Farewell Sermon.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 5698, 30 June 1902, Page 2

Farewell Sermon.

' The Eev. W. Lamb, who for the past ' three years has been pastor of the Ash- [ burton Baptist Church, preached his farej well sermon m the Tabernacle last evening to a good congregation. The reverend, gentleman has accepted an offer from a pastorate m the Wellington district, whither he goes shortly. During the time Mr Lamb has laboured among the Baptists of Ashburton,he has made himself extremely popular by his unassuming manner, and devoted attention to the work connected with his church. Last evening he took for his text the 20th chapter of Acts of the Apostle 3, the 22nd verse, where St. Paul, m his farewell discourse to the Ephesians said, " For I have not shrunk to declare unto you all the counsel of God," and he also quoted the same Apostle m the Ist Epistle to the Corinthians, 2nd chapter, and the 2nd verse, " For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus | Christ, and him crucified." This, the pastor j said, was a solemn time with him, the j solemn parting time between true Chris- j tians, which came even harder to him than the parting with ordinary friends. The good-bye to the old people he found particularly hard, as no doubt he would never more meet them on thiß earth, but could only hope to mingle with them again m their eternal home. He had done his best the three years he had been among them to reach their hearts, not by the flowery and eloquent language of the latter day preacher, or by elegant discourses on science, politics, etc., so dear to the modern mind, but by simple unadorned language to lay before them the Gospel of Jesu3 Christ. Like St. Paul, he stood before them m fear and trembling, realising his responsibility to God; he could only exhort them to repentance, to hold fast to the blessed faith of Jesus Christ, and when each one's time had come they would be able to give a good account of their doings here on earth. Now that the time of parting had come, he stood before them once more like Paul, to exhort and pray with them; he had examined himself and his life for the last three years, and he felt he could stand there before God and men, and say that he had truly endeavoured by God's help to preach His Gospel. He would never stand there m the pulpit any more, m all probability, but he hoped they would all agree with hin. that he had done his best; and, wherever stationed, he would always try to live up to the standard of his calling. He prayed with them all that night to seek God's peace while there was time, before the darkness of eternity closed around them.