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| WBSIEYAN ANNIVERSARY SERVICES.
Anniversary Services in connection with the
Wesleyan Church, Wallaroo, were heid on Sun
day last, April 18, when the Bev. J. B. Stephen
eon preached in the morning, and the Bev. D.
O'Donnell in the afternoon and evening. The
Presbyterian and Welsh churches were closed
during the lattter part of the day, and the atten
dance at the Wesleyan Church was, in conse
quence, very large. On Monday, the usual tea
meeting took , place, the trays being supplied by
Megdames Daviea, Pengelley, PhillipB, Willshire,
and: the bachelors, and a considerable number of
persons partook of the good things provided on
the occasion. In the evening a Public meeting
was held, Gapt, Anthony in the chair, and. after
a hymn had been Bung by the congregation, the
Rev. W. Davidson engaged in prayer, and the
Bev. W. Haslam haying apologised for the
absence of the Bev. John Lloyd, who had to
attend a meeting in Adelaide.
The Chairman called on the Secretary, (Mr
Bath), to read the annual report.
Mr Bath said that it would afford him more
pleasure to do so, than it did on the previous
anniversary meeting, when it was iound they
were not only unable to pay interest on the bor
rowed money, but were actually, £20 short of the
amount, and in consequence, an appeal was made
to the ladies for help in the matter, to which
they had "heartily responded. The debt on the
church seven years ago, amounted to £1040, and
the present one to £480, which was £80, less
than last year. The income for the year was
£141, of which £114 had been raised at the
Bazaar held in January last, and the proceeds of
the services came to £37, leaving a balance on the
credit side of the Riwjunt of £13. Mr Bath said
he considered the financial position of the church
at the present time a matter for congratula
tion.
The Bev. W. Davidson was delighted to listen
to the reading of so favorable a report, and
trusted a similar satisfactory state of affairs would
continue until the debt was liquidated. He
would noi trouble them with a lengthy address
but would nidke a few remarks on the subject of
that fire which was never allowed to go out; in
the first instance in the Tabernacle, and
afterwardB in the Temple. After the Tabernacle
was erected, the sacrifice was laid on it, and fire
descended to convert it into flame and draw it up
to heaven. No other lire waa to be employed for
consuming it, and it waB neceesary it should
always be kept burning, whila had anyone but
a priest approached it, he would have lost his
life. These things had a Spiritual significance.
The fire represented genuine piely in the heart,
and devotion to God's service, but we must sup
ply it with fuel by taking His word to our hearts,
for if the Bible or prayer were neglected ,it might
go out altogether, He kindles it and we must
keep it alive. Under the old dispensation only
priests could keep the sacred fire burning bat the
idea that such a thing applied to the present time
was utterly erroneous. Bitualism was doing harm
by endeavouring to eetablish the notion that the
priest was able to pardon sin. It was true that
formerly none but priests dare minister at G-od's
altar but, under the new dispensation, every man
was a priest. Every man conld keep the fire
alive in his own breast, and he would ask, had
all those present done this ? but whoever could
conscientiously assert that such was the case,
must take care that the fire was not quenched.
A mere semblance of religion was by no
meanB uncommon and those who loved
the world, indulged in immoral thoughts or
language, in sectarianism, bigotry, and other
objectionable practices, might be sure they had
not the true fire in their hearts, however much
they might delude themselves by believing to the
contrary,
The Bev. D. O'Donnell, congratulatod the
members of the church on the favorable report of
their financial condition which had been fur
nished by the secretary. Still he confessed he
liked difficulties and calamities to talk about
when he wanted a collection to be made, but the
prosperous state of affairs alluded to, had taken
the wind out of his sails. He thought, however,
that the Wesleyan Church; at Wallaroo, while
crowing over their neighbours, had a very dirtv
face ; the stained ceilings and unclean walls were
not creditable, audhe no more liked dirty churches
than be liked dirty people. As a matter for
their consideration as to how far it applied to
themselves he might say that he uuderstood a
minister belonging to another Church had offered
his resignation and, on it being asked, with some
alarm what the reason was for such a proceeding,
stated that he had three reasons for it, the first
being that his congregation did not lovs him;
the second, that they did not love one an
other. and the third that the Lord did not.
