The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1873-10-28 00:00:00

DORin 00NORROATIONAL k9BOOIATION.

The Nunn meeting of the Dorset Aseceietien of I
°segregations' thatches took plan on Wedesseity last,
at Molds. Newton. In the morning the busker
meeting was held, when there was a good attendees"e
of delegates from the variena shards a in the county.
During the past year the Association has expended
from its funds about £345, and has bees instrumnan
to developing other agetedee. So seneraging is the
audition of the desation that new work has been
projected for the ensuing year, %bleb it is oonedently
teps,,,se will receive It. heerty support of the Coe-
(rogation! body thronghout the county. A dlneeir was
provided by Mrs. Peckham, at the White Horse Inn,
and the Rev. R. G. MIMI, pruner of lb. chapel, presided.
Is eking "The Queen,: ti's Chairman expatiated on
the loyalty of Norientermists. The Rev, T. Nene
gave the sentiment "The Dorn; Con4rest‘theal Asso-
ciation," deleted with the name of the secretary (Bee.
B. Dray, of Itlendforel). In It.. afternoon bulking was
resumed, and at five o'clock there was • lugs gather-
ing for tea In the club room at tho inn. It was • very
happy social gatherieg, and the Rev. It Cl. 111.11, Mr.
Weitty, erel the local friends are to be coogratalated
on the resole
Tbe evening meeting waa held In the Coogregatlonal
chapel, a comfortable Anders with its interior
newly renovated, and on this occasion In festal gnat.
tore. At the upper end of the chapi I sac the text
"Locking unto Jens," in rod lettere OD • white ground,
Inviter a b.,rdering of Sr 'preys freely treated ; on the
side walls wore Peace ho within Thy 'nee" and
"They shall prosper that love Thee e• and in front
of the pulpit the aspiratioa " Veal+. the Lerd,"
having its leafy border studded with rues. There was
• full attendee,* of tete tater§ rad frie Leis from a dietaries.,
all well as of the local Oongregationaliate Amongst
them were—Mr. G. B. Bases, Me Monteith, of Bed-
out ; Mr. HOW and
_peaty, of Beareineter ; and fins
Dorchester Mr. wed Mrs. ilanash. Mr. Fenner, Mee.
Last, Mr. and Mrs. Hill, and others. After singing •
hymn Usenet. W. W. Sberren, of Portland, prayed.
The ebetratan (Mr. Nom), then ascecded the pulpit
and addressed the meeting.
The Rev. T. Mute% of Dorchester, said My deer
brethren sod Christian frlenl.,—Tbereii • wide spread
feather throughout the church at large of the need of
some higher life thin she at pro sent powareees. It Is
alike striking and gratifying to observe that the questions
which seem most urgently to be discussed in% the great
religions gatherings • f our countrymen, no matter to
what notion of the visible shards they may belong,
are goodie's§ whiob affect the practical 'reeking of the
oilmen amid the appalling welds of eniety. Then is •
• growing disposition among all °bristlen bodies to ,
avoid all questions which hoverer important in them-
selves are yet felt to have but a remote bearing on the
real neemeitks of the see, which, menoerr. grow ',lib
ever Wertheim; rapidity, until It • oberth begins to
slogger under the seam of bee awful reisponsibilities and
her sountog helplessness to scoomplish the seeded
work. The *husk in all her meths' has at tut
awskend to the net oeneeptioe that if the is to stem
the growing Ude at lefinlity and godlessness In all its
forms, which is daily anatoulsting in this se in other
leads, end If she is not to be swept aside by its rapid
darnels, she mast ponese ben& of some grander I
fore% be 'aspired by some higher power, than is hers
menthes. The thatch is ready for • revival of
Tingles and zany weed men are anxiously waiting
for such • blessing; the nevieties, lIMWOOVIaf L 1
stnagthealog daily that if the north is to ben service I
In the world it am ally be so by some fresh baptism of
the Holy Ghost. This Iselin has takso posesesies of •
oar own therein At oven froveleti=risig of our
Congregating' Union Increased pr— is being
gives la its 'tollbooth's:ls to the is jest of a nand MIS:
In all our churches; notably has this being on in some
el our past May gatherings, and especial, Is OUT
Annabel menthiles. Nor bee the Waren in the
question bees km in the menlage width have
It thee oeseinded at Ipensh than on say
other enealee, and to those of 11111 who have
seined the basset of Windbag those ft:
legs. I think we on. trolly testify be the
• leg ef religiose esavietion Red earnestness is oar owe
seals in seessqeseee. Only as this seam of seed
the only sea *rine sanest prayer is
liiseZtern likely le poems that pent which
make be, "fennel In the doing of God's work la the
world. There is besides • sonfident szpe.taiion is the
past of Ged•• penis that He will speedily Tint es with
His blemisag ; that the bapertnanis prayers width
have ben oilseed will be saswered la the erasion oat
-
pouring of the Holy Spirit upon U. May our own
anteleas Is this smutty, our pester', our aloe bonen
and our members, receive new tapeless dem God, and
may • time of true spiritual revival be granted to us.
' With • view thanker, to stimulate your hearts la
this aildatheitent matter, I propose to speak briefly on
the power which the shank needs, with:nem:en to the
• promise of our Clod, •• Ye shall receive power after
that the Holy Ghost I. some upon you." In speaking
of the power which the chuck need; let me in the
eaten say that it is not Intellectual. TLare is no Ink
, of such power in the Ohara. Never probably was then
mom real intellectual rower in the church of God than
now. There is but little ground for the oterepeated
ory that the pulpit has lost its anoint intellectual
, peewees and attractiveness for mea. late:Arouse brave,
