| We opened our new chapel at Wellington, in the county of Somerset, December 31st, 1848. The services on the occasion commenced, at 7 o'clock in the morning, with a prayer meeting. At 10½, Mr. James Thorne delivered an excellent discourse from Psalm cxxxii. 8, 9. "Arise, 0 Lord, into thy rest; thou and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy." The Almighty answered prayer, and manifested his gracious presence in the hearts of his people. At 1½, about 60 of us sat down to the table of the Lord; it being our regular ordinance day; and Brother Thorne delivered to us the symbols of the dying body of our adorable Saviour. At 2½ o'clock, Mr. J. Gammon, of Somerton, preached a good sermon, from Rev. xiv. 6, 7, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of the heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." He was graciously assisted, especially towards the close, when bringing home the truth to bear on the mind and the conscience: it was calculated, not only to put the audience in remembrance of what they might have experienced before, but to urge them to advance in the right direction. At 6, Brother Thorne preached again, from Isaiah lvi. 6, 7. "Also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offering's and their sacrifices shall be accepted on my altar: for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." He continued the regular service till near 9 o'clock. At ten we commenced our Watch-night, and continued till we entered on the new year. The Pastor, and the brethren Gammon and Thorne officiated; a goodly number attended; and all evinced the solemnity that became the occasion. Thus ended the year 1848, in our New Chapel at Wellington. On Monday, January lst, 1849, the opening services were continued. At 2½ o'clock, the Rev. W. Winlow, Independent Minister of Wellington, preached from Psalm cxxvii. 1, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." The sermon was fraught with energetic truth, and no doubt heard with delight by those who could experimentally join with the pious poet in singing: - Yes, Yes, though of sinners I'm the worst, I cannot doubt thy will; For if thou hadst not loved me first, I had refus'd thee still." At 5 o'clock one hundred and fifty persons took tea. When the tables were removed, the Pastor was called to the chair, and suitable addresses delivered by the brethren Gammon, Warne, and Thorne. My worthy colleague gave us a most interesting speech, in reference to the circumstances that took place at Beersheba, and at Luz, and why Jacob called the latter place Bethel - applying the name to the building in which we were assembled; announced to the audience, that it was entered in the Bishop's court as a place of religious worship in that name: and observed that the Queen herself had no right to molest us. He concluded by stating a few of the purposes for which that house had been built: - 1. As a house of prayer. - 2. To communicate christian experience - 3. To preach the ever-blessed gospel. On the whole the opening services gave very general satisfaction. I am not prepared to give a correct statement of the rise and the progress of our cause at Wellington. I think a few young females who had been converted in the country, came into the town to obtain employment, introduced the means of grace, and were its principal supporters for many years. The cause was very low: only a few seemed to notice it at all. In the course of years Mr. R. Thorne, a native of Devonshire, who had been a successful Class-Leader among the, Wesleyan Methodists in tile town, and had done much to establish the cause in that body, thought it his duty to join the almost unnoticed little band; and it is chiefly by his instrumentality that the Chapel has been built. - He purchased the land for the building; has devoted much time and labour the last twelve months in superintending the building, and has given £100 towards its erection. The Missionary Committee have done nobly in encouraging him in his enterprise. The Chapel is a well constructed building; 45 feet long, 20 wide, in the clear. The premises are surrounded by a stone wall, and include land sufficient to build two cottages and a vestry. The whole secured by a legal trust deed; and free from debt, except six pounds for seats. We have 50 persons in church-fellowship with us, several of whom are local preachers, and two appointed to visit the school. If the minister can make it convenient to attend, we administer the sacrament once a month; and as the bread and wine are given, the receipts of the sacrament are divided to the sick poor of our society; chiefly at the discretion of the visitors. Wellington is a manufacturing town; and with its suburbs has a population of about eight thousand; great numbers of whom are in very humble circumstances: to have a convenient chapel to attend where they will have but little, or no seat rent to pay, we hope they will appreciate as a great privilege, and that it will be made to them a rich blessing. One reason why I have been so well pleased with our opening services is, that I have heard so much that is calculated to profit, and so little to displease and wound. I do think that the brethren who are called to officiate on those more popular occasions, have need to be much on their guard: when providence inclines the rich to be charitable to the poor, every christian heart will glow with thankfulness; but when bigotry would withhold from the poor because they do not worship in the same sanctuary, who can help feeling? But, if we speak of it in large assemblies, it is needful to state the case clearly. God alone reads the heart. The tree is known by its fruit. Again, many that belong to other branches of the church, and never design to change, will pay us a friendly visit on those occasions, and with a true intention to help us. Ought we not to be very careful that we suffer nothing to drop calculated unnecessarily to pain their minds? Again I have heard unguarded remarks at such times, about persons removing from one Section of the church to another. It is not always the case that a sick person is actually dying, because his bed is not so easy as he could wish. Good men have gone from us, to the Methodist, Baptist, Independent, Primitive Methodist, New Connexion, and Methodist Association denominations &c. And no doubt some have enlarged their sphere of labours, and usefulness by doing so. And on the contrary, no doubt, there are many useful, and honourable members among us now, who were once with some other branch of the church. The remarks of old Mordecai the Jew to Esther the Queen, I have thought is somewhat applicable to our case at Wellington:-Esther iv. 14. "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace now at this time, then shall enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place ; but thou and thy Father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this." May we labour to know, and do our heavenly Father's will, whatever men may think or say. R. S. |