Opening of the New Wesleyan Cburch.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 559, 20 January 1891, Page 2

Opening of the New Wesleyan Cburch.

THE SERVICES ON SUNDAY. The new chnrch building which haa been erected at Gisborne through the untiring exertions of the Rev. J. Ward was opened on Sonday morning, when the first service was conducted in the buildina, by tbe residing pastor. Tbe Rev. J. Ward was himself at the door to accord a heariy welcome to all who attended, and in turn ha himself was warmly congratulated on th. success of his rff .rte, ihe opened free fromihc i.uubus of interest-paying lime having arrive ! when thectiuich ouuid be debt. The building was crowded by the large number of worsnippers who attended. There was a full choral service; Mr G. Senile presided at tbe organ, and among the instrumentalists were two F.jien boys (H. Hird and Eli Jenninga) who handled their violins very crediiably. Indeed one of tbe most pleasant feaiu.es to the eye ot an observer is tbe way the pastor succeeds in getting tbe young people to take an active interest in the work of the Church. THE MORNING SERVICE began with the singing of •• Praiae God, from whom all blessings flow." The rev. gentleman took his text from the Book of Exodus, 20th, part of the 24th verse—- “ In all places where I record My name I «ill come unto thee aud I will bless thee.” Assembled as they had done that day to worship God for the first time in tbat hui'ding that promise met them with peculiar appropriateness. There they needed to ereci nt.aitur, nor to offer up sacrifice to the Lamb of God—in that house His name would be recorded. His praises sung, His b essings implored, and as they met there for the first time they had the promise that He wou d come into ii and bless them. There was no doubt that the words “ where I record My name ” referred to places where the people assembled for worship. Their prayer w M th*t that building might be one where true and sincere Christians would worship Him. The rev. geutleman went on to dwell on the deeirabi iiy of public worship—though G..d loved to receive private worship, He loved atlU more to receive their pub ic worship, lu the worries of buaiuess men were apt to be forgetful of their religious duties, and by public worship God wu brought before their minds. Years ago it was remarked of the cabmen of London, that those who only worked the six days tn the week were a belter class of men than those who also worked on Sundays, and the reaaon assigned was tnat the former acted through religious convictions, that they spent tho seventh day in religious worship, and that the time devoted to higher thoughts had tbe effect of ennobling them in their appearance A plant that was watered in the evening showed the benefit of such attention, and the man who qn tbe Lord's Day gave himself up to purer and nobler thoughts would be blessed by a purer and nobler life than one who neglected to do so Public worship encouraged the religious element in our nature, which was the strongest part of our being, and without which «e would be like tbe beuta of tbe field There were, he knew, soma good men never aeon in a ohurcu 1 Ben Jonson told of one man wh-se reverence for the House of God always made him lift hie hat when he passed a church, but yet he seldom entered one. For twenty years Mr Potheringbum. a Unitarian minister, wrote and spoke advlaii.g people that the proper way to worship God was to go out into the flo'da, or roam Over the hlds. among the bean'lae of Nature, and there lift MP their minds to thvir Maker, bm a few years ago a change hud o‘>me over that gentleman's <-pinions, and he stated that after hia twenty yearn of observation he was compelled to aoknow. ledge that moat of those who would not worship God publicly oaaaad to worship Him privately—that in tbe majority of nates in which there is no public wor-hip there is practically no God. Was it right that J-sus should always have to coma to tbem in tbelr private house, and they not go to him io his, He left it to their judgment and love. There was no virtue, said the speaker, in the man who would build himself a cosily bouse and build f ir God a burn—everything they gave to God should be ths best they could; whan ths woman anointed Jesus she used the best she had. He should have their best songs, best thoughts, and the best buildings they could afford. Miners had truly worshipped Him wbile they were in the bowels ot tbe earth, sailors while Ibeir ship was far out on the ocean, slaves while they were in their huts, many and m an y a person io New Zealand had worshipped Him in a raupo where. Go where they would they could still worship Him, and if they did ao in sincerity that wo. ship Would be as truly Headed aa it in a building perfumed with incense. The pirates of Greece and Spain were notorious toe tbe regularity with which they said iheir morning prayers and afterwards mercilessly murdered their captives. But there wee no sinesrity in their worehip. They must have ainwrity, and they wanted worship without liallMoness. Tbe newspapers bad lately recorded bow a cold storm bad swept over tbe Bieck Bea. On one vessel the orew, though appearing as if alive, were dead; tbe man at tbe wheel and others stood lifelike gt their posts blit wgre fr. Zin to death. It aometiuws seemed that • co d storm bad entered the Cburch and tbat many who appeared to be living were really dead io their worship. God did not want such listleasneas; be wanted living, sinoera worship. Ha would refuse no one an interview if they were sincere and bonoat in tbelr worship. Bomsiimes men met mtn to con* demo them, but God met them to bless them, and when they met in sincerity a»d truth H« would bless tbem, Wbat they wanted snore than costly buildings was the presence of th* Lord. The speaker concluded with an axborta'loii to all to try and mount higher on ths path to betaeu,

