HARVEST FESTIVAL AT TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2761, 25 March 1890, Page 2

HARVEST FESTIVAL AT TE AWAMUTU.

« . Tub annual harvest festival was held at St. John s Church on Sunday. There was a very large congregation, the <;Ihut;l> being well tilled. The decorations were very gnod considering the limited means at the disposal of the decorting committee. Owing to the dry season the display of vegetables was very poor. Some sheaves of grain and a good supply of evergreens, however, made the decorations very pleasing. Theoofferr r ings of fruit were not up to former years. This was not owing to the poor season or unwillingness to give on the part of fruitgrowers as much as to the fact that the fruit which had been presented to the church by exhibitors at the late show was stolen from the hall. Such flowers as could be procured were made use of, but, like the vegetables, the dry weather left scarcely any in the country. The singing of the choir was exceedingly good, especially the Nunc Diinittis. Mr and Mrs (). Garland kindly came over from Cambridge to sing in the choir. Miss Maud Mandeno presided at the organ. The anthem was, Oh. Lord, How Manifold are Thy Works." The service was choral the responses and Psalms being chanted, the latter being the 65th and 12lst. The Rev. Mr Boler pre.iched, taking for his text the 10th verse of the 9th chapter of 2nd Corinthians, "Now he that ministsreth seed to the sower doth minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed Hovvn, and increase the fruit of your righteousness." The preacher said it is not so long ago, even in his boyhood, when such a gathering as this was almost entirely unknown, and yet harvest festivals were as old as the world. Sixty or seventy yeaw ago a general deadnesa appeared to take possession of church matters, and it was only very recently that life in this direction was revived. These gatherings should be renewed evidences of spiritual life every year, for we have continually renewed evidences of God's goodness and mercy to us. The value of these services was not in the sermon, it should be in the uplifting of our hearts in thanks to Almighty God in music and song. The principle ot life underlies all things, and comes from God. "He tninistercth seed to the sower," and gives us all things. The principle of life is placed by him in the seed, and if we keep the seed too long that principle dies and the seed is useless. It was long ago described as, "first the blade then the ear and then the full corn in the ear." The Apostle shows that this is the experience of the spiritual life. Some people think that spiritual life is a thing to be grasped at once. Spiritual life must grow in us. It cannot remain in abeyance, jr like the seed it will lose its principle of life. It cannot be grasped at the font and left during life while we are engrossed with other things, the cares of this world and the riches of it, and taken up at the last or on our death bed with the idea that in the next world we shall be full grown Christians. _ It cannot be put aside, for frnitfulness is necessary in the Christian, like the grain there must be the blade, then the ear, and then the full oorn in the ear. Where is our fruitfulness 1 Are we bearing the fruit that God requires ? The heathen and the scoffer say, " where is Christianity of those who go to church ?" We shall be known by our fruits. We forget the great, the imperative necessity for frnitfulness. God has given us blessings this year and we have gathered in the crops, He has given it fruitfulness and let us lift up our hearts in praise and thankfulness to Him lot this great and continued mercies. If we have not brought forth fruit let us begin to do so to-night, not a little, but as much as we are capable of bringing forth. May God grant thq.t we may grow in grace, and not bo Christians in name only, but in very deed," Mr Boler gave notice that his Lordship, Bishop Cowie, would hold a confirmation service here next Sunday evening at 7 p.m.