PRESBYTERIAN RALLY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 12, 19 May 1913, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN RALLY.

(Contributed). The Presbyterian Bally sendees yesterday in St. Andrew’s Church called forth la'r'ge audiences morning ,and evening.

The morning service opened with the singing of the 23rd, the best loved Psalm, pershaps, in the Bible. The minister expressed his great pleasure in’ seeing such a goodly company, present, and" expressed the hope that he would often see them again hi -the congregation. The subject of the morning sermon was a practical one: “How to make the Presbyterian Church in Stratford a success.’’ By way of introduction he said he supposed they were all agreed about two things. Their church in time past had not been the success which it might and should have been. Personally, he was grieved at heart when he came first to Stratford and found the conditions which existed, how, small was the attendance! at tWf services, how many good people had left the church, and at what a low spiritual condition the Church had fallen. He felt somewhat like Xehemiah when he returned after years of absence to Jerusalem' and found the walls broken down, the city laid waste, and the province in reproach. In saying this, he was not finding fault with anyone, nor was he going to trace the causes which led to such unhappy results. He was ■simply stating a fact , with which they were all familiar, and in regard to which they were all agreed. The next thing about which they were agreed was that they desired to see their church a prosperous church. Whether they had been attending the services or not, whether they Had grievances against the people, of the church or not, they werejail one in this that they desired to see the St. Andrew’s one ,of the most vigorous and trial, and, one of the most successful churches in the community. He had come to tell them that morning how that general result could be accomplished. There would not be anything new or startling in his message, simply a statement of conditions of success which would be obvious to all.

FORGIVING. (1); The first.condition of success that they should? forget the things bhat i vfp-h Ibehind and look forward to those tliirjgs which were before: to let bygones be bygones, and-worship and dlvell together as' brethren. He would appeal to thbm to bury the hatchet, not as John McNeil had told them some people buried it with the iiead above the ground. : As they hoped to be forgiven by the God against svhom they had sinned *so often ' and so grievously, so let them forgive others—without grudge and without reserve.

CHURCH ATTENDANCE. (2). The second condition of success was that they should “not forsake the assembling of themselves together” for'worship in the sanctuary. He thought it afr |datimnj. &ct that so many people in the community ©aid that not a few of their-own faith were drifting away from, or had lost touch with, their church.. He reminded them that Jesus “in the days of His flesh,” “entered as his custom was into the synagogue,” or Jewish church. He whs sure that if the Master dwelt in Stratford as He dwelt in Nazareth He would go regularly to some place of worship. All the main reasons or excuses which keep men from going to church to-day probably existed in His day, and yet none of these things led Him to break away from the church. Let the Presbyterian community rally round the church of their fathers and habitually attend her services even as the Great King and Head of the church formed the habit of church attendance in Nazareth, and the cause would prosper in their midst. > 'GIVING.

(3). Liberally support their church as God had prospered them'. As a denomination, they might well be proud of their generosity, and as a congregation he thought they compared favourably with many Others in giving. ” Gbd has blessed them with healthful days, and happy homes, and prosperous years. New Zealanders were on an average amongst the richest communities in the world. Tin Master’s words to His followers today were the same as in the olden time: “Freely ye have received, freely give.” (1). Speak well of their church. The New Testament ideal for the .church was that of a spiritual family, “the household of faith.” Wise people did hot go outside to speak of dissension, or the skeleton in the cupboard at home. They wore rot, he hoped, going to have any discord, or trouble; but should such a thing over occur, let them not go outside to tell family secrets, or to publish abroad words of reproach of their own church. One of the surest ways to 1-ill a church was to talk it down, to speak of its members or work in derogatory terms. No church was perfect. None ever would be in this dispensation .But there were good tilings in most churches, and a few things to commend in their own. He was glad to believe that all were disposed to speak well aPd hopefully of the present conditions. WORK. (5). Work for the ch ireh. He gladly recognised the good work that ,was being done. Some wore giving their time and energy ronly to the work. But it was true that man • were not .working at then 'dig on. 1 iiey had a c-msiderable mini »er of drones in their congregational line. ioo man\ were looking on. and m c mg others work. r ! In- ideal chinch was a church in winch every member ua= a •worker. The need for Christian work was great,and the opportunity was magnificent. Evil was untiring. Death

was busy. The time was short. Let them hear the Master’s voice: “Work for the night is coming/’ and let. them do with their might what their hands found, to do. PRAYER. (6). Let thpm, above all pray for the Divine blessing on their church, if they desired that she should prosper. Paul might plant and Appollos water, but God alone could give the increase. The relation between prayer and work had been expressed by the late 1). L. Moody: “Work as if exerythihg deMoody: “Work as if everything dedepended upon fiod.” If the Master were worshipping here as He worshipped once in Nazareth, He would pray for the church, for the minister, and office-bearers and members.

“Brethren,” concluded the speaker, “if you do these things—forget the unpleasant things of the past; come out faithfully, and regularly to the services; as ye have freely received, so freely give for her support; speak favorably of the church to those who are -without; work diligently and earnestly for her welfare; and pray for her prosperity, then she will succeed.”