First Presbyterian Church

Southland Times, Issue 19120, 10 August 1903, Page 2

First Presbyterian Church

♦ ' ' ' — -■ FAREWELL SERVICE. At tho First Presbyterian Church veslerday evening-, the Rev. J. Gibson Sinxth delivered his farewell address to his congregation. There was a very large attendance, both of First Church poople and from other congregations m town. The preacher took for his text Iteut. cxxxi., v. _ and 3 : " Tne Lord hath said unto me, thou should not go over this Jordan \ the Lord thy God, He will go over before thee." The announcement that Moses was no longer to be their leader had filled tho host of Israel with dismay. They were looking forward to a severe struggle for the possession of the Promised .Land, and it must have seemed to them a great calamity that he whose invincible faith and indomitable courage and ripe experience fitted him so peculiarly for being their leader should at this juncture be commanded to tetire from the stage. We could readily believe also that not without a severe inward struggle did Moses himself succeed in bowing to the will of God, and lay down the sceptre of authority at this critical time. To leave the whole burden on the shoulders of the inexperienced Joshua, accustomed as he had been to obey rather than command, must have made it hard for Mosea to keep from regarding the change as a rash and dangerous experiment. But never surely did Moses show himself more worthy to bo reckoned one of the greatest leaders of men the world has ever seen than in that hour when he stood before bis people and in a spirit of the noblest humility laid down for ever the sceptre he had swayed throughout . so many arduous and honourable yeara. The secret of his dignity and strength wasT simply this : be had looked heavenwards in the midst. ol the i crisis, and realised the eternal lov-ing-kindness and infinite power .of bis uod, and knew that there was Onp to whom the destiny of Israel was dearer than to himself. Consider how often in lire men find themselves coming to: just such a Jordan as these Israelites had reached —to particular places in life .where ;tliey are called upon to leave ; oehind them the. old leaders, guides and protectors, and pass oh' to a new stage of thnir career, where new foes have to be met and new difficulties encountered- It might bo. Said that every generation of men play* yy e part of Moses towards the generation following, until at last it comes to the Jordan where tho two must part— the elder to the bourne whence no traveller returns and the younger onward across the river to grapple with tho new problems awaiting it there. There are searchings of hearu and blank misgivings at the parting, the elder generation fearing to leave th© work they have so far carried on to the younger, and the latter trembling because it has not the guidance and counsel of his its former leaders. There ia such a thing in the history ol families. Children gnow beyond, the need of parental and Protection and must go forth from the old £o.ne and play their, parts .in the midst of the bustle and turmoil of the world l uptt and teacher, also! come to .such a Jordan, Together they have been for years united in the pursuit of truth, and it is ..sometimes suddenly revealed to the pupil tliab he can no longer take his teacher s bare word and find it enough ; he. must I*gin to weigh the. evidence for himself and lorcn; his own judgment- Or it may p,e in company with his old creed that : a man comes to the baftks of', this Jordan. Tho simple for— » of words that .has interpreted the riddles of life po long he finds insufficient for his needs, and it can be his guide no further.- Hemust. ,go forward and leave his old ;guide behind, but how often his heart is «pt to fail him as he steps forward into the "unknown. How is the old generation :to takA farewell of the mew without: giving way to undi gnified lamentations, ( and manifesting ungenerous-: distrust :. , and how is the new generation to ' take up the great tasks .handed, down; to it without exhibiting unwortfty self-conceit or equally unworthy cowardice ? We can sometimes 1 see on the banks of this' Jordan the old generation at war with the new; parents at war with children, and children with parents, jiupil with teacher and teacher with pupil; and the; adherents of the old creeds with their; children in the faith. This %vas to be prevented in one way by reaching up to heaven and laying -. hold of the . eternal 7 GodIt is the recognition - of the ■';' supremacy of God that enables the; old ' geucratibn to hand over its gtdrious> gains and difticult problems:, to tte new :with brave, magnanimous, words . of cheer. .Andso': it is with, all relationships that urenecessarily transitory in tnoir nature.' -3t it wero best for men that they shonlu h_vv a perfect guide artd helper, they knew that Jesus Christ? was one, 7 but; God does not bestow*. Hhn. upon us in the body, showing that what God cares for supremely in man is an obedience that is entirely voluntary, and that in order, to secure this he is willing to forfeit 7 even such a, degree of eternal : conformity to His will ..as would bfe securedX-y7',th»;tSori-stant presence on .earth !6t'-;_udJi va-'-'.iicr- . feet guide as Jesus Christ- 1 ;! Aud if ..God suffers strong leaders, loving parents and teachers to be -reanovett^lbnij. before their apparent term, of usefulness 7 is ;coinpleted ought we not then similarly to respect and value this element of freedom ? ;Att human guides, tcachcra