Anniversary Services.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 34, 14 January 1899, Page 1

Anniversary Services.

The anniversary services in connection with St. Paul's W esleyan Sunday School were held on Sunday last, when the Rev, J. Ward (Oamaiu) conducted morning, afternoon, and evening services. In the morning and evening, instead of the ordinary eeiraon, an objoct lessons was given. On Monday evening a meeting was held in the church in connection with the anniversary. Mr G. Manchester presided and made a few remarks on the importance of training in Christian principles which wag given by the reading and explaining of Scripture. In some cases, ho said, this was done, but in ofcheis it was not. To the latter it was of the utmost importance that a Sabbath school should exist. The work in the past year hud been discouraging to the teachers and children. Several teachers had left through various causes, but the remainder were not disheartened, It was to be hoped that m the next year they would get volunteers for this most important work. During the year the ranks of neither teachers nor scholars had been broken by death. Parents should help the children to prepare their lessons and should also keep their children at school, especially the boys of from twelve years qld, at which age they seemed to drift from the school. They should be kept in close connection with the church and not allowed \>o run wild on the Sabbath. After a hymn had been sung the chairman cabled upon The Bey. G-. Barclay, who gave an interesting historical sketch of the church's work on behalf ol the children. For a long period, no systematic work was undertaken, the church confining its attention to the adults. After the time of Christ, the Apostles preached mcossantly. But shortly alter their time, preaching iell into disuse. Thore were two causes that led to this and the first was the growth of asceticism. A great many peispns thought it their duty to withdraw fronj then* follow men and shut themselves from the church and world. These were the men who had. the spirit of preachiqg in them, and thus the men most eminently fitted for the work disappeared Another cause was the curious notion that none but high-class functionaries of the church should preach. Th,e bishops had risen' in power at the turje he spoke of, and for 600 years there was i}Q regular preaching op exposition of the gospel.' Tradition took the place of the gospel, superstition tljat ofnanhghtment, and religious life had disappeared. The religious education of this young was a dead letter. But this aqrt of thing had not been perpetuated. "With the times of th,e Revival a sense of responsibility to the religious nurture of the young sprung tip. Early in the 15th fientury a pardinal of' the church, of Rome took the greatest interest in this matter. In legislative ordinances in the Netherlands in. the year 1608 there was reference to the necessity a«d expediency 6t sabbath schools. Later on came John >>esley and others, and gradually the

system spread, till at the present time there were millions of teachers and scholars throughout the world. The speaker accorded Sabbath schools a very high place in the work of the church, The end of secular knowledge was to make children fit for the industries and pursuits of their Me, but the end of the moral and apintual knowledge was to make then* firm of principle, to establish and imoress a sense of duty, and to fit them for the far beyond. Not for a moment did he iindor-estimate secular knowledge, but after all it was moral and spiritual forces whose function it was to form the character, to enlighten the spirit and prepare man for the great destiny by and by. Sabbath school teachers, by inculcating into the children their responsibility in the sight of heaven, were doing the greatest possible good that could be done. As far as he knew, there were no decorative orders for Sunday school teachers, but 'nevertheless "they that be wise shall shine for ever." They were doing their duty gratuitously, forfeiting their rest and quietness to bestow labour upon others, and he trusted that at the end ol this year they would have a report much greater and more flourishing than the present. A dialogue was here given by Jeannie Fagan and Hilda Clayton, a solo by Olive Goldsmith, recitatipna by E. Recce and N. Brokenshire, and a dialogue by Annie and Nellie Hoare. The Rev. J. Ward gave au addregs on the strong and weak points m the Sabbath school work. The rev. gentleman considered the institution was strong in its foundation. Some had claimed the honour for Robsrt JUikes, and othara for other men. But great rivers had many sources, and so it wag with the great Sunday school movement. Public opinion and all Chnstjan denominations supported it. And among all classes of society where the gospel was preached, would the work in some form or other be carried on. There were now two million teachers engaged in teaching twenty in lhon Bcholars. Another strong point was the goqd literature jn the shape of books and papers that was disseminated, and which had its influence on young and old. A weak point was tha want of spiuLuality of many of the teachers. About one fifth of the teachers were not membors of the church. He was not there to Bay that a teacher must be a member of the, Church, but there was a strong eonnecJiqu between the two. If teacliaps were on the Lord's side, most of thsm would be members of the Churchy The lack of experienced teachers was another weak point. Many of the classes would lapse put for teachers who might be called 'prentice hands. Again ' many teachers did not prepare their work for 'their, classes. In Dunedm he hearcl'ari old man say that ha had been for 50 years a Sunday school teacher, and he Bae| ne,ver given less than four hours' preparation weekly to his subject. The neglect' of visitation of scholars was another weak point. Children were sometimes away through illness and sometimes without the knowledge of their parents, and an interest shown in them was Htrermia-

placed. These were only some of th« weaknesses and strong points. One hundred years ago .Robert Kaikes com menced the work with four cottages. Now they had grand schools, m some cates better than the churches. The firs* teachers were women, paid Is per afternoon. Now they had two million teachers of all classes doing the woz*k for love of it. If such progress had been made m the past, what might not be hoped for in the next 100 years. And let all uiufce to help onward the progress of this grand work. Becitations were given by K. Swan and — Williams. Hearty votes of thanks were passed to the ladies who decorated the church, to those who had contributed items and addresses, to the choir leader, organist, ftnd chairman, and the meeting closed.