The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-04-06 00:00:00

OPEN-AIR SERVICE AT THE ROYAL
EXCHANGE, LONDON.

- --
On Easter Sunday the members of the London City Ilisaion
commenced for the season their open-air religious services
under the western portico of the Royal Exchange. It would
be impossible to select any site for this special purpose. the
large space under the portico forming a spacious and con-
venient church, and the flagged space at the foot of the ate pa
affording a ready meabs of approach clear of the omnibus
traffic, which roared and rumbled continuously on either side
of the preaching-ground during the service, says the Daily
News, and thus walnut s the sketch:—
Hosing arrived there about a quarter of an hour
bef ITC the commencement of the service, we found the
arrangements to be of the most austere and primitive
character. A wooden chair was placed so as to form
the modest pulpit, and about a dozen forms constituted
the only sitting accommodation provided for the con-
gregation. A very considerable number of persons
had already collected, and they looked as if they were
mainly composed of the housekeepers and other sub-
ordinate employi:s of the great banks and warehouses
in the neighbourhood. The female element was not
especially conspicuous. There were perhaps a score of
decent elderly women, and about as many smart-looking
young ones, and behindthem were massed largelexlies of
men; some of the respectable middle class, others of the
equally respectable working class, and not a few who
looked as if material as well as spiritual comfort would
not be unweleome to them. One common attitude
was, however, observable in all, that of the deepest
reverence and most wrapt attention to the addresses.
The hearts of the hearers were obviously in the work
at which they had come to assist, and the varying ex-
pression of their countenances indicated the powerful
impressions that were created by the simple
brit earnest and energetic discourses of the preachers.
There was an elderly female, in faded and worn
mourning, who looked the very embodiment of
sorrow and resignation ; there was a blind boy,
who flitted about and showed by his gestures
bow intense was iris interest in the proceedings;
there was a black sailor who seemed to Hided
with a sort of wondering and puzzled attention; and
there were some great, strong fellows in smock frocks,
who were not surpassed by anyone present in reverent
deportment, or in the fervour with which they joined
in the hymns. Altogether it seemed as if the isles with
which the City Mission had established these services
was fully borne out by practical experience, and that
they had the effect of arresting many a careless way-
farer, who would not have gone out of Ids or her way
to attend at a regular place of worship.
The speakers were Messrs. Walker, father and son,
of the Loudon City Mission; Mr. Vigeon, of the
White-cross-street Mission; the Rev. W. Tyler,
Nestor of the Mile-end-New-town Independent Chapel;
the Rev. Edward White, a Wesleyan minister, ins
Toronto, Canada; Mr. Sadler, and one is two others.
Amongst those present, but not addressing the con-
gregation, was Dr. Zietzmano, a medical man, who
bail served with the German army all through the late
war, who has since then resided in England, and who
himself In an active promoter of these open-air re-
bgious We were informed by this gentleman
that they have been lately introduced into various
parts of Prussia, and are likely to become general
throughout Protestant Germany.
Mr. Orsman's singing class, numbering about sixty
voices, was in attendance, and gave great effect to the
singing of the hymns.
The order of proceeding was the simplest POE.
eible. A number of speakers each in turn delivered
a short extemporaneous addres,, having first given
oet a hymn, which was joined in by the whole con-
gregation. Mr. Walker, nen., of the London City Mig-
non, was the first speaker, and aft Sr him followed Mr.
Tyler, Mr. White, Mr. Vigeon, and two or three
more. The central topic with all the speakers was,
of course, the great event which Easter Sunday was
intended to celebrate, and the duty which was incum-
bent upon every one to render themselves worthy to
become participators in its saving results. Mr. White,
the Canadian missionary, attracted more than oni Mary
attention by the autobiographical character which he
gave to hi,, observations. Fifty-six years ago, he said,
a Kentish farmer left the shone of Englaiid with his
family, and settled in the woods of Canada, seven MUCH
beyond the then abode of living man. In course of
time the humble log-house in the forest became the
nucleus of a missionary organization, out of which the
speaker, one of the Kentish farmer's eons went forth
to preach the truth amongst the Negroes and In-
dians in Florida and Louisiana. He laboured in this
mission until his health broke down under climate and
privation, and then, obtaining leave of absence, he
came to England, where, in the centre of mighty
London, be saw there was as much and as hard work
for the Christian niimionary as in the swamps and
backwoods of the Western hemisphere. Mr. White's
observations were listened to with deep interest, and
seemed to produce a powerful influence in the congre-
gation.
A newspaper, of course, is not the place in which to
repeat in iletail religions discourses ; it will be suffieient
to say that all those which were delivered on Sunday
bat under the portico of the Royal Excharge were
marked by a genuine Christian spirit, were simple awl
easily understood, and were of a length just sufficient
to sustain the attention without wearying or exhausting
it. We did not notice a single yawn in the open-air
temple. There was neither nodding nor dozing in
any of its recesses, nor did a single person present in-
terrupt the speaker i.y word, cough, or gesture. Thu
impression made by the whole service was ruostlavour-
able, and such as to limiter., the ,amvietionthafkimilar
services held in suitable plwas would be atteried with
highly beneficial results.