BLUE SPUR.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 62, 17 April 1869, Page 3

BLUE SPUR.

(From our.Otpn ■Gorfe#poiydtniy. According to announcement,, a congregational tea meeting, in connection with th& Wesleyaa Ohurcji, \^aa iield inj^e School p> ef enmg,£fo| tjde $|ree-. gL fold purpose of raising a sum towards w^ extinguishing the Circuit debt, and a small debt still remaining on their chapel, -which, taken together, amounts to £40 ; secondly/ to 'bicjf good bye to Mr. Mp£Nicoll, who has' laboured in the Circuit for the last twelve months with very great acceptance ; in a worcl, it may justly be said, without any reserve, that during the'time he haslabouf ed ; ' amongst us ke 1 lias been everybody's.minister, without reference to sect, said so earnest has he been, and so unobtrusive, that he has won for himself, on all hands, golden 'opinions. Thirdjy, that Mr. M'-Nicqll's successor, the Key. *3s6r. "Keall, appointed to -this district by the Wesleyan Conference, be •duly inducted. But in the Wesleyan Arrangement this is a very simple process, •and reminds one of a certain prophet who entered -immediately- upon ,Ms' labours.^ An ample ispread in the. real Wesleyaui atyle was provided by Mesdames Luke, Manuel,* and Matthews. Great praise is due to these ladie3 and. the committee of management for the very satisfactory arrangements made;forithe evening's enter- ■ tainment. Justice being done to the .good things,' the tables were'cleared away, ■when the Key. Mr. M'Mcoll took the ■chair, and delivered his valedictory address. r &fte'r reviewrag'hisMboursdn the district for the past year, and in closing his connection with the people, he offered * few well-rtinied-remarks on th& diiferent •classes of church-goers. No. 1, he said, was one who attended twice every Sunday, when practicable," and frequently .might be seen during the week when there . prayer meetings, lectures, bible and •other classes. These he considered were his best hearers. Ho. 2 attended on Sunday only, but was so engrossed in business that he could not afford an hour in the week,. but, indeed, did not^see the reason of being so rigid in the observance" of religion. Ho. <3, a Sunday evening jnan ; perhaps he was a bachelor, and had to cook and wash up, therefore he justices himself that his circumstances are ■such that it cannot be expected of him to attend twice on a Sunday. ' This class greatly discouraged: a minister, 'who 'had frequently to preach to empty pews^ No. 4 was the unpunctual man : he could not # J>e reckoned .upon. No. .5, the criticising man. The Gospel would bear a little topen and candid criticism ; but the great •design- of preaching was to save' souk. Then there was a class whom you could not reach from the pulpit. No. lof this t class was the Sunday business man. * Hei does a large stroke on that day (he wouldjiot say how). • He had his books to post up. He illustrated this class by giving an account of, an eminent -American lawyer who*was in the habit of "spending the* Sunday in making up his briefs ; but, on ids own shewing, somehow or • other, he never succeeded with his cases, and being a philosopher, .he sought and found the cause, and from that day" became' another and" a prosperous man. No. 2 was a Sunday visiting man ; and he did, a greater deal of harm,' for he not only ftid not at4tend church himself, but perhaps dropped a friend who would, under .ordijiaiy circumstances, have been at church j&ut for the visitor. No. 3 (and t£is was the last) waa the tea meeting man. He'was never seen except at-- such meetings^ Of course, they were glad to. see" iim there, and hoped he got value for his half-crown. He used the word man, but, . of course, if the cap .fitted the other saxs let them wear it. He would not say good fcye then, although his address was done, as he would see some of them at the close of the meeting, and to-morrow*- evening Also. He would not detain them, any longer, as he had alfull programme,; but ' s-~woulds -~would call upon Mr. Clarke (local preacher). '. -■ :; .'■ I 1 it J^r.jClarke saidhe liked to_ be 'called -upon: ~at ?£e "beginning <2"~a~ meeting, .as he; t'thJ -could" 'better^ enjoy the ppeer" X that were to. follow. His task. was painful and pleasant, : painful to have to" part with Mr. M'Nicoll: pleasant to be- in a position to welcome Jiis successor., -During Mr* M'Nicoll's brief ministry much good had been done ; .and he was always welcomed, either, in the church or out of it ; and if the new ministier followed in the steps of his predecessor, he would be riure'tb -meet with warm , support and cp-operatiori. "The _gospel was. a power which had bpQn made a blessing to many since Mr. M'Nicoll •came amongst them, and he .would, leave behind Km, on the Spur anil 'other fpor- ' tions of the district, many who would be his crown of rejoicing ; He hoped, also, they would feel the.- beneficial effects resulting in the .extinction of their debt. '■ He wished ' Mr. 'M'Nicoll -all the" good; whicTi ■v "Christian minister coald hope . for. •. '-- 1!I .- .. „:;,- . ,'" • Mr* M'Xellandidid not like the.,rule.of the JWess^eyan.- Church which_rempved,ii, minister wKo liajp merely laid ' a ' good iEoundatroii; and had • not an oppdrtu'nity \ -of building thereon. • He felt Very mrich ! in losihg'his ifriend Mr. M'Nicoll. ;.,Al-, though he belonged to another denpmina-; tion, he,alw.ajsrs|ieard'Mr. M'NicoU'^ith' pleasure and profit. ' '' ' y . Mr. M* Alpine read an article concernin^ < tw6 t y(Jtlng[ J in6n, which went- to f show. tnat/'afterallf the Christian was^thembst 1 suceessfutman. ~ -- - - - - * Dr. Copland congratulated the" people' on- the awipropitious state of the weather, -for, 'had, the evening. been fine, there .would, have been a anueh, larger meeting ; as it was, they could .scarcely discern one 'another through thY dint, atmosphere of v -the room. He thought they: wanted more light: tmd airjp He^egreted; yeiy much that he had to takevpart in that service ; lie wo"ula rather there had been na necessity for it. He haaTjeen 1 associated with Mr. 'M'Nicoll J witH' very much comfort; 1 their fellowship had been sweet, and he leld: him-, in .very ; high esteem. There . upas^Sf^e^un^pecjaliar in the .characteristics of our goldfields population which made it pleasaM to be a niiirister amongst -them. c . For instance, ;the< great majority ■of ©tir minets ,wews>. #&Jk -ty%9 J*ad, seen a 4?§?i* *s*&' e iF?ffM ■*- 1 *¥"?» coupled' with their general intelligence, made it a' t desirable thing" tti labour among *haff"auwrt^ v v*ncoltc population. tßeifiwOTks ieatify that they are far -at -their >i|^ii^j^itfi^hm^ fo> 'e&rMiivfc the