so sultered, as powerful, are in the cherish now se
I have ever been in her. The infidelity and scepticism of
, the age, keen, subtle, powerful, destructive In ha spirit
' as it is, has not been suffered to go unthallenged by the
faithful and the believing • but with intellects as power-
ful, as imitated, and as keen has that thfidebty been
mot, and in tl.• judgment of unrrijudlen thinkers,
• fairly and nosseatelly auswered. Let it not be sop-
posed. thertfore, that we are indifferent to intellect ;
, the church needs It; tee elalliest. Inquiring, yearning
thought of the age demands It: and Gott has not withheld
It. But this is cot the urgent need of the church, There are
thourands of cur fellow-men who imperfectly ignorant
I of the objections which are being urged against the
revealed tante who are therefore innocent of all
doubts on the question, but who are yet troubled and
I agitated by the Stnall of sin, the dreaded thought of an
. hereafter, and who are longing Ire some wenches' basis
, of repose. For snob the church has • mission. And
• only as she has the requisite Steen shell she be able to
' supply this want. Nor is her need • material ore.
She needs not wealth as her special end. The church
, is not poor, neither really nor nominally. lihe num.
ben amerce her profaned adherents the weeltbiest of
the land. She le therefore rich. But it needs that the
I hearts of her member§ should be open to give their
' wealth more freely—to by it down with wink% hearts
I at the feet of the Saviour to be devoted to, Ma OSUMI.
The Snort-gates of the "batch's 1 berallty need to be
wider, and this is one grand result which may be ex-
pected from • time of revival—that the chanties of the
'hark, her spirit of giving, of devoting her inbatane
to lb. Lord, shall be enlarged and liberalised. But it
is not WOAD Mg IDOIII than intellect that the church is
specially n qairing. Nor is her need that of orgeolea.
I Lon or machinery, of •tilob probably Olen is quite
saingh in the church, if, indeed, there be not too
mush, The teedenenn of nonsive organhation
Is to damp and shag thit life, to proved • free
and beelthfal drouLtion of her forces, and to
' reduced her action to a mere dead m*0640041 routine.
' What then is the power that the seeds! In one word,
Is spiritual. A complete reviving of all her own
1 spiritual lit.; a quickening of all her energies; she
nods to be baptised La all her energies and efforts f
God, with the spirit and power of Christ's own life.
1 She needs to become In reality what she is in Kisme—
t the representative of Christ on the earth—the embed!-
' meat of His living regenerating energy—of His world-
, wide megalith's love and purity; not until the church
' rises to this sublime height of parity and devotion shall
I she be influential in the world. I.—Bbe needs the power
' of spiritual 000rietion. Wbatever it may be with the
1 wend, it will Dot do foe tle church to bele any manner
I of doubt as to her faith. She mast gaffer no indecision
I of sharaoter bare, whieth were Indeed to strike at coos
' at the root of all effective service for Goi. And this
Is precisely the dealer of the chunk at this hoar. The
age is orbital, and the churn ta Ihlale to be unsettled
as to her faith ; but without steady, settled sonviotion
, her Leduenes mast be of the feeblest description. And
a her eendetions are to be strengthesed not so math by
, the laisUsetual slate sad warner of her Meads se
. by the personal expo/eine at the Rely Oben We
mast get assurane where the Apostles and only
Chobtiass got it, by personal sentare with the Saviour,
and by waiting es Clod; by maven, wfth the
spiritual until its atmosphere Sows all around
• se sad leaks Into every pore of our being; until
lie sublime realities live In our vary presence and
p bosoms the meet real fans of our 'einem*. It
. was thee that Pine and John, sad Paul, obtained
p their nalideese. They lived is the very preen*. of
" their Master ; they walked with Him ; talked with
,Him Rb vein was ever la their hearing ; the glorious
, realities of the eternal world were ever present to
e their minds, sod while they thus lived and .communed
with Jesse. In vein did philosophy, or wino% or
sabellef, elialkage their faith or diminish their hens.
They were atom against even slack, and in that
steadfast faith of theirs they went forth to 011111COOn
seso to the like faith In Jesus also. Rest awned the
' Char& will sever have power, until she robe" herself In
1 this 011,11114 steadfast faith; until ohs esters Into the
very prepense of her Lord, notil she breathes this
konsely atmosphere, until sbe feels retie:tied In her
soul the realities of the spiritual world. Well it would
be for all of us to go Into tbe premien of our Lord, to
be scoompessed by His glory ;'more speedily won't our
doubts' and fears thus dissolve thee by all the sequin
and the diligent march after remotes which int-Beet or
inquiry may turned' to a Hie and ground Is In the faith.
Lot us rather enter into the pressen of the Rung; let
, serialise the glorious realities of which we speak, and
we shall come forth with our doubts and fears dissolved,
and our souls strengthened with • steady and unfalter-
log faith. Because we have seen we shall believe. The
church needs at this moment this spiritual ooneletioa
O toweling tin realities. of Ler forth. seeds con-
' veiling eon-. That power which will bring home to
II the hearts and Intellects of men the glorious facts of the
• everlasting Genet, which shall win their hearts to
1 God, and Inspire them with their sense of
need ; which shall bring these to He foot of the
Saviour, with the laeguage " What must we do''
"What wilt thou have or to do ?•• Muletudes of oar

