The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-03 00:00:00

THE DINNER AT THE VINE HOTEL.

In the afternoon a nwnerous.company of ladies
and gentlemen sat down to dinner in the Assembly
Room of the Vine Hotel, where an excellent meal
was provided by the worthy hostess, Mrs. Hazel-
dine. The table was laid out very prettily, the
viands were excellent in quality and quantity, and
the waiters were numerous and attentive. The
Rev. James Richards presided, and he was suppor-
ted on the one side by the Rev.R.W. Dale, of Bir-
mingham, and on the other by the Rev. Professor
Charlton, M.A. (principal of the Western College,
Plymouth), Mr. H. 13illinghara occupied the vice-
chair. After the cloth was removed,

The Rev. James Richards said it was customary
on such occasions as those to sing the first verse of
the National Anthem. The whole of the company
accordingly arose, and sang the first verse of "God
save the Queen."
The Rev. Chairman said in reference to what had
just been done, the Sultan of Zanzibar ex-
pressed his utter astonishment recently when he
was at some place where "God save the Queen"
was sung. The whole of those present arose at
one, and he could not understand how it was that
the British people had such a love for their sove-
reign. He had very great pleasure in meeting
those present under the circumstances which had
called them together that day. They had exceeded
themselves, and carried the proceedings through in
a style beyond anything he ever knew. He did not
know that they ever had anything like they had
that day. He most heartily congratulated them on
the success that had attended their efforts. He
could only reiterate his good wishes, and hoped
they would realise under their newly-ordained
minister all their hearts wished in their happiest
moments; and if the church would only help the
pastor they would realise that—(applause).
The Chairman then called upon Mr. Dale to ad-
daess those present.
The Rev. R. W. Dale said he liked generally
before he rose to speak to consider what he wished
to say, and he expected to have some opportunity
of considering what he wished to say whilst other
gentlemen were speaking. But there was one
thing which without any consideration every one
at that table would say they were there to exprets
their hearty;smpathy with the young minister who
had been appointed to the ministry of the gospel
in this town that day, and he knew that he required
all their sympathy to support him through this
time from the recollection of his own experience
of a similar time to that which Mr. Manning was
passing through then. He had not altogether for-
gotten the anxiety—the fear which passed through
his mind on the day of his ordination. He, too,
no doubt, was deeply agitated with the sense of the
gravity of the change which had now come to
pass. As they came to know the power and grace
that was in the Lord Jesus Christ they learned to
know that they had to throw upon him not only all
their sins and transgressions to carry, but their obli-
gations. And the promise that Christ had given to
them justified them in doing that. He would re-
mind his young friend that he could not expect too
much from the Master to whom he was servant, and
that however difficult the task the strength of Christ
was greater still. He was almost ready to envy in
some degree a minister who was just beginning his
work. Looking back 18 or 20 years, the general
look-out of the church was never so beautiful as it
was now. During the last three or four years the
whole atmosphere had been changing. It was a very
arctic atmosphere in which he commenced his MilliE.
try, and it was a very discouraging thing to enter the
ministry at that time. It was not merely in one dir-
ection that this change was taking plate, it was in
many directions, and the power of God's Spirit was
being abundantly manifested at the present moment.
They recognised that power in the vast number of
persons who by the mewls of evangelism were being
drawn away from the power of sin; and they recog-
nised that power in the evidence that a large number
of persons were being made better by those means,
and that the power and might of God was thus being
made manifest. Whatever might be their opinions,
he thought it was impossible for any one who had
had any knowledge of what had been done in the
same direction a century ago, not to recognise that
the same influence by which such great results were
achieved in days gone by was at work now. Some
' might try to underrate the value of that work, and
describe it as the spasmodic efforts of sensationalism.
The same was said about the Work of George Whit-
field. It only pointed to the fact that history was
repeating itself in this particular. When he was at
college reading Carlyle's history of tha French revo-
lution, and he was deeply impressed by it, and won-
dered what those times must have been like when
the whole of Europe was shaken by political convul-
sions. It was only two or three years after, when
Louis Phillippe had to flee for his life, France was
again thrown into the vortex of a revolution, and the
t' Imes of Europe were again shaken. And within
the last half-year a similar change had taken place in
the religious world to that which occurred a century
ago. This was the time to commend the church to
the minister whom they had that day ordained to the
ministry. He hardly knew what else to say to them,
because he had to talk to the people again that after-
noon, and he did not wish to make them a spectacle
to angels and men by compelling them to listen to
the same remarks twice over—(laughter). Let him,
however, say this, he hoped that those who had
called Mr. Manning to the Ministry would stand
by him. One man could do a great deal. He had
a great opinion of the power of one man but if he
was not backed up his influence was likely to be
diminished; and although he is set apart to do the
work of God every one in the church had more or
less the same work to do.—(applause). There
were a great many ehristian people who seemed
to be suffering from a kind of spiritual paralysis
which betrayed itself at once as soon as they were
called to active service. They presented an ad-
mirable appearance so long as they were called
upon to do nothing; but as soon as they were
called upon to work they were found out. Like
the man of whom the groom spoke when he said
"he looks well on a horse, but as soon as the be-
gins to move he tumbles off."—(laughter). This
was the ease with a good many; as soon as the
church began to move they fell out of the ranks.
Let them take up once more the work of Jesus
Christ, and resolve that it shall be the beginning
of a new life altogether. Let them cast away all
lukewarmness, and follow Christ with new courage