ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 81, 31 August 1914, Page 4

ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

ANXIVKKSAH Y SEP,VICES.

SERMONS BV Jilsllop AVERIL!

At St. Mary's Church yosfceivay there were very Uirge congregations "at all the services including the early celebration. At the morning service the Bishop of Auckland preacher a verypowerful and effective sermon, which was followed with the greatuit attention by all present. The visit in" Hi"h School boys and the local High School boys were present in force. In the afternoon the Bishop »>n(irmabout sixty members of the Church, and gave two very eloquent add<-cv-,scs appropriate to the solemn occasion.

t At the evening service there \v?.» an ~ overflowing congregation., rlie luiilding ; being of insufficient capacity t 0 con--1 tain the churchgoers. The Bishop gave r another impressive discourse, taking his : text from that portion of the Gospel for E the day in which the opening of t'he 1 deaf man's ears is recorded- After rci ferring to the fact that physical denf- • ness yvas often accompanied' by 10.- rt of , speech, iie went on to s-.iy that tfnose , who Avert! spiritually deaf must have an > impediment in their speech, >o that if s. their faith was weak their praise would ' be meagre. Many men, he said, were quite conscious of an impediment In their speech when called to worship, but were unconscious of the real cans".. Those who could not hear plainly could not speak plainly, and tihoy could not. hear till they made an effort, 'l'nc preacher quo*tcd a number of eases fo illustrate his meaning, and pointed out that as long a,s people -were deaf fv> the real claims of Jcsiv? upon the intellect, the affections and the will, they ha-d impediments, and their spiritual 'faculties became atrophied. The spiritu.il faculties, like the physical, retrunwl exercise and development, lie urged each of his hearers to come apart From Hie multitude and a-sl;: "Do I hear the voice of the Eatlher in the life and words of Jesus Christ?" He then quoted a number of Christ's sayings, emphasing the fact that the lio:y Spirit must breathe into their ears the ".fcplr phatlha" of divine power, and open til" spiritual ears to the truth, or leave them hopelessly puzzled, but when the Epliphatha is spoken and Mio ears are opened the impediment disappeared, and

the affected one exclaims. ''Lord, I Relieve." Moreover when ears are unstopped there is clearness (if speech ami a feeling of the necessity for worship. He urged them to catch the real tones .of the voice of Jeans, :,n that Um strings of their tongues might 'lie loosed and they might lie able to speak plainly. In conclusion, he. asked the congregation to 'help forward the work of. JcsiM, and keep tile fhig living and he appealed to thean for their sympathy wiffli tho vicar while lie was absent recruiting Ms health.