The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-02-22 00:00:00

ANNUAL MEETING AT THE CONGRE-

OATIONAL CHAPEL.

PRESENTA.TION TO THE REV. LLOYD

HARRIS.

The annual meeting of the Congregationalists '
took place at the Lridsh School-rooms,
street, on Monday evening last. A tea meeting
was first held, at which a large number was pre-
sent. After tea the annual meeting was opened;
Mr. Lloyd Harris pastor to: the church, presiding.
After prayer hid -been offered up by Mr. James
Allsop, and the 187th hymn sung by all present,
The Chairman rose and said that although this
was theii• annual meeting, and, consequently, there
would be a censiderabie amount of husi less to be
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shugoh, ~lasti' t
aiso', he
be
ehouogf nta itthhioroglily des
thoroughly social
character, as he was of opinion that meet -igs
where they were met together for the purposes of
social enjoyment were calculated to do a gneat
amount of good. He then read a letter from Mr.
rev.
George
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went onftoor hsaisyathhasent 1
,',haes
the first opporturity he had had of meeting them
on ouch an intelesting occasion as the present. In
looking forwiud to the futu.l, he thought they
could look ferward to it with confidence. That
evening the various institutions of the society
would be repiesented. lie hoped these institu-
tions world continue to have tt eir prayers and
best wishes; said he hoped they would also pray
for him, who was just entering upon the year's
services. There was a need just now that they
should all be born of the Holy Ghost. He ex-
horted them to pray individually that they should
be able to lead holy lives, and then they should
have, as they had had in the past, a continued
peace. The minister, teachers, and others, would
do the best; but it would be of no avail without
the sympathy of the entire congregation. There
were young men who laboured in the Sabbath
Schools; and others labovred as monthly visitors,
and delivered tracts. He knew that these tracts
were not only received, but read; but they wanted
to deliver Liao month'y, whereas now they were
only able to deliver 501), on account of lack of
tributors, lie concluded by making an cattiest
appea' to those present to give him all the assist-
ance they could in this and otter matters, lie
then caned on the Rev. Frederick Mann, of Dud-
ley, to address the meeting.
The latter gentleman arid he had been asked to
add •esa them u.B to the influence of revivals upon
chorch work and church life. He thought that
the meet' ig there that eveniq.g had something of
a revival character shout it. 'That beig the an-
nua' meeting, made them feel as if they were
closer together. He liked the word " congrega-
tionalist " Letter than the word •• independent."
To the world outside, if they tried to lute. 'ere
with them in their worship, they were independ-
ents; but in their own cedgregation, or when they
were met together as they were then, they were
congregationalists. There was an anecdote of a
Boman Caihroic priest who was one clay passing a
Congregatioualist Church, and seeing a le. outside
the door he said, reaeing it, ' Independent ; who
are they independent of I should -ke to know ?"
There happeued to be a a ivty member of the •
body close by at the time, and he, having heard
the above re-nark, instantly repiied, "Of the Pope
and the Des il"—(laughter). Tney called them-
selves conregationaliats because they were a'
equal; they were all brothers and sisters, in fact.
Wherever two or three were gathered together
there was a churoh, and there was a real fellow-
ship; but where there was a church there must be
This work did not necessarily consist of
prayers and other devotional exercises done inten-
tionally; the•so was very much work done be Chris-
tians when they were unaware of it. i'erhaes
most of the good and the bad that is done, is the
result of involuntary influence. He was readMg
some time ago the way in which they fel' trees in
the vast forests of America. Many of these trees
are of immense girth, and so numerous, that the
work of cutting them right thro igh would be an
almost endless task. They, therefore, cut them
in such a =miner that one falls against the other,
and with its weight brings it down with it. Like-
wise in workshops apprentices' characters are in
a measure termed by the journeymen; and at
home the younger brothers and sisters follow the
example of tee older ones. It was in this manner
that Cheistians were affected; but all members of
their church were expected to work designedly.
They had read over that 12th chapter of Romans,
where it spoke of tow .eme were to do this thing
and some were to do the other; but it did not as-
sume that any were •ci remain idle. When a man
was brought to Christ, as a Clirreh member, he
was usually spoken of as being in the vineyard of
the Lord. The word "revivals" was a word that
sometimes created a great amount of prejudice.
It is believed to represent a dating up and a end-
den decay, something like the action of a galvanic
liettery on a corpse. For a time the action of the
electricity w 0 cause the limbs of the copse to
twitch and the legato move up and down and in some
instances it has even caused them to sit up for a
short space; but the instant it has been removed
the corpse has sunk into it old position, if pos-
sible, seeming more cold and lifeless than before.
Wherever true life is found waiinth attends it.
The life may be but gradual. Their church was
not a tree that had grown up in a day like Jonas's
gourd; but was a great tree which had taken cen-
turies to grow and develops "ke the cedars of
of Lebanon. If they We to see a man out in the
streets upon a snowy day—and he was under the
impression that there were always more beggars to
ic seen in the streets during bad weather than at
other times—they would feel scaly for him and
very likely relieve him; but if they saw a strong
man lounging about the streets with his hands in
his pockets they would feel but little compassion
for him, bsseausethey would think there was plenty
of work for him to do if he was only willing to do
it. And it was thus that people felt constrained to
think of those who stood idle instead of doing the
Lord's work. To show them that there was a con-
stant necess;,y for work, if it was only on the de-
fensive, he rid .t• I to them an anecdote of some
travellers who were once journeying over a vast
prairie, when, from signs they saw in the distance,
they became suddenly aware of the awful fact that
the praiiie was on fire, and that the devouring
element woeld soon envelope them in its fatal em-
brace. At this crisis they cast about for some
means of ,rving themselves, when one of the
party suggested that their only chance lay in op-
posing fire to fire, by lighting an opposing fire.
One of them, on the spur of the moment, struck
a match; but in his haste he broke it. Another
struck one; but the wind blew this out. They
were then left with but one, and as they saw the
flames approaching more rapidly, with a roar like
that of will beasts waiting for their prey, and
gathering strength as they came, a great fear grew
upon them . Their only chamu of escape lay in
the sumo 3. 1 lighting of this one match. In this
extremity th, y knelt down and prayed to the Lord
that he woni.L enable them to strike it. They then
clustered tuie•ther to prevent the wind from corn-
ing to it, and then struck it. They watched with
trembling fear and excitement the gradual spread-
ing of the flame from a tiny spark until it slowly
developed into a roaring fire, and went rushing
forwara to meet the flames that were threatening
their dints action. In like nnazuer they could not
Mal OCutawl A% ON die VI. Ihe et is would