THE ANGLICAN MISSION

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 938, 4 October 1910, Page 6

THE ANGLICAN MISSION

, "KEEP OUT THE SLACK." ' PKEBENDARY STUAET AT THE' ' STATUE. ; "Since Mr. 'Joe' Harris was not ablo to reach Wellington in time .to .'address you to-day," -began Prebendary H. V. Stuart, of the Anglican Mission, as he faced .the workers at tho : Queen's Statue : shortly after noon yesterday, "you'll have to put up with a parson," ho added, with. a smile. ■ "If I have not been- a . miner, like Mr., Harris," continued the speaker, "I'.have, at least been, down a mine," and he proceeded to "relate his experiences on that occasion.- Ho was curious to know, for himself what the .conditions of life .were like in a mine, and judging.that the .best .'test; was-that, of personal experience, put in a week as a'worker, .'in*-one. He was .given, a 'shovel, and put to filling trucks,- but. had not proceeded. , far with his labours when a voice behind' him said: ."Keep. out. the slack, . there, or you'll have us up on the carpet on pay day." Here, .'he. reflected,, was one of the lessons -of life-7-"keep\out the slack." The man with whom.he was working.had the reputation of having the' roughest, tongue in the mine,' but for a whole week ; his language' was 'most parliamentary. Somebody asked' hini how he /'managed it! "Well,", ho Teplied, "I. didn't want .to hurt the-parson's 'feelings." - Had they : Prebendary Stuart asked .his r-hearers, ever.considered whether .Tesus.Christ had feelings to hurt when, they forgot what they, were; saying? He urged/them to cast out the '-'slack' of language,-of temper, of. drink, gambling, -and immorality , . Someone had sauL.that, religion,was the obstacle, in tho way of asocial reform. He would' tell-'them that the .worst , enemies of social .reforin wore, drink,- gambling, and- immorality.. He was. reminded of a, great labour dispute in the Old Country, during .which the men ■ had a with'itlio' employers. Was , it thei'result.,of. that conference'that led the. men ;.to, look eagerly for the paper next morning ?. Not a bit;of it. 'They wore anxions to know ■"what.had won thei.Chester. Cup.".,'. y- '. : -At' the', conclusion'of th'oi address, Prebendary'. Stuart: spoke ' to'.;, the. men individually. ': Mr;. "Joe" -Harris , will.'-epeak; at ;the statue after noon- to-day./;/. ■•'; ~;" ■'.■v- -. ; ;'=ax;the ; to\vn;',hall'.v , v ;,; '~!-.: ■■■ The;midday,mebtings':at the. Town Hall Concert .'Chamber.'^yero':..conducted/ 'by panon / Stuart ; and Prebendary, : v Stuart. Canon /Stuart; who /.took -the - first, 'meeting;, delivered..an eloquent address, based on, the main .incidents. ,in the, life, of St. Paul tho .Apostle,-whp^ : historic, conyersipn 'from/a proud and.haughty, persecu- , tor to ?a;hnnible and.,devoted follower of the Christian .Gospel",furnished;• an -,illuminating 'cpmmentary iipon ; the. pomp and vanities:-, of -the /present-day world, 1 and" the'iieed 'for; a sincere; and. universal-' quest' for; the things, that-madelfpr true, godliness. ■■//;"'-, *:','."/'•.>■■,: '/.v. :; '..;' ',*. .■■■:'* .C--'.; - PrebendaryiStaart'oondupted',the. -fol--loipng,-:meeting, : : delivering :a ■ stirring.-. ad-; dresi; ori'-'thei,coming of : : the:; ; Delivered from' the/prophecy of, Isaiah;/ "At this meeting ...between 300 and: 400 men were' present^'/;":/;-;;;.':f ■;./... ;/^:.^ J ; -j-;-..;/;';'■ : 'T;'tvST^PAUL'S;"- 1 ;./;: ../At the'"early celebration' of; the 'Holy Communion; at;: St. •■ Paul's.". Pro-Cathedral yesterday: morning ; Canon*.'vlyens /gave,-a short address on /"Nearness to; God,*' :.tak-. ing 'as his text .Jacbb'sDream; , : ;";'"/,/'/v : - "■ / At' 11-'a.inl'he'.spoke':on -the• Epistle , . to the. Philippiansj giving' , an/interesting 'and helpful''"exposition, ■.'whiph ..will- be "continued-, at -the' same ..hour each'/day (this week.; ;■ Av;-' v,// '■ ■■•' '■'. ;"■■.:'•-.■'••!■ -\-a"' ; .^'" : .'iAt ;3 'p.m.his; talk ,'to; women,'wasvon. .."Piety;; an/the ."Home.";,.He; dealt /with the: twee , great -relations in' \vhich women' God;, to.'their; hus,b'ands,;, and to 'their : children—and -gave much;/wholesome,' .if isearcliing, , .counsel. He';jvas: careful:to/6ay j'that had h'ei.been talking, ito! m'en' ;he ■ wp'uld/just. as'.plainly put.the:other- : side of -the'ciuestibn;'; [•,'■[ ■ i ■At;:.the'; : mission''ser.vico'iin the.evening Canon Ivens' spike, with', great earnestness and/-directness, .on.'.the" subject .of - "My. ..He.'