ANNUAL PARISH MEETING OF ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1127, 17 July 1882, Page 2

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING OF ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.

£,, The fplliwing on: m annual "' meeting"wbjoh takes plica'thiff was 1 deliveredby-theßev ff. E, Paigeye.terday ■ takes placo to-motroTf evening and I make an appeal to itbftpwisbibnera.toj.phoffjheir interest iu 'the tfbrk' oßhe' parish 'by attending thit s!ss& ;|ftJi no doubt, bo taken as a WgnjUhejeawanfl quietness 0 f the p.itUli ,when.the parishioners are conteut to leave „the,|onduotj3f affairshi .'thahands of their '"' ctoohwardens arid yostry, butit ban'hardly'" 1 bo questioned that' i'more lively interest #M n , .by maiQ body of -the. parishioners flatly ponduees'tonhe gehoM wolfaro in .■'. -i , v jtogs']«ffinepted with the parish, streHgtheiis the hands of clergy and vestry, consultation give 3 an impetus the'ensuing year, ,'The^iDqarpafisb.meeting.also affords an ', o PP^»#jt^?any:'of learning honr'the' -'•'; work'brthe Earish'ttcarricd on. Probably a-great many are,entirely ignorant of this, Attd it;WoMd:beSwell'if'they- would'avaiF Jf .i theWs"elves. ; of of gaining '■tffi.ysato&' iniormtjtion- respecting the work of the ■'ekrbhv.' f say that many-are probably .ignorantof this beo.mse I feel sure f that if tHey knew tho'diffioulties th"e ; vestry '"' have,often to contend with, and how greatly - 'it-lies in'their s p6wer,'to lessen • those- dilfi- '• ■' • oulties they would feel called on to.oxort;. themselvss, more for good, and '"'••■ not leave v -thß' i burdeii i 'to Be borne by tho • willing.few who mainly Biipport the chinch , '.- in any parish. lam averse, as a rule, toauy '• ' : ' reference'from the pulpit, to. the question ; -.- ;pf parochial finance/but at the reauest of .-; dhe churchwardens and yestry.l call.youc ' ', 'attention to aipafagraph in; tho "report-which ''' is in /our hands respecting the general : ' ohurchiund. 'iYou will see from tho report that it is essentially necessary that a more ■systematic and general effort should te-mado - i>. it the parishioners-desire that the'-wort of tbechuroh.m should not alto- ' gethorfa'l to the ground, There are; no •doubt; various" "opinions '.? respecting ; the advkedness, or otherwise of. the general church fund soheme, and everyone is n\titled to hold.his .opinion, but he is not entitled to withhold;his support from the soheme,' however adverse -his opinion may be, and for this reason: thegovertiflg.feiy — of the church is the Diocesan Synod, aid we one and all, laity as well as clergy, owea loyal allefiance' to,the resolutions passed by " the Synod. ■" And any scheme passed by tlio "" Synod oughtVfo;■ haye ; thV fair and c : imlid trial that a' synbdioal' body might msou-. ably and just y expect to receive for the result of its careful deliberations. No one claims for the Synod infallibility, but wo ought to.aßsume that it acts in itsjndgment for the'welfare of the ohurch, andßicrcfore loyally to support the schemes ipiatiires. It has apparently been-assumcTinsomo quarter that the general church\fund has resources behind.which to do away with the necessity of personal aid from individuals. This is not the case, and the Synod, at i 1,3 special session in April, has made this plain . and evident ■ toi ; everyone.'.'.Consequently....;. eachpafisffiind ,'p'arpehial district haste defend eritirelyoh'its own resources for carrying ; on th'e workn)f the church, and may not look torthe present at least for auy extraneous assistance,'" fhk being' the case, it kconws a religious duty, for every one to consider if he is doing all he might reasonably mid- • justly do for the church to which he belongs both in his own particular "parish and beyond its boundaries.. It will, probably surprise many to learn that hero aa well as' elsewhere there are.to ,be found many who ' : -'' ilaimtobelongtoJhe'_jhurch of .England, ' whp avail themselves of her services and ministrations, but who, neither directly or ihdi'rectly'db anything whatever to support . : the church.,-. And in sayiiij; tin's Ido not ' refer only to the pojror parishioners aniougifc • n's," though'they might do 1 something more .than they do,-and benefit themselves by s6 doing'from the happiness that ever accrues ( from a knowledge of duty, fulfilled and fiom 1 self denial; I refer ali-i to tbo.ca« of those who are possessed of some means, and who . arViri a ppsition'tej'ender materiahssistanee to the oh'u'roh, and who do simply nothing whatever. I >msure vou' will agree with .. rnejfben 18ay ; thatthis is not right, aiidl will go furth'er'and say that' lam quito '" 'snro that, suchjugratitude to God far alljiis benefits, such vath hcl<liug'frbai ilia airvu-u'' - -'-' : V any return for thoso blessings, will innvltably bring its own punishriien!. God will mtbe mocked with.impnnitj',; and .to take nl! he

