THE CHAPMAN-ALEXANDER MISSION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1720, 10 April 1913, Page 9

THE CHAPMAN-ALEXANDER MISSION.

ST. PAUL AND FELIX. Another service in continuation of tho Chapman-Alexander Mission v.-as held in tho Town llail last night. Thero wertabout 2500 people ill the congregation. After tlio usual song service, conducted l.y Mr. Alexander, Mr. W. Allan (chairman of the Finance Committee) said he was sorry to-linvo to mako another appeal for funds. They wero.sKU ,£l2O short of the amount incurred for expenses on behalf of tlw mission. Amongst the congregation he thought thore were at least 120 people in tho hall who could afford to give a guinea each without missing it. He was going to' divide tho amount into two sums—»G(Jo to bo given by the audience, and i'GO to be given by tho officebearers of tho churches. , After tho collection was taken thero was a short interlude for tho hiking of a iiash-light photograph of tho people in tlio hail. An announcement was made by the local secretary of . the mission that Mrs. Alexander, 'who has been seriously ill, had arrived safely in 'Wellington, and at his request tho congregation, t-ang tho ]}oxotogy by way of giving thanks to God for her safe recovery. . Dr. Chapman preached from tho 25th verso of tho 21th chapter of tho Acts of tho Apostles: "And as he reasoned, of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled." Dr. Chapman drew a vivid picture of tho scene of which tho verse tells, Paul speaking the message which was ever burning in his heart to | an audience of two, the cruel ar.d dissolute Felix and his sinful mato Drusilla, one of whom, had power by speaking a /word to condemn him to an awful death. Paul was unafraid, and just as lie reasoned of the divine ideal of a human life, that ideal was-possible of attainment'if one's life were completed by Jesus Christ. But it 'was not to be attained by human effort merely. A man . could only be .right, and live as God would hayo liim :live if he submitted himself to. Him.-in loving obedience who came into this world and lived, and suffered, and died, and . rose again, ascended to God's Right Hand, and cam'e back in the spirit, and by that .spirit dwelt in our nature, energising our will, and .strengthening us to .resist wrong. Ho pleaded with' all to be Christians, and for these reaspqs—first because it was th-a only way to,attain. God's ideal, second, it was .thfc only way to get control of their ■lives and mako them true; third, because it was the only way that any man had ever found' Out; in this world's history to have satisfaction in. living, lie spoke also'of 'tlio-.Jlid'guiPiit—of the Judgment which had ca"u's?d 'Felix to tremble—and of tho way f.f salvation. • A meeting will be held this morning at 10.30 at St. John's Church for men only, and 'another meeting .for church pcoplo 'iu.the',afternoon. At the .evening,speccal seats will bo reserved for young men in Bible classes. The subject of the evening will be. "The Christian's Flotation to •Doubtful Amusements." RESOLUTION BY THE PRESBYTERY'. At a special meeting of tho" Wellington Presbytery, held.at St. John's 'Church yesterday, the Moderator (Re 7., A. W; C. Standage) presiding, the following motion was passed:—"The Presbytery of Wellington desires to place fon record an expression of. its gladness at the presence ox Dr. Chapman' at this meeting, and' of its high appreciation of tho services which ho, with Mr. Alexander and the other members of tho party, has been rendering to the cause of Christ and Ilis Church' in this'community. Dr. Chapman's addresses have been characterised 'by ;men,tal. sobriety; spiritual conviction, 'Snd an'enrriestiiess of appeal that swiftly reaches tho heart. > The missioner is loyal in word and deed to the Presbyterian ■Church, of which he is-a' greatly honoured. minister, hnd 1 to all tlio. churches, and the reality'of.liis;sympathj with his brother ministers is ' manifest on every occasion. Tho Presbytery thanks Dr. Chapman and;his colleagues for their work of faith and labour of love, and is persuaded—to uso one of Dr. Chapman's own frequent expressions—that their efforts willtend to make the ordinary calling of tho ministry in this city easier than it has been. The mission lias encouraged ministers not only by the manifest quickening of interest ,in spiritual things among a wide, circle of people, and by many. professions of faith; but also by the-fact that the quickening has taken piacc chiefly' ;in prepared . hearts. It would, indeed, have been .an occasion of profound thankfulness if a still larger number of outsiders have been reached, but the knowledge that; 'tho harvest has bean reaped principally in soil which has been diligently tilled is full of encourage-ment-to men who so often,are disheartened bv. the seeming futility of their toil. Tlio lesson taught by Dr; Chapman as to the value of an intensely direct appeal will not speedily be forgotten. Tho Presbytery commends Dr..Chapman, Mr. Alexander, and their fellow-workers to the grace of God. and prays that they may be continually 'sustained in their arduous, labours by the realised presence, of Him whom they servo with unfaltering devotion." ■■