IN MEMORIAM SERVICE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5994, 1 August 1887, Page 3

IN MEMORIAM SERVICE.

Tlie Late Dr Gordon

The Rangiora Rifle Volunteers having arranged to hold a church parade at the Presbyterian Church yesterday morning, the service was appropriately carried out as in memoriam of their late Captain, Dr. J. Mackenzie Gordon. The Company mustered about forty strong at their drillroom, and under the command of Captain Fulton, marched to the Church j which at the commencement of the service was crowded to overflowing. The Rev J. Maekellar occupied the pulpit, and took' for his text a portion of the 23rd verse of the 12fch chapter of Hebrews, " And to the spirits of justmen made perfect." He opened by remarking that, contrary to all custom in connection with Volunteer church parades, he had chosen for consideration that morning, a text which did not so much deal with active life service, as with the close of life and the reward of service; but they all well knew why he had made that departure. The rev gentleman then delivered a most eloquent and impressive i 6ermon on the subject of " Death," closing I by making special reference to the occasion j of the discourse in the following words : — You will no doubt easily connect my text with the subject which is filling our hearts to-day. We are mourning with no conven- ( tional sorrow the sudden extinction of a life whose essence was that of justice and goodness ; a life rich already in performance, but richer in possibilities. I refer to the late lamented Dr Gordon. His was a strange and eventful life from its earliest to its latest hour. He was bereft at a tender age of his parents, and denied, therefore, all the sweet and holy influences which a father and mother can alone exert I in the home and on the heart, and prevented (for reasons which I need not j mention here) from following the bent of his inclinations in the choice of a profession. When the time came; he, young, and ardent in spirit, always so full of romance, naturally choose for himself a line of action most suited to his disposition. His love of adventure; his unquenchable thirst for a knowledge of the world, men, and things, often led him into strange situations, greatly shook the true poise of his mind* and caused him to fall from many a giddy height. Great as were his successes in medicine, greater still and more beneficial and lasting, I feel sure, had been his career as a soldier — the profession for which in his early manhood he so ardently longed. Still, through all his disappointments and failures, there was ever to be seen the clear shining of a heart tender and truo ; of a spirit always chivalrous, just, and charitable ; of a hand that never crushed the weak, or sent the needy empty away. The late Dr Gordon, like every man of woman born, had his peculiar weaknesses, and his own idiosyncrasies of character. But are we to judge him by these? In the light of his failings, are we to fix his place among the immortal dead ? If so, then may the good God help all those great ones who have passed on before him ; and may that same God help us who are still within time. No ! Do not let us judge at all. Eather let* us stoop to. hear these unforgetible words of Jesus : " Hath no man condemned the ? Neither do I condemn thee." And, oh, as we hear these words, may our hearts send out the prayer : " Lord Jesus, let Thy mercy be upon us." What is it that makes the present occasion one of no ordinary sadness to us all ? Is it not that we did not understand him whilst he was with us as we do now that he is dead ? Let me ask all of you whom it may concern to dismiss from your minds the idea that the late Dr Gordon was not a religious man, simply because he did not, could not, conform to the present day order of profession. I have had peculiar opportunities of knowing that he was a better and a more religious man than the world cared to give him credit for. But, after all, what constitutes a really noble and God-serving life? Not surely a profession or confession of faith in a certain belief. Not in belonging to a Christian church and giving outward evidence of one's creed. TheEe are all very beautiful and necessary in themselves if sincere. Still, the longer I live, the more I study and analyse the life and teachings of Jesus, I feel that the life which will have the approval of God, the life that will come nearest that of our Lord and Saviour, is the life which is full of high and noble ends ; which is ever active in doing good ; in loving justice and truth ; and in serving as best one can one's day and generation. We mourn a common friend's loss to-day. Not because he was great in intellect, but because he was greater in heart ; because he was an intelligent promoter of all that was humane and enlightened; because that in all his dealings with men and movements, with him the quality of mercy was never strained; because, in short, he was so kind and good. As we think of these things let our mourning be turned into joy, for he is now a thousand times better and kinder, away among the spirits of just men made perfect. What we must admire and imitate was his virtues; leave his failings to Him who cannot err. The verdict is unanimous. We saw it on the day we sorrowfully bore all that was left of him to its long, last resting-place. The verdict is still unanimous, as in this church I see represented, in a measure, the feeling of the community. And what is that verdict ? It is this : That we loved him all for a something which touched our hearts. That verdict will not, I am sare, be changed. It will rather deepm and broaden in our souls, and help us to rise from the low and the selfish level of the world and quicken us to be good aid kind, even as he was good and kind. And now he has gone from our midst. Tie place that knew him shall know him no nore for ever. We shall no more mark his presence in our Btreets. We shall no more see hia kindly, genial smile. We shall no more feel the warm pressure of his hand. We

shall no more participate in his generous deeds. You will miss him; I will miss him, and the whole district will miss him. There shall in the time to come be something wanting, because of one vanished presence. Volunteers, he was your Ctptain, let his memory stir you up to great and noble ends. Eemember his truth— honour and loyalty; and as you strive ss loyal men and true for the interests of your country, never forget the faithfulness and allegiance you owe to Jesus Christ, who will in the great hereafter be your Com-mander-in-chief. Men and brethren, all mark the lives that are passing, pissing away, and remember that your time, too, will come. Meanwhile, be earnest; seek by your life to win that renown unfailing' as eternity ; that rest which is never troibled ; that day which knows no night ; anil may yours be the epitaph — " Bleßsed are the dead which die in the Lord, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours ; and their works do follow them." Deal meekly, gently with th© hopes that guide The lowlieat brother ■traying from Thy ti&e. If right, they bid the trouble for Thine own, If wrong, the verdiot is for God alone. Strive with the wanderer from the better path ; Bear thy message meekly— not in wrath ; Weep for the frail that err, the weak tbatfall ; Have them in faith, bat hope and pray fox all. The service was a most soleinr and touching one throughout, and was fittingly { brought to a close with the " Dead March," which the organist played as the retiring voluntary.