CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9191, 14 September 1908, Page 6

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

OPENING SERVICES. There were very satisfactory congregations at the new Congregational 1 Church, Masterton, yesterday, both morning and evening, when the inaugural services were held. In the at morning the pastorate was formally handed over to the Rev. Hodge, who ] was commended to the |congregational, in an impressive manner, by the Rev. J. Reed-Glasson, of Wellington. The choral parts of the services were heartily given, appropriate music being chosen. The Rev. Reed-Glasson preached at the morning service. REV. HODGE'S ADDRESS. In the evening the new pastor occu- j pied the pulpit, and choae for his c subject the title "Freedom to Wor- } ship God." The text was Gen. 12 7, j "Unto thy seed will I give this land; t and there be builded an altnr unto j the Lord." I The Rev. Hodge said that in the great review of life there are figures and processions that do not move us at all, While there are others that ' stir us to the very depths of our ' being. Who, for instance, can behold the march past of the Puritans without a deep heart thrill that sets the whole being tingling again. There ( they go, Greenwood, Barrowe, Penry, and the rest even to the fires to win for us religious liberty and freedom of conscience to worship and to serve , the Holy Father in spirit and in J truth. Men will suffer anything for ( freedom to worsmp Uoo hi the pure light of rovehHn- an" in sirn plicity of heart. Abraham was the , father of the Puritans, the first j separalist. Ho was hemmed in by ( idolatory on every hand. His spirit , was cramped, and his heart was sad. J He climbed above the scenes of sacrifices of blood offered to Baal. He ( stood upon the mountains in all the liberty and glory of nature where the fresh breezes blow, and God dime to ' him and took possession of that ach- 1 ing longing heart. After that he be- I came a non-conformist. He broke away from the idolatrous practices of his fathers. There was no room for him any more in the old home; there was no rest any more in his simple heart, and so ho sacrificed everything, and took his departure out of that land of idolatory and darkness, and came into the land of Canaan. The first band of separalists from whom sprung the pilgrim lathers of after ages started here. The first chapter of religious liberty is to be road here. Abraham suffered nothing for his sacrifice—"unto thy seed will I give this lnnd; I will make thee a great nation; I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thes." We talk a good deal of colonisation to-day, and the English people are said to be the most successful colonisers in the world. Her sons have never been afraid to face new dangers and cross the seas to unfurl the flag in a land far away until the Empire to-day is a marvel to the nations of the earth. It may be said that for many different reasons our fathers left the Old Land, but let it be remembered at least that when England became Christian she became a pilgrim's race. And so i the pilgrim fathers, and so Abraham. He I went out to worship God, and in so doing he took the leap of faith that, delighted the heart of God. He taught the world what true religion and worship were. As soon as he put his foot upon that new soil he worshipped in the full ioy and freedom of his spirit, and in doing so he shows us the five main points that should characterise all free spiritual worship. Hia worship was local, and audible, simple, spiritual and reasonable. Hia worship was a triumph of the material over the spiritual. Now if we leave tbe old Patriarchs and descend to more modern days we find Congregationalism doing something to sustain that simplicity and freedom of spiritual worship. We might be reminded of the part that our fathers took in the battle for liberty and conscience. When the Congregational roll is called such names as Cromwel 1 , Milton, John Owen, and John Howe, Isaac Watts, and others, will be found there. When the martyrs roll is called Congregationalism will be credited with such noble names as Penry, Barrowe, and Greenwood, and the rest. And what shall we say if the men of the Mayflower, who became the founders and builders of the greatest and freest republic in the world. God made of them a great nation. Their worship was free, simple, and it was spiritual. They knew no of form'; they were not bound by any ecclesiastical despotism. God haß given us a new work to do, and a new life to live in this important town. Let us enter into our poss-' rssions. Let us not lose any of what our fathers have won for us at ao great a cost. Let us be prepared to sustain a free, simple and spiritual form of worship. We thank God for the opportunity He has given us to worship and serve Him in the redemption of the world, and all we claim is freedom to worship Him according to the dictates of our conscience.