THE SAILORS' GATHERING AT PORT CHALMERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4020, 6 January 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE SAILORS' GATHERING AT PORT CHALMERS.

(froji ax occasional corbespondkxt.)

An evangelistic service, eEpspi^lly intended for fl}c sailors at flip Port, was held oa the evening of the Kew Year, in the upper floor of the building known as Dodson's Bond, near the head of the Railway Pier at Port Chalmers. A similar gathering, only then accompanied with a substantial (or, as the Scotch call it. a " touzie " tea) was got up by the same earnest -'workers," and in the same place, on the evening of Christmas,' which had been tlig means of awakening to spiritual lire some of the careless or iudiiferent, or at all events had led some to enquire respecting the way that leads to it; r t ml it was at the request of those that tbis supplementary meet- . n.g was convened, I had missed the first meeting, but heaving of thesecond, betook myself to the Port with a sort of joyous alacrity to be present. The Christian never wearies of hearing the old, old, but even more exhilarating and gladdening story, of Jesus; and tliere are none l love to hear it imparted to more than the sailor —kind, unsophisticated 3___c\. 1 . Grape converts him into a iioble Christian. Boing ahead of tho hour of meeting. I had leisure for a quiet inspection of tho "upper loom,1' the use of which on this, as on former occasions, had been gratuitously and generously given by tlie proprietor, Mr Dodson. It was the third storey, c.r upper loft, of a tall, brick building, and'rather inaccessible, being reached by Ij'ttle better than trau stairs, and plain aa might bo expected; un plastered walls, bare rafters, deal forms, a small rostrum, with a tiny table for the chairman, made white and clean by a bit of linen covering! But adornments were neither missed acu-needed, and the appropriate passages of Scripture on large cards, iiun'g all about, relieved the blank to the eye, while haply they might give to the thoughts a direction salvation-wards. I fancied thera was an appropriatuess to the occasion in such a meeting-place, as in its position on the water's edge, and overlooking the shipping at the pip.y, &iu-,U r&uyhiiosa rather appeals to the liiscos of -Jack, who, although in his own way he has delicate and distinct ideas of propriety, is always repelled by what is conveiitiaual or elaborate. He shies at hif h br.eked formal pews, and pew opsnf.ra, a ohnrbli being in his eyes a ioo-shiitrV.p imd stuck-up an arrangement altogether. But ihis sort of accommoflatio.n, and those whom be met subsequently that night, and who spoke to hire, oeitainiy did not anpalvhiin hy either-the clericalism nor thp ecelesiiutiisimn at which ho so i^es tp begla ov tako fright, gut Dimedin visitor*, whom earlier trains had brought down, somo to share the enjoyment oftf the hour, and some to spin truthful yarns for .Tack, were now making their appearance j and little groups, as well from tho aft quarters" as from the fo'castleg ftf ships, were dropping in, Tlieva thf-y came, never hut favourites, susceptible, accessible, warm-hearted —the smiling sailor-hoy, Jaoed cap in hand, in trim rig of royal blue; loss picturesque with his peculiar roll, unmistakeably from before the mast, came iq others, each and all in their best, aud for an occasion. Tlie forms, v.'hicl\, w\\en filled,' might contain about 200 -tlie albatrosses' and landmbuers together'- were soou nearly crowded, and Afr Andrew Thomson, of Port Chalmers, taking the chair, the proceedings began. I may premise thnt tbese consisted entirely of quick alternations of addresses spoken and sung—of appeals to the conscience and feelings—of varied modes of proclaiming a free, full, unfettered offer of instant salvation to all mankind on believing Sanlrey's hymns were sung witli heart and force; ! and I felt that a wave of the blessing which these s.imple lyrics haye borne with them over the breadths of Christendom had reached Dodson's lfiftj and that in lhat assembly were also some who, in common with thousands in every land, are being urged to seek the salvation of their fellows by the intense solemnity of the conviction that we have come to tho " Times of the End." Air Alfred Brunton gave the key-note to the proceedings by singing "Joyful shall our meeting be;" which Mr G. It."Hcrcus followed up by a few introductory sentences, anil forcibly sa:d. ' • Mr B, again sang. This timeThere is life for a look at tbo Crucified One, There is life at thu moment for thee ; and thone who are familiar with this song—and with the rest of Sankoy's hymns, it is fast becoming widely known—know how stirring is tlie beautiful refrain whicli accompanies it,"and in wliich tho audience join. Following qpon this came a gospel address by the Rev. W. C. Johnstone—thp most complete address of the evening, unstudied, but very clear, very happily illustrated, and demonstrating intense energy on the part of the speaker. Considering the major part of his audience, ifc was rather toa long. Aud the effect- liko that on a strained bow unbent—when he was followed by the sor.g '• Knocking," showed very clearly the efficiency of singing ass a medium'for tho preaching of the gospel. Very sweet and teliing are the words of this littlo gem :— Knocking, knocking, who is there? ■Waiting, waiting, oh, how fair ! 'Tis a pilgrim strange and kingly, Never such was sef n before. " All! My soul, for. such, a wonder,. Wilt tlioi; not undo tlie door? My Wright, now acting hi the'capacity of missionary to Knox Church aggregation, recently from Glasgow, a ,„j tiie thick of the revival movement, with the spirit and the recollection of it strong upon him, then addressed the meetin<* He did so, with curt, straightforward plainness and patness of speech and illustration—a, man evidently, too real and earnest to. care much for tho graces of elocution, but who. has been hif oefifed by nature with a.v. art which arrests and holds the attention, and that is trimmed in speakin<* so as never to weary his audience—the true elo" quenee of the evangelist. He told of Sankey and his singing, and of how he <vas no mei-e performer, but felt the power of it alliums own soul. He spoke of the fipspel meetings he had : attended, and discaursrid on the faith of Old ; Noah, hammering away at bis ark, under clear skies, with no signs of a flood, for 120 years. Illustrating a difficult/- wliich many • find, in obtaining the answer of peace from believing, while still conscious of being far from i holiness, he told jv litti? story, the pith of which

