All Saints' Church Foxton.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 28 October 1890, Page 2

All Saints' Church Foxton.

» On Sunday evening last, thera was a larg congregation at li Saints' Church, Foxton, on the occasion of the first appearance in that church of the Rev. A. S. Inues- Jones, thf* newly a|)pointed clergyman to this district. Mr Jones announced that, for the present, it was his intention to visit Foxton on the fourth Sunday in each month, and to hold pervices morning and evening, and, when miuired, to administer the Sacrament of Baptism in the afternoon. Before commencing his sprmon, he read the Lie nee of the Bishop of Wellington authorising him to officiate and have the 1 care of souls in the Parochial districts of | Bulls, Sandon and Foxton, within the cliocse of Wellington, in preaching the word of God and administering the Itit«3 and Ceremonies of the Church of the province of New Zealand, commonly called the Cnurch of Eus'land. I He took for hi* tex . I ''or. IV, 1 " Let a man ho aecotiiit of in. as of tin* ministers of Christ a<vl at-iward* of the mysteries of God." H.' sail that clergymen hying min'stT* of Ciiri -t, it wns to Him they wore responsibla fur the full discharge of their dutiei. Turn chief car* must b§ to do » a

He had bidden them, and faithfully to carry out His commands. Where there was no ltlict \vi',li His commands ministers 8 .ou'd end vour to deal very gently with t^ejjrej-iilices, and o consult very t-nderly tlie feelings of t l ieir flocks, and should •peak " the truth in love." But they should ever remember that the true mark of a faithful minister was, not popularity with men. but obedience to Christ, not shunning to declare '• the whole counsel of God." H- 1 wont on to observe that there was no clas* of men who more grcatiy needed encouragement than the clergy It was very hard to g^ on Sunday after Sunday, and year after year, proclavnuig the truth of Christ, and yet find a want of response on the part of th^ jongivgation. Co-nplaint was sometimes made of a minister, that his energy was not so great as it should be ; whilst all the time the people stood afar off and gave him no word of encouragement. Yet perhaps that word of encouragement was all that, was necessary to stir up his slumbering energy and raise his drooping spirits People should pray for their ministers in private as well as in public, that the word? spoken by their mouth might have success, and that t ey might be preserved from all the dangers peculiar to the position which they occupied, especially from sins of pride and sloth, lest by any means when they have preached to others, they might themselves become castaways. He pointed out that if thpy thought that the cause of Christ could he built up by the labours of ft few men in the pulpits of our churches, they would find their mistake full soon. Ministers wanted their people'sco-operation, they wanted their sympathy and prayers He urged his congregation to covenani afresh with God — to grasp the promises o* God, and to make a whole-hearted surrender of themselves to Christ.

He had bidden them, and faithfully to carry out His commands. Where there was no