WESLEYAN CHURCH TEA MEETING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1728, 24 April 1888, Page 2

WESLEYAN CHURCH TEA MEETING.

There was a very large attendance at the Tnluhteer Hall, Temuka, last Friday evening, when a tea and public meeting was held to welcome the Bev. B. 8. Bunn to the district. The chair was occupied by Mr S. Buxton, M.H.8., and the Rev*. Dickson, White, Dean, Marten, and Bunn occupied seats on the platform. The Chairman opened in a few wor Is, and expressed the pleasure be fell in presiding over a meeting to welcome the Bev. Mr Bunn to the district. He called on The Bev. Mr Dickson, who said he had great pleasure in being present. He was not going to fall into the same error tint the minister did who was told that his sermon was abeut half-an-hour too long. He then made some humorous reference to some mistake as to the date of the meeting, and expressed bis gladness at the presence of a member of Parliament, who occupied the chair. He thus showed he was on the side of religion and truth. He was glad also to make the acquaintance of the Bev. Mr Bunn, ond he hoped that his ministrations iu Temuka would be a success. He then made some humorous references to the buns on the tables, and went on to say that even if they went to different Churches he hoped they would all be united in fighting the common foes of intemperance, gambling, and scepticism, and join in the victory iu heaven. Some said it the Wesleyans bad a little of Presbyterian Calvinism, and the Presbyterians had a little of the Wesleyan enthusiasm, they would conquer the world. Their object was not to conquer the world, but to conquer sin. (Applause.) The great object was to work for God. They should not look to win New Zealand for the Wes'eyans, or the Baptists, or the Episcopalians, or the Presbyterians—but New Zealand for Christ, (Great applause.) The Bev. Mr Marten (of Timarn) said he hoped it was not necessary to introduce him to a Temuka audience. He was glad to see a lawmaker in the chair,. ans desired to reciprocate the < kind words ’of thc Bov. Mr Dickson, It would be well if they had the art of keeping converts as well as the Presbyterians. He had the pleasure of knowing the Bev. Mr Bunn for twenty-four yean. He was a young man then. He was the first minister he had the pleasure of hearing in New Zealand, and now he had the pleasure of working near him he hoped they would work harmoniously together. He referred to the work done by the Bev. Mr Bunn in Invercargill, and said he felt sure a great many souls 1 would be brought to Christ during bis ministry in Temuka. He expressed great pleasure at being present, and urged them to remember that it depended on themselves whether the ministry of the Bev. Mr Bunn would be a success or not. They must pray, not when he was listening, but in their own closets. There was a work for every minister to do, and they should all do it. They must be honest with him, and tell him the truth. They should tell it to him up to bis face, not behind his back. Words of encouragement and kindness stimulated minuter* to greater exertions, and they ought always to encourage him. He warned them against patronising their minister, There was nothing more to be despised than people who came to church to patronise the preacher. He wished them all success, and the Bev. Bev. Mr Buna a happy and prosperous career. (Applause.) The Chairman said he never preached to a congregation to please thorn. He did not care whether they were pleased or not. All he cared for was to please God. (Applause.) The Bev. Mr White (Pleasant Point) said it afforded him pleasure to see the audience so large, and that the Chairman was coming to live at Pleasant Point, and be would do his best to make him a Presbyterian. Ho was glad to welcome the Bev. Mr Bunn, and he felt sure he would be great acquisition to the district. Ho hoped he would meet with great success in the work of tha Lord, for really this was the reward he looted for, and not popularity. Ministers did not care about popularity, so long as they felt they hsd done their duty to God. There wts one bit of advice he would give them, and that was not to tell him of any adverse criticism of himself. They ought to work with him in all good works, and remove every barrier to his spiritual success. They ought to pray for their minister, for one of the grandest things a minister could feel was that his people were praying for him. Instead of criticising Mr Bunn let them oritise themselves, and remember that he comes to represent the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they must respect him as such. He wished then prosperity, and was extremely glad to welcome Mr Bunn to the district. (Applause.)

