THE TARANAKI BISHOPRIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1917, Page 8

THE TARANAKI BISHOPRIC.

dtscourst; by bishop avkrtt.l "break dowx all obstacles. •SpoakJii.tf on the Taranaki diocor-e proposal, ami taking as his text Hebrews chapter 12 vor.se 1, "Lei lis run with patience the race that is net before lis,'' the Bishop of Auckland preached a sermon of advice and encouragement at .St. Mary's Church on Tuesday night. Dr. Averill saiil lie read the other day a quaint poem by Vaughan, the successor to George Herbert, in which ho described true life as a running stream and untrue life as a puddle. ''Let me not as a puddle lie' in a corrupt security." Tim water which supplied the living stream and the puddle all came, originally, from the same source. But one was being constantly replenished, while the other was stale, stagnant. One thing that had always struck him when lie visited Taranaki, and particularly when he first travelled from New Plymouth to Stratford, was the number of bridges they passed over with bright, clean, vigorous and. purposeful streams flowing beneath which came from a pure source and a source which had the power of constantly rr-plcnishing them. The banks of a. stream were often regarded as mere limitations, but without thoir assistance the stream would be unable to carry out its mission and in place of the running water would be simply an idle, sloppy marsh. And oven as the banks helped the brook, so the brook was a help to the banks. Our life, too, came from a pure source, just as the stream l did—a Jifo from a Jifp. The real strength of a diocese was really the strength of the channel through which it flowed. Looking at the stream again, he saw obstacles in the wayboulders: did they stop its progress? Xo, the stream went dashing on in spite of all impediments. Our life, also, was full of temptations and obstacles. But far from blocking us, they all'ordod us our opportunity of becoming Christlike, and of fulfilling our mission in life. What was the meaning of that wonderful cheerfulness of our boys at the front, in the face of death? Because they had found out their purpose in life and were determined to break down the obstacles in their way. So it was with' the scheme for the Taranaki bishopric. dust as little bits of the banks of the stream often fell in and made the water muddy for a time, so would difficulties, doubts, disappointments, misunderstandings, coldness and want of sympathy be encountered hefore tire, diocese proposal was brought to a successful issue. We met with similar "incidents" in the course, of our lives, and it was our duty not to let thorn alter our lives. There were '•incidents/' such as where the centre waft to bo, in the diocese proposal, but our resolution should be strong enough to sweep past them. The purpose of life was to prepare for eternal life service. A stream's supply must bo continuous or else that once beautiful brook became a series of puddles. The great work which they wore contemplating could only be carried to a successful conclusion by prayer. It was not those who talked who were needed, but those who prayed. Work without prayer was useless. Jt was not only n question of money, it was a question of Divine blessing. He knew there was all sorts of side-issues in connection with the proposal, but he appealed to them to look at the scheme from a higher standpoint. If it came from God they should do it, for flod's honor and not for man'* glorification. Once again he would say to them: "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us." At the conclusion of the service which was of an impressive character throughout, the "To Doum" was sung. •The collection was in aid of the endowment fund.