CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9599, 20 September 1909, Page 5

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

At the Maaterton Congregational Church yesterday, the Rev. D. Meadowcroft, of Melbourne, occupied the pulpit at both the morning and evening services. In the morning the preacher took as his>xt Ist. of John, 40th verse, an in the course of his address dwelt at some length on the necessity of showing one's relatives and friends the way of salvation. He also emphasised the modest and unostentatious workers for Christianity would reap a greater reward than those who pondered to temporal praise. HYMN SINGING. In the evening the Reverend gentleman took as his subject "Hymns an their Authors," basing his remarks upon James chap. 5 and 13 verse, viz.: "Is anj merry? Let him sing Psalms." His intention, he said, was to show that sinking praises to God was characteristic of the Jewish and the Grecian religions. Hence, the Apostle urged the earliest Christian churches to do the same. Pliny, the Historian, wrote to the Emperor Trojan, that the Christians of his day met and sang praises to Christ as though He were God. The many Christians in thoae days were inspired tossing; but, strange it was that none of their compositions had been preserved. Still, since those days the compositions of Christians have been preserved, which showed the Unity of Faith amid the variations of Church polity. He then asked the congregation to sing two of the early Roman Catholic hymns—one of them by the Jesuit, Xavier; and then to sing two evangelical Church of England hymns, illustrating beforehand the occasions of their composition. Then he applied the subject by pointing out the blessedness of hymn singing to the singer, and also to those in sorrow and trouble. "So the blessing is," said he speaker, "to those who sing, as well at those who hear them.'*