The Bev. B. S. Bunn, who was received with great applause, seid he felt very gratified by the kind things the previous speakers bad ssid in relation to himself. I'hey esid a great deal to his advantage, but it must not understood it was all for hip, While they had been speaking on his behalf they were giving a rub on their own account. (Laughter.) At one time in Invercargill when he stepped on the platform he heard some one ask, “ Who is he f” and he replied that he would tell them; Just left Murderer’s Flat, and had been sent to Kill-more. (Laughter.) Ho felt much pleased by what had been said by the Bev. Mr White, but he held that a Methodist l was a Presbyterian ohrystalised. Mr White was good enough to fancy that he would made a Presbyterian of the Chairman, who was one of his own congregation, and he (the rev. speaker) must keep his eye on him. Oh! shame On him to think of laying violent hands on one of his congregation. (Great laughter.) Their difference brought to, hie mind an inoident which once occurred, A lady fainted—he wondered did ladiss faint in this country ? (laughter)—and an Episcopalian minister came to her assistance, and laid her down nicely—and then came a Presbyterian and suggested that she should be raised up a little—and then came a Baptist, and, true to his instincts, he cried, “ Water J water!” —and then came a Quaker, and he began to fan her with his bwadr brimmed hat—and when she had recovered there osme a dashing young Methodist and gave her bis arm and took her home. (Great laughter.) This illustrated how by : co-operation they had saved the fainting lady, and it was in this way they could co-operate with each other if there was a debt on a, church. (Great laughter,) It was all very fine to bear them talking about unity, but what they wanted was “ stickability ’’—(laughter)—in order to get over the difficulty. ; The people who were in the ship with Jonah found a difficulty in getting rid of him, and the way they got over it was by throwing him overboard. When Jonah was thrown overboard a very big whale came along and opened its tremendous mouth and said, “ Jonah, coma in out of the wet!”—(great laughter)—and Jonah said, " I’m sucked in here!” (Great laughter.) Great difficulties only brought put great pen, and they must face thep boldly. There wag no time for indifference, supineness, or sleep. They must be on the glert, for, as bad already been pointed out, manifold iniquities still existed in their midst, and they must not go to work half-heartedly. They must obey orders. He told a story of the Duke of Wellington, in which the servant of the Bari of Derby throw the Duke out of doors because he was ordered not to allow anyone to enter the hall. When the Duke * afterward* ascertained that ho had only obeyed order* ‘he gave hip f guinea. So should they obey orders, the - otters of

the Supreme Authority, for their moral pro* priety gare uprightness and stability. Ha concluded with a few more anecdotes illustrative of the advisability of obsying orders, and wound up with a most eloquent appeal to his hearers to be always on the alert, and sat down amidst great applause. The Her. Mr Dean (of Geraldine) said he was very glad_ to be present, and to with them success in their new relationship to the Bev. Mr Bunn. He went to Invercargill after Mr Bunn had left there, and he oould say that Mr Bunn’s work in that district bad been remembered with gratitude up to the present by the people of that district. That was many years ago, and Mr Bunn was just as strong as ever to work for God. To the many wishes the previous speakers had expressed for their well-being he would say ditto, and would wind up by expressing the great pleasure be felt in welcoming the Bev. Mr Bunn to the diatriot.

Mr Job Brown had much pleasure in moving a hearty vote of thanka to the speakers of the evening, the singers, the ladies who had provided ths tea, and all those who had assisted generally. The audience, too, deserved a vote of thanks for the extremely orderly manner in which they bad conducted themselves—a fact which was perhaps in some respects due to the presence of a member of Parliament in the chair He was glad to see him there, and hoped he would long occupy the position, Mr Thompson (of Pleasant Point) seconded the motion, and it was carried unanimously.

The B?v. Mr Bunn moved a vote ul trunks to the Chairmen, and, this being carried unanimously, the proceedings terminated.