THE FINAL MASS MEETING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 995, 9 December 1910, Page 6

THE FINAL MASS MEETING.

| CANON STUART'S PARTING WORDS. The. final mass meeting of the mission ?i ' a the ; Town Hall last evening was attended by another great assembly. The 'Bishop, of-Wellington-. (Dr.. Wallis) presided, and -several of the missioners who are about to leave the Dominion, occupied seats on the. platform. Canon Stuart took his text from the first Epistle of St. Peter: "Kept by the Power of God." -these were tho : words he: desired to leave with the people of Wellington. He dwelt •upon the mercy oft God.. Their guilt called for mercy. When-they contrasted what they were, and what they might have been; what- they had done and' what should have been left -undone, they could only cry: "Lord have, mercy on .us." The ; love' of Christ, flowed on as- freely and surely as a river, and it endured for ever.- God -had ■ not left them. to sink or swim as best they could,'for there was One Who came the moment they cried for help. He believed in the Living Christ.and asked his. hearers to put the question to themselves: "Did thev believe in Him too?" He.commended-the words of his text to all, he had had them illuminated and placed before him; in his study. If they trusted in" those words they would find that it.was. the Living Christ they loved and- served: lie warned those who had made good resolutions during the 'mission' that:'they "must expect, all kinds of. temptations and difficulties, but urged them to persevere. In conclusion .Canon. Stuart;.expressed extreme gratification that one of the good results of the mission had been the establishment of, "Bible circles" throughout the Dominion, and the .expression of an earnest desire on.-the part of the people to know: moreabbnt God:-and- the Bible. He. warned particularly those who wished to persevere to be very . watchful over their own private prayers which was where the falling, away .would begin. Finally he asked those who were sincere to take away as his message the words "Kept by the Power of God; kept for Christ." The Bishop, in-tho name of those assembled, 'and; on his-own behalf.' tendered his yery grateful thanks and -affection, to Canon Stuart and those missioners who wore soon to leave our ishores. He wasexceedingly gratified.at.the result of. the missioners' efforts. 'The .mass -meetings in the Town- Hall and- - services' ,:in the churches had exceeded, in point of numbers and fervour, "his ' most sanguine hopes.;. .''';. .'.'' -••-■>. The meeting was concluded by the choir pinging "God,be With Tou'.Till.we Meet. Again," after which Canon Stuart, called upon lis fellow missioners to read to the uorimkly, . texts of. ScriDture to...be re-membered-for future'guidance. -'■