THE LATE MR G.N. M'DONALD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1284, 8 October 1886, Page 2

THE LATE MR G.N. M'DONALD.

On Saturday last the remains of the late Mr G. N M‘Donald were interred in the Cemetery, Alexandra. A large number of friends and also residents from almost all the surrounding district, attended and followed the funeral cortege to the cemetery, where the banal service was conducted by the Uev. Mr Lothian. On Sabbath following (the 3rd October) the reverend gentleman alluded to the sail event in a touching and impressive discourse, of which the following is the substance, and which was listened to with marked attention by a large congregation : Christian Brethren -1 have chosen no particular veise of Scripture as the foundation of my discourse this morning, neither have 1 prepared any mere formal sermon for this occasion. The text of my sermon to* day is an event —death—not in a general sense, but in view of that solemn and warning visit which he made to onr little community last Wednesday. The event is known to all j I need not dwell upon its details. It was the death of one who for some years past occupied a public position amongst us, one of oar earliest emigrants to the goldfields of the Anstra'ian Colonies, and who for a full quarter of a century has been a citizen of tbis particular locality. Here, (hen, ho lived amongst us during that time, and his outer life was before us in all its aspects, just as the outer life of each one of us is before onr neighbours. But his inner life, like the inward life of everyone f us, was known to Gid alone. Therefore, friends, I come not here this day to review that life as a judge, knowing well the truth of Him who said, “ Judge not, that ye be not judged,” and whose merciful judgment is ever just because it is in accordance with the nature of the Great Father who sent the Son not to condemn the world but to seek and to save that which was lost. Neither have I come here to day with words of flattery to praise one who has gone from our midst. But, snrely friends, this sad and solemn event is fraught with lessons both for you and me whilst we drop a tear of regret and think kindly of our departed friend and fellow citizen

As a settler ami a citizen he took a deep interest in the progress and welfare of his adopted land. More especially in the town and district where ha so long resided he ever sought eagerly to advance their best interests. Ho was a good citizen, a useful man, and during the time he occupied the seat of chief magistrate of the Borou hj of Alexandra, ho did his duty wisely and tirm'y, and ever sought to uphold the credit and improve the appearance of the township. He was one of several of the earliest and most persevering promoters of the erection of the nohlo bridge which nowspans the Molyneuxon the main up country toad at Alexvn Ira. Those intimately connected with municipal and district affairs will ako call to min I many instances of his earnest desire and efforts to promote the well-being and prosperity of the district. His services on School and Library Committees an 1 oilier local institutions were those of a shrewd, practical, and sagacious member, and were always valuable and cheerfully liven. In matters of doctrinal religion Ins views were broad and liberal, and peihips at. variance with those of many sincere Christians. Yet he was a man who feared Col and who had a firm belief in the divine power of religion, and especially in the power of Christ and his blessed religion to raise and do good to the world, the nation, and the man. • Many an interesting conversation have I had with him on these high subjects, and I know' well with what rapture he used to speak of Christ’s method of overcoming the evil with the good. And when it came to the last 1 solemnly and sincerely believe that he was content to receive and resl upon the mighty trn 1 b of the Fatherhood and love of God in Christ Jesus like a little child, and to trust him self will! aU Ins needs and sins and infirmities to the mercy of C ur Common Father. Mow be is gone. Nevermore shall his presence bo seen in our streets or places of meeting. Let us try to think kindly, humbly, and yet justly, of the departed, calling to mind what was good and worthy, covering with the mantle of Christ’s charity the mistakes and infirmities. It cannot be wrong to do that. He was a man of like passions with ourselves. We are but sinful brethren all ; and each of u.s it we would look to it, has got bis own besetting sins and, infirmities. There is something kindly, I might say almost Christian, in the familiar and oft quoted ancient classic pre • cept, “ Forget the evil, and speak only good of the dead.” Be not too eager to judge or to rakp np their sins and infirmities , The same idea is, however, more tenderly and more divinely expressed by Robert Burns, when he says, in words that cannot be quoted too often in this hard world, and that breathe the very .spirit of Christ’s char.ty- - Then gently scan your brother man, "till gentler, sister woman ; Though (hoy may gang a kenniu’ wrang, To step aside is human. One point must still be greatly dark, The moving why they do it ; And just as lamely can ye mark, How far perhaps they rue it. Who made the heart, ’tia He alone, Decidedly can try us, He knows each chord, its various tone, Each spring its various bias ; Then at the balance let’s bo mute, What’s done we partly may compute, We know not what's resitted. Such, then friends, is the event, the text of my discourse to-doy—rather 1 should soy