fellow van ore waiting to be oonvinoed of tne truth of
our holy religion; waiting to be kfinenosel to decision
for Christ. They are open to conviction; they ere
longing to find that rest which we assure th,.m can be
found in Christ. Well, the church mutt give that
which It says it hu to give. How is she to do it?

-
Silo must get tbe power. fib* must benellposema the
mighty forms whereby Buell molts can be scoured.
How comes it that tbe church does tot wield suds

_
power? Han the rower died out of her Has
Christianity, as our Endure tell us, become effete: a
worn-out and extended energy? Is it so? If not,
why does the not wield her native inductee ? &Tease
the church hereelf Ids 'afford her power to became
feeble; her energies to become Impaired ; et* has not
kept steadily recruiting hereelf at the fountain of all
life; she he. lost moot of her faith, mach of "h r
first love" aid eonsoious joy in the Lord ; much of
e divine bodily of the L ,rd, Let her energies be
revived, let ter faith be locreesed, and then we dull
see whetter ate he. not blessings yet to give to the
world; then we shall see whether days of gracious
revival are not yet in store for bet; whether AO he.
Bet yet good for the world ; the Dished good : whether
she cannot yet allay the passions of men, and calm their
feverish excitement after pleasure, wrath, and a
thousand other imaginary goods, whist can me
to them. Oh I yea, there is tiatold good for the world
in the chant *WI, good for all the woos sad sorrows of
kamaalty, the good ot God's mem love, and geese;
Gars Is good tar oar 'pyramid sad sorrowing brothas ;
rat tor ill their eirmaily &obi. Than are Instates