Harvest Thanksgiving Service

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 113, 22 March 1892, Page 2

Harvest Thanksgiving Service

Last Sunday harvest thanksgiving services were held in the Wesleyan Church. The preachers who conducted the services are earnest in their work and speak with power, the congregations which assembled at both services testifying to the truth of this statement. The church was tastefully decorated and over the pulpit was a motto, "Thou crownest the earth with thy goodness," the lettering being formed of daisies on a blue ground, which added to the attractiveness of the decorations. The musical part of the services was conducted by Mr R. F. Haybittle, the singing being accompanied with several instruments, the effect of which was very pleasing whin joined with the hearty singing of the congregation. Mr G. Grant, who preached in the morning, took for his text 1 Cor. 12, 13, " Covet earnestly the best gifts and yet show I unto you a more excellent way," which was treated in a masterly manner. The preacher referred to the material gifts which men possess, such as a talented doctor, a counsel who can plead eloquently in a court of justice, a man who is successful in business, one with whom everything seems to prosper j in their intercourse with men they seem, to bear a charm, these may be called gifted men. These gifts are of great value and it is but right and natural that mothers looking at their sons should like to see them endowed with "gifts," but the apostle says " I will show you a more excellent way." The gifts of notable men fade away, but those gifts which are spoken of in this case become stronger and mightier as time goes by, and they endure through all eternity. The way to make progress in this respect was by carrying- out th» ■■ motto; "Do what you can, being wW j you are ; shine like a glow-worm, if yo a cannot like a star ; . work like a pulley, if you cannot like a crane ; grease the wheels, if you cannot drive the. trp in." In conclusion the congregation Were t irged to seek those abiding gifts, which 'Jhrist was willing to bestow upon all >svhr > came to him. At night Mr Joe Dixon took for his text John 6, 29, " Search the Scripture," and from these words a most touching and eloquent address was giveD. The speaker showed the advantages we possess in the present day as con lpared with those to whom the words of tl ie text were spoken. There never would 1 je, nor never could be, a book written which could meet the spiritual wants cif our nature like the Bible. Despite all the education among the masses, human, nature was much the same to-day as it was four thousand years ago. The Bible had come down to xis in its purity, and it was the only chart which could giy c man the passport to the world beyond. He would affirm that the Bible is so perfectly adjusted to meet the want/3 of man's spiritual nature that no one -could neglect to search its pages without injuring his own soul. On the testimony of the most prominent physicians wheat, in its whole state, was declared to contain every constituent of the human frame, and just is the same manner, what wheat was to the body the Bible was to the human soul.