WESLEYAN SUNDAY SCHOOL

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9393, 21 March 1898, Page 2

WESLEYAN SUNDAY SCHOOL

Anniversary Services.

The anniversary of the Trinity Wesleyan Sunday School was celebrated yesteaday, when special services were conducted in the 'church by the Bey W. J. Williams, of Auckland. The annual services are looked forward to with the greatest interest, not only by the scholars and teachers of tke school, but by members and friends of Trinity congregation, and on such occasions the church is always crowded. Such was the case yesterday, and although seats were placed down the aisles and in the vestibule, many persons were unable to gain admission' last evening. The ohuroh was tastefully decorated with flowers and evergreens, prominent being a number of pretty and, skilfullywrought devices. The services were thoroughly enjoyable and'successful. Able and interesting discourses were delivered by Mr Williams, and the singing, under the conductor6hip of Mr W. H. Bird, was excellent. The choir of young people and adults, numbering between 200 and 250, were seated in the specially-erected gallery, and were assisted by a dozen instrumentalists, Miss Clayton and Miss Andrew presiding at the organ and piano respectively. The various choruses were spiritedly sung, in good time and tune, and the solos, which were allotted to groups of three and four little girls, were Bweetly and correctly rendered. At tim.es some of the leading instruments were a little out of tune, but otherwise the singing was decidedly good, tind the conductor is to be heartily congratulated on the result of his labours. The morning's sermon was based on the following texts — liuke xxviii., 15-16: " And they brought unto Him also infants, that He would touch them ; but when His disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not : for of such is the Kingdom"bf Heaven." ' Luke xxiii., 42-43 : "And he said unto- Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus Baid unto him, verily I say to thee, to-day shalt.thou be With me in paradise." The preacher said that his subject might be called " a study in contrast" — Christ and the little ones and Christ and the dying thief— Or " sunrise and sunset." He contrasted the privileges and blessedness of the children in the call given by Jesus Christ, with the dark picture of gloom and terror as repre sented by the Jhief on the oross previous to the promise given, to him by the Saviour. The preacher arew a vivid picture of sunrise and sunset, dwelling on their beauty when the clouds seemed to conspire to darken the suu'b rays. These were compared to the birth of Chiist at a time when the horizon was darkened with superstition and sin, and with the tender pity of the Lord as shown to the outlawed victim on the cross. The texts represented the pictures of Christ standing at the gateway of life saying " Let the little ones come unto Me" and Christ standing at the gate of death saying " To-day Bhalt thou be with me in paradise." 'The present was an age of study by comparison, and the preacher asked his hearers to look back in the midst of antiquity and see if the teachings of Buddha, Mahomet, or Confucius kindled anything like the hope that Christ's words did. ' Christ chose the little ones, and the ages were vindicating his choice. What were the parents doing in response to Christ's demand? They sent their children to Sunday School, but they owed them other duties. His reason for referring to the gloomy side of the picture was because over every child there hung a oloud of possible failure. Though a ohild was innocent and full of oharm today, there were snares for the feet of the unwary. The child might fail, even thongh nursed in a Christian home and surrounded with bright privileges. Children hod failed in the past, and many stories might be told of those' who were once Sabbath school children wandering from tho paths of rectitude, and ending their days as felons. Though Society and the Church sometimes said there was no hope for a life of failure, if he would turn to the tender mercies of. God He would cay to him, " This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." The feet of the little children would grow weary, but Christ, who met them at the gateway of life, would also maet them at the gate of death, and, in response to their prayer, would say, " This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Mr Williams concluded his discourse by stating that we' must all, however blameless may have v been, our lives, enter paradise tho same way as tha thief — throw ourselves -, on the tender mercies of Christ. At the afternoon servioe the address was to the children, the text chosen being Proverbs iv., 7 — " Wisdom is the principal thing ; therefore, get wisdom." The preacher, in simple language, impressed on the scholars the truth that wisdom was of more value than riches, and godliness better than gold, and illustrated his address by relating several interesting aneo"dotes. The test for the evening's sermon was ii. Timothy i., s— "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that \s in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy 'mother Eunice ; and lam persuaded that in thee also." The preacher said that the three persons mentioned in the text were three foright links in the golden chain by which God was seeking to bring the whole world to Himself, and the study of these icharacters threw a good deal of light on the burning question, " What is the best means- to save the world ?" Mr Williams thought there was little fear of faith, hope andlovo being destroyed so, long as the teue gu&rclWns of our faith— grandmothers and children— were in evidence', " The prayers, sse&l and devotion of 'saintly mothers was referred to as being the great need of New Zealand. The preacher oonoluded by urging his hearers to follow the example of Timothy and pass on the good news, and so ohase away the world's darkness and bring in the day when Christ shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied.