THE REV. DR. GIBB.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 115, 7 February 1908, Page 8

THE REV. DR. GIBB.

OF' ORDINATION. . PRESENTATION AND F.VREWELL - " ,A vor J' hearty and cordial sooial gathering • held in tho Dixon Street-Hall last ovon- - ln g to ; commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of tho ordination of the Rev. Dr ' Glbb,- and to ,bid farewell to Dr. and Mrs' ■■', Glbb prior to their .visit to the Old Country: /:; Thoi parishioners', of St. John's:'attended in •Jarg?. force .to, do honour to . their • minister James. M'lCorrow occupiod the chair, and on the .platform-.woro the other officeboarors.', of the church and • fellow ministers of Dr. Gihb , \ After the meeting, had been opened by . tho smging of ' the ' Old Hundredth, 'followed , , Vy prayer, the Chairman, read apologies' forabsence, from: Bishop iWallis, tho Revs J / Dawson, J. Reed: Glasson,' J. J. North,, W | -•••• Comrie, Messrs. Mackonzie, J. A ■ •Troup.,,and others. ■• The Bishop wrote that . he ,|very heartily tho good , wishes , which would be, extended *to Dr. Gibb; whose ■ v presenoo, in- Wellington had: been -a .source ofi many, -blessings.;- He regretted that an iipportant ni«ot-mg at Wanganui ,prevented jhim frora'betns present- ■ 1 ■ | - "REV. J." PATJiRSON'S SPEECH. -, .After,.a .couple of songs had been given,* ithe Rev., J. Paterson rose to siioalt- s Ho ~ stated that.,tho occasion was >a very interest-' , - jng; ono, whon a minister had been so long , ~ in ministerial work as.twenty-fivo years, and on loolnng baclc upon his work--he was'sure that Dr. -Gibb, other minister'in itho crrcnmstances, would I have very mingled ;- , (feelings. Be would. foal great thankfulness ;, for the 'oppdrtumty and ability, and strength-that -had i heon given him- to carry out God's work, »nd at tho samo tiirie ho would hav,e a', feeling,; as-any. minister, would' have,, of: rogrct and/sorrow that ho had not <lono.-mor« dnriTig' the "time; / and he - would ■ feel-that if' ho had to: bc£;in his', lifo anoW'. he woiild hopc' to work even- more earnestly ■and successfully. That hatf"been: tho speak.••"i < " , ' s - feeling, and' ho' had 1 passed ' not: merely '• tho; t^entyrfifth;- 1 but Uie 'fiftiethv.:year , ■ in. his; - ordained ministry.;; , (Applause.) • JTo. was glad'to, see such a large and-hearty • •••!.• ;J*ieetlng.-and glad that, after the hard-work in which ■ Dr: Gibb had been engaged for , many., years' ho was: getting ..this- time; for . rest, and change. He could not express/a ■bettor, wish for him and for his good -wifo/ ... thani~that, they- onjoy . their trip . a:; ' much as he had enjoyed'his visit Bonio'sorae ; . -.years ago, and return as refreshed;;■ and ■ strengthened, and: invigorated. , He was de-'. "gbted ,to see St. John's stilh flourishing,with a_,strong, ykorous,' healthy, congregation. ' He prayed that God would bless thom- , slid thoic .minister,'- and that thoy. might i n i c r e ?®® ln their, religious life more, and moro ■

REV. J. K ELLIOTT V* J - Kennedy Elliott said that tho Aberdeen salutation, "Happy to meet ?v hope to. nieet again," comprised the sum and substance of übat ho I Ho, wri ? VOI 7 Phased to be present, first, because he w anted very heartily to congratulate tho St John's congro-v tion oni the condition of thoir church horandlj,,ho wished to.oxpressy very hone-itlv and sincerely, the very high e,teem he had foi their nunistei. br Giblr had >alwavs seemed to him to he a man of rerv ostiniable qualities. He referred to t(ic abashed guest's added ° f com P ():,1 and iumsJf C who t Tike mired him for was his noblo WltV Dr ■ riM l Pe }' > evangelical truth'' be' "trLJtf i rightly Earned to when a b™other" was always glad to p„T around him" t liSLf <5 flint w-mif? - the machinerr ■« * ™»TittaS' b virf' s ""' ' d°own ~h{ , I t fe6llnSS would occur' He^s aMatt? ills he.Jiad (Laughtor ) But ho was iKn soi-ry on pnblic grounds.: Ho' could -ilwnvl = because he know that ?he

