THE TARARUA DISASTER.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2245, 9 May 1881, Page 3

THE TARARUA DISASTER.

Yesterday, in most of the churchei cf the city reference was made to the sad disaster whioh bus cost so deep and universal a gloom over the colony. In some of then ipecial attention was drawn to it by th« tact that amongst the lost were ministers, offic» bearers, and members who had token a grsar, interest in Church matters. Below is britf?y given a resume of what took place : ST PAUL'S PEEBBTTEBIAN OU7RCH. This church was crowded at rwrning service, the Bev. Mr Elmslie having announced that ho would preaoh on the Tarsraa disaster, with special reference to the late Dr. Campbell, who bad long held office in it. The hymns and passages of scriptura selected for the day all bore upon the subjec;. The rev. gentleman took his text from Paalm xcvii., •' The Lord reigneth: let the eaith rejoice ; " and after referring to the belief neld by somo that dispensations suoh &b had eoontly fallen upon them were the effeot of chance, he went on to say that though such disasters as the fall of the Tay bridge, the blowing up of H.M.B. Dottcrell, md the loss of the Tararua might be regarded as sevore punishments or manfestations of anger, yet they might be sure (hat tcoy were eent for eome good purpose He had the assurance of God that he would never forsake them, and though trouble and affliction chastened them they could rest secure that in good time they would recognise the love, the wisdem, and the fatherly kinlness which was evinced even in these. Eeterecco was then made to the universal proctca of mourning for friends gone before as though lost for ever. The time would shortly be when a reunion would take place, wjen family meetings never more to be disuaied would be held. Dooth was really the dwn of day to the Christian tho beginning of a new and higher life and not us som« seemed to think tho end ef oxistence. In (hat sweet by and by they would rise to hgher and more c x sited aims and ends. let them remember that those who had goni on before in but a short while would be oncf more reunited to their friends left here. The preacher then proceeded to speak on tie special subject of iiis sermon, the late I> Campbell. After a brief reference to the position he had held in his profession and the general regret expreseed at his melancholy end, the rev. gentleman went on to say that the sincere love the deceased had for hit profession induoed him to go forth to the old country to mark the progress made th«re in the science of medicine. That his return with this knowledge wou'd have beei a boon, not only to this place, but to the colony at large, could not be denied. But it was not to be, and they could only bow with reverence to the dictates of G-ad, mysterious though they might appear. Beference vas next made to the warm interest felt and always evinced by tho deceased in the church, and also his regular attendaice at public worship. They could confidently hope that he had been moved to a higher and better sphere, where those who had been suddenly overwhelmed by the billows of the mighty ocean now rested in peace. Their removal had been sudden and rough, but they could cherish tho the hope that thay were partakers of that peace whioh remained for the people of God. ST. ALBANS' WBBLBYAK OHDBOH. The Wcsleyan Church, Bt. Albans, was inconveniently filled yesterday morning, when the Bev. James Buller preaohed a sermon bearing on the sad event from tbesth verse of the 15th chapter of Exodus: "The depths have covered them : they sank into tho bottom as a stone." He remarked that it was a providential circumstance that the Bev. A. Beid had abandoned his intention of proceeding to Europe by the Orient line, and had gone by wty of San Francisco instead, or he too would have been added to tbe list of those whose lois they mourned. The rev. gentleman regretted the total absenoe of all particulars of the last moments of their departed brethren, and he would reserve all personal narrative connected with them till the meeting to be held at Durham street church on Thursday evening next. The service was most impressive, and during the offertory the choir rendered Dr. Hodges' anthem, " I heard a voioe tay unto me," with marked effect; Miss Smith presiding at the organ, the congregation being played out by Pope's celebrated ode, " Vital Spark." The Bev. J. Buller also preached in the evening, on the same subject, at the Crescent road church, Rnightstown, ST. iuke's chtjbch. At St. Luke's Church, the Bev. E. A. Lingard preached sermons bearing on the late disaster at both morning and evening services, and made eloquent appeals on behalf of the fund for those left destitute by the loss of tho Tararua, which were liberally responded to. TRINITY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. The services were conducted by the Bev. H. Williams. In the evening he preached on God's terribloness, a subjeot suggested by the recent disaster. The text was taken from the 65th Psalm, verse s—" By terrible things in righteousness wilt Thou answer us O God of our salvation." The preacher briefly referred to the terrible calamity, and pointed out the lessons to be learned from God's judgments. COLOMBO BOAS WBSLETAN OHTJECH. There was a good attendance at both services in connection with the above church, particularly in tho evening. Tho Bev. Mr Bishworth occupied the pulpit, which was draped with black. After singing an appropriate hymn, the rev. pastor engaged in earnest prayer, asking for God's blessing to rest on all who have been bereaved through the late terrible disaster on our ooast. The subject for his morning discourse was " God's Providence in relation to man's responsibility," which was illustrated in a very telling manner, and listened to very attentively throughout by tho congregation. The texts quoted by the rev. gentleman will be found in Amos, ill c, tho latter part of the 6th verse; and Acts, xxvii c, 27t_h to 32nd verse. After making the pulpit intimations, Mr Bishworth said there would be to special collections, but any one who wished no contribute towards the families o £ the late Revs. Eichardson and Armitage could do so by stopping into the vestry and adding their names to the subscription lists already in circulation in connection with the Colombo road Ohurch. In the evening the same gentleman «gain ooeupied the pulpit, the subjeot of his discourse being—" Tho Death of the Bighteous," having particular reference to the late Bev. J. B. Bichardson, with whom the rev. gentleman had been associated for a great number of years. The text chosen waß Isaiah lvii ohap., Ist verse. ST. JOHN'S, LATIMBB SQUARE. There were large congregations both morning and evening at this church, when special reference was made to the wreck of the Tararua. The preacher in the morning was the Bev. F. Knowles, who took his text from Amos, chap. iii. In the evening the incumbent, Bev. H. C. M Watson, preached from 1 Theas., chap, v., verses 1 and 2. The special offertory for the Tararua relief fund at this church amounted to £37 2s. NORTH BELT PBBSBTTBBIAN CHURCH. The Bev. James Hill preached here at morning service and delivered a very eloquent sermon on the shipwreck of the Tararua. PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCH. At the Primitive Methodist Ohuroh, Cambridge terrace, referenoe was made in the prayers to the late disaster. The Bev. Mr Aldred preached in the evening. The incumbent, Bev. Mr Ward, held a Borvice at Kaiapoi, but will conduct a special service in reference to the lato shipwreck, in the Primitive Methodist Church, Christchurch, on Sunday next. BAPTIST CHURCH, OXFORD TABBACE. The services at this ohurch yesterday were well attended, both morning and evening. Sermons were preached by the Bev. C. Dallaaton, having special referenoe to the late disuster, by which so many in our midst are bereft of bread winners. The rev. gentleman made a feeling allusion to the late Bevs. Messrs Bichardson and Armitage, and we are glad to record that the offertories in aid of their widows and families were very liberal.