THE LATE MR SEDDON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9271, 25 June 1908, Page 2

THE LATE MR SEDDON.

♦ . ■ BISHOP JULIUS'S SERMON. In dedicating the memorial pulpit presented to the pro-cathedral at Wellington by Mrs Seddon, in memory of the late Air Seddon, Bishop Julius preached from the text in the fourteenth verse of the thirty-first Psalm: •' I am clean forgotten, as a dead man, out of mind." That the dead were quickly out of mind was an old story, told in familiar words in every age of human history, he said. There was a natural craving to be remembered after the day's work was done, at least for a while, but it was a craving rarely satisfied. The name might be remembered for a while j the man was forgotten. And yet it was not always so. One of the glories of the Old Land was that it was peopled with memories, that the whole country was monumental, that every town and every, village had some record of the past, some story of the lives that had been. "Nor, indeed, have we much regard to the poor memorials that are," he continued. " Many years ago ; with much labour and costj they raised in Christohurch a memorial to* the founder of the Canterbury Assocation, the founder of the province. To-day the statue endeavours to look over the hideous roof of a tramway shed, and men ask in our Eapers, 'Who was GodleyF 'What did c daP 'Why should he stand encumbering the very best place in the city F ' Why not move him elsewhere, or be rid of him?' Two years ago Riohard Seddon, worn. out with, toil after many labours, laid down his life. On this his birthday we remember the circumstances of his life, with what strenuous effort he fought and won his way to the front, by what services he commanded the esteem and respect of the people of this country, with what commanding ability he gained the foremost place in the colony, how friends gathered round him< how his foes learned to respect and admire him, how he stood among us little people as a giant among pigmies, and how men would do anything for him, vote for him, work for him, fight for him, and, as it was proved, do anything but raise a memorial to him. For since he died it is with him as with so many, that men are ready to forget. It may be said that there is confessedly a lack of the sense of proportion among us in Now Zealand, and it is possible, as we may argue now, that he was not necessarily so great because he was great in New Zealand. It is perfectly true that we have an exaggerated sense of our own importance and greatness, and. the interest that attaches to ourselves. But I say that Richard Seddon is not forgotten. It is. the public as such that forgets its great men, its honoured leaders, the men who have wrought and can serve no longer, but it may be that the best heritage which ho left us is not the public services. I do not know, but I almost think that all his public services were overborne by the example which he gave to the whole community of domestic virtue. To me, at least, ho seems— l knew him well, and he stands before me — as the very figure and example of a good husband and loving true and affectionate father; and' I do not know of any service that a man can render to this country of greater worth than this, that he should givo us a high example of domestic virtues." Mr Seddon, the Bishop added, never forgot those whom he knew in the days of obscurity of the West Oast. Though the public forgot, there were many warm hearts on the West Coast who loved, him well and did not forget. At different times he had lamented to the speaker the weakness of the church, and had remarked, "What a power for good the Church of England could be." He had looked with sorrow on a great church that might tlo such mighty things for God through want of earnestness, sincerity and devotion. In conclusion, Bishop Julius said that Mr Seddon had tried to use his power for the benefit of the masses, so they said at last, "Oh, God, remember him when men forget him, and grant that in that day he may be held in everlasting remembrance."