MR. J. G. W. AITKEN, MP behiVf J o { G \bi' tk °u' M P -' saKl that on Denait pt tho. .office-bearers, coner'ecatinri and lnrrself ho w ls hed to i,"' niat ho mrjht he 3paro( | f or another t » tv . jearsj and as many-more after .that fn He&Mnu&w I'f •' • j'jessnigs that' would ha'vo rW °n " ra ," 1 !» s wanderinss. VHe ;could the^Oonnfti" I^ iderstand^how. any./minist«. of, - S^? a i e ln tfl,B ou tpost' of, tho ' his brptKr?' ' v me !nto -contact with lai^er' variety, who, wore working from difforpht points ,of view - in ; distant lands™' Bo had t ? 1 a< i J® 16 - 7 havo verv excel- : Jent« supply; while', Dr. = Gibb was, abs/n> Wt V- , l d M g w'' lt i y miss him at their head' Xhey, W^hed; both; Dr.", and: Mrs. ?Gibb 1W freshpH -in- l ]' r pturii,; much refreshed in ; body and m spirit., '(Applause.)

THE CHAIRMAN. ; course' of his re-' said.:— The full results of 'Drf'Gibb's twenty-fivo years .-ministerial' God ■ alone, can : know., 'But; human _ standard, BuccKsfnl.vand. .distinguished; lit ; i s no^ : : .to ££ ■ Johns,V'.HiSipnlpifc minibratibns.jhavo'-bcon of a very i)gh ..order, ,evan K elicil;''ethical happily ■; illustrated, ,;and'' delivered' pathos, and .eloquence fitted'to stir', thb dullest' soul., - As-a. pastor he- has ■ been unwearied in his .visuation.. of. those, languishing; on beds • i -'jf, l ?; "•W.'hc'niM. ther,o is.a' most . giatefu l - rccollcctipn. or ; his" kindness. In public questions making,.for. ; right'eous'ness in " ! and Doinmion, ho has .taken ; 'i ;. stated JK Oil)b. had.fully maintained:the position,of .mAuenco so lqpgjlieldiby.St. Jofin's, - both asi. .a cqngrcg»tipn.;and in/ thP. further snco of-,Homo -and. Foreign Missionsi-and other organisations of Ithp: Church/- " And ; .Dr.: Gibb,"ha.- added, " ; on 'this ®J' s I.havoito assuro you and v u)Dp s of; tho Idvo and rospect - of .Johns • congrEgatip,n;-..y In'. tho Mong. journey you aro about to'undertake we wish you God'Jpow,. a • joyous time \of 'recreation, .and . a happy .return! to your family, and congrc)»tipn.v.ln:tpken,pf thpsp sentimpnts, I have fte .pleasure of handing yoji a' gift, which, though - small l ! in :.-bullc,-* r contains, a good - deal ef -potentiality.'.', .. V.;;_ . > ' ' ' REV. .DR.';GIBB 7 'IN REPLY.' : : Ther ßev. 'Dr.-;Gibb :said :that- ho. thanked the people.of; St:' John'svmost.heartily, ;.for their kindncßs t-ohim.; He toptit- as-a; veiy great-lrindness that he could" say farewell- to such' largo .num(>ers ; ; as . were -tbereiv He, wished : to thank his ofEce-bearers,; and.-'to, thank tho Church for the'.furlpnghgranted him. Ho did notx think- that . ..be- was.'ia

absolute-physical • tiootl •of the 'furlough his usual (no weeks' •-holiday-. in- Now- Zealand would, probably have set. him up again, .tho,ugh ..ho confosseil 'to : havingfelt lately-a very tired,and over-clrirpn.man. -The contact ' tjn ;6 1K^ 1 ',hien .s, minds; aiid benefits of new environment, were as important as physical rest. . Ho. hoped .to. come, back strong from every point of viow for 'tlio great work: which they had.called him,to dp nnioiig tlictn. He i wjshod to-thank tlioiri'^foi-'.i]i<> furlough, especially for his wife's sake. Whatever good work, ho had dono during the twenty-five ■years, whatever .'service /hp / had rendered them was largely duo to her inspiration. Ho inferred.briefly to tho prosperous growth of tho church, and stated t|mt.into his task at St. John's lho had put every onjico of strength that God had given him. Ho'wished to : eriiphasise''jiiore/' than, his own work tho strong co-operation which ; he had, received from his office-bearers—lie did not think that • any*other .church -had..office-bearers quite so good—and from his congregation. Without •their: help, ho could - never have achieved whatever success bad been accomplished: Ho •thanked thom for their, many, kindnesses, and lor. their gracious and.kindly gift. Ho had ho-mo'ro: fervent'desire than that, they might oonio back-to their-family, and to tho con-. :gregation/.which ' ho.. had' lpved from his 'first connection with/it, and .which' ho had' loved with a deeper fullness' with every passing year. . . _•? The rest of tho evening was occupied with rofreshmonts,- -mnsicj .- and .-social , intercourse.