sends and give nothing in return as a think

offering forirj}er<?ieß.receivol sjiui'. ) of worldliness' and 'thankiessness that is 1 debasing to the mind of any ChrUtian mm I who has learnt what a noblo and holy future lies, as the gift qf Gqd, before every human being who rises to a recognition' aiid 'fujfilments of the dutjes-of life, the olevation of'charaotor''that'love'ami r self sacrifice produce, by an unerring law, even here, to be completed and perfected in the ages to come.- I cannot but think that many of the misfortune's" which-fall on m« ;who are straining every nerve to push their ] wayiii tlie"world''aridto'lmassmOiiey; 'are to be attributed to their wo'ldly and selfish principles. Thejr'bow i 'down to tlkir own riot and their own drag, they do not reoogniso the Lord'-'and - giver • of. all, they never devote any-portion of their substance to advanc&HlsKingdom, and God; I believe makes them feel their dopendanco j>n Him, and the onlfway in which their hearts 1 can bo touched is by reverses, of fortune. Notindeed that I-would be .understood to mm that the mere giving without any loveAiils to /elevate.7a.man's:character.. AWcan readily understand that the two mites, given.ia'love, Jar...e:tceededJhc mosh profuse gifts of the'rich without a second thought.; 'Every gift;mode to God.must be consebfated'by love or it is worthless in its effeots.onthe.mind and character of the •giver.':'Henoeit l is-no'exaggeration to say that he who gives two mites may give a greater yift than he who gives a10j0... It may be greater in proportion to his means, it is most undoubtedly greater in its effects i f it be given in love, and the larger gift bs j made.from any,'but worthy mo ive., The man's whole character is elevated, he has got into a higher state;of being by. his love and self denial. received conceptions of. duty slWt\ aDdeternal life towbioh blind, "and consequently Illume is imperceptibly be- ' coming happier and betfer/andhik thoughts are less centred'oh''the.transient' goods •f .earth,. and are directed' to' the permanent nature of every noble aspiration and-action/here, and. hereafter..,. _ ■The words of St (; ,?aul 'J Be not weary h'/f ,well doing" Beem'tp put'th'e finger on one of" ■ !( - .the great ilota inj.tpnr; life; as Christians, * infirmity ...is strong and hunvvi I are .not to "be ; momentj ond jt is one great mark of the I power of our human failings over the willing- 1 ness of the spirit, that wa cannot long continue the strain in any particular direction. ■k reaction seta in.'; the tpnsioq of the. nerves is relaxed; a lasgjtudg" sucqeeds tg former • energy.; Just it tod.bften thp will}. •;' Christian begin" wl and 2foi\j£ th,e novelty of the work carries us along -with a'full tide and breeze, bnt'ero long the ,|ide:tunrt; ( shejbjceze faNs,v;and ige-drit't £-* neTples'sly along ourselves' •'*■: % to ply the osH, or to bj our -J place against the, tide ronce more | turns in our.favor, y . A lmean tkjif'is rery, Ward thinpoH'riy-'of - aWfithevering ■' *.'] that devolve upon ub in an untiring routine, j and mneh raori js it tb ease with church j. ; I

