RE-OPENING OF THE Gore Presbyterian Church.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 15, Issue 1157, 9 February 1892, Page 4

RE-OPENING OF THE Gore Presbyterian Church.

Tee enlargements to the Gore Presbyterian Church arts now an accomplished fact The , old building laving become far 100 small to hold the audienoee which from time to time ' assembled to. worship there, the necessary! steps were taken to remedy this defect, wuti , the result that tne completed builliug was' opened last Sabbath for public worship. JL'ne addition was elfeoced by buildiug a vow > nave right across tbe old cuilding, luruiag tne remaining portions of the old buildiugj into transepts m the form o£ a cross, aud pi icing ihe sittings right across the centre, with a pussage down each siue. i'he pulpit' stands at the b6ud of tue cross at the west* side of the building, and is railed round in modern fashion, with a plain.ireadiug deak in the centre. The obo>r ia situated right in front of the minister's platform, aad 18 railed off in a similar manner. The .seats', iv the transepts are on the old floor and art) level, but in the new part they rise with a' gentie slope towards tne back. The old/ entrance remains the same, and a new eutt.ince has been made from Kook street, so that either can be used according to the vagaries of the wind, or both if desired. Ac the north end of the old buildiug a tiae commodious vestry has been erected, winch will be used for pia/er meetiugs anu HuoiuL gatherings in connection witn the congrcga-, tiou. L'be church is seated for 270 aUuus, without tie addition of folding seats ' rouna. the passages capable of scaling 60 persons mare. The additions and furnishings aras expected to cost about LSUO, a considerable proportion of which has been, raised by the, congregation. .Regarding trie buiidiug, it' only furtuer remains to be said that thW architect was Mr W. Sharp, A.M.JLO;lti,,' Xuvercargill ; the contractor was Mr H. tiiown of the same city, THE OPENING Hventuated on Sabbath last. Di Stnarr, of Dunedin, came for the purpose, aud all ar» ruugeindnts had been made. UufoituHatei v however, the flue weather Which has pro vailed of lafce terminated on Saturday evea« ing, and Suadaywas passed with heavy rain, wnicu considerably detracted from toe attendance at the services. The congregations, both morning and evening, wore large notwithstanding, and could not nave beta accommodated by a long way in the ' old uundiug. lhe doctor was particularly happy in his morning lessons, and his reaxHt&a thereon, wh«n he took for Ms theme che dedication of the temple and the liben-ltty of the people in bringing much moie than enough for the maintenance of it, so muca so that they had to be restrained fiom bringing any more. He hoped that this would be the case with the Wore con* gregation. Only iv one instance, at .Wax. wera, when opening the new oh area there some years ago, had he ever had auch an experience, wnen tbe . treasurer of the congtegation stood up when he was making h'« remarks,, and said, •« Sir, we have Ho more than enough to open the church free o£ debt." la the afternoon the doctor addreased the 'children of tue aaobath school and their friends, when there waa a larga attendance. In the evening the doctor took for his subject "Family worship, and its importance in the home, with its effect abroad " and gave some excellent advice. Dp cJma'rt was m excellent "fettle" all day, aud at times his free use of hiß native Doric was particularly refreshing to many of hu hearers. Tbe collections for the dav amounted to Ll6. . ■■ r"/ THE SOIRE& Last evening the soiree was held in the Town -Hall It took fcha formof acombinS r^-openm^ and anniversary soiree, auu proved very successful, As usual, the liberality of the ladies was exceedingly abundant, and provisions were forward in great quantity aad excellent quality. A change iv 2 usual order in respect of the tables wks ■bade, in getting the young ladies of th? congregation to wait on the guests, assiatnd by the young gentlemen, the n»Sd?3S superintending the arrangements of la,?