The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-03-14 00:00:00

THE LITTLE GREEN,

Mr. Pic-row, in purauance of a motion he had given at the
last meeting, moved that estimates be taken for the erection
of posts and a chain or railings on the Little Green, so as to
prevent it from being made a receptacle of atones, timber,
and other matters, and making it assume almost the character
of a nuisance. He stated his conviction that, at a compara-
tively small expense, the Little Green might be made both
ornamental and, useful, instead of being, as at present, an un-
sightly object to look on.
Mr. MURRAY seconded the motion, which, after some con-
versation, was agreed to. _

Messrs., Bonet', Stubbs, Young, and Burney, were appointed
to deliver the notice papers for the new election of members
to the Board, and also to collect the notice papers.
Intimation of inconvenience from nuisance arising from
defective sewerage in Church-street, signed by Miss Macbride
and others, was read, and ordered to lie over for considera-
tion. This terminated the business before the Board.

CONSECRATION OF THE CHURCH OF
THE HOLY INNOCENTS-YESTER-
DAY.

Tin beautiful new Church of the Holy Innocents, in
Myrtle-street, in connexion with the Orphan Asylums, and
which owes its existence to the liberality of Mr. Harmood
Banner, was consecrated yesterday, by the Right Rev. Dr.
Graham, the Lord Bishop of the Diocese. The church is
picturesquely situated, between the Asylums for Orphan
Boys and Girls, in connexion with which it is especially
dedicated. The three edifices are thus finely set together.
and present a graceful and attractive pile of architecture,
ornamental to the neighbourhood. The Rev. T. B. Banner,
the son of the munificent founder, is the incumbent.
The day was beautifully fine, and the noble church was
filled in every part by a very respectable and attentive
congregation. Amongst those present we observed J. B.
Lloyd, Esq., the Mayor, accompanied by the serjeants-at-
mace, bearing the Corporation regalia ; the Venerable
Archdeacon Brooks ; the Rev. Rector Campbell ; the Rev.
T. B. Banner, the incumbent; the Revds. Messrs. Hamp-
ton, Leicester, Stewart, Carpenter, Warr, Higgins, For-
shaw, Bowman, F. Parry, T. Parry, C. Campbell, Burton,
R. L. Boberts, Gardner, Purvis, Dale, J. Jones, and Dover;
together with the Rev. Ellis Ashton, of Huyton ; the Rev.
E. Marston, Knowsley ; the Rev. Wm. Stewart, of Hale ;
and the Rev. J. Fielden, of Bebington, &c. ; and Messrs.
E. Lawrence, Alderman Bennett, A. Thompson, C. Groves,
H. Grazebrook, jun. H. T. Brown, R. N. Dale, G. W.
Ewing, D. Rae, H. W.. Banner, Phipps, Dickson, and Mr.
John Cunningham, the architect, &c., &c.
His lordship arrived with his accustomed punctuality,
and on reaching the door of the church was presented
with the petition for consecration. This, which was from
Mr. Harmood Banner solely. was read, to his lordship It
was couched in the usual form, and set forth the facts of
the foundation. His lordship then entered the church
and proceeded to the communion table, when, after prayers,
the church was consecrated with the usual solemnities.
Mr. Sudlow, of the Philharmonic Society, presided at the
organ, ranged on each side of which were the inmates of
the two asylums, the very picture of health and cleanli-
ness, and who chaunted the various responses with very
beautiful effect. Prayers were read by the Rev. T. B.
Banner, the incumbent, the Ven. Archdeacon Brooks
assisting also in the service.
After the First Lesson, a very interesting ceremony
took place, the baptism, by the bishop, of two of Mr.
Harmood Banner's grand-children. One, the son of the
Rev. George Dover, of Roby, was christened Harmood
Arthur ; and the other, an orphan grandson, William
Harmood Cochrane.