AtCKRNOON SBBVItWS. In the afternoon a special service for children was conducted by Mr DeLautour. There was a large aiteodauce ot chi dreo, and many parents aud other friends alto attended. Mr DeLautour took '• New Things " for his theme, dealing witb it in a manner that was very interesting and Impressive to adults, while the speaker endeavored not to deviate from tbat simplicity of expreeaion and illustration that would engage the attention cf the young. The hymns chosen for tbq occasion were all fovorlte syiecUtms, ‘ EVENING BRnVWg. A musical service began in tbe Church at half past 6 in the evening, and by ten minutes to 7 the building was already well fined. But still the throng streamed io, and the officials had their work cut out to try and ensure that everyone should be comfortably seated. Seats were placed along the passage way, amt space economised in every way possible, but it wge gtill foifhd^mpossible to accommodate some who came late. The orchestra comprises: Mr <j. Searle, organist; Messrs Spurdie and Chrisp, cornets; Mr Hall, clarionette; Messrs Veele, O. Saodlaot, Ormond, E. Goldsmith, Wilkinson, and Masters Hird, Jennings, and Watson, Violins. Mr Ford, the organist, is absent from the district for a short per|p4. Mr Word’s discourse was taken fr>m Ezra, Oth, lOcb verse—"Au4 the children of Israel, the priests, aud the Levites, and tbe rest of the children of the captivity kept the dedication ot this House of God with joy." Happily then uireumstances did act in every respect re ■ sembie those trials in tbe building of tbe second temple of Jerusalem, but they had the honor of building a house for God; a second house. The little building at the back of the new one bad been tbe gate of Heaven to many, and there clu«fqre4 round the site upon which tbe cburch stood many billowed memories. There was no sorrow in tbelr heart, no cloud In their mind, the sun shone brightly, and in that sunabine they rejoiced, Worship should ba joyful 1 it wai no sopuiuhral this" — it was a thing of beauty, and would be joy for ever. The trqe Christian had sorrows, but they were not unsweetened ; the showers were but April showers ushering in au eternal summer. He loved that version of the hundredth psalm Which used tfie wprd ■'mirth” instead of “fear." Referring more particularly so tn« new church the rev. gentleman said it had seamed at times that tne effort would nnt be , crowned with suecuat and it bed been longer «

than waa anticipated, but owing to the generosi'y of friends they had now a larger building than was at Hist proposed; the ridge of the hill had been reached, there was sunshine round about, and they rejoiced in it. In alluding to those who sometimes began works which they were not able to complete, the rev. gentleman referred to the dta bof Mr Wi i<», who had died without having completed th*- history to which he had devoted himself. That gentleman bad also taken great i» tereat in that church work and had asked tbs* papers shcu.d be sent to him letting him know how ihe work was proceeding. The building had been erected by the help of numbers of various denominations, and they bad even been us-isied by some wbo belonged to no church at all. That budding was erected specially for the worship of God. It was true that it was a Wesleyan Chuich, and that members of the Church elsewhere would be phased at the success—it wss, they knew, erected f r ihe glory of God. The religious life of a nslion was its strongest life, and by the split in ihs Hume Rule movement to-day it was shown that while recognising wbility of th>* leader there were many who recognised ih- oau»e to be too sacred and 100 rigblecfis to be idea w»ib one whj bad Men guilty of One of lh« grossest crimes against Gh d. Lrd had sai l that every new church wub a new f ice for the re* generation of the w> rld. He hoped that the ruths ir.cu oated in that building would have great in hue ce for good. It had been Baid that thin chunk bunding would be a Methodist monummi ; but ths only monu« XDenv that lietbouirm de sited would be the Bou>* saved ttnougb it—it q >uid not be in mere wood awl paint and nails. The only thing that shade t his uiiud was that there might be some who bad helped in the building who might not be blessed by it, as there *ere some wftu bad helped to bul d the Ark, but had not been saved in it. He besuugnt them not to anew it to be so. The speaker concluded with a fervent appeal to all, and later ou a warm iuvi'atiuu was extended to uL who were nut iu rhe habit of attendiug any place of worship to juiu in the •erv uce lu that church. The choral and lustra meatal portion of the Services was ve y p'e«siug, aad the hyruus feSlecteu were all appropriate to the occasion, suitable to the popw ar taste, and well snug. Ihe cffeiiiica for the day amounted to £lO. The Bishop of Waiapu lee lures in the church this eveuiug.