™ out, etc., in the afternoon. Dircctlv /ft«> batf-past six the tab.es were filled, »& Jf£ grace was said full justice was done totbe eatables, and the youth and beauty of Gore were taxed lo iheir utmost in providiofifS the wauuof the visiting friends for •£& £ hour. We noticed amongst those waitim*^ the tables the Misses ctJSSTHS'fJ* W'& McQuame, John.toL, Ch iaUe* JJ 00 <»> Ward, Thorn, Sarginson s£s£? Watt, Aburn, and Brass and thnSi with one consent .eemed ben« on miniatitae to tne creature comforts of everyone ™™* After the tables had been cleared a war the choir sang the 17th Anthem : aod IS a short prayer by the Key. Mr Asher and the siugmg of hymn 156 by the choir The Bev.J.Aßher said the nexT&mwM the chairman address. He did not feel that there was anything particular to Vav or that it web necessary to say aiaob. &>m« fourteen months had passed aiucel he fiSt occupied that platform, but fo B . B meOke yesterday since he had corr^ amongsTthi and Wabbatha he W spent amongst them and the sermona he had preached, it seemed a long tuae. In looking back the feelingae aaa waa one of proud thankfulness for the health and strength vouchsafed to them. He felt and realised more than ev«r how much he had been benefited by being their minister ; it waa for them to say how much they had been benefited by his ministry, rhey were looking forward now to another fear, and longing to do more than in the past, fie hoped to see more workers than n the, past and to have more of bis congregation assistiug him. Bat he was not going a make a long speech. He looked cm umßelf that night as their general, nurihailinjf bis forces on his right and on hi« eft and hdhind him, and aa a general kept ilwa/s behind the army to direct and out 1 danger and of the reach of ballets so he neaat to taken back seat, and co joy him. bW, leaving the talking to others. H 8 Jm a»mg on the choir to sing, when Dr Copland aaked, leave to iaterrant th« Npotyyi fora little wbtte. u iSS«5}

to discharge a ple-aunt duty laid on him by thf ladies of the congregation, and that wafi to present their minister with a pulpit cloak or robe. He did not know if the ladiea who had undertaken this labor of love had in Tiew the message of the Apostle Paul to Timothy—" The cloak I left at Paphos when thou comest bring with thee," but they had commissionsd him to briDg a cloak with him and he had done bo. The subject of a cloak WBB a suggestive one, and capable of being handled many ways, theologically and otherwise, but he did not intend to make a long BDOtch. I'here was much ado and mucb said in Eome_ churches übout stolea, ana black and white gowns, in which there was lome special meaning which he could not stay to expound, but this cloak was net intended to convey any ritualistic character, but was meant only as an emblem of the official charaoter of the minister choaen «ml called to the sacred office of the ministry. The gown tended to add impressivenes^ to the mission of the wearer and a charm to his oratory. He remembered long ago hearing » famous orator speak and it seemed to him that he was assisted in hiß oratory by the graceful flowing of the robe he wore. Iv the name of the ladies of the congregation, who had come forward with such love anu liberality, he had much pleasure in handing over the gown as a mark of their esteem am. love for, and satisfaction with tbeir minister and his work, and hoped he would loeg be spared to wear it. — (Applause). The Rev. Mr Asher having put on the bowd, said he was perfectly overwhelmed With the kindness shown him. Since ha bad come Bmongt them he had been upheld time and again by the tokens of their eutucm aim regard, and in this, their latest present, he recognised still another token of the respect and honor they bud accorded him continually. He felt that he need not say any more, but as he put it on Sabbath after Sabbath he would ieel that he was the servaut of God. He thanked them sincerely and from the Tery depths of his heart,— (Applause). The liev. Mr tiumsay had to congratulate both tbe\ minister uni the congregation on tbe good things that they were getting that night, buuit they knew all the triaJs he had to overcome to oe there they would congratulate him before he congratulated them. About hali-pust four he thought it time to catch bis horse to come down in timo for tea, but his boree wasn't inclined to tome, and he was pretty we.'l tiifcd out before his horse consented to be caught, fle would begin by congratulating tbe minuter first, He was a big fellow at tbe best of times, but looked v bit" cocky now. He remembered wearirg a gown at Aberfetdy, but it was too big for him and he couldn't work it giacefully. Then, he would like to congratulate them on the good work Mx Asher had dose during the shoit time he had been with thtm, and they must come inio contact with bits several times before they could gauge bis depth. Mr Ather was young