PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WILLIS STREET.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 46, 9 December 1871, Page 8

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WILLIS STREET.

■l.' I - •" " A respectable congregation gathered on Wednesday evening to hear the Rev. J. Lawrie, who has just arrived from Scotland. The reverend gentleman preached an able and impressive discourse from Rev. rii., 9-10, which was listened to with deep interest. At the close of the sermon he said that he had very great pleasure in appearing amongst them, and addressing, for the first time, an audience in this colony. He thanked them for the hearty reception they had given him, and spoke in high terms of the courtesy and kindness of their esteemed minister, Mr Paterson. He expressed the deep gratitude he felt to Almighty God for protecting him during a voyage extending over nearly three months, and for bringing him in His good providence to the haven which lie desired to see. The voyage was an exceedingly pleasant one, the winds were favorable, and the weather remarkably fine. The extreme heat of the tropics was relieved by gentle breezes, and the cold of the southern latitudes, although severe, was nob of long continuance. The only period in the voyage when there might be said to be anything like prominent danger was when a considerable way east of the Cape of Good Hope the vessel was surrounded by about sixty icebergs, many of them of the hugest dimensions, and of the most fantastic shapes. One or. two lud been seen in a more southerly latitude, about 48 ° S ; but as some days elapsed without seeing any, and they were going northward, and getting into warmer weather, those in charge of the vessel had given up expectation of seeing more, and consequently were not specially on the look out for them, Had the vessel come iu the way

of these mountains of ice in the night time, in all likelihood the consequences would have been fatal, but fortunately they were seen in the day time, and the. Captain was able to steer his course clear of them. The speaker added that when he thought of deliverance from such dangers, and of all the loving kindness the Lord had made to pass before him, he felt how appropriate was the song of the Psalmist, with which the service that evening had been opened —“ 0 that men to the Lord would give praise for his goodness to them, and for his works of wonder done unto the sons of men.” Mr Lawrie further remarked that his sphere of labor, as bad already been indicated in the morning paper, will probably be the Wairarapa, which presents a very wide and promising field. He stated that the church with which he was connected, viz, the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, had hitherto turned their attention more to the foreign missions than to the colonial field ; but important though it be to send men to. enlighten those living in heathen darkness, it is not less important to attend to the interests of our countrymen who come to settle in tho colony, many of whom, on account of thendistance from Christian ordinances, lapse into spiritual indifference. Mr Lawrie mentioned that the Rev Mr Stewart, formerly minister of Warkworth, Northumberland, would shortly arrive here, and would bo appointed to another district in the province, most probably Rangitikei. The preacher concluded by soliciting an interest in tho prayers of the people, urging the audience to pray that his labors and those of the minister soon to arrive might be instrumental in swelling the ranks of that illustrious company of which they had that evening been hearing. We understand that Mr Lawrie will proceed to Wairarapa next week, and will occupy the pulpit at Masterton and Carterton on Sabbath the 17th inst, and continuously thereafter.