The Henson Journals
Sun 9 September 1917
Volume 21, Page 171
[171]
14th Sunday after Trinity, September 9th, 1917.
1133rd day
Rain fell steadily at the beginning of the day, but the glass was still rising. I read over carefully the sermon I propose to preach this morning in the cathedral. It was originally written for use in S. Margaret's, 1911, and has not been preached since. The text is a great one, & might serve with no other comment than the War offers, & our own hearts endorse: "For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and through Whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (Heb: II.10). Beyond shortening it by some omissions, I have not thought it necessary to change so much as a phrase. Is that a good or a bad sign? Perhaps the Dean of Durham even more than the Canon of Westminster feels the truth of the sentence:–
"It is the very condition of serious audience that preachers & teachers should not stand outside the duties they proclaim, but own themselves equally with the rest to be subject to their obligation: & the world has ever resented the atmosphere of privilege in which, from time to time, the Christian Ministry has been appointed to work."
I wrote to Ernest at Salonika: to Mrs Darwin thanking her for the pot of jam: to the Vicar of Tudhoe declining an invitation to preach. I preached at Mattins to a very small congregation, which, rather to my surprise, included the Darwins. After Mattins I celebrated the Holy Communion. Among the communicants were Major & Mrs Lowe, and their son Ralph, who is home for 10 days from the Front. Pemberton and his friend, Bovill, walked in from Ramside, & attended Mattins. They lunched with me, and afterwards went over the House, Library, & Cathedral. I attended Evensong, and walked with Logic. The fineness of the evening displayed the beauties of "the English Sion" to great advantage: but the atmosphere throughout the day was sultry and depressing: I found myself "pulling against the collar" all the time, & mostly was handicapped by headache.