HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1513, 22 February 1916, Page 2

HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICE.

At the local Presbyterian Church on Sunday morning a harvest thanksgiving service was held. The interior of the building was tastefully and appropriately decorated and the hymns were in keeping with the service. The Rev. J. H. Bredln based his sermon on Lev. 26 chapter, v. 4He said none of us could feel any objection arising in our minds if to-day we praise the ever bounteous Lord and as a congregation record our gratitude to the God ot the Harvest. We have the greatest reason to call on all that is within us to rise up and magnify the Lord, for notwithstanding our anxiety and unworthiness, the Lord hath dealt graciously with us, and again fulfilled His word and promise. To-day we have large mercies, demanding large and special gratitude. All the year round, every hour of every day, God is richly blessing us ; both when we sleep and when we wake His mercy waits upon us. But we must not forget that for the race of man the joyous days of harvest are a special season of excessive favour. It is the glory of this season of the year that the ripe fruits of Providence are then abundantly bestowed, all before was but hope and expectation. Great is the joy of harvest. Happy are the reapers who fill their arms with the liberality of heaven. Let us not despise the bounty ot God because this great ‘boon comes in a natural way. If every morning when we awoke we saw tresh loaves of bread put into our cupboards we should think it a miracle, but if God blesses our own exertions and prospers our toil to the same end is it not equally as much a ground for praising and blessing His name ? Let us worship and bow down, let us exalt the Lord our God and come into His presence with thanksgiving and joy. The paths ot mercies are the paths of duties. In the use of means the believer will discover the tender mercies of God. We hear much of the dullness and drowsiness of the churches. What is needed is more of the presence of the Spirit, more ot His holy influence. Why do our places of worship not operate as they should upon the people ? Because we have lost the old fervour, the divine enthusiasm, the Penticostal fire, which is as much needed as ever. In this land where God has favoured us with so much of His presence and goodness, are we not too much in this condition ? Had we the spirit we would be found offering to God the best we have, instead of the dregs. Not in vain would the call to service come to anyone of us. Not in vain would the church bells ring on Sunday mornings. If our hearts were right with God, if the dew of heavenly grace has fallen on them, there would be a rich harvest of service and obedience to God, and we should delight in communion with God, God has crowned the year with His goodness, and in the present crisis of our nation’s history His goodness must touch our hearts and call forth our sincerest gratitude and devotion. While in some parts of the world no harvest has been possible, and the ground that was once covered with the waving golden corn is now saturated with the blood of our brothers who have fallen, God, in every part of our Empire, has made the ground to bring forth plentifully. Let us constantly remember what He has done for us. Our time is passing, our day is drawing nearer and nearer its close. Harvests come and go, and each harvest sees us nearer our own ingathering. “What shall

the harvest be ?” May it be to be gathered into the heavenly garner where already some of our loved ones are in the bright sunshine of eternal love waiting for the other sheaves to be brought In.