RE-UNION AT WEST TAMAKI.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1783, 7 April 1863, Page 3

RE-UNION AT WEST TAMAKI.

On Thursday, 2nd Apiil, the members of the Presbyterian congregation, West Tamnki, with a few nriuisteiial ninl other friends, were invited to a social reunion in the School-house theto, on the ocensiou of Mr <A. Tlionison's presenting to their much lespecled pastor, the Rev. John Macky, of Otahuhn, a tableau containing the portiaits of all the members of the church assembling thcic. The picturo is the performance of Mr. Thomson, an amateur photographer, ami so admirably is it executed, that the most accomplished ■ aitiifc need not be ashamed of such a piodiiction. The entertainment was of the most reclieicht desciiption, and lpflocted veiy great cicdit on the ladies who had piovided it. \Y. T. Taylor, Esq., occupied the chair, the duties of which he pei fin ined most efficiently. After the good things liad been pai taken of, l\lr. Thomson proceeded to aildioss his friends in a'vciy clever anil characteristic speech. Ho glanced over the various groups of poiliaits, making sonic pleasing comments on each, and concluded by lequestiug the Rev. J. Macky to accept his humble eftoit with all it's faults and blemishes, and e> pressed an earnest liope tliat lie miuht long be spaied to " break the biend of life" to his flock. On leceiving the pictiue, the lcveiend gentleman spoke as follow s ;—; — I will not attempt to expiess bow much T feel on this occasion. It is possible for the sense of obligation fotf favours conferred to become all but oppressive, especially when theip is a strong conviction in one's mind of the incompatibility of bis deceits with the kindness he has leceived Snob, to a cut tain e\tent, is the state of m\ feelings at tliis moment. Doubtless it is the duty of Clnisti.in congregatrons "to know them who labour among them and me over them in the Loid, and adninm-h them, and to esteem tliem veiy higlily in love for their vv oik's s-aKo . " and although the manner in which my set vices have bren uniformly appreciated by the people to whom it is. my high piivilego to rurnistci, iiiut tin, undfvialin^ nhection tovvaids me which they have exhibited, liavo been indeed moit dueling and (.■ncotu.igrng ; nevertheless, I novving the value of Hie (Jo-prl ministiy — immense beyond all rah illation to those who aie piofited bv it — and magnifying not m\->olf but my office, 1 have felt that 1 might duly say with the .\postlc, and with nil my fellow -labouieis, "It we l-.vve sown unto you spiritual things, i-, it a gieat thing if we shall reap yourc-unal things '" lint thoic aie instances in which the paitialiry of individual Christians for their pastor is ro eminently disintciested, nn<l their efforts to stiongthen and cheei and eonitort him so unweaiying, and withal so uno->tent itiou-, that to lecehe all this with cold official dignity, as it it were a matter, of debt, would he to exalt the iinpoitanee of our position at the expense of thoicvvarm gushes of leciprocal kindliness and n (Tec turn which constitute a Inge poition of the amenities of life. Smely, the pie--cnt is one of those instances of /onions endeavour to hononi' the connection subsisting bt tween a pastor and his flock, vvlikh dcscive to bo accounted nieinoi able and exemplary, mid vvliich uflect vimv hijjh distinction upon their promote) 1 ), and lender them most jiiitly entitled to a grateful puMio acknowledgment. 1 am wtll awato, 1113 l ' eai " *•"• (addressing Mi. Thomson) that jou have not anticipated and do not scd; for such a leeognition of your kindncs: and that what 3011 have done in this, as in many other benignant act-., of which few aie cognisant, has been the <-p<mUncous fruit of a soul which dili<;htrth in dev'sing libci.d things. Ido not just now leeollecfc how \ou weie fiist ltd to <.tudj the ait of photogiaphy ; but T well lcinpiulicr T was glad you entcied upon it, as being likely to afford you pleasing nppoitunities of gialifjing jour mimeions friends in some of those hours of leiiure which the absence of \v 01 Idly cue--, proem ed by past jeais of industry and a happy freedom from a spuit of avniice, had enabled ym to enjoy. Having no oppoitunity ot being instiucted by anra-itci, \ our progress wai necessauly mniked by difficulties ; but the fuilutes which would have soiely tried the lesolution of many otheis, only appeared to strengthen your determination to succeed in acquii ing this delightful ait, which, by enabling " the million " to posses-, the likenesses of dear friends, ti.iccd with all the exactness and truthfulness which only a n.itmal law can iiisiue, has been an abundant source of 1 a tional enjoyment to human heaits, Yom steady pcrsevei.wce was at length lewnided, by a liigo measme of success, not ceitaiuly of a peouniaiy natmc — that you did not aim at-- but in attaining skill in the ait, and in confcriing f.ivouis upon jour friends. Then it was that your hoo.it, boating with wanu affection for the members, of this congregation in which } 011 .11 ea 1 tiling e'der, and for me yom minister, did oiiginnte the conception whidi we behold matuied and embodied in this beautiful pictiue, of winch your geneiosity has now made me the possessor. So fai as T know, the idea i-, peifeetly oiiginal, and the design unique. It is at li'.ist pi etty cci tain that you aie the fiiat phologiaphei in New Zealand — if not in the whole Southern Ilemisphcie — who has pioductd a picture conniosed (if the Hkenest-es of all the membeis of a condonation, with their minister, and the chinch in winch they vv 01 ship ; and th it you aie the fust who his presented, an<l T the fust who has leceived, such a gift. Veiy few can have anj just conception of the time and tiouble which you have devoted to this work, and the patient assiduity with which jou have lab nod for its completion. When all this i-> taken into account, the intiinsic value of the picture, as a work of art, must be veiy considerable ; but altogether apart from thi«, it is, lot me as«mo you, a gift which I hold in wiy high estimilion, and for which I beg to return jou my most sincere and hcutUt thanks. It has been said, "a pictiue is a poem in itself," 1 and this will afford to me, as [ gaze on ita constituent fvytinits, a plcasuic equal to that pioduocd by the finest (lowers ot poesy, It will also bo a constant and powerful remembrancer of my duty to my flock, and it will be, mmeovei, an historical repi emulation of this congregation to those who shall renuru after us, when we shnll have gone the way of all flesh, and when the~place which now know*, us, shall know us no moie again for ever. 1 might pay much moie than this — I might speak in still higher terms of your genuine kindness of lieait, of jonr Christian libemlity, and yom zealous co opeialion 111 evciy goo'l v\oik — but to do so wou'd, T fear, only pain fully disttub the quiet of an humble lieait, which would much piefui to go ou beating tianquilly, with steady ptu pose, all legnidless of the praise of men. I cannot, howevor, befoie sitting down, foiboai Mijing how much is owing by us all to the patient oheei fulness with which j\j is. Thomson welcomed the almost daily inconvenience to which the pieparation of the pictiue lias for months exposed bet, iiiul the waim-heaiteil manner in which she discharged tho heavy tax upon her hospitality which it has likewise entailed ; and I date not in justice omit to mention the name of another lady, of considoiablo aitistic bkill and cultivated tnste, who enteied mobt coidially into your v ievvs, and gav e hoi valuable assistance vv'ith nil her chniacteiistic eneigy and /eal — that lady is Mis. Bums, tho wife of our other excellent ruling elder, hctsclf the accomplished conduotoi of the school here, and 0110 who (about a much in the Lord, and ministers to ua of her substance. To nil of you, my dear friends, who have cheeied mo in all my laboms, and comfoitcd me in my souows, by j-our unifottn loving-kindness and cateful attendance on my ministintion ; who, by sitting for join likenesses, have contributed to this beautiful and valuable gift, and who, by your piesenco to day, have added so much to the cchit of its piesentntion, and shown a proper appreciation of the noble and disinterested kindness of heart to you and to mo which our mutual friend has exhibited, T beg to tender my warmest acknowledgments Again 1 thank you, my 'dear Mr. Thomson, hv your great and successful effbt t to honour me as your minister and your friend, and I pray that you may be long spnred to enjoy your brightest pleasuie — the pleasure of doing good and of making others happy. The audience was next addressed by tho Rev. D. BnuoE, who Gxprc<s?d gieat plonsute at meeting so many friends on such an occasion. He remarked that seven years had elapsed since theie had been an assembly of the sane kind at TiuraV, when the people presented to their beloved minister his pulp'rt robes. He considered they had improved ou their gifts, and that the present was a still stronger expression ot, the wwm auction whioh' thry entertained towards

