VALEDICTORY MEETING.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume III, Issue 251, 29 June 1881, Page 2

VALEDICTORY MEETING.

The Presbyterian Church was literally crowded on Monday evening, by members of the congregation who had assembled to bid good-bye to the Rev. W. Shirriffs, who has had charge of this district for the eleven years. Besides the departing minister himself two gentlemen only addressed the meeting, it being evidently one of those occassions when the hearts of the congregation were too full for utterance, and the evident grief of the two speakers and silent sorrow of the rest of the gathering were without doubt the most genuine indicationsof the deep feeling that pervaded the congregation, whose pastor had become endeared to them by ties of affection which his long connection with them had only served to strengthen. The proceedings were opened by Mr .1. M. Hutchison, who called upon the congregation to join in singing the 100th Psalm. This was followed by an earnest prayer offered up by the Rev. Mr Shirriffs. Mr J. M. Hutchinson said that so soon as it became known Mr Shirriffs was about to leave it had been decided to hold a meeting of the congregation, and present him with something more than mere thanks, and that the meeting should take place on the eve of his departure. He had been pleased to note that the Good Templars and others outside the body of the congregation had such a good opinion of their Minister as was evinced at the meeting held in th* Grove-road on Thursday evening. Re fern ring to the presentation of the money, h? said that Ministers as a rule were not burdened with too great an amount of that article, and it was therefore proposed to present him with something substantial. Though the Presbyterians were the last to bid him farewell, he was glad to be able to say that the present made by his flock was not the least in value. If Mr Shirriffs should find after he had gone to Napier that Marlborough had sought the protection of tiie Bankruptcy Court, he would have himself only to blame for taking all the ready money out of the plaee. He would now call upon Mr Fulton, who had been mainly instrumental in getting up the testimonial, to say a few words. Mr Fulton said he would not detain the meeting by attempting to deliver a long speech, but would simply read the address and a list of the amounts collected by the various districts. He then read the following address, at the conclusion of which he handed Mr Shirriffs a cheque for 1.77, "To the Rev. William Shirriffs, — Dear and Rev. Sir,—We, the members and adherents of your congregation in the various districts, wishing to show our appreciation of your services as a minister of the gospel, ask you on the occasion of your leaving this charge for Waipukurau, to accept a cheque for £77, which has been collected as follows :—Blenheim district, £4O; Awatere, £2O; Kenwick, £ll 10s; Kaikcura, £5 10s. Your loss will be keenly felt by us, as it has been mainly owing to your unceasing energy that the Church of Christ has prospered so well in our midst. While we greatly regret your departure to another sphere of labor, you may rest assured that our prayers and well wishes will follow you and yours to the district to which the Lord has been graciously pleased to call you, and that

the blessing of our Heavenly Father may rest on all your labors in his cause is our sincere wish. C. Fulton, For the members and adherents of the various congregations. Mr Shirriffs said he must thank the congregation most sincerely for this very substantial token of their esteem, and it was certainly more than he had deserved or could have expected. He need not say how much he felt the pain of parting from them. To part with anyone was a severe task to him, and it was especially hard to part from those with whom he had been so long and agreeably associated and from whom he had ever received great kindness indeed. The nearer the time of saying good-bye came, the more difficulty he felt in regard to it. According to the arrangements of their church it lay in some measure with the Minister himself to decide whether to accept a call or not. He had thought over the question a long while before he ventured to express an opinion in the Presbytery, and had carefully considered which course was best and most likely to promote the cause of Christ. He trusted he had acted rightly in coming to the decision he had done, but felt still some little anxiety on the question, though he hoped the change would prove a benefit, not only to the Church to which he was going but also to the one he was loaving. He trusted the change would be beneficial to it, a id that the new minister coming would create fresh interest and carry on the workimorc vigorously than he could have hoped to do. During the eleven yea-is he had spent among them he had ever sought to advance the cause of truth, aed the cause of Christ. In many things, no doubt, he had failed or erred, but his shortconi’ngs had been it was e.a. lest desire to promote the welfare of the congregation and the of Christ, It was the same motive that had led him to come to the decision that a change of this sort would be for the advancement of the cause in which he had labored, and lie fervently trusted that the result would be as he desired. He would carry away with him the liveliest feelings of gratitude for their kindness, and would never forget to wish and pray for their welfare at the Throne of Orace. Defore sitting down he would like in parting to say a few words for that God Whom they had sought to worship, both within those walls and outside in the world. He would say to all and earnestly assure them that there would be no loss and no unhappiness experienced by them if they erst in their lot with the people of God, and enjoin them to resolve that right, if theyhad never done it before, that God should be their Cod. He remembered the case of two gentlemen, who were special friends, and one of whom was very anxious that the other should become a Christian man. His friend, ho.vever, was afraid that becoming a Christian would injure him with the world .THd-'in his business. The other entered in£> a bond with him to make up any loss which he might sustain in business from this cause. Some time afterwards the one who had taken the bond was on his deathbed and sent for his friend, who had asked him to become a Christian, and returned him the bond, saying he had no use for it, as nothing was lost by serving Christ. No doubt many found religion to be tiresome and unprofitable, and would c/en say that they had been bothered with too much of it. But there could never be too much of it if it was of the right sort, and the reason why it was so tiresome to many was because they had too little of it. In bidding them good-bye he entreated them not to keep away from God, as those only enjoyed real happiness who had learnt to love Christ, above all other things, with all their henrt, soul, strength, and mind. He urged them not for a single day longer refuse to let this God into their hearts that they may henceforth and for ever rejoice in him ns n portion of their souls. Mr J. M. Hutcheson said Mr Shirriffs had remarked that he hoped the change would not he any loss to the congregation here. He also hoped that it would not, hut he did not feel so sure about it. Mr Shirriffs had been an earnest laborer and had done a great amount of good. He had also recommended religion as somey would not lose by, and in this, the heartily agreed with him. As proof that even in a worldly sense it did not cause a loss, he alluded to the fact that some assumed it from worldly motives, and made money by it, thereby proving that it was a good thing, though misused. They might depend upon it that nothing would be lost by it, either in this world or the world to come. The 2nd paraphiase was then sung by the congregation, alter which all present hid farewell to Mr and Mrs Shirriffs. Yesterday morning the Rev. W. Shirriffs accompanied by Mrs Shirriffs and family left by the train for Picton, from whence they proceeded to Wellington by steamer. On arrival in Wellington we understand that Mrs Shirriffs and family will proceed by one of the Union Company’s boats to Napier, Mr Shirriffs travelling overland through Wairarapa and the Forty mile Bush, when he will have an opportunity of enjoying the fine scenery lying along that route, and will in the present state of travelling arrangements be enabled to arrive at his destination at about the same time as Mrs Shirriffs.