TIM SERMON.
His Lordship took his text from the Ist Epistle of St.
Paul to the Corinthians xiii. 13 : "And now abideth faith,
hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is
charity." And yet how great was faith ! he commenced.
It was through faith that even the mercy of God became
effectual for our salvation. We were all by nature sinners,
perishing, about to sink into the gulf below. The Son of
God stepped from his height of glory to snatch us from
that destruction. He stretched forth his hand to rescue
us. What was it enabled us to lay hold of Him ? It was
faith. It was by God's mercy, by Christ's sacrifice, that
we are saved, but still through faith. Great indeed was
faith, but great, because it was not alone. It was con-
joined with the other Christian graces, with hope, and
charity, or love. Christian faith was not . that faith of
dark despair with which even the fallen spirits believe and
tremble ; but it was a faith that was linked with hope ;
animated and supported by that hope, the Christian was
enabled even now to catch bright glimpses and enjoy sweet
foretastes of a blessed hereafter. And with faith and hope
there was joy, and also love,—from faith in the Saviour
of the world,—hope of the blessedness of heaven. These
were not abstract speculative notions, that start up in
the cold impassive region of the intellect, but they were
moving influences, living energies that act upon the soul,
and make every chord vibrate in the inmost recesses
of man's! heart. And thus, in the perfect lustre of the
Christian character, faith, and hope, and love, though
each with its own separate view, yet intermingle, and
blend, and melt together in pure and undefiled unity of
heart. Might their light so shine before men and before
God ! " Now abideth these three, faith, hope, and charity,
but the greatest of these is charity," for the time would
come when faith would end in certainty, and hope in pos.
session, bat charity would never end, would never fail
even in heaven, would still continue to bind the blessed
assembly of the saints in holy communion with each
other, and would animate their hearts and inspire their
voices as they circle for ever the Almighty's throne with
hymns of joy and praise. "And now abideth these three,
faith, hope, and charity." The very names remind us of
the emblems under which these Christian graces have
long been conventionally typified in works of sacred art.
Faith with clasped arms and upward eye, clinging to the
cross ; Hope resting on the anchor that is to be her stay
amidst the waves of life's troubled sea ; Charity folding
to her bosom her tender infants with a mother's love.
If ever, said his lordship, this picture of charity has been
realised, it is, I think, in this work of Christian benevo-
lence which is the occasion of our assembling here. So
far, indeed, as respects the very lowest classes of the com-
nranity in this country, we know that the law provides
a maintenance for the destitute orphans of the poor, who
are sheltered, and fed, and clothed, and eduoatediL-God be
thanked that it is so ! It is a beautiful instance, showing
that the system of our national law is pervaded by the
spirit of Christian charity, and is in harmony with that
Divine and higher law which commands us to love our
neighbours as ourselves. But there are also orphans not
less destitute, perhips, than those of whoml have spoken,
yet challenging, from some peculiar considerations, some
more indulgent and delicate provision than the law has
made for the common necessities of the poor. Their
parents may have been industrious, and prudent, and
frugal, and respectable; and yet before they could lay by
any savings, or make any provision for their children,
they may both of them have been taken away by an early
yThofmheeeltpleasesseso7thansthia,.
wdeiaththo,ulteaav leaving btetintord
otrhaemfriaenfarl.
sad description some of the leading persons of this town,
animated by a true spirit of Christian charity I came
nobly forward, it may now very likely be twe ye or
thirteen years ago, to establish an asylum for orphan
girls, born in the town of Liverpool, or within a short
distance of it, who have had the great calamity to lose
both their parents, Liverpool is not a place where an
appeal for such an object of humanity as tblis was
ever likely to be made in vain. Under God's blessing
the Female Orphan Asylum was established—under
God's blessing it has prospered, and now in the 12th or
13th year of its existence, it affords reception for 150
fatherless and motherless girls. Kind friends support the
institution by annual subscriptions ; with not less kind-
ness a committee of Ladies superintend the interior disci-
pline and management. Whatever service, whatever
kindness, whatever money any of you may have given to
this object, I will venture to say that you will never enter
the doors of rue Female Orphan Asylum without feeling
yourselves repaid, and more than repaid, by the sight of
the youthful inmates who have those found a shelter from
the distresses of life, and what is even more than that,
a sanctuary from the corruptions of the world. It was
not long before this step was followed by another in the
same direction. It was not long before the same kind
benefactors undertook a kindred work of charity, the esta-
blishment of an asylumunder similar regulations for orphan
boys. There were obvious reasons why the Female Orphan
Asylum should have precedence. The weak and tender
sex more need protection ; but the work of charity would
have been incomplete had not sympathy been shown and
protection extended to the orphan boys as well. Without
this -additiqn, even the prior establishment would have
wanted something of its efficacy and grace. The sister,
ii 70,0011 Air her own condition, would IlaYe 44 her bout