and 5 protectors must make it their aim to lead; ; up .to the Divine Guide,, and their -work^is-not done till they have done that, fi'hey must know and 'recognise that 7 it is. a matter of secondary importance how long or how short a, t^m c*v Gbd^uiay allow them to continue^ in their o_c© and . tas fully ready when Hie - wiUs it , to : yield their place to others. ■ Cohfciuuirtg, Mr Smith said. :'* You and as pastor and people, have come to-night to the baiiks of ,our J ordan of separation :'. ITrom this ti_ e . onward you toUsl £b. fora'afd ill your work as „ ,Cr_tistiaa congregation, but I. will be with you no longer _s your, hiinister. God, as I beUevei has called me elsewhere. :Ba has said to _c, : Thou -shalt ,. lvot go over this Jordan^ and! feel that I jr»ust obey; Ther© aro many things that I could wish to say on Such an occasion if: only I could trust myself to speak them.- : I should wish" to tell you how great ail honour and :privilege 1. have felt it to be permittetl: to occupy this pulpit for these nine years. Enjoying that honour, ' I have envied no man in .this city his officbor his position. It-has always seemed to me. that a more honourable post it would be impossible to find. I should wish to ten you also how deeply I have felt my : ow n personal unfitness for so high an office. Never in any respect have I T)een,able td attain to my ideal, either in- preaching the Gospel or m any other department of a, minister's work. 1 Many and many a time havo 1' groaned in spirit over j»iy inability to do oil that jweded to be tdone m r the way in which it ought to, he done. Yet. I would ask you also to 'i-'ber. neve that as far as, my powers and capacity permitted, it has been my one supreme ;.; to discharge faithfully and effectively the- high and nobiefurictions of the Christian ministry. 17 will ask s you to believe that whatever^ I have •spc^enjrom this pulpit. l haye 1 spoken from the heart. I nave never asked' you to believe what 7 1 did not believe myself . I'have. never » set before you- an. ideal and exhorted, you to live up to it without at the < same stSme asking to join "with you in your spiritual endeavour. 1 have mdeed preached to you, but I have also bjeen preaching to jayself all the while. I. should .wish to Ttell you also how; greatly x hay© valued , the privilege of ?S,^nattf* to your homes in tOnesof trouble, pf sickness and bereavement , My hromory^carriesime back at this liburto uiany. aa occasion, on which I have been Permitted to speak to the dying of the love and peace of the Father's _sme, aiVd 'tL^ ol^ l^ the hour ot d&M » s everlasting, arms, and the sheltering peace of tho Father's overtod^ ln f Win ? 8 - There are many °hlro raML,^ x . Seel myself bound «&h the sacr ? d t»es originating through SEiL- s acr^ fl oPPortuniUw. There are many here, to-night who have counted fhev a T«^ -W l^- *ho dark day .when tney load some, dear one in; the urave— '-.*_? -- 1 *^_ watched in,tho darkr. ened chamber t and „wlth whom I have !l?°i l V lent 7f orrowv when they earth returned to dearth -m$ -the dust to dustThere are. many ■ «K_ havo me t ? ell: c o u h^oTr;in times of per-j plexity, many who have found and told me that they hay© found cohifort -and strength and hopa in the words I have been privileged to speak. Feeling such ties as these straining at my heart, you I will not- wonder that I find it hard indeed to speak the parting word. Fain would I linger on my theoie, -*ut I feel that I aare not, Only npjW in one word let mo thank you aa my ;f fiends for all the Kindness and consideration you have shown towards; me r during these nine years ; f o r the generosity with which you have covered my faults ; for the earnest and willing co-operation with which you have supplemented my defects ; and, above all, for the; loyal love— for I can use no other word— with which in 'these recent days you have softened for me the pain of parting and made smooth' niy path to my; future sphere of labour. And now we have come to the parting of the ways. Henceforth : our path's tin life diverge. But ere ;I say the word that brings my. ministry to a close, I "think there is one others thought to which you would desire '■_ »: to Rive expression. AYe go our several ways indeed, but .we ;.do not .need 'to fear for each n other. , • "i ou. do not need to be 'afraid -dor. me —Im do not need to *c airaid for Yyan.\ Vt's : are severed from each "other, but God-—thd Eternal God— is nigh; to U_ Wbth: : You cannot go over tho Jordatt withme.-^ I cannot go over the : Jordan •wit^ r ybu; No— but thq 7 Lord our God, He will go before each of us. lib will not put our trust in Hmi to shame.-.- Tt^is Ho indeed who brings it . about that 'the old order, changeth. yielding -7 place!. to the new. He fulfils Himself m.7 many ways, lest one good purpose: should corrupt the world. But oven all I the changes He Himself pn* sides-_ie- rules^-and therefore oil is well. Into His holy hands I.coTnmcnd you^^and all the high and sacred mterests that are cbtfnectcd with you as a Christian congregation, and I ask y° n >. m Z T f^ friends, to do for roe what Tdo fofvywu SprW for ane that I B^frZ Christian, a truer^num than yet I h a ve been able to be. May the love of **oa iv- e Chri s t%^ and lead us at last to the b"-ven ,01. Sabbath, . „>"£_,, my ■. _o_, y : ;and Thought. the collection wo? bdnc it^ the^iV \ang ivn; an ; was b V ( n S l .;* l ™ hble World is at Rest " feertsT MiS^Mcßobis ta^in Kf the so p ( s°^s.i(; -At the conclusion of the ser-