S.PETER'S CHURCH, HAMILTON. Harvest Festival.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2130, 4 March 1886, Page 2

S. PETER'S CHURCH, HAMILTON. Harvest Festival.

Thk Harvest Thanksgiving Festival was i commenced m 8. Peter's Church last ! night, and will ba continued °n Sunday j next. Contributions of fruit, grain, flowers, evergreens, &c, were freely «ent in, and a band of willing find hearty helpers were at work on Tuesday and yesteiday, engaged in the work of decorating. The Church in its festival cr.ub presents a very pretty appearance. The aible pillais ans entwined with broad flat wreathing of lycopodiuiti with miniature sheaves of jfr.iin at ine^nhr intervals, lelieved by bright red hurries, the dark green of the ivy ro.md the capitals affording a [lleasing contract to the lighter slude of the lycopodium. Festoons of grain and evergreens adoin the arches, while the windoware boidered with ivy wreaths, a?.iin«t which the gold of the grain, in tiny sheuflets, -.hows conspicuously. At the base of the windows clusters of lipe fruit inip.ut a dash of warm colour most grateful to the eye. A profusion of grapes and scarlet bellies make Mm lectern a pioiniuout object. The pulpit is a special object of mteieot. The punels are of red, with birders of lycopodium, and ctmtie crosses of wheat, with ray-, of barley ears. The top is wrejthed with evergreens and grain. The prayer de-k is similarly deeoiated. The chincel, albeit there is an absence, of that lavish profusion of fruit and ugj tables observable on most similar occasions, piesents a very beautiful appearance. On the altar, vested in white, are two epergnes containing wheat and grapes. Theieiedos is white, wich ciimsou orphreys, powdeied with gold flenrs-de-ly*, against which, on the re-table, aie vases of flowers and ferns on either side of the cross, flanked by the two vesper lights, the effect of the whole beiug exquisite. At the north and south ends of the altar, against the dossals, are grouped pots of hot-house plants, surmounted by sprays of tree-fern and by bannerettes. On either side of tho east window are scrolls bearing the text, " The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof," in red letters on a white giuund. The font is chastely adorned with evergreens, flowers and fruit. Tho general effect, as we have said, is most pleasing, and the decorators are to be congratulated, not only on their hearty desiie to assist in the work, but on the good taste displayed in the execution of it. The service last evening commenced at 7.30 o clock. There was a large congrcgati< u and the choir numbered twenty six voici s. As the clercry entered the Church hymn 381 A. and M. was sung as a processional. Evensong was said by the Incumbent, the Rev. R.O'C. Biges, the General Confe-siim being sung to the Ely setting and the preces and responses to Tallis. The Canute was sung to Birnby and the Deus Misereatur to Turle. The flist lesson was read by the Yen the Archdeacon of Wnikato, and the second by the Rev. H. S. D.wi.^. The anthem, "O Lord, how manifold are Thy works" (Birnby) was exceedingly well rendered by the choir, whose singing throughout the service wis particularly good. The sermon w.is pieiched by the Rev. Dr. O'Callagh.ui, incumbent of Epiphany, Auckland. He took for his text, Ann* \hi., I and 2. The Docl-oi c unmenced by remarking that everything m nature was calculated to icuiind nun of God. In the trees, tho flowers, the giain and the fiuit they received constant reminders of the poolings of the Almighty, who had made all these for the me of mankind. That w.»s one of the lessons they could learn f i om the harvest. But theie w.13 a deeper los&oii than that, which such festivals as this were fitted to teach. They pointed out the need for «elf • examination. They knew that whatsoever the husbandman sowed that would lie reap. If he sowed grain he would reap food ; if he sowed hemlock he would reap prison. So, too, if they sowod the seed of good deeds they would reap their reward in Heaven ; if they sowed evil they would leap evil. And let them not forget that in mo»t cases their harvests would be garnered in this world, the more especially if the seed was e\il. Their sins would find them out : the seeds of dishonesty would bo reaped in a life of shame, and the seeds of intemperance in a life of misery. The seeds of honesty, sobriety and godliness often produced their harvest here also, and they saw it in the man honoured and beloved by his follow m in, and whose h ippy face told them that he was loved by his God. It might be that thft Hoil was not fitted for the reception of the s-wd ; it might no that thorns and briars had grown up and choked them. If so, let them set to work to plough deeper, to clear the weudn and rubbish, and then let the ro'kl seed be sown afresh. Above all things, tuey should not doubt the wisdom or the goodness of God. Whatever nnm might sometimes think, God in Jl his dealings with them was always jn~t and merciful. He smote them and afflicted them, but it was because he loved them. He had read Homewhere that after a prairie tire in ths State of Vermont trees glow up which before had been strangers to theSttte. No one could tell the reason for this, but it w.is surmised that the seed must have lain for age* in the ground waitiug for the great heat, or some other property of the fire to fructify them. After the great fire of London, too, flowers sprang up in places where they had not been seen before. In this case also it w.n surmised that tho fire had quickened the seed ; but it was a conclusion not to be surmised at all that many a virtue theretofore hidden away in the human breast had been brought to light and had been fructified only when the soul had passed through the fire of affliction. Speaking of the Minion, Dr O'Callaghan said he had no doubt that during the visit of Mr Mason many of them had sowed (rood seeds. They bad examined themselves, found out their particular sins, and made resolutions of amendment. He exhorted them to be steadfast, to keep in the path they had chosen, and if they did so he could promise that the harvest would be rich. It was a well ascertained faot that the grain grown in any year was nut enough for two, and geologists had proved that, no matter how lonic the world had existed before man came upon it. the various kinds of grain which sustain human life did not exist before the advent of man. The lesson to be learned from these facts was this ; That in return for the loving-kindness shown towards him by God, man could do no less than givo thanks. The sermon, which abounded in pathetic passages, occupied about three-quarters of an hour in delivery, and w«u listened to with rapt attention throughout. While the offertory was being taken up, the choir sang sentences 1, 12 and 20 to Barnby's music. The Benediction was pronounced by Archdeacon Willis. The services as we have said, will be continued on Sunday.

>lr Noble, Kaniwhana-vha, advertises a white cow running on his farm. Final rate notice of the Cambridge Town Board in another column. Mr Burton, Avon Farm, wanti tenders for ditching. | It is requested that all outstanding: claims a"ainst Messts Grice and Parker be sent to Messrs Mdketh and Richmond, solicitors, Auckland, without delay. Mr J. S. Buctlaud will soil at Broad Mtadows, near Cambridge, on Friday, the 12th inst., in the estate of John Runciman, live stock, implements, Etc., S-c. See list. He will sell at Cambridge on Saturday next 26C0 crossbred ewes, Lincoln rams, Ice. To-morrow he will tell 200 head cattle at Waitoa. He has for talc on arrival from Napier 3,700 sh.eep.