I will endeavour to give from recollection. A: poor woman in one of the wyhds of Glasgow had. been long vi a condition of perplexity and darkness about her soul. ; ■ She had the knowledge of salvation, but the light revealing th*: personal application damned not upon her. At last she losfa child. It was laid in the grave, and the son-owing parents on the day of the funeral and alter ifc was past grieved alone in the contracted circle till bedtime, saying little but feeling much, liiat Having come, they went to rest as usual.: .But the poor mother's heart was sore, and her conscience troubled. She tossed aboufc, while' her husband slept. But in the silence and the darkness of Jhe nightsho had revealed to her the truth. Day broke, and the roseate sun-rise was «?2Pt £ne shook up the gudeman, exclaiming, rn UiJ l '. jG,hn> John! God has taen aw'a' our wee Uiarhe, bnt oh ! He has brought us sweet news. ±t was-whilst John, whilstman, we were yet sinners that Christ died for the ungodly. Eh man, is na that gmn ? Ifc was whilst we were yet sinners! We're saved John, and the dear lammie, he will welcome us hamii !" " 33 Mi-Brunton was alone..in speech and soi|; alter this. He alternated appeals in each, and in this way sang " Once for all," " Let the lower lights be burning," and " The Life-boat." It was gladsome, and brought visions of hope and joy to the mind. The strong manly way iv which .i'£, sT. 1lV u °K °«t the chorus, to especially Ihe Lire-boat," I will not soon fsrget. How I nearly cracked my pipe with those fine fellows singing— Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for tlie shore 1 Heed not the rolling waves, bat bend to tho'oar - bate 111 ths life-boat, cling to self no more • l.ea.ve the poor old stranded wreck, aud pull for the shore. The demeanour of the sailors was throughout orderly and gratifying. In some few I could read concern iv the countenance. One low moan escaped while Mr Wright was speaking. One group inclined, I thought, to be rather up to a Jark, 1 spoke to, and found I.was mistaken—they were only tickled at what seemed to them their strange position, and they but wanted a word of kindly recognition, no doubt having had many preliminaiy ones from their warm-hearted indefatigable friend, Aleck Falconer-the unpaid missionary of the Port. One of them said to me, Kummy, ra ther! ain't it sir ? here aro we boys, with -this Catholic, lagged along at a Protestant sing, S an S r 1 remarked that this group was attentive throughout. Unfortunately, especially for we poor wights Jim had to go to Dunedin, the rain was comm<» down a perfect pour afc the end. Bufc no drench" nig will wash out the agreeable reooileetions which one and all, lam Y evy sure, entertain of that highly interesting, and as I trust in the highest sense it will prove to have been, highly productive gathering.