Otorohanga—Memorial Service.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 261, 21 May 1910, Page 5

Otorohanga—Memorial Service.

A united memorial service was held in the Public Hall at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. The ministers were met at the rail vay station by representative men, and were the guests of the Farmers' Union at dinner at Mr Newton's boarding house. Most of the prayers were read from the service for the burial of the dead, the Psalm and prayers for the Royal Family being read in Maori by the Rev. Wm. Ronajdson. The Rev. J. Webber read I. Corinthians, xv. The address was given by the Rev. E. S. Wayne, who took as a text 11. Chronicles, xxiv., 16: "They buried him in the city of David, among the kings, because he had done good in [srael, both towards God and towards his house." Mr Wayne said: "The man of whom these words were written was the greatest statesman of his time. And the whole nation of the Jews gave the highest honour they could to him at his death. They buried him in Jerusalem among the kirgs. Thus our text is as it were the writing on a tombstone that will stand for ever, and is the judgment of men eidorsed by God. 'He had done good in Israel, both toward God and toward his house.' And to-day the world-wide tribute to the memory of King Edward is the expressionn of an Empire's judgment upon his reign, and it is also that of the civilised world. He has done good to the Empire and to the world and we believe not only an earthly good, but good toward God and the Kingdom of Christ. Everyone of us will be judged of men and God at the time of death. And the bible show) us the judgment of men may be the same as that of God: If what we have done was for men, and yet in our heart done an unto God. God has called us to serve the Empire, just as He called the King. And the amount of our service will depend far more on what we are, than what we do. The volunteer, the soldier may be called upon to lay down his lifein defence of New Zealand, but it is a far greater sacrifice to live for the Empire than to die for it. That is to live our whole lives so that they will help to make it great in the sight of God and man. We should remember that we shall all 'stand before, the judgment, seat of -Christ.' God grant it may be said of each one of us 'he had done good.' Let us pray for the King regularly and for those in authoritj under him. We are taught to do this by St. Paul, it was the custom of the earliest Christians. And at this time let us pray for the Queen Mother and the Royal Family in their grief. Pray God to strengthen and give power to the King to serve the Empire and Himself, and above all let us live as those who do good in their generation, loyal in service to God and the King." During the service suitable hymns i were sung and the service closed with .a verse from the National Anthem and the Benediction, after which all stood while the Dead March was played. Miss Johnson was organist. The collection. £3 15s, will be given to the Children's Hospital Fund, less a few shillings' expenses. The congrega tion numbered close on 850, said to be the largest public gathering held in Otorohanga. The volunteers paraded in uniform and all the public bodies were represented.