The Henson Journals

[97]

4th Sunday in Advent, December 23rd, 1923.

O lord, raise up (we pray thee) thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us: that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us: through the satisfaction of thy son our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour & glory, world without end.

Amen.

Ernest accompanied me to S. Aidan's, West Hartlepool, where I preached and celebrated. The congregation was disappointingly small, the Church being scarcely half–filled. Evidently the social type in the parish is averse from attendance at morning prayer. After service I visited Knowlden in his bedroom, & said prayers with him. We returned to Auckland for lunch. We walked in the Park for an hour with the dogs during the afternoon. On my return I wrote inscriptions in the Christmas presents for the household. Also I wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury about Haslewood, and to Knight condoling with him on his curate's death. Then I fell to reading Lord Balfour's Gifford Lectures, "Theism & Thought". Their argument is familiar but not on that account the less cogent. They are written in a very charming style, easy & graceful always sometimes more.

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