The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-07-09 00:00:00

ST. PETER'S CHURCH, AINTREE.

Three charity sermons were preaChed on Sunday last in
the new church at Aintree, in aid of the Sunday schools
attached to the church. Before proceeding to particular-
ize these discourses, it may not be uninteresting to refer
briefly to the peculiar circumstances under which St.
Peter's had its origin. Until a very recent period the site,
if not the very fabric, was devoted to the demoralising
sport of cock-fighting. The present minister, the Rev.
W. H. Vernon, having been for some time located in the
neighbourhood, conceived the idea that, as the district
was rapidly increasing in population, owing, amongst
other causes, to the contiguity of several railways, this
structure, hitherto applied to so questionable a purpose.
might, with comparatively small outlay, be the means of
bririging together a congregation for the observance of
divine worship, and thus an inestimable benefit would be
conferred, not only on those who otherwise would have
been entirely without spiritual instruction, but also on
those inhabitants who formerly were compelled to travel
a distance of several miles in order to discharge the obli-
gations of the Sabbath. Mr. Vernon pursued his object
with a perseverance worthy of the cause, and the result
has been the realisation of his fondest wish ; the cock-
pit has been converted into a plain, unpretending, yet
neat and commodious temple. The edifice is seated in
the midst of the garden grounds attached to the hotel, at
the entry to the race-course, and although these are not
strictly in accordance with one's ideas of the precincts of
a church, they add to, rather than detract from, the sim-
ple character of the edifice. The church will probably
contain about three hundred persons, but a large propor-
tion of the seats are free, in accordance with the intention
of the originators, hence the emoluments of the minister
are exceedingly small. Mr. Vernon has, however, con-
tinued steadfast in the good work once begun, and has
succeeded in establishing a Sunday School in connexion
with the church. It was in support of this school that
he appealed to the charity of his congregation on Sunday
last, and the best evidence of the degree of estimation in
which his efforts are held by those most competent to
form an opinion, is shown by the fact that both the bishop
and our venerated archdeacon came forward to his assis-
tance. The morning sermon was preached by the Right
Rev. the Lord Bishop of the diocese, and the one in the
afternoon by the Van. Archdeacon Brooks; there was
also service in the evening, when the Rev. D. James
preached for the same cause. At the morning service
prayers were read by the Rev. Mr. Vernon, the bishop
and the archdeacon officiating in the communion service.
His LORDSHIP selected the following passage for his
text :—" Train up a child in the way it should go, and
when he is old he will not depart from it," Prov. 22, v. 6.
The discourse commenced by depicting most graphically
the innocence and happiness of the domestic hearth,
when virtue and religion were the guides; pointing to the
enviable condition of young children so trained. His
lordship went on to explain that all of us are not equally
competent to teach our children ; but however little know-
ledge might be possessed by some, yet they could do much
if their hearts inclined them to impart instruction to their
children, by inducing them to read good books ; and,
above all, that best of books, the Bible, by joining with
them in morning and evening prayer, and by bringing
them to the house of God on the Sabbath ; but they were
not to confine their observance to the mere attendance at
divine worship : when they left that place they ought, by
meditation and otherwise, to pass the whole remainder of
the day as one sacred to the Almighty. But, after all, to
plant in the hearts of our children faith in God by the
grace of Jesus Christ, was a task beyond us; this great
work proceeded from the Holy Spirit. It vi-as Ho alone
who could change their hearts ; but this was a reason that
our homes should be rendered the means of instruction.
In the natural world God gives the harvest, but man is
required to till the ground. God rules the sea and stills
the raging waves, still man is required to steer the vessel
on the trackless deep. And so in the moral world; it is
God who, by the influence of His spirit, directs us, but he
hao also given us the Bible as a rule of life, a lesson of
duty, doctrine, and holiness, giving grace to the charter
of morals which he has commanded us to teach our chil-
dren. When he spoke to the children of Israel by Moses,
he commanded that they should teach those things to their
children. And, again, in the New Testament, St. Paul
advises parents to bring up their childreu in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord. His lordship continued,—
every man, however humble his station, might do much,
by his example, to train up his children in the fear of God ;
and he might find much assistance in this good work, in
that district, from the Sunday school in behalf of which
he (the Bishop) had gladly come there to plead. The
school had been established about three years ago, with a
small number of scholars at first, but the numbers had
gradually increased, and now 200 were in attendance at
this school. The minister of their church had laboured in
this undertaking with an unwearied zeal, which was beyond
all praise ; accompanied by his family he left home
early on the Sunday morning, and passed the whole
day there, alternately performing divine service in the
church and teaching in the school ; in that laborious task
he was asssisted by his family, and by some members
of his congregation. It was supported in part by the be-
nefactions of an excellent nobleman, whose universal
kindness justly endeared him to all by whom he was sur-
rounded, by voluntary contributions and by collections in
that church. In conclusion his lordship addressed his
hearers specially on the value of religious training, shew-
ing that our calmer moments, when reflection was at
work, were often rendered doubly happy by reminiscences
of early parental admonition ; and even the erring, when
the passions had been in part assuaged, were sometimes
reclaimed by the powerful operation of those earlier im-
pressions which survived those of more recent date.
We are happy to say that a clothing fund
.has been es-
tablished in connexion with the district. and it has already
conferred very substantial benefit on the inhabitants.
The collections on Sunday amounted to the sum of
426 15s.
The congregation were honoured by the attendance of
the Earl of Sefton and his Worship the Mayor. After
the service his Lordship, in company with the Bishop, the
Archdeacon, the Mayor, and Mr. R. Frodsham, went to
the house of the latter gentleman, where luncheon had
been provided.