DR. ROSEBY ON THE CARNIVAL.

Evening Star, Issue 4136, 30 May 1876, Page 4

DR. ROSEBY ON THE CARNIVAL.

According to advertisement the Rev; J)r, Roseby, lectured on Sunday evening on tbe. subject of “the Carnival.” The rev.'gentleman selected as his; text “ Ephesians iv. him labor, working with his hands' the thing that is good, that he may hare to give to him that needeth;” He spoke, of the connection mentioned in the text between work and charity, and pointed out how this connection was illustrated by the Benevolent FOte. ’ The building itself testified from" end to Ond of labor. lis presiding genius was work. But it was now being turned into a gigantic engine, of benevolence'i -. .Now that was just the thought of the apofrtle in the text. The apostle did not believe in making , labor terminate in Selfishness: . If either did- he -believe in that cold, ohGap. miscalled' eharity, which let its little leak out of 'an iridolentaffluence, believed in woi*k, he beliOyed in Charity, and in the .connection between wbrk and charity.. ■■ ; - As. the'object of .the Benevolent Fbte was the reljef of poverty,-the lecturer began by .coheidOTing some facts and principles bearing, uponthegeneral subject??' Speaking- of the causes ! of poverty, he said that soine were even easily preventible. He spoke of certain social habits—affecting employerknd ‘employed .alike—whose tendency was hot only to retard the material progress of the, community, but. even to pauperise it. New Zealand spent negirly two millions ‘sterling r annually . . m drink .- and tobacco Dunedin,: could afford to spend as much money on. mere* amusements—theatrical, operatic,. gymnastic ever during so much of the present year as had already passed, as the total ■ accumulated capital to. the credit-Of; all the benefit societies in the community put together. .Such, at least, was the estimate of po slight authority. . There whs a common impression money thus expended was not wasted, but only scattered ; and so the mischief was disguised and the waste excused. But every political; economist was : his + (the -lecturer’s’ witness ; that'the squanderihg of-money ir community, rendered it the more prolific* pi paupers, and the less able to maintain them, Of course his (the lecturer’s) remarks wen only aimed at excessive expenditure in thest directions. • J It was well -to remember in dis cussing the problem of poverty that its besi solution was to cut off the causes and occa sions of poverty, and so : prevent it. - ; Turning, however, to their proper subject the- relief of .poverty, the lecturer remarked that, without question the propriety of Go vernment -aid, and the .practices of private almsgiving, though both of these were ii some respeuta mi&chievous, the best of al existing methods of relieving poverty • wa that represented by the, Benevolent Society —a method of organised, impartial, ad justed, discriminating* voluntary beneficent And therefore he heartily rejoiced in th movemerit that had engaged the interest o the community during the past week. H would ask-them to notice some deeply in strnctive lessons which the fdte suggested —(1.) It showed, for one thing, how fruitfu a harvest might result from a single benefi cent impulse. A whole community showe< to its depths in the interest of its nobles public charity ; gifts in money and good from a hundred ready and cheerfu the help -of - a - sweet ; voice or o instrumental skill; . the learning of th scholar, the agility of the gymnast, th Aunts of the showman, the skill of the.ine chanic, the treasured collections of the coil t.omur, above all the hearty aud uhiversa response of the people; all ths originated hj a high benevolent impulse. Alas, how ver mnoh poorer was the world in; humane ani holy effort because they did not always thui let the better impulses of their hearts havi way I How often did they conceive some thing noble,-and-then stifle or-spoil it b\ some selfish -of cowardly after-thought They with saying I will, theyreasouec theinaOlVWmto saying I cannot, and ended with the deflteion, 1 will not. Let then 'always “ take the' instant way;” Bewart (continued preacher) of thinking twic< about a matter wherein self-loss or cowardio< might-prove too strong for principle. Hesi tation m counsel was wisdbin, but hesitatioi in conduct was feebleness - and failure. “A double-minded man is unstable ir all hia ways.” : (2.) A second though was, how much fuel there was if only the\ could bring it to the fire Vl The proposal ol the fete did not seem at first calculated tc excite much enthusiasm. After alh the money, tfeit had been spent on the hazaai and the races, on the gymnasts and the songsters, it might well have seemed almost like a mere gathering up of the fragments that re mained. Not so, however. From all sides came offers of co operation. In a little time the whole community was moved. That was often the case. It explained the success of many a revolution, and the power and extent of many a spiritual revival. The seeds of goodnesa might lie buried out of sight, while yet the genial rain and noiseless sunshine were bringing on the harvest. ' (&J A third thought suggested by the Benevolent FOte was the r natural divinity, ordered connection - between work and charity. There was a brotherly instbid in honest toil. The cold charit»? B 0 1 wealth would leave the masses of the infirm and helpless to rot, but for the kindness and help bestowed by those who lire upon the ragged edge of the same destitute condition. It was not, therefore, enough to say* “In prosperity remember the poor.” A higher wisdom, a more profound knowledge of the human heart, formed expression in the text • “ Working with his hands that he may have to give.” (4.) The Benevolent Fdte also illustrated the connection between charity and enjoyment. It was. a just occasion of merry-making. It was meet that the City should be glad. There was cause for the banners and decorations, the melody and song, the holiday attire, the festivity and display, for it was the Koyal Law of Love that was being fulfilled. The crown wa» being put upon the head of charity. (6.) Nor was it uuinstructivo to notice it how little cost comparatively soi much enjoyment was purchased. The gifts bestowed were precious to receive iut of all proportion to the cost of their heitowmept. It was 1 true of much else beddes gdOcl vVords that they are worth much md coat little* (0). But what, it might be iskedj had Christianity to do with sufch aJ tfte? Much every way. Philanthropy wak' I. Christian impulse. One whb had taken feme pains to discover and set forth the bluest spirit Of Christianity could find 0 iter language to describe it than as a r an nthusiasm of humanity.” Such was f the pirit of Christ. He came not to be ml oia. ered' unto, but to minister. And the» v-erv enius of Christianity was service. t ho few Commandment was, that wo low e one nother * the law of Christ, that wf . b ßar ue another’s burdens. Nay, the scene heroin the great Mastei had set foi -th the lajesty of the final judgment disc) osed an iquisition concerning acts df k' mduess Inasmuch as ye have done it unf j0 0 f te least of these my brethren, Wj nave done tmtome,”