HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICES. S. Peter's Hamilton.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1349, 22 February 1881, Page 2

HA R VEST THANKSGIVING SERVICES. S. Peter's Hamilton.

Harvest Thanksgiving Services were held in S. Peter's, Hamilton, on Sunday last. Holy Communion was celebrated at 8 and 11, Evensong at 7. The Church was very effectively decor-tted with grain, fruit and flowers, the offerings of members of the coninegation. There was a fair choir, and the sinking was hearty. A novel and artistic feature iv the decoration, was the introduction of banks of rao-^s in the window embrasures surmounted by grain flowers and fruit. The chancel was decorated much the same .is last year, and the coup dmil was good. The sermon morning and evening was on the Gospel of the day, Tho Sower.

S. Andrew's Church, CambridgeThanksgiving servic s wvro rendered -it Cambridge in the above Uhuri-h, morning and evening, on Sunday The de orafcions were ii'. j at, oha-te, rindap,UMpri.ite to the service. They consisted ot vi.mature ~heave^ of corn set in wrea hi o. flo.ver-* and evergreens, the whole being judiciously set off by cluster* ot fiuit. Unfortunately, the building it-iflf is no' well adapted for a display of the kind. Still, the deoorafions showed to uro id advantage, and hid the frame-w >rk 'Hid fittings been better suited, we should have no hesitation in pronouncing the display perfect. The congregation were large, and the offertories, whi' h were liberal, were devoted to the building fund of the new church. Special pslam*, lessons, and prayers were vied in ac o dance with the formula of thanksgiving for harvest aofio -d upon bv both hou es of convocation in England, and authorised by the Synod of this Colony. Aupiopiiate sermon 3 were preached by the incumbent, the Rev. Mr Willis, who selected f'n* his text, Duuteronemy xxvi v 11., " And fchou shalt rejoice in every good thinty which the Lotd thy God hatli civon uuto thee." B> dwelt upon the suitability of the services to the occasion, pointing out, from the language of the text, that they had the direct sanction of the scriptural authority, and argued that the Feast of the Tabernacle was the harvest thanksgiving observed by the Jews. It was a dictate of natural x'eligion to give thanks to Heaven for such mercies as weie most evident to the bodily senses, and that while the Church enjoined many thanksgiving days such as Christmas Day, Easter and Whitsuntide, these were all designed to commemorate spiritual blessings, but this was the only one expressly set apart tor the acknowledgement of temporal gifts. It theretore behoved them, as a Christian people, to give the services that due observance and consideration, and commensurate with the great blessing a plentiful harvest confeared upon mankind. The address was, throughout, an impressive one, inculcating deep reverence and respect for the spiritual blessings, and heartfelt gratitude for those that were temporal, both being enjoined as imperative duties on the professed Christian. The choral services were conducted by a full choir. In the unavoidable absence of Mr Beale, Mrs Chitty presided at the harmonium. The following hymns, A.M. ,were selected for the occasion : 382, They joy before Thee ; 137, Now is Christ risen j 388, Behold a Sower went forth to sow, and 321, I love them that love Me. The contractor for building the new Church is proceeding rapidly with the foundation-work, and in the course of a week or so the erection will have begun to assume some of its more noticeable proportions. Under the space allocated for the tower, a concrete foundation six feet in depth has been laid, and thick cast iron plates under the building studs. With these preparations the building ought to have a good solid foundation.