ST. BRIDE'S CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 296, 24 January 1910, Page 4

ST. BRIDE'S CHURCH.

.ICIiILL'E CFLEBHATIOXS. Tlie jubilee of St. Bride's Chareii, Barrett Road, (hn.ita. was u'lobrated yesterday. This little outlying chinch has a somewhat romantic history, and there have boon consummated several marriages which have given us many of Taranaki's sturdy »cttlers. From its pii> tnrosinte and secluded location tiie church was quite the fashionabie place for marriages in the early days. In tl« Maori war time, however, the saered building was used for icia romantic purposes. it being made a sort of headquarters camp of the Maoris in rebellion, and on tiie walls of the original building were to he seen years ago charcoal characters written iiy the .Maoris. The site was known as Burton's Hill, and was given bv Mr. Conrtenay M. Kyngdon. Air. East, member for tlie Grey and Omata districts in the fifties, gave thirteen acres adjoining, and the large Bible was the gift of Mr. East's father, then rector of one of the citv churches in Bath. The material for the erection of the building was iiewn and given bv tlie settlers in tlie neighborhood, and they also erected the church. The building latterly has fallen somewhat into disrepair, and an effort is now being made to raise funds for necessary renovation. The jubilee was celebrated yesterday by special services. The vicar of St. Mary's celebrated tlie Holy Communion at 11 o'clock. :Mid preached an appropriate sermon, taking his text front Psalm llii, verse 12: ''What shall J render unto the Lord for all the benefits that lie hath done unto me?" He spoke of the psalm as the cry of one who realiaod God's mercy after some great calamity, of loss, or sickness, or defeat in battle. Out of the depth of his trouble he iiad turned to his God, and had found in Him comfort and peace. He was' deeply grateful for God's goodness, and with the gratitude came (1) a great moraJ awakening—a desire to lie better and to do better; to build up a grand life, and to make the mercies of the past great moral incentives to better conduct in the future—and (2) the intense desire for worship: to lift up the soul in ; gratitude and adoration to the Giver o c all good; to take "the cup of salvation and to call upon the name of the Lord; to pay his vows in the presence of all His people." Applying the tejet to the circumstances' of the dav ine preacher alluded to the great mercies 'that the past fifty vears had Drought to the people of that district. He spo'cc of the grand settlers who had come out to Taranaki with brave hearts to br#ak in the virgin soil of the far-off and almost unknown land of New Zealand. He told of their patience ard endurance in the early davs of settlement, and through the unhappy Maori wars; of the great work they did in lnvinfj the foundations of prosperity in Taranaki. He spoke of the grand leflderfc' of tlie Church of England in the past—the Rev. AYilliam Bolland, Archdeacon Govett. Rev. Handlv Brown, ar.d the host, of splendid lay helpers thnt had assisted to make the narisli of St. Marr'a one o? the most important in New Zealand. TTe begged his hearers to semember that the Church was composed of etocry and laitv; that one wag incomplete without the other; and that the success of the Church depended upon the loyal working together of all se«tions of its members. He praved that their gratitude for all God's mercies in the past would linve the great moral effect of making tliem determined that the future should be better than the past had been; and that the desire for tlie worship of their God would lead them never to neglect the services at their church, but ever to take advan tage of the means God had provided foi the nourishment, and development oi their spiritual life, The Rev. AA r . A. Butler conducted ' very well-attended service in the after noon at 3 o'clock, Th offertories fo' the day. together with a number of pri vatelv given donations, will be given t the fund for renovating the church.