EARLY CLOSING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3467, 24 March 1890, Page 2

EARLY CLOSING.

ADDRESS BY THE REV. D. • FULTON.

At the local Presbyterian Church , last evening tho Bey. D. Fulton delivered a very able and interesting address- .'' with : reference;. to a the "Early Closing" movement, being the second of a series of addresses to ho given by the ministers of the town on the subject. 1 The congregation was large, thero beiug a number of visitors present,-The text was taken from Phillipians 2-4 j—" Look not overy man on his own thiiigj, but ever; man also on the ,things of others." Iu these apostoiio words, said the; Rev gentleman, a very glorious principle waß unfolded, In them was sounded lhe ; deat)i knell oi human ; selfisbness. Looking- back over the history cf tho past, it seemed as if men .were dealing with a theoretical ordoctrinal, l ratherihau apractical religion,. But it was pleasing to. observe that men now-a-dayj, were doing away with theory and. doctrine and iutroduci og a practical chi istiauity. Thousands in the world wero groaning beneath the existing oppression in labor, and practical religion alone could assist them. There were elements and principles contained in the Word of God which, if unfolded would bring about a state of things which had never before been realised —a truo * in Christ. When lie principles'set down in the text wero recognised, selfishness withefecj' i and/ died,;;/; The I'.great question in tho life of 'mail should not bp,;" What can { do or be 9" but should' be"'! What can'"l do' for others . He thought the expression of a well-known novelist was not far wrong when he Said, "-Thc'last state of man is worse than the fjratj" The religion of Clirist was an ideal religion,,and if -its prjnciples. jyero instillediiifc' 'the selfishness would depart. Fortunately the principle had been iu operation ii\ tho past and its influence had been'widely''felt,". Slavery had been:abolished, gjijl inpy othor. evils, had, through its" been suppressed,- 'When -men, animated with the principles contained iu the text, looked! : ai , opn'd:.,ithepr, they sought only to ameliorate the suffering wjiich fisted/'' 'dijistiiiiityll he maintaine.d, had not qe,en inoperative. Through it'hffJ.be,qn.established;, tjip hopsfqr the poor. the aged, and tho helpless. In iti.ahijold' ways bad unselfiahne.33 in the past, worked wondsW >Hp r tlie'(iwerH i 3"to what was'being done nt tho present time, Revolutions were at work in Christian

land ha! ™jodfe ■a mottjde|rabffl, effect,' af| ®y could apj)bsg thMpeoplei coujdjnot resiatWe spirit he peoplo should\niake tlielf claim, and :if they were not given their rights'they should wrest them fronr tho higher powers. He telleTef ISat-tfTfldß ♦riuiomsra'*uJ Sweating (joramisaidns were inspired of God, He then dealt at considerable Association iu Masterton, of which he was an honorary member, He would lito to 800 the rules so amended that the lioure ol shopping would bo regulated to 6 p.m. every day in the week, including Saturdays, and than no half holiday would be required. A great wrong waß being inflicted on employees by- compelling them to work late on Saturday nights, and p ba'|) day <jf' ; rcat. |o|on|derid|t|efel?iniß e of too Early Closing' Associatioh were very modest, and they should bo supported by the public. After making further references to the , spirit r which should ' clilirfliterißo'eTdry all to so regnlate their affairs that they would not he bringing unrest and long weary bom's into thoßystem of labor, and/tips effect a needful improvement I ra , ora\ijf, p!lisi&llj , j

Tho address of the rov. gentleman toj listened to with much interest throughout, and will diubtlesa do much to bring abouUho end desired liyithftiarlylclosjng mx/venlen t./3' j i