The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-09-05 00:00:00

TENTH ANNIVERBARY OF ST. PETEffB CHURCH.

The serviced of St. Peter's Church on Sunday last
were of apeciol interest to those members of the con-
gregation who remembered that exsotly ten years had
dittoed since the opening if the church. This bawds
ful little church was consecrated by the Lord Bishop
of the Diocese on the 27th August, 1872, in the presence
of a large couTegati is, among whom were many of
the neighbouring clergy. Tile day happening this
year to fall on a Sunday, it was mob ed to celebrate
It by sermons specially suited to the occasion. There
was • very large congregation present at the morning
service, among whom was Lord Wolverton, who bad
come ashore from his yacht, accompanied by Mr.
Herbert Gladstone, M(°., and several lady friends.
The officers of his Lordship's yacht were atho present.
There are probably few congregations more subject to
change than that of St. Peter's, especially in the
morning, when the officers and troops of the garrison
attend, and a fresh regiment (the let West Surrey)
having arrived on the previous Friday, • c•insiderabl,
number of persons had collected to •ess them march
down to attend the morning service.
The sermon la the mantis g was preached by the Rev.
H. C. Shelton, usiatact choploin, Portland Prison.
The text was taken from St. Lute xA, IS. "Unto whom.
curer much is given, of him shall be much required."
The preacher, after briefly noticing the fact of the
anniversary, sail he knew not what might be the thoughts
seri. o loch ruo,t of them regarded this circumsmore. but
to bins there was one, %bore •Il others, which presented
hull—and that so strongly that he felt constrained to
press it 114 dusty as he could upon their consciences—the
Boomed, of the responsibility which the existence of that
church entailed upon them all. He need not tell them
that, t iroughout the whole of Slripture, the fact that we
are responsible in cunt proportion to the privilisue we
enjoy, is clearly taneht. Instances of it might be givers In
abundance The case of the Jews of old, the
_parable of
the ten talent', our Lord's denunciatioo of Coperumn
and Bethsoida, and the Imams. from which the text was
taken, all taught the same thing. The principle, indeed,
was one of common justice. Its correctness, therefore
needed not to be proved. But what wee needed was that
we should keep it continually in our minds. One of the
deepest thinkers that ever lived was once asked what was
the greatest thought that ever entered his conception,
and he replied that it was man's responsibilty to God.
Let them then give it plus in their thoughts to-day. It
was • time for doing .0. And to assist them in it, be
would remind them, in the first plea', of their peculiar
privileged as to personal religion. Whether they compared
themselves with the hoadoso in distant bands, or with the
Jews under the Old Ts-Woad dispensation, or with
other Christian nations, or even with many other parishes
In their own country, bow great were their advantages.
He ventured to say time they scarcely find any other
parish where the means of grace era more abundantly
provided, or brought more nearly to their doors ; certainly
no other where they would cost them less. They hat •
church which was all that • house of God should be, a
service helpful to their devotions, and they had also • pore
ministt y, where the Go. psl was preached., well u man's
poor effort, could set forth the unspeakable mercies of
God. They knew all this. But what was the inference?
Surely that all belonging to that place ought to he amongst
the very but ant foremost of God', people. They ought
to be lovers of Christ, doing His will, obeying His
precepts, following His example, and living only for Riol.
Were they then doing so Had they, in anything like
due manure, made proper improvement of their Friel..
loges! He must tell them again it was by these they
would be judged, and he feared that, on the principle of
the text, there IVY not one who could say he ought not to
be rejected at lut as • slothful and unprofitable 'errant.
The preacher then spoke of the duration al their privi-
leges, and gave • summary of the services ano means of
grace which had been provided in goinneeeten with that
church during the last ten years. Some et them might
say they had not attended all these service., but he
supposed they might have done so if they wished—at
haat th• greater number of them. And they should
remember that their responsibility was not only for what
they had received, but for what they might have received.
He sometimes thought what would the people of that
pleas say if they had no church, no service at all. They
would say as an excuse for their sins, if only they had •
church they would be very diluent. They would even
oomplaimand think themselves very much neglected, and
say "What can you expect of us r Wel', now hero they
had ao thou service., and yet where was the diffusor*
A great number never cams to them at all, and were just
In the aune state as before, only with lees excuse; and, se
to thou who did come. he hoped they did derive some
benefit, but who amongst them could say that be had
profited all he might by thus / Their oonscieneas, be
knew, would reprove them. And God was greater than
their conscience He asked them, therefore, had they sot
all good reason to fear that they would be condemned
In the great day of account I There was another joist he
must mention—it was their opportunities, since first that
church was opened, net WV of getting good, but also of
doing good. In ministering to the wawa if ethers, In
attending their gamines, and above all in Promotion
their salvation, what were this, all doing I Some people :
seemed to think that these were things which only
ministers need do Rot how could any man be • Christian.
' how could he be like Christ, if be did not do what he
Imould I Well, then, with all the advent ogee they had, what
time, whist effort, did they devote to the welfare of others)
. How much did they subscribe to the various alteneliS for
good, which from time to time were brought before
their notice! How much to the maintanuce of that
church? How often did they try to bring others to it?
or to carry to thus who =id not emu the blessings and
comforts of religion I and lastly for it warn the least
thing they could do how often did they prey for others
• oit, they had reason, all of them, to hide their heads
for shame If much was required of those to whom
. much was given, how many wilts far fewer previliged than
themselves would rise up in the judgment and con-
demn thaw The preacher concluded by pointing out
the application of the text to individuals. and Sten
appealed to everyone amongst them to humble himself
before G id. Let them fall at His feet now, that they
might not fall Into His kande Let them also seek forgivs
MBolths g Is God's sosigiatsti war. ibirowsk the Mood