love any of them very particularly
In the first place he did not think they loved him
because, when the deacons brought him money,
they said they had had great difficulty in getting
it. In the second, it was evident that they did
not love one another from th# fact that he had
been four years with them, and no wedding had
taken place, and thirdly, the Lord did not love !
them because there had been no funeral. They
should pay their Minister well and cheerfully,'
while as to the weddings he believed a goodly
number had taken place and others were casting j
their shadows before them. One thing he espec
ially admired in the people of Wallaroo, they i
closed .their churches when one denomination
required help, and their parsons put in an appear- j
ance for the same object. He was a Methodist, but
he by no means considered that his church con
tained the only people of God, and that all others
were heathens. He believed in unity of purpose
but diversity of operation. He knew he had
horrified the uncoguuL by appearing in the
pulpit in light colored clothes during the
prevalence of hot weather, but he considered
he had not only a soul to be saved, but a
body to be cared for. He thanked God for giv
ing biui the power to appreciate the beautiful
He liked to see a pretty girl, and he could not
understand a man looking at the sea in the fine
harbour of Wallaroo, and then gazing at the
stars and saying " there is no God." The more
we admire the works of His bands, the nearer are
we drawn to him. When on a visit to Sydney,
he repeatedly saw the glorious bay, for which it
was celebrated, and when he looked over the
calm waters, studded with beautiful islands, and
saw the foliage of the trees and shrubs, with
which th^y were covered, mirrored in its depths,
with the grand Blue Mountain's towering in the
distance, he said to himself, it is my Father who
made everything, and he who made this, made
me, and will prepare a brighter place for me
even than this, when earth and sea have passed
away. In this lovely scene there was infinite
variety, and similar diversity is found in the in
tellectual, moral, and political world. If every
one bad the same shibboleth the monotony would
be wearisome in the extreme. God did not make
the world a great level plain, and it was notice
able that when the time for rain comes, ereiy
hills attracts its own clouds, but, if all had been
formed of one uniform height, many would pass
unbroken. So it was in Christianity, and with
respect to the little Methodist hill, although it
had no Apostolic succession to boast of, yet,
under Lord's mercy, some clouds floated low
enough to touch it. The Presbyterian Church,
which boasted of such men as Guthrie and Chal
mers, towered higher, while above all stood the
grand Episcopal Church of England, end brought
down the benediction of God's favor. He did
not, howeyer, wish the lmeB of demarcation to be
so strongly drawn that he could not shake hands
with his brothers, so that they could wish each
other God speed in God's work. The 'success of
a church depended on the consecrated labour of
its individual members, but he had known some
who would take no active part in its affairs, be
cause they were not on good terms with other
members, although by not doing so they inflicted
injury on it, and it must not be forgotte.n that
every man who holds back, injures himself Their
conduct reminded him of the story of two Irish
men who lived by themselves in the same house,
and found that some one stole their meat, and
one night, bearing a noise, Pat said Mick bad
better get up and see what it was, while Mick
.thought that Fat had better do so, eventually
Fat in his nightshirt, ran after the thief,
which proyed to be a hnge dog, and,
catching him by the ears, held him for so long a
time, although the weather was frosty and ex
cessively cold, that Fat, who did not know what
had taken place, and alarmed at his friend's -
absence, went after him and finding him as des
cribed, enquired what he was doing, to which
Mick replied ■' Whisht now, sure I am ehtarving
the brute," it never occurring to him that he was .
starring himself, and it web the like with those
who thought they were doing the same by the
Churches, by not taking an active part in its
duties, not in Wallaroo, of course, but in other
places; The Rev. gentleman then concluded his
address by giving some excessively humorous illus
rations of the passage in Scriptur ewhich says it is
more blessed to'give than to receive.
The Bev. W. Haslam proposed a comprehen
sive vote'of thanks to the ladies who had assisted
in collecting, as well as at the Bazaar, and at the
tea that afternoon, and also to the Revs. J. B.
Stephenson and D. O'Donnell who had conducted
the services on Sunday, as well as the Bev. W.
Davidson who was present that evening; to the
choir, under the able superintendence of Mr.
Davies, and to Miss Thorn who had presided at
the harmonim. To the Chairman a moat cordial
vote of thanks must be accorded.
Mr Bath seconded, and the motion was carried
with much applause.
The Doxology was then sung and the proceed
ings closed with the Bev. W. Haslam pronounc
ing the benediction.
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