this event itself, is the solemn sermon and warning to us all. Oh ye associates and fellow citizens of the departed, is there here no whisper of warning, no counsel of wisdom, no voice of God to speak to yon beseeching you to prepare to meet your God f Surely this event is indeed a sermon not only for to-day, but for many days, and may God giant that its appeal be not in vain : so that even its silence and its mystery may be more powerful to stir our cold and worldly hearts that even “thoughts that breathe and words that burn,” uttered by the greatest orator that ever spoke on earth. Oqr poet Laureate somewhere speaks of death as The shadow feared by man. Who breaks our dear companionships. The shadow, cloaked from bead to foot Who keeps the key of all creeds. ’ And this shadow is never absent from our midst, for ■ • Every moment dies a man. Yes, at all seasons, at all hours, without our leave and without our bidding, this strange mysterious shadow falls across our paths in life. And so here, too, 1 doubt not friends, hath He come in this week of high holiday, of excitement, of sport, of gambling and drunkenness, unbidden and undesired, casting his dark and warning presence over the revels of the hour. And oh, pei haps, we need such lessons and such warnings, all of uk ' 1 feat there is a fastness, a passion for mere pleasure-seeking alone, an eager and growing craving for excitement which finds its only delight in the dicebox, in the betting rings of the racecourse, and at the gaining tab'e, all' of which things are getting to be like marked and fettled characteristics of thousands of the inhabitants of these young colonies* and which passions, unless sobered down or supplanted by some nobler aims, affections and sentiments, will inevitably lower the moral tone and fibre of society, dragging thousands to disgrace and ruin, and, perohance ultimately be the very cause of the downfall of these rising nations ere yet they have reached their manhood. God forbid that I should say that religion debars from all genuine or hearty enjoyment or innocent recreation ; or that it enjoins people to wear conlnnally a long and solemn countenance as if man was never made to langh or smile. But, surely, to any observant man or woman who studies the scenes of fastness and excitement and love of gambling which are apparent on the very face of our colonial society in many instances, it must appear that we do need the sobering, ennobling, and solidifying influences of reli -ion that we need the Divine light shed abroad “ that lighteth every man,” and that wo also need sometimes, even inonr soi nes of <*aiety the mysterious shadow of death to remind ns of another and a higher life, an! that here we hivenoabidingplace- that “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life shall pass away,” and can never satisfy the soul of man.

Our text to-day too brings to recollection another remark, viz, that of late, in this community, it seems as if we had all hem brought more in contact with death than for Eome years previously. The dark shadow feared by man has fa'len across not a few threshholdera in our district all around. And childhood, youth and age. baveall beers visited by his impai tial presence ; as with n-useless irresistible power, he hath called whomsoever he listed from the land of the Hying to their long home. I think all who will reflect will hear me out in this when they cad to mind the many deaths that we have had in all this community during the past two or three yeais. At any rate it l seems t o me as if I had been hi ought more in contact with death-beds and ’sickness and been oftener called upon to officiate at the last solemn rite beside the open grave duving these past two or three yeais than (luring the first yea' 3 of my ministry in this district. One more refl otion is suggested by our text to-day, and I take it home to my own sou'. Il is the responsibility and the burdeu whicn rests upon the minister of Christ s (?o= pel. We know that it ho will teed it, there is constantly whispered in h'S ear and put to his conscience the solemn enquiry. Watchman, what of the ni di' ? Watchman, what of the ni.hs? Oh br-'threa a do sometimes feel iffisgreat responsibility 1 sa heavy burden and feel my utter insufficiency for it; yet, I seek to be faithful to Carist that his grace may guide me to lead souls to feel aod experience the love and mercy and peace of God in him. Oh there is not a funeral, a death-hed that I nave attended, not a sorrow or a ffliction that I have tried to comfort but has cost me many a thought and many a prayer for pardon ?f in I failed to set forth truly and with all the earnestness of conviction the, great truth of the love of God our rather revealed in Jesus Chiint. For brethren, that to me is the only gospel, and I n ver could understand or have faith in any other. And this joy 1 have that, with the the profoun lest belief in that mighty truth beheving it as I do not only with the heart J ut with the intellect, 1 can give to roy fellow sinners, to the weary ami heavy laden the faithful assurance that there is a Father al ove us, waiting to he gracious to receive, .orgive, embrace, and bless them. That ha has sent a message to that effect for this poor sinful humanity by Jesus Christ, every act and word of whose sinless life with aU ite deeds of love crowued-niercv attest the divine truth cf that message aiid its glad tidings ol greifc joy, *" And 1 will say this brethren, that many times have I felt bow blessed and helpful is that conviction-that rock of savatiou. When the eyes of a dying soul leak to yon for inquiry, or guidance, or hope as to the truth of God s message, think you, will your conscience allow you to satisfy that sou with a ‘ perhaps,’ with a dream of philosophy, or with the husks of material science and her laws, with empty forms or the mere traditions of theolo-iy ? Nay brethren ; but direct the heart of the child to its Divine Parent (for ve are God’s offspring), and then we shall know in whom we believe. All else is mystery to our present state. From the cradle to the grave wo are beset by my si cries on which the hi dies* discoveiies of science can throw no light, for science dea's mostly with the things toat are teen, but tho tilings that are not seen are eternal. All life—whether in plant, in animal, or in man is a mystery beyond the grasp of science. So, too, is the going out of life a mystery. All around... ns are those great mysteries of life, death ,? resurrection, God’s love, the myste.y ofo evil, pain, and many others which are sifnply unfathomable to man's present stage of intelligence. 5 ~ - Oh, surely our true attitude in this great ' universe is that of the trusting chiH to its parent. Oh the depth, the profound truth °. f ev oUr J? avinu l;’ s and his words. Our Father in Heaven ; Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the Kina-' dom of God as a little child shall m no wia'e enter therein. I thank thee Oh Father, £' 0 7°‘ Heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, nnfl hast revealed them unto babes. Lven so Fath -r for so it seemed good in thy sight.” Amen.