind, tho preacher said, no man could standalone for long; others would soon follow his example, as the history of the world had shown,' but it was the courage to tako the lead "in the cause of ri~ht, that was needed. Dipping into historv. the preacher set before Ins

hearers, as examples worthy of emoJution.the heroic acts of men liko -Ur Edward Fowler, who, m less than one week, caused 9000 clergymen to tollcm bis- example in. refusing to read Iron his "pulpit, that which a king had commanded to be rend, bf «""•£ he (Dr Fowler) could not read witha clear conscience;..of. Abraham who had by -lis 'strength and here,»m struck a blow; which" oosed. the shackles of the slave," and ot men like Vcsly and Luther, and a host -oKothcrs Attention to- small things ;was «««**«> as a discipline- to the carrying out. ot "renter things, and he urged all young people to remember that : they wouk never be left standing alone in dele of right. In conclusion.-he said tn.it God onlv knew the future - history ot that school aud congrcgation.aif .eyeo man, woman and child- would that night foilow the example of-Daniel . nd purpose in his or her heart to do the right at all costs and under all cireumS 'The S anniversary celebrations will be concluded to-night with a children s concert to be held in JAcsley Hall, Church street.