Hawridge Common.
New Mission Hall - The opening of the new Mission hall on Hawridge Common took place on the 16th last, when about 150 adults were present, although the hall is built for a much less number. The preaching was with power, and the order good. The opening of a Mission Hall on such a place as Hawridge Common calls to mind a text in Isaiah, which runs thus:”The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” This was spoken dispensationally by the prophet; but dispensationalist thruths cast their shadows beforehand; so does this as in the case of the opening of this hall.
It would appear from what we can glean of the history of this work, that about three years ago a working man opened a cottage meeting at Hawridge, which was generally well attended, but his health failing, there was no one to carry on the work, and a Christian woman came over and asked if the brethren at Hope Hall, Berkhmasted, would take up the work there.
This matter was prayerfully considered, and very shortly eight working men volunteered their services to go, two of them every Lord’s day, and conduct the services. These men are not great preachers, but can tell from warm hearts of God’s love to sinners; but they belong to the same class as those referred to in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, and referred to by Tyndale when he completed the translation of his Bible.
The meetings having been well attended from the first, and the cottage having been found much too small, the matter was laid before the Lord that he would give a larger room. The answer to this was that God laid it on the heart of one of his children to purchase a piece of freehold land and build a room capable of seating 100 people at her own expense. On the 17th last a public tea meeting was held - 6d. each - when many more than 100 took tea together, and the rest of the evening was spent in listening to able Gospel addresses. A week of Gospel services have been well attended, closing on Sunday last, when the Hall was filled. May God speed the Gospel in these dark villages, and gather out a goodly company to the risen Christ in glory.