THE GENERAL MISSION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 131, 12 September 1910, Page 8

THE GENERAL MISSION

CANON TUPPER-CAREY AT ST. MARY'S. On Saturday there were only two ser vices, viz., H.C. at 7.30, and the prepara tion for the celebration on Sunday There was a large attendance of com municants, and Canon Tupper-Care] gave a most helpful instruction. On Saturday morning, at 11 o'clock tho missioner preached a remarkabli sermon upon the text from St. Luke chapter LO, verse 24, "For I tell you that many prophets and kings have de aired to see those things which ye sei and have not seen them, and to hea: those things which he hear and haw not heard them." The preacher referred to the wonderful changes that haw taken place in the world within the las few years, and pointed out how thew changes have opened doors long closw to the Gospel. He urged his hearers U leave no effort unmade to take advant age of the remarkable times in whicl they live. The men's service in the afternoon wai attended toy a large number of men many of them young men. Canon Tup per-Carey took for his text, Proverbs chapter 29, verse 18, "Where there ii no vision the people perish." He said "You may have thought it strange tha I have not spoken much about the grea evils of the day—gambling, drunkenness impurity, etc—<but it is because I don' believe in a system of frontal attacks and cannot deal with evils in that way The only way to deal with evil is to ge the love of Jesus Christ into the heart so that, inspired with love and enthusi asm, those evils may be cast out. Wi need to fill human hearts with divim goodness, so that there will be no roon for evil. A sad thought that presents it self to us is that the lack of the visioi of God not only brings spiritual deatl to ourselves, but prevents us from mani festing an enthusiastic religion to othe: people. Many of us have lost the vin and enthusiasm of religion, because w< have ceased to realise the vision of God A lot of people say, We are not going t< church. What is the use of singing hymns and hearing sermons?' Thei really mean that they want to be do" ing something. The reason people s< often run to extremes is because thej never undertake any real hard, definiti work for their religion. In past history of England and other nations, the call" to great sacrifices have always been sue cessful. In some parts of England then are churches much Jarger than required bj present day congregations, and the rea son is that they were built before tin Crusades, and were once filled with pious people who went out to fight the inflde and never returned. To-day there wen wonderful opportunities to throw al our enthusiasm into the preaching of .th< Gospel and to evangelise the world h the present generation. Every closec 1 door has been opened to us in the lasi t few years. What was impossible whei j our Lord commanded His disciples t( I preach the Gospel to every creation, and indeed, was impossible even five years ago, is quite possible now. The Chris tian missionary has entirely to alter the old idea of campaign among heather people, which seemed to be current a few years ago. We do not say to the heathen man, 'You will go to hell if you don't receive our teaching.' Now we have I to say, 'We have had a glorious heavenly vision; a great joy and happiness i has been brought to us. "Will you share :it with us?' To the Hindoo, with his wonderful power of concentration and I spirituality; to the Chinese, with his remarkable power of resistance and endurance; to the other peoples with theii national characteristics, we must go and say, 'Will you help us to understand more and more fully, the deep mysterj of God?' Thousands of Chinese have re alised the heavenly vision. A man ir China was asked, ' Have you heard ol Christianity here?' He replied, 'No, buj I have seen it.' It is impossible to ex ! press the tremendous enthusiasm of .re ligion revealed by the Christian Chinese | during the time when the Legations j were besieged in Pekin. And the same is true of the natives of Japan, Uganda. India and other parts of the world I There is indeed good and grand stufl among heathen people only waiting foi t the enthusiasm of our religion. I "Some people say to us: 'Why don ; i you go to the heathen in England, in Birmingham, Manchester and other large cities? You haven't converted yet a tenth part of your own people?' The answer is this, The English heathen have had the Gospel preached to them for 1300 years, and they don't want it.' A little while ago the Archbishop of York was preaching in the streets, and someone heard one workingman sav to another, 'lt's only the old thing about Jesus.' They don't want the Gospel. But the heathen are longing for it. The missionary societies cannot find men quickly enough for the people who are crying out for them. In Korea, for example, it is quite true that if we could send a teacher to every village every person in those villages would become a Christian. So that it is our greatest wisdom to go to those people who are desiring us. It is common sense to go on saving on the roadside where the seed is destroyed 1 ? . "One of the greatest .hindrances to the carrying of the vision of God to the heathen is the* division in Christendom. It is pitiful to see three or four church buildings in a township where one would be more than enough. What does it show? Why, that we haven't enough to do. The extra unwanted agents employed in these places could foe sent out to preach the Gospel where it is wanted in heathen countries." To-night the great thanksgiving service of the mission will ;be held.