work. Whofhny' scheme is started,'it'is taken up with energy and spirit, bnt not always as a duty owed to- God," not alwayß from a spirit of lovo and gratitude- to our Groat Benefactor,' and therefore when the first novelty wears off, the motive "power is coup and naturally the work flags. What wo want is to take a higher view of our obligations aa Christians, to do all our work from conscientious motives, to do it as to God Himself.; a willing service, a reasonable service as redeemed creatures whocannover forget all we owe to pur Creator, Bedermor, and Bonofactpr, and who delight to ai know ledge our obligations to him, Then and then oj'j wijl our apathy he lost and our perseverance in well-doipg established, whether in feponal inward religion or in external acts of love and faith. There can be no doubt about it, that this absence, of in welldoing, this perseverance ju& energy and life and spirit in our work lSfcbard leßson for us to barn, and if we rely on oursolves only we. shall fail. .We « need the help of a higher strength than our own to counteract human infirmity and to \wfulfil our duty, and that we shall only obij tain by constant and unceasing prayer. It is God who creates in us the will to do, and on our dsking, gives us the power to carry out our will into.aclion. That question of pereovoring'in'well-doing touches our \yhoje; Christian life, and should not be lightly paw' oyer by any of us; it is one thing, to . put o:r hand to the plough, it is quito anolLr to follow it steadily, never looking back, lut keeping the eye fixed on the goal at the end of our journey, and being content to go on and work without seeing tho result of our labor,-'and yet that steady perseverance is necessary If we hope to establish within us that character which shallbe meet to enter on a new existence and be capable of seeing God's'- perfection and beauty, ■ 'We cannot stand and, keep ourselves in a given condition any more than we can expcot our gardenV when once put in order and neatness to retain tlwt order unless we are constantly •grubbing up the weeds which aro for ever appeariug, and it would avail little to look over-tho wall and say how beautiful; that place once was when it is overgrown with the Weeds of neglect, and it avails little to say or think how active and ind' strious aud useful and good a man was, if he ftis allowed that good ,to becomo obliterated by subsequent neglect or evil. 1 Hence it is Baid that when the righteous man tu'rneth away, from his righteousness that he bath done and doeth evil, his good shall not be remeffl: bered, only his evil in which he doeth, .Cah . it be otherwise? Tham&n haj a good character, he had temper and disposition that would have made him fit to enter on a better state of existence, but when he destroyed that character by neglect or evil practices he had undone all he had gained. He was again in a lower sphere, and before he could regain his position, ho must under-' go tho probation and cleansing fires of Hades to eliminatethe evil contracted by • his later years Iheevilhadwipedouttbegoodnessand tho character, had deteriorated, Tbero was nothing but evil left. Equally so is it that, when the wicked man turnetb. away from his wickedness and doeth that, which is lawful and right, he shall save his sonl alive. His former wickedness is no to bo remembered because his righteousness has obliterated it, his mind and spirit are changed for the better, he has rjscn into a new state of being, his thoughts! are of .different things, his whole being isj, in Bhort, altered, and he is capable now ,nf appreciating the beauty of holiness to whioh his lorracr debased life was a stranger. We may, then, see how much our happiness depends upon oui perseverance in well doi«g. It bringi- its own reward, it it daily-forming it as the permanent character that will fctand the scrutiny of God, as the character *. that is capablo of understanding and appreciating, and loving beauty and holiness, and j therefore of,being happy, and if we could , bring ourselves to apply his rule of perse- >. i.'erance in well doing to oiir work in connection with external worship. I {bink wcsh'uld find that our personal religion was a more" substantial thing, and ■ that (luilyonr thoughts would recur to Him who is over all, as One to whom our hearts' lest tflectinns are'due, and our utmost services on earth, the reasonable expression of ourgiatitudeforcreatiVhandredemption, nr.d thee'xpectatioaof anew life free from sir. in the world to come. The. test and

pn.of- of oar internal .religion aro to bo fHWftaHiii[iiM>i^Mi r in oiir' actions, and wo may it teat if pur actions show a want of ;sy6tematio perseverance in welldoing tbtonrconceptionsof religion must be very f-mlty, and be. standing in need of careful examinalibn. As theparieh Meeting takes plane but once a year! do not think it would be a Tery great degree 'of self-denial if you wouli for one evening set aside your* work o. amusements, arid even at somo personal discomfort, Bhow that yon have the welfare of the parish at heart.-.and can sympathise with those who have Jo take a more active part.in it. And also to aid by . your counsel the successful carrying out of any reheme during the ensuing year,/ which ' roaycomiperid itself aB an instrument fonhe general g00d... ■ ' ■',.'',;