PRESBYTERIAN ANNIVERSARY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 981, 24 January 1882, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN ANNIVERSARY.

The annual gathering in the Presbyterian i Church, Maßterton, was oelebratodiyeaterday. _ In the, after noon Hbe j in-spite of. counter attractions elsewhere,collected a large : number? ofvisitors.and in the evening the church wa» filled for the public..meetings \ i The Rev. James Mcßee, pastor of the. ' chui'chjVin .hia opening 1 add^sf'said;—! " Ohristian 'friendsi—lt "ft pleasing to ipeet with you again: on this the seventh anniversary; since coming atnong you. In looking back upon the past year I have many; things to humble me before God—rmahy Bins of omission and commission ; there are also many things very encouraging, and whioh may well gladden our hearts. The ."attendance has been .better than on any, previous year, and , there are evidences that'the words Bpoken ' have not been in vain, but productive of good fruit. Then, too, the same uninter- , rupted. harmony, which has characterised ,' thiß congregation,- continues • arid even ■inoreaseß.These things and the many acts, of kindness ..which I have receivedfrom you greatly encourage me and gladden my Heart. When I think of the. many kindnesses' I have received from . .yoijj apd the harmony, .'.which has existed .thq truly say . with ; Jacob;,-, I .jvho„ served seven, years for . ji),d thpy^semed'to him but a few days tor,the love' he,.'had to her.'. :H is ourdpsirAtihati'lhiSißatt of Zion might proßpflr|^nd;tha't/8U c cesß would crown our • to Whioh, we might notice. There is earnestness;Mtliiiig will compensate for want of earnestness. The mm who"' • i» earnest ih. business- matters, as a rule, is successful. The work '"which is done in a lazy; hjlf-hearted manner, is never well done, an,d the man who is not in earnest is not. successful. If wo would have our ohiirch to let us work with , a ffillrWQrk m eanest, «nd ; success, is sure to orown our efforts. Knowledge; in also ah essential of auooess. It is difficult for anyone) to'-do "Work-.- in which he isunnkilled;: The competent tradesman will perform work with ease, which would be ■ vety.diffioclj'for the : unskilled to do. It ; .is a.ion matters of'religion. We require knowledge—both theoretical and practical. The Bible ia our 'giiide-book; it ia full of knowledge, without. its ' instruction and- ' di re6fcidri %e wopld niie - [sure to go astray!; „ .hiit'if it' ahd^triVe to be guided.by be sure to be' : ssfflt j lfj; t.l>, esrhesffiess and increased, .we .need .have no.feuv,Qf^ucc^ssf;;The. congregation , .jvhioli is not a pttyiii'g; congregation is not a prosperous or.a healthy one. The. .we • Ask '.of God, ibelievlrig in His own Son, just so much the more we-.»haU-secure,- The'promise is-'lf you shall ask anything in my name, the ; ;P«'hW' itilHgivS 'it.' -Oiir work cannot 'proß|>er nnleWW havia ' God's- blesisng upon' it,'mid'cati '.we expect* God to bless us unl?a?;vwe:aak..'it'?,! Liat us.then, as pastor Siid' people,' go forward jto the. work .of the-year, a. people strong in faith, and frequent iiv prayer, and we need fear no ;e,vil. Brethren,: weept,my heartfelt'. ' than,ks ; fo,r yourjsindnesa.and forbearance . [n the ; past, bnd'le't.'me -have a'place ih yiur prayers, in the future, without which ; f I woulJ-he''wisak' ; inHeed, Our town is destined to be one of 'great importance, a town which has rapidly improved in the : .paßtj dnd which" is certain, from its central position, the rich and fertile soil of. its 'adjacent' country, and the public spirit of its many inhabitants, to continue prospering. ' Let then the church with which we have the honor to be associated prosper in a similar manner. For this . 'end let us laborand pray—feeling assured that as we'and the 'other ohurches in this town prosper so the kingdom of God will .prosper among us. .',. Mr Feist then moved, the adoption of the following report which he read In submitting to you the annual report . and .balance sheet for.,the past year, your . committee desire to express their thankfulnesßito;jAlmighty God. for the measure of ; prosperity he. has vouchsafed unto us. . .During.the past year the attendance at i divine-: service has greatly improved, und i hn9 been.much larger than on any previous i year. rYoUr committee began the year 1 with a debt of £42.7s ljd, ..This has been ; paid, anil although 'several regular sub- ; •-scsihera'.'have not yet forwarded their annual contribution, to the