The Henson Journals

[11]

22nd Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, October 23rd, 1921.

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The morning breaks fairly after a night of storm, but there are signs of further tempest in the near future. I read through the old sermon on "Jacob's Ladder", which I propose to preach to the Darlington sectaries. No doubt they look for some sensational pronouncement on 'Reunion', or Unemployment, or 'Divorce', but I hate 'topical' sermons. Like Leighton I will not "preach to the times". And when I happen to preach in Dissenting Chapels, I particularly desire to avoid any local controversy, the mere appearance of which destroys all the good which on the most optimistic hypothesis such preaching can effect. There is a certain strength in being able to demonstrate that I preach precisely the same sermons in church and chapel.

William motored me to Darlington, and put up the car in the garden of Trinity Church Vicarage. I found Stephenson from Gateshead with Canon Cosgrave. The Primitive Methodist Church was densely crowded. It seats 350 people, and 200 chairs had been brought in. The twin stairs on either side of the pulpit were occupied by school–children, who behaved beautifully. My sermon was listened to with close attention. After service I was photographed in my robes together with the two ministers! Then we returned to the Castle. Lord Thurlow came to tell me that he had been offered the position of Superintendent of the Mersey Missions to Seamen. He had evidently made up his mind to go, and I could not see reason why he shouldn't. But it will be difficult to find a successor for this Vicarage. I motored to Durham, and preached to the students in the college chapel in the Castle. After lunching with Ellershaw I returned to Auckland.

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