THE REV. E. A. LINOARD AT ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1068, 8 October 1883, Page 2

THE REV. E. A. LINOARD AT ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH.

The service* were conducted at St. Stephen’s Church yesterday by the Rev. E. A. Lingard, incumbent of St. Luke’s Church, Christchurch. The attendance in the morning was quite up to the average, while in the evening every available sitting was taken. The text for the morning’s sermon was taken from Acts xvii. 16 —“ Now, while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly *dven to idolatory.” It was of St, Paul, the great Apostje of Christ, that these words were spoken. Ha had gone to Athens, and his object in going there was to convert the Athenians, flow hopeless appeared his task ! Let us look at the man. Ho had evidently been well educated, but he was naturally weak, and hie speech con*

temptible. Did it seem at all likely that these proud Athenians would listen to this new doctrine about the Unknown God. l T e spoke to them of Christ who had lived twenty years before, and who ha<\ bean crucified as a malefactor; but who had proved himself to be God hy raising Himself from the dead, after which Ho had stayed bn earth forty days to establish His Kingdom, and had then ascended into heaven. Paul was,thoroughly in earnest, for it was as ho himself said, the love of Christ which constrained him. Most people will listen when the speaker is in earnest, and so these Epicureans and Stoics listened to the great Apostle. Nv hen Paul stood on Mars Hill and preached to these people he was alone with no one to side with him, but ho trusted the word of his Master who had said—“My grace is sufficient for thee.” His work was to win souls for Christ, and he spoke fearless l y and without favor. He did not try to convert the rich or those in high positions in preference to the poor; for, while his words made even Felix tremble, he was ever ready, as long as there was * soul to save, to receive the poor as his dearest friends. The clergy of to-day had precisely the same kind of work to do as Sr Paul had. Bufcsome would say, these Athenians were idolaters, and how was it that the same kind of preaching was necessary in the nineteenth century and in this Christian land as these heathen required? But he would ask them—ln what did their Christianity consist 1 Ask some of the professing Christians of Ashburton—What think ye of Christ 1 and if they were honest they wouH have to admit that they very seldom thought anything at all about Him. Others again would say that they believed that Christ had cUed for and had s wed them, and therefore there was nothing. left for them to do. This was not like St Paul, for when ho had found Christ, he felt he must speak about it, and the man who is tru’y converted cannot remain quiet but makes known the joy he has found in believing, and endeavors to lead others to seek salvation. Anything wo allow to come between ourselves and our God becomes our idol, and how many at the present day worshipped the idols of Fame, Intellect, Positi m, and Riches. The rev gentleman concluded his remarks by appealing to his hearers to seek that true conversion such as St Paul had. At the evening service the words of the text were taken from Isaiah Ixi, II—“For as the earth bringeth forth her, bud, and as the garden cauaeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth ; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” He (the preacher) had chosen these words as he had considered them very appropriate tn the season of the year. It rejoiced our hearts to see the restoration which was go : ng on in nature around us—the trees budding forth into blossom, and everything soring into new life and energy. But was there a restoration going on in our souls ; could wo perceive the restoration of grace as well as of nature 1 It had been said there was no true happiness in the world ; but God’s children were happy in meditating over the works of their creator. It may not be the true happiness which they felt, but it was certainly a gleam of the joy which was to bo hereafter. The Christian life should be a gradual growth in grace—first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. As the farmer v.ho was daily watching his crops could not perceive the growth the same as a person who did not eee them so often, so the Christian could not sometimes perceive the work of the spirit, although others could see how it was affecting his life and actions. There was no place on the face of the earth, however much overgrown it may be with weeds and thorns, that was half so foul as the heart of a sinful man. As the farmer carefully prepared the soil to receive the seed so we should prepare our hearts to receive the seed—which was the word of God. The sermon, which was unusually long, was listened to most attentively throughout.