.referred ,td ; the inadequate vieiys pf siri,'/iyhich identified. it';wHh».the orime of vice. .. 4 There .had .been;-in ithe history/'of/the'; world -onmes, 'i.e.y/.yiola-. ■ tions '. of/.State, ]a,w, / svhicli '• 'ftere;' not i/sins, as;.'when , ; in the Eoman Empire, it .was."a ■crime -to-confess/Christ; ./yet: lit /■ would have'/been;a sin for a Christian :not to ironfess.'-Him-./;. SpV-again,-;while all vices 'were siiis,/; there .; yas;.. inuch '.tsin ■', ■ where there was no' vice.'. , .; Sin, was just'the. difference between; what, we wero and .what God/meant.'.us to :bo. ; ;. -Thei/Missioner. then/took! the .-Ten Cbmmahdmehts.i ;and made, ■•', a./; very'^^seai'ohing:.application'-of v them/tb/daily : -life.';'.' '•'/• '>>}■ hj, v : .;/V'/: v ; ;/■- ,' : The 'seryices;- for., to-day, are; as', follow , :— Holy Cpmmnniqn and brief address,'7.3o a.in;. Bible, reading,, 11 a.m.; women's';service, : 3- p.m. )-•■ mission service, , ;,7.3o. ;:;The Missionerj..^vith 'a band. of workers; ; .hopes to hold an'open-iir'meeting/at V.^p.m.V.-.i '% , / : ;/ ; v '/"v';/l . The ''mission -was continued! :at.'.-' St... Peter's. yesterday.... Notwithstanding /the" stormy' weather,there wasiaVgood.attend-. ;.'ance ! ■ at ■ the."' evening., service,-/whicii;.was 'commenced-''''with, prayers 7/ and , ■■■: hymns. , ; Then,:.the Rev.;- J./ C.'Fitzgerald '-read/a /portion' "of;: St.; Luke ..Gospel.'.After this ■ came , an instruction': on "Sin;": illustrated - bj^.app-rpp'r.iate; , 'incidents-;from the. sioners"own-experience.: ■' Mr.; "Fitzgerald; said he had ; of ten been asked if.-.lie be: lioved.in:hell.. Hβ replied that;.the.;.Loye,of 'God 'resisted was- hell. .There•■■was., a hell/ beginning-?on;-earth;, and ■ the:> 'sin which kept-"men from.'G^xl'nKide.it. : ;;Tho; fires o£ remorse for' evil ' were real/ and; terrible.' .'After/the"^instruction , the'mis-' sioner;: preached / a.;, striking:. sermon /on ; .i Zacchaeus./Who, /the ■ preacner ; said, was-: "a'-sh^dy.:character, but .wealthy, , and: a leader. of : his class,,and money .covers a multitude .'of sins.".' ; .Christ needed - the,, leaders 'of ".Wellington to.,be'■;converted,'' because .they would . take others/ "along them.:. Zacchaens was 'like a .morilcey., .up , a ;tfee. ./He niado ■ a fobl\ofo himself: perhaps; but when- men; were eager, and m earnest they .don't / : mind/ ridicule. There was need .for ; men to'. be ready to be "fools in!'men's, eyes, for.'.Christ's sake! ■ :.-'■ The service closed with a prayer-meet-ing}' during' which: many of' the men ; pre-. sent- , engaged in extempore prayer. l , v i. The missioncr ■ ahnojinced that;, weather, permitting,..a' processioii. would go from' St'. -Peter's : through the" .streets. to-night, •■ "to witness , for Christ."; He. wished men especially to come , and, -join-in this, and , ■to.be.ready'at the,ohnrchat.7:p.m; ', - / ;;;/•;/■ / 'fi- ; ; ;/■'/.';;.;■■ v , ;.'/ : The mission'-in St. Mark's/parish was continued , yesterday.. The rough: weather militated against large/numbers, , but /an, intense spirit of reality charactei-ised the services./ , .The /Holy Communion/;was celebrated in the morning, and was well .attended.-;.■: The -requests for prayer' that have■-,been'.sent in .were laid before God at the ■ seri'ice,'. and. also .'at: a service in the '-afternoon.',. The spirit -of -the. mission may perhaps be; be6t judged by. the number, andthe , tone.of these/requests for prayer.,. s . , ■ < ' . -■■ ~: . ■■ '■-'■;■ .In tli'e ( afternoori tho'.Eev; G,"F.C ,de CaTteret/began a series of devotional ad-, dresses on the spiritual life, which will be continued through the week.. His theme was "The Christian's Foothold," and:he'based .his,thoughts on St. Paul's words,; "Found in Him."..- ; Very .earnestly and-'helpfully the ;Missioner dwelt on Christjanity <not : being «> much a creed as a relation-ship to God. ■ ' ' ~

- The ■'■■•■ address, at tjie .'evening service was the 'secoiid of a series of which, the first was on the search of: God for man. Last night the speaker based his words on the cry of the Prodigal' Son,. "I have: sinned,": and very' forcibly, brought out the definition of sin, as disclosed in the Bible, and,the nature of.sin. : An aftermeeting', was held, for whioh all who had heard his address' remained, and very 'solemnly tho Missioner put before. men the .baptismal vows, and suggested lines of : self-examination. The'.' service was very real and very helpful, fraught with deep conviction and earnest solemnity.