The Henson Journals
Sun 28 January 1912
Volume 17, Pages 380 to 381
[380]
4th Sunday after Epiphany, January 28th, 1912.
~~The value even of true Religion, though it be of an excellent nature & kind, stands much in the hopefulness & improveableness of it: and is not so much to be considered in respect of what it is, as what it shall come to. This lank spiritless Religion as soon as you assume & take it up, you know the best of it. 'Tis not of a growing thriving kind: never expect better of it. 'Tis true, the notional knowledge, opinionativeness, & external observances, which we have spoken of, may be so increased, as an heap of sand may be: but the Religion of such grows not as a thing that hath life in it, by vital self–improvement.~~
John Howe, 'Of delighting in God' p.191.
A very cold day yet not unwelcome after the slush & fog of the last month. I preached in the Abbey at the morning service, taking S. John xiii.14,15 as my text, & Charles Gordon as my subject. The collection was for the 'Gordon Boys Home': but only amounted to £32.0.0. But the congregation was disappointingly small.
[381] [symbol]
Burge, Bishop of Southwark, preached in S. Margaret's at Mattins in the interest of his diocesan Fund. He lunched here afterwards, bringing his wife with him. Sir Edward Russell was of the party. He spoke very frankly in my study of his difficulties with incense–burning fanaticks, who pleaded divers illegal permissions of his predecessors. The combined efforts of the Bps of Winchester & London, the first providing the sophistries the last the blandishments, had failed to induce him to wear a mitre.
Gamble preached in the Abbey at 3 p.m.: an excellent sermon, , I should judge, excellently heard.
Boyd Carpenter preached his first sermon in his capacity of Canon. There was a large, but not a crowded congregation.
I preached at St Margaret's for the Bp. of Southwark's Fund. There was a fair congregation, the Offertory amounted to £11.11.3. This makes our total contribution to the Fund to reach a total of £45.
Sir Wm Vincent, Linetta, Elsie Harold, Reggie, Gilbert, ourselves made up our supper–party.