ACTOR-EVANGELIST

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 975, 19 May 1930, Page 14

ACTOR-EVANGELIST

PARABLE OF SOWER MISSION AT ST. MATTHEW’S The Rev. Walter E. Bentley, the Anglo - American actor - evangelist, opened his two weeks’ mission yesterday at St. Matthew’s Church, preaching both morning and evening, and addressing the children in the afternoon. The Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, read the lesson of the “Parable of the Sowers,” which Mr. Bentley took as his text. He showed it to be Christ’s analysis of human nature for the four varieties of soil. Sins of habit, heredity and environment were found in every heart and life, together with some measure, more or less, of goodness. The preacher dealt with each one in detail and filled his subject with illustrations which proved his point. “The Parable of the Sower,” he said, “is wrongly named, for it has nothing to do with either the sower or the seed sown, but everything with the soil which is the human heart which either accepts or rejects it.” This was the first story Jesus ever told and it proves Him to be the world’s greatest psychologist. In the evening Mr. Bentley dealt with the purpose of life and took as his text the words used by the great Phillip Brooks in the sermon which caused Mr. Bentley to leave the dramatic profession and enter the ministry, “This is the Will of God, even your sanctification.” “Here is the purpose of life in a nutshell,” said tlie speaker. “It is the attainment of holiness without which no man (or woman either) shall see the Lord and to see God will be heaven—all tlie heaven there is or need be—and not to see Him will be Hell or the outer darkness as Jesus calls it.” The preacher dealt with the problems df creation and evolution and showed how modern science is proving to be the greatest benefactor to true religion. “Holiness,” he said, “has three characteristics—sincerity, purity and charity,” and these he analysed and illustrated in detail. Mr. Bentley’s dramatic training makes him a vivid and magnetic preacher and he preaches so simply' and clearly as to be understood by the man in the street. This evening at 7.30 he will discuss “What is the Greatest Christian Virtue?” and written questions submitted will be answered every evening as received.