Bro. and Sister Maston arrived at Wellington on Lord's Day, February 15, 1880, and found Bro. Hislop awaiting them on the wharf. He took them to his home, and afterwards to the meeting of the church, where about sixteen brethren were assembled. This was not a very encouraging outlook for the young preacher, and we are not surprised that he wrote in his diary: "I will acknowledge that the prospects look dark, but I will work and try to do my part."

      The next day he attended a business meeting at the house of Bro. Gray, at which it was stated that the Church at Dunedin had sent a pressing invitation to Bro. Maston to attend the opening of their Tabernacle on the 22nd, so, although he had only just arrived, the Wellington brethren generously decided to let their preacher go.

      Leaving Wellington on the 18th, he arrived at Lyttleton the next day. T. H. Bates was down to meet him at the wharf, and took him to his house at Christchurch. Bro. Maston arrived at Dunedin on the 20th, and was met by Brethren Laurenson, Hislop, and M. W. Green. On Sunday, Feb. 22nd, the Tabernacle in Great King Street was opened for worship. A. B. Maston preached in the afternoon a sermon to the young on "Life's Dangers," and M. W. Green preached at night. On the Tuesday [27] evening a public meeting was held, at which A. B. Maston and others spoke.

      Returning to Wellington, he commenced evangelistic services in the Academy of Music, and began at once to draw large crowds. In his diary he wrote: "I am certainly very hopeful of the results of our labour in this city, and move forward trusting in Him, who doeth all things well. O Lord! Thou who host helped me in the past, be with me now, and grant Thy blessing to rest upon me, in the name of Christ."

      On the 4th of April, he baptised a young man in the public baths--the first fruits of his work. From that date baptisms were very frequent, and there were many enquirers.

      It was while at Wellington that he first preached his sermon on "The Bridge over the River of Sin," illustrated by a diagram. This chart afterwards became well-known over all Australasia through its circulation in tract form, and has been largely used by other preachers.

      In October of this year, Bro. and Sister Maston visited Christchurch, passing on to Dunedin in November. While at Christchurch, T. H. Bates brought Brethren T. Coop and H. Exley to that city, and a pleasant day was spent with these English visitors. Bro. Maston did a good deal of preaching at both places, with good results.

      Returning to Wellington, he continued to meet with success. Large meetings and many conversions were the order of the day. His name was now well-known throughout the Churches, and early in 1881, he received a cablegram from [28] Sydney, somewhat curiously worded thus:--"Acts sixteen nine, letter follows, reply paid, Thos. Hawkins." This invitation to take up evangelistic work in New South Wales was not accepted.

      A visit was paid to Auckland in October. He called at Nelson, and went with Bro. and Sister Barton to Spring Grove, where he met Bro. E. Lewis, who proceeded to Wellington to take Bro. Maston's place. At Auckland, Bro. Maston was met by Brethren Carthew and Beasley. He held a series of very successful meetings at this city, returning to Wellington in December.

      While at Auckland, he had received a telegram from Wellington, informing him of the purchase of a building site, at £8 per foot, and soon after this, the Church decided to erect a place of worship. Up to this time, they had been meeting in the Princess Theatre, Tory Street, but the membership at the close of the second year's labour numbered 161, and with six deacons and three elders, and a new, but thriving Sunday School, the brethren felt in good fettle for a forward movement.

      In May, 1882, another visit was paid to Dunedin, where he held successful meetings in the Tabernacle, and remained for several months, returning to Wellington in September. In December, he began a series of sermons on "The Tabernacle in the Wilderness," illustrated by large painted diagrams. These were the foundation of his subsequent lectures, published ultimately in book form, on "The Tabernacle." [29]

      By the beginning of October, 1883, the new chapel was completed, and the opening services were held on October 7. E. E. Lewis, of Nelson, came specially to conduct the meetings, at the conclusion of which Bro. Maston visited Nelson, in exchange with Bro. Lewis, and stayed there till early in December.

      On Jan. 19, 1884, he went to Christchurch, and spoke at the opening of the new chapel in that city. While there, he met J. J. Haley, who was on a visit to the church at that place.

      The happy and prosperous engagement at Wellington concluded on Feb. 11, 1884, Bro. Maston having received an invitation from the Church at Hobart, Tasmania. When he arrived from America, he found the Church at Wellington a feeble and discouraged company of 24; when he left for Hobart, the membership had grown to 217, and a convenient place of worship had been erected. Hundreds of friendships had been formed, and an attachment for New Zealand had been cultivated which remained with him to the end of his days. In after years, the New Zealand brethren supported him very warmly in his plans and projects, and many of them contributed very liberally to his assistance when the treatment of his disease made calls upon him which he was unable to meet without help.

      When Bro. Maston first arrived in Wellington, a local paper, "The Wellington Chronicle," described the preacher and his audience thus:--

      "Mr. A. B. Maston, who unmistakably hails from the States, has taken his Sunday evening stand in the Academy of Music, and has gathered around [30] him a characteristic congregation . . . We must confess to a great liking for Mr. Maston's style of preaching. It is rugged, no doubt, but it is forcible and homely, and, we believe, thoroughly sincere. Mr. Maston is in earnest, and he evidently wishes everybody else to be so. It is no ordinary undertaking for a man to hold the attention of a crowded theatre during a Sunday evening, unaided by music or the usual accessories of religious worship. Mr. Maston begins his discourse in a quiet, unassuming fashion, and ends it without studied peroration or flashy, effect. His words are calculated to sink deeply into the hearts of his hearers."

      Some idea of the earnest spirit of the young preacher may be gained from the entries in his diary at the close of each Lord's Day. Almost every week we find an entry such as these:

      "O Lord, bless the preaching of Thy Word to the salvation of many souls. I ask not for honour, or riches, but for strength to do Thy will." "I move forward trusting in Him who doeth all things well. O Lord, Thou who hast helped me in the past, be with me now, and grant Thy blessing to rest upon me, in Christ's name, Amen." "O Lord, bless the word spoken to Thy name's honour and glory." "O Lord, make me willing to do Thy work on all occasions."

      It was Bro. Maston's custom to spend the mornings in study, preparing his sermons for the following Sunday, the texts for which were always well in hand by the Monday or Tuesday. In the afternoons, he would receive or pay calls, members and outsiders coming in for about an equal share [31] of his attentions. His diaries indicate prolonged and earnest interviews with enquirers after the truth, and many souls were won through personal dealings in this way.

      Bro. Maston's influence, during these few years, had been felt throughout all the Churches in New Zealand. He was not a man of one Church, but had such a fund of vitality and zeal that nothing less than a continent would satisfy him.

      Speaking of Bro. Maston's preaching, we have the testimony of so good a judge as Dr. J. C. Verco, of Adelaide, to this effect: "When Bro. Maston prayed, and when he taught, he often deeply affected me, far more so than most speakers. There was usually, too, something very quaint and uncommon and original in his deliverances, and his illustrations were striking, and to the point. He was always clear, and no one could fail to understand what he meant when he dealt with any subject from the platform." [32]

[LABM 27-32]