ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14285, 29 August 1910, Page 2

ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

FESTIVAL SKRVICK.S. Yesterday, beiny; the. L'ltli :■ iniverPiiry of the, consecration (it' SC. Mary's | Church, festival services were, li'-lfl, III" j preacher I t LI io <I: i v beiujj, III" j l!ev. S. Trerien Adams M'.A. At, the ; II sl. 111. service, 111" preacher to"k ln.s ] text from Matthew, chapter 'JH : verso IS): "Kor whether is i;re«ter, tlm • nit't, or the sill sir that saueiili'th lb" I girt?" Mr Adams dealt iiit."r".sl inely and at some length, with Christ's ii'l- ! monition to people to follow 111" eimil , doctrine. <>■■<! not tile evil example ol ' ill" .scribes and Pharisees. I!" s;ii<l that tu uur blessed Lord, the supreme I importance of life was ever mid always apparent. To Him, lilt', was intensely . real, intensely earnest; and 1 i 1 1 '- beinn ; tu Mini. such an important, tliiiiti. any- j thine licit produced a false estimate j of life, met, with llis stcrne-. i, comlemnation. .Man had only one lite to live, and it was ol the "rent.si import a ii"e that, such a precious "'ilk should b" correctlv estimated, and used accord- : 'Ho disliked to sec it measured ! by wronjz standards. It- was only a true consideration of the importance of life, that would enable us to under- j Stand the teaehines expressed in ihe j stern words ,>f the chapter irnin which til" text had heen taken. Ihe IMiari- j pees and scribes attach".,] import anec i in ihe nifts nlaeid upon the altar, rather than to the aliar which santiJ fieri the liift, and they said that if a j I man displayed indifference coneernin<£ i the gift he was jjaiilty ol ei ievous sin. But this was discredited hy Christ:. He would not accent it ior a moment.. Some of the siii'ts placed on ihe altar wovo verv precious, while sonic were of little monetarv value: bnt thai, mattered not: when placed on the altar they were invested with a new inenuMitr. They were an o(i'orin<i to Chid, <r;ven through a soul-stirrine. brought about perhaps beeause of some iireat peril which had been escaped, or on account of contrition and penitence for which lli,» srivers felt they ought to express ; their gratitude. Tf they placed their gifts ntion the altar of love and gratitude to Clod. ; they would be acceptable and accepted, j lii conclusion the preacher said that in building their church, .many had laid their gifts on the altar of true, love for God. while i many, perhaps. had given without j much thought at all. Now they were | face to lace with the fart that their ! church was not unenruuthered. They knew how heavy was the debt, and I how necessary it was to clear it off. (There would be an urgent- call in the ' near future for another church to be built in this fast prowinsr town, and it would be much easier to meet this call, if St. Mary's was free of debt. He therefore asked them to do their best in this direction, letting: love and thanksrriving to God he the moving factor.