WESLEYAN CHURCH, COAL CREEK, ANNIVERSARY,

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 142, 27 October 1870, Page 6

WESLEYAN CHURCH, COAL CREEK, ANNIVERSARY,

The first anniversary of the Wes» leyan Church, Coal Creek Plat, was held last Sunday and Monday week, Oct. 16th and 17th, and was most successful. The Rev. W. Keall preached twice on the former day — subject in ' the afternoon. " God's past mindfulness of men, and willingness to bestow future blessings" (text, Psalms cxv., 12-15) ; in the evening, " The superiority of the christianpriesthood,"as shown in Hebrews ix., 24-26. Collections for the day, £5 12s. 6d. Tor the Monday's tea the trays were given, and the attendance was up to expectation, the friends appearing to enjoy themselves most heartily. Great "difficulty was experienced in arranging the scats for the evening meeting on account of the- crowd collected in the building. After devotional exercises the circuit minister requested Mr. Clarke, of the Blue Spur, to take the chair, for the double reason that he filled it last year so ably, and was willing to work in any way for the general interest. His speech, on accepting the post of honour, was a good key note as to what the quality and length of the addresses following ought to be. The report showed the church to have been opened last year while in an unfinished state, but it could now be regarded as complete, and its total cost was £200, 185. 3d. Including the Sunday's collection, the receipts were £151 17s. 6d., and as there was good reason for estimating the present tea quite as high as last years, £37 was allowed for it, in the absence of the tickets being accounted for, so the total receipts were £188 17s. 6d., leaving a debt of £12 0s 9d., which, of course, the friends would settle before going home. Mr. John Tamblyn was callsd on for an address, the subject of which was the beauties and uses of nature. He noted the blades of grass and variety of flowers in the vegetable world ; woman in the animal world as the most beautiful object ; iron and ocean's sale in the mineral. He referred also to the beauties above, and closed his speech by arguing that the beauties and uses of grace should be coveted and made our own, as they were far superior to those of nature. The Rev. J. Telford, Presbyterian Minister, came next. He expressed great pleasure at the success of his V\ r esleyan friends, and gave a thoroughly * practical address on the duty of giving to God's cause. Though miners were, as a rule, very liberal, he hesitated not to speak of duty in giving, for all we had was from God, and he had a perfect right to declare what should be done with his own. We could not be donors to God. It was marvellous condescension on God's part that he honoured us by making us co-workers with himself. Much was said at different times as to what and how men ought to give, but after all God had settled that question for everybody, rich or poor, in Ist Cor. xvi., 2. The Divine rule was that " on the first day in the week everyone was to lay by him in store as God had prospered him." This rule was thoroughly simple and effective. "We had no liberty to depart from it. So the rich could give their wealth, and the widows their mites. It was not the amount of money given to God, but the motive he regarded. "We should seek to become acquainted with this reasonable, impartial, and successful mode of giving, and we should surely prosper. Mr. James, of Moa Flat, had frequently addressed similar meetings in Australia, but this was his first occasion in this colony. Calling up a few thoughts furnished him by preceding speakers, he asked the question, When can this small temple be said to be finished? The only proper answer was when souls are born of God in it, living stones prepared for and made into a living temple. The case of many who gave to Christ largely of their substance, but withheld their heart, was very awful ; since refusing to yield that to the Saviour, they really refused everything. Faithful service would be rewarded whether performed by ministers or their flock, as illustrated in an anecdote of the late Rowland Hill staying at a country inn on a certain night, and making the landlord and his family assemble for family worship. Ministers must not alone preach, live, and reprove for Christ's sake, but the people too must value their teaching. _ Mr. Marten, Wesleyan Home Missionary, Teviot, gave an interesting and humourous speech on tea meetings in general, putting in pei'haps as cream and. sugar some of the absurdities of Darwinism, spiritualism, &c. But more particularly he took up among the many teas Christianity, which had a fine flavour if properly mixed with unity, purity, liberality, liberty, &c. Without these it was a nauseous affair, but yet proved the genuine had an existence. Mr, Bloxham, of the Blue Spur, remarked he had more than once been warned against an evil that he believed was very rare, viz., brevity in preaching. Yet brevity in the speeches that night seemed a virtue, so he should not talk at length. It was sometimes said by speakers that the brethren talking before them had taken away their speech, but not meaning to be in that fix himself he had come to the meeting without one, determined to try his hand ait fishing scraps as they

fell from the table. His address was very interesting, and contained- much that would bear sound reflection.

The Rev. W. Keall remarked that as it was getting late he would let the other speakers alone, though in a little tilting he might otherwise have indulged, He thought if all would duly consider the goodness of G-od, they would not hesitate to acknowledge that he had made everything beautiful in its season. That was true of nature with its many sides, of historical events, and religious dispensations, therefore we ought even to study the whole system of things in their relations, and accept them in their entirety. In reference to the different sections of the church, of Christ it should be so, «nd also ' as regards church membership. Many professing Christians excused themselves from the latter, but they certainly ought to try both sides of the question before they venture an opinion. If they fairly looked at their position he believed they would find it a false one in many ways, and not the least that they influenced others to take the same course to their hurt, though they might not be aware of it. Reference was then made to the entrance of Methodism in the Teviot district, to Mr, Marten's coming there, to the probable division of the Lawrence circuit, with Teviot as the head of a new one, all of which went to prove that as regards the spiritual work in the district the day was brightening, and they would find God was making everything beautiful in its season. The question of clearing the present debt was then gone into by a collection of £4 Is., and promises given to the amount of £4< Os. 6d., which, with some provisions sold at the close making £5 55., brought the total receipts to £202 45., so that, if the tea turns out as estimated, there is £1 ss. 6d. in hand for the church, fund. Mr. James Tamblyn was called upon to give the ladies a vote of thanks, which he did in his usual quaint style, amid some good rounds of laughter. Mr. Ireland seconded in his well known happy manuer, and Mr. Grlass responded on the ladies' behalf. Singing and prayer closed the proceedings, and the whole will be looked upon as a great success in erecting the first place of worship for the district ; the more so as the times are rather hard.