Hartlip Parish Magazine - February, 1919.

Dear Friends,

We are living in days of wonderful possibilities, both for good and for evil; and cosequently upon our shoulders there rests a great responsibility. Is it going to be a new world after the Peace is settled? That means then a New People. How are we to be new? by having new hearts, new aims, new desires in life. Let our aims and desires be in 1919, "Give me a CLEAN HEART, O God, and renew within me a RIGHT SPIRIT."! If we can only as a people and nation make that our goal, then there must and will be a New World; and a better England for the heroes to come back to; in which we shall be prepared to put first things in the first place; viz.: God FIRST in Church, in the State, in business, in pleasure, and in EVERYTHING. But you know, that means that some newspapers will have to be scrapped, and the Bible take their place.

A New England means a better observance of the Lord's Day. Sunday ought to seem altogether wrong and miserable, if we allow it to pass without going to His House to praise and pray. Yes, what about prayer? Have some given it up, or think very little about it? If so, that means shipwreck, and possibly being lost altogether. Depend upon it, we owe more than we know to prayer. What about the prayers offered up to God every week throughout this land? our own Intercession Service (or meeting for prayer) every Wednesday evening during the war? When told that so few Hartlip men had fallen an officer, home from the trenches, said, "Then it is owing to your regular prayers for them." Yes, we are quite certain that it was our prayers that saved us at Mons, that saved us on so many occasions and in particular last March, when the enemy in that great push seemed certain to smash us; but England fell to prayer more than ever, and God in answer saved us, by giving Victory and Peace. Dear friends, let us pray on more in earnest than ever, more regularly on Sundays and at Weeknight services, than before, and both

England and Hartlip will be better if we all do this. Thus we need not be afraid of the Peace Conference, or demobilisation, or strikes, or the future. For with our trust firmly set on God, and our hand on the lever of prayer, we can go forward.

True there are ominous clouds on the national horizon, but "God's in His heaven"; and possibly the Clouds are meant to drive us to the Cross of Christ. Here then (as referred to last month, we see the need of the Twentieth Century Crusade and its motto, "For Jesus Christ and the emancipation of mankind." Who will join the greatest of all Crusades? Who will respond to His appeal? "Follow Me" for humanity's sake? Christians should be God's Labour Party - God's working men and women. It may mean persecution, but it is worth it. "The sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed." Who will be a Crusader?

It was with special pleasure that we welcomed home Pte. Frank Acott early in January, after nearly four years in German hands; varied are his stories of "cruel bondage."

We were also pleased to see several of our men from the front, recently home on a well-earned leave, and all looking remarkably well.

On January 2 a Concert was given in the School-room by Miss Ethel Stevens and her pupils in aid of St. Dunstan's Hostel for Blinded Soldiers and Sailors, London. Both teacher and pupils are to be congratulated on their success, and the excellent financial result.

The pressing repairs to the organ are done, and now I have to find the money to pay them. Several one pound donations have been sent in and one or two more may follow. Small amounts will also be welcome; for we want all to feel they have the equal privilege to contribute.

BURIAL.
Dec.7-Chas. Albert Whitehead, 18 years.

Your faithful Friend and Vicar,

J. S. McMILLAN.