Sustention .fund,' 'the aniouit..owing at the close of the financial year is only ,£34 13s "ij, I whictvtyour committee" believe will .be '• made up aa soon as the subscriptions now (due come : in, . v The Manse property'has been greatly ■ iimproved duiing the-past-few months at a cost of jtbout.. £BO, which had been paid by a friend, pf-the'congregation. " ( The Sunday Schniil continues to prosper and is conducted by a .band of. teachers I devoted to under the auperintendance* of/' Messrs James and Duncan ! M'Gregor. the prizes for the year were awarded to the most deserving , scholars, and on' New Ye'ar's'day the pic- , nia was held (vhioh was very successful. I . The, Prater meeting .iB so well attended as it ihoiW be," and your com- , mittee would;urge upon those within easy distance;to make it a duty to attend.. : I , ~ The Psalmody is greatly .improved. :i The choir meet'fdi: practice*.o'nce : a'week i °^ en y?W[;.«?88cleral)le inconvenience. Your cqiiimittie fjel deeply, indebted to - fehpjr-,mast©r.v for;Jiis^ontiring efforts infringing the choir to its present state, ' aB who an ({rian. jie deep'jiitereiit.tS ia iady, takes. ; isTthu'j&Srt'pjf ifiii aer*\ee /if.Ctod, ,aiid the .skill, aiid; aKility which^i^jppkyj^yery '. ;: : Mv : D, McGregor. CM annual g/itheriiigs, ' to beg for assistance.''.lt .wa'aguite sufficient in his opinion-to.lSy "before the congregation a * fltatementTof the accounts, and-'to-leave I the results in its hands. A church might be financially jatrongj and morally'weak, hut > te did not, believe jthat one oovld be mor.ally weak'-ind finanoialiy Strong;. l They had tided over lhe|eViodi of depression; and might now expect 'to ahare in the re; • iiproVement(i;>.! On an ofewl like the present, onerthey'-should' woogi whioh P their,ministerthw^ and •- inewawwent tbe

people, He also drew attention to the obligation they were under to Mr Feist their treasurer, for the care and diligence with which their finances were managed, (applause.)' The Rev. MrPaterson congratulated the congregation on a satisfactory report. He was glad to notice that the attendances at church . were improving. He found that &' vSry.. slight excuse-was'' sufficient to prevent some.porSohs' from being present. People were far more careful of. their health on the sahhath, than on any other day. Financial prosperity was a fair 'test _of the spiritual progress of a congregation, though some who were undoubtedly pious were yet extremely penurious. These were without the grace of liberality a christian virtue whioh should be taught as a part of their- ordinary teaching rather than appealed to on" Special occasions when money was required. Rightly practiced the act of giving was a privilege rather than a favor conferred. If the gospel meant anything at oil, it.meanc generosity and the spirit of it should be cultivated. He epoke also m eulogistio terms of the improved psalmody in the ohurch and concluded by bearing testimony to the earnestness Mr . .McKee displayed in his work and-his strong claims on the confidence and sup- ' The Chairman inputting theresol.ution which was carried unanimously, expressed his thanks to Mr Feist for the assistance' lie' had 'constantly given him in supplying 'in an acceptable manner* the-'services of the church, when lie himself was preaching in other parts of the distriot. .- The Eev Mr Paterson then delivered a ■brief,-'earnest lecture on the bible, its literary history, its divine authority, and its divine teaching.- We regret the limits of our space do not permit us to giro an outline of his address. He admitted freely and fully the many objections which embarrassed students in arriving at satisfactory conclusions on the literary authority of the sacred books, but claimed that this was a separate and . distinct,question, from the divine authority and the divine teaching of them whioh latter rested, on olear and. indisputable evidence, apart from the human element referred to in the first portion of his discourse. He also pointed olit the extent to which modern discoverers of antiquites confirmed the details of the canonical books and proved •the truthfulness oiF them. ' ■' A cordial Vote of thanks was at tjie conclusion of. the addreas jfiven with acolamatibn to the lecturer on the motion of MrM'Cardle, seconded by .Mr Hold; away; A vote of'thanks to the choir, whifch rendered in. the course of .the evening several anthems with considerable.skill and expression, followed, andthe meeting then closed with the -benediction.