yet, but he would develop into v man woitu having in their midst,— (Applause; Then he wished to congratulate them on their new church. He could hardly call it altogether a new churcb, but it reminded him of the gun which had a new lock, stock and barrel, He congtatulated them on the new church, because he had a dislike to the old one and to the old big pal pit iiom whica he could not Bee to hiß liking. It was too big lor him to seethe congregation from. He much preferitd tbe new churcb, because be thought it was built according to the JNew Testament—be meant it was better inside than outhide, It was alßo an orthodox church, btcauee it faced east. He wanted to congratulate them, because they were a year oluer, and they were beginning a new year in tbeir congregational history, and he Wished to tell them in a few words how they they should begin and how they should go on. Books were continually being published telling the minister bow to preach and bow to visit and bo on, but he had never Been a book written for the benefit of, the congiegatOD, and bow they should conduct themselves. Were the ministers such a bad lot as to need all these new books 1 Bug there was always tbe Old Book which had more to say to the congregation, and the bulk of the Epistles were lor the guidance of tbe churches, Let them go home and see What were their duties as laid down in the Epistles, Be urged on them the necessity ot unity and love, and . pointed out that ditieionß were not £or the good of the church, but .ather the contrary. They should try and meet in love and be of one mind and spirit, and stimulate one another to work outside. They looked too much to the minister to do the outside church work, but they should all try and fiad oiu something to do for thj congregation they were connected with. They should be liberal, not oc'y in buying new gownß and building new churches, but in bending the gospel abroad. Missions, as Dr. Duff said, were the chief end of tbe church. (Applause.) Mrs Brett : Sol-«, "Oh Lord my God." The Key. Mr Aii-ire'.by wps very glad to be present to eons< : ';-uilate them on the good things they baa lec.ived. from the hands of God, who had sent them their minister, and given them power to go forward in His strength and glorify His name, He would not forget to give Mr Aeher, who had called himself their general that night, euch assistance as be could, and seeing how much they bad improved his appearance with the gown, he might now call Mr Asher, in the good old Scottish words, a " buudly body." He had not had the privilege of occupying the pulpit of their new church yet, aud he wondered bow he himself would look in tbe gown in ibeir churcb, However, gown sr no gown, it was the man who was to be ; considered, not bis covering. Take off the gown, they still had the man, aud a man too that they need not be ashamed to exhibit. It would not do for him to trespass on their time, as they had yet to listen to their old pastor, Mr JJavidson, who was here before tbe roads were metalled and would not forget the days of small thing?. Then there was a younger brother present (Mr Scoigie), but the greyer of the two, and he had recently been to the Holy Land and old Sootland, They lived in times of change, t>tu Gore was not to advance so fast as not to have a preacher without a gown. They bad a fine church aud there were lots of Presbyterians in Gore to fill it. Why not , then rally round their pastor and further the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ? They should not be too exclusive and Fay the> were all right, but should see God's cause moving and eonls being borne back to the Lord Jesus Christ. By way ol encouraging them be would coacluue by singing "Go On,"— (Great applause). Mx 0. Oalder : Solo, " Charity." The Bey. Mr Bcorgie related some disBBtriouß experiences in connection with the gown, one bsing when he was a student, and requested to preach for one of his superiors. Apparently a gown was essential, and it seemed to him that he had the sermon and no gown, and the other fellow the gown and no Bermon.— (Laughter.)