ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2064, 16 August 1875, Page 2

ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH.

The Bishop of Auckland, on a visit to the Thames for the purpose of holding a confirmation of those anxious to take their baptismal vows upon themselves in accordance with the doctrine of the Church of England, preached yesterday morning in St. George's Church> taking as his text Ephesians 3rd Chap., and 15th, 16th, and part of the 17th verses, and as his subject the religious instruction of the young. His Lordship dwelt ,on the responsibilities which rest on parents and guardian* of seeing those under their more immediate control brought up to lire honest Christian lives, urging them to strive both by example and precept to impress on the minds of. the young how necessary it was to love Christ, not only with the love which arises through fear of offending him, but with that perfect love which easteth out fear. Nor, said his Lordship, was this duty of rightly educating the young, one which devolved only on parents or the minister of the district, but that it behoved all the congregation to do their utmost in their several ways to support the Sunday Schools and other means designed by their clergymen to effect this most desirable end. In the evening the Bishop preached again taking his text from Ps. 23. v. 4. . " Yea tiiough I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil &c." Hard it was he said, for those in the full bloom of youth and strength to be able to say, when considering the approach of death, " I will fear no evil." And yet men great and true, had lived such lives as to be able to say with sincerity in the face of impending martydom these very words; witness the apostolical fathers Polycarp of Smyrna, and Ignatius of Antioch, from the latter of whoso works, beseeching his sorrowing friends not to intercede for his life, the Bishop quoted. As to those who are left behind sorrowing for the dead who die in the Lord, trite words of comfort could but ill atono for the loss of blessings which they had learnt too well to enjoy," T>ut they must strive to think of those that are gone, that what is their loss is the gain of the departed, who may even then be before God using their prayers as earnestly as on earth for the welfare of those they had left behind. But to gain this death bed of the Christian it was necessary to do something more than merely wish for it, we must strive after it, earnestly praying for, every means of grace, of which confirmation was one, to enable us to attain to it.

With this view of the subject before them the Bibhop addressed tho candidates, of whom there were 24, 19 ladies and 5 gentlemen, each of whom was then confirmed. The Church was crowded, many being .unable to obtain admission, and it inras estimated that about 800 in all were present inside the building.