him. 110 suggested tftfill , they; .should at once bestir themselves and erecfe'ti 'church of larger dimensions and better- proportions, and thafc thou.,o, frosh picture might be, ta,ken, un which the new church should orcupy a promineht position, • so Mint the picture* being placed side by side, the exhibitor might say, "Look on thii picture and on that," the old building-, identified with our .hopes and associated, with many pleasant thoughts,— the new one, our > expressi6n of'giatitudb to Owl for the success witn ' which ho has ciowncd our labours. The lev. gentleman stated hU unfeigned satisfaction at witnessing ijuoli*" pleasant feelings subsisting between a minister and his ' people; and again urged that the idea of a new election, should speedily assume a tangible fprm, and, wishing' minister and people much success and happiness, Bat down amid applause. The Rev. T. Nonrni? being next called on by the ' Chairman, stated that it gave him great satisfaction to ' be present on this inteiesting occasion, and in every- ' thing seconded the Rev. D. Bruces remarks, whom hp "■' accused of stealing his text. He observed that many"' people consider the building of chinches' aa secular * woiks. He did not look upon it as such, and he believed that the man who really serves (tod, and has the advancement of His glory at heaifc, ' will not be content unless God be honoied by a suitable place for the obsei vance 'of His public worship ; and he urged upon the congregation to make a united effort, and show their attachment to God's seivice by at once com- * m6ncing the election of a handsomer and more com- > modious church. '' Tlio Rev. R. McFCrsNT and J. Thorn also rongiululated the Rev. .T. Slacky on the possession of such a pleasing- memento of his congregation, and hoped that he would be long spared to minister amongst ' them. The Rev. P. MAdON remarked that the presentation, ' suggested many intei eating thoughts to his mind. He looked upon the connection between a pastor and his people in exactly the same light as that which exists between a father and his childien ; and he hoped that he would see the same poisons grouped together on another occasion — one infinitely more momentous than the pieeent, when their minister would be able to pre«ent all his flock before the tin one of God, and say, " Jleie am T and the children which Thou hast given me." What a gloi ions rewaul would that be for all his anxieties and toils and eaie". T>ut much depended upon the people themselves ; unless there be the concurrents of their own minds, unless in faith and prayer they deteimine to use their pi ivilegps aright, ghmg hped to the truth and leceiving it in love, their minister's labotus would be in vain. He then, in an earnest and affectionate manner, besought those before him to give their pastor the happiness and satisfaction of. seeing his childieu walking in the truth. The proceedings were then closed by praise and prayer, and the company sepainted, having spent n few houis in tlio most pleasant and profitable manuei. — C'ohimitiwotccl,