— Well he had never yet been blessed with a gown, but from his heart he congratulated them upon their growth, which was an indication that their minister was in accord with them, and that they themselves were living under the touch of the palm of God and under tbe breath of His life. That after all was everything. Let them rise with Him to white heat, and with the revival all would be well. Last time he visited Gore be left it sorrowful and Bore, because he then thought there was an unsympathetic chord somewhere, bat now he was in a new atmosphere, and felt justified in speaking to them freely on tJk) subjects— (l) tbe government of the cmirch, and (2) the doctrines of the cburcb. To him sectarianism was most objectionable. ..All should epter heaven under the simple badge of Jesus Ohnst, The autocratic element in Eorrm was being broken down ; the aristocracy of tbe Church of England coald not for ever maintain supremacy ; the Piesbyterian Church must abandon strait. Ucedness, and seek to pave souls in every possible avenue. It never should be said — «• If you are not prepared to be one of us, .. then stop outside the Presbyterian Church for aught we care." The congregationalists maintained that Jack was as good as his master, but he insisted that barriers • should be broken down and a free entrance afforded to men and women now rapidiy beppmißg imboed with, republicanism, with

t democracy, and with an increasing love of 3 Ohrist. He did not wish to exalt Presbyi terianism, bul he did say that every church > under heaven had a grand scrap of doctrine i on which it had built great hopes. To the i infallibility of the Pope, however, he and i others oould not bow ; to the baptismal 1 teaching of the Episcopalian Church they i would not be complete adherents ; to the efforts of the Presbyterians to Teform the ; Confession of Faith, and strike out new paths there would invariably be objections ; ; and to the free will existing in the Wesleyan Churoh there would alwayß be opponents. But, after all, could they get at the i truth ? If they turned to the New Testai ment and studied it they would let Christ be the centre of their life, the centre of their thoughts ; love would be the atmosphere of their soul ; and the gates Of hell would not pievail against them. Miss Alacara : Solo. The Rev. Mr Comrie (Kelso) said it was a fine thing to get a new ohnrch and a " braw now goon," but with the former at any r fete came increased responsibilities : people expected more in the way of Bermons and such like. He wanted to speak of a few little things, and he would ask them to give their minister a cordial greeting when they met him ; to help him by confiding in him in their affairs, and not to be infrequent .visitors at the House of God. Let those who were at church last Sunday come back and hoar Iheir minister at least once, and let none be guilty of uttering careless words that stung most, or of accusing their pastor of laziness because he, like others, had to undergo visitiifg and other ministerial duties. Some people thought that afternoon visiting with its accompanying tea-drinking — (laughter)— was very eDJoyabie ; but frequently the minister left a house with a sore heart through careless words dropped and through the Jack of interest displayed in religious matters. The prosperous church was not necessarily one thoroughly suitable for divine worship or particularly complete in internal arrangements, not necessarily under an eloquent minister or with a fine staff of officers or a fully manned Sunday school. It was the divine power that must be looked to in all works undertaken, and they could only command that by being in touch with God and by constant prayer. "To pruy well was to study well " ; that was true of minister and people. He wished them all success, and by looking above for help the chariot wheels would roll smoothly and rapidly tlong. Miss Hepburn— Solo. The Rev. J. M. Davidson gave a oharticteristic address, in the first placo recounting his early connection with the district when, mui-bespatlered as he frequently was, a gown would have covert d a multLurie of infirmities. Truly Gore was emerging from the barbarous state : in his time he frequently had to wake up the residents to get them to go 10 church : now there was great variety of woik, and everyone connected with the congregation could find something to do, and the only people he was at all inclined to fall out witn were those wuo coined the threepenny bits. Mr George Wood— Solo. Tbe following votes of thanks were recorded : -By Mr VDunlop to the ladies ; by Mr Macara to the speakers ; by Mr Asher to the choir and singera— by the way, thsy rendered a number of anthems other than those mentioned in the early part of this report ; and by Mr Davidson to the chairman. A thoroughly enjoyable soiree terminated about 10.30 p.m., the benediction being pronounced by tue Rev. J. A. Asher. ]