.precious ore from the original element — r&SJ£ miles,of water races, their powder, their dredging machines, all of which would put skilled engineers to the blush. And. what an excellent- character thexniner makes when beautified by the 'gospel of Jeaua Christ ; and I believe it ia the earnest wish of every Christian minister to be the means of elevating tjiem byjth/6 Religion df Jetfuß,\ ; : Omveducational system, too, is all that could be desired, and we have well-filled libraries, by which means men may get improve-, ment ; but all thege advantages increase responsibility, and great will be the fall ! of that man who in our day, chosea darkness rather than light. Mr. Carey paid a merited compliment to? th\? ministration of r thei ReV., Mr.. M*Nicoll. *" He found him- (Mr. ~ Carey}* wandering, and brought him into the fold ; he had not.had a counsellor until Mr. M'Nicoll found him, and he would never forget how he took him by the hand and spoke to him as a brother. He did not, know anything of Wesleyanism before he'sawMr. M'Nicoll ; jhe'had, like a great, many, his " own opinion of it ; " but the more he saw of it the more he ''wished to see, for under God it had been the means of bringing him into Christ's fold. 1 The Rev. Mr. .jM'Nicol then "read himself in." He would not inflict upon them- a speech at that late hour, as he would have other opportunities ; but with regard to that debt which they owed, he woulsi make a proposition to this effect, that he would make them a present of his expenses from Canterbury to the Blue Spur, which amounted to £6, provided the present meeting would make it vp — a proposition which was responded to by the collection which now followed, and which amounted to £5 9s. 6d. The proceeds of the tea meeting also go towards the liquidation of the debt. Mr. M. Manuel, one of the stewards, then presented an address to the Rev. Mr. M'Nicoll, beautifully done on parchment, and got up by Mr. Richards, of Lawrence. Mr. WMteside, on behalf of the~Church and Congregation at Evans' Flat, presented him also with an ornamental ink-stand, for which presentations Mr. M'Nicoll." made a suitable reply. Votes of thanks to the Ladies and to the chair wound up the business of this excellent entertainment.