THE PULPIT ON SIR DONALD McLEAN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4931, 11 January 1877, Page 3

THE PULPIT ON SIR DONALD McLEAN.

In discoursing last Sunday, Jan. 7, on the death and burial of Moses, from Deuteronomy xxxiv. 5,6, the Bev. Mr. Paterson paid the following tribute to the riiemory of the late Sir Donald McLean ; “ It is right we should honor the name and inemory of those who lived a brave, manly, upright life, who devoted themselves to the public welfare, and ivho by their ability, energy, arid zeal rendered great services, to their country. • When their work is done and they have taken their departure from amongst us, they ought not soon to be forgotten by us. This, colony has but a recent history, yet it is not without its roll of honored names ; names of those who took part in its early foundation, and who wisely planted the seeds whence have grown up and developed our social and political institutions ; names of those who, at the peril of their own lives, defended from the hostile natives the lives and homes of their fellow colonists; and names of those who spent their strength in unwearied . devotion to the highest and best interests of the community. 11l this roll of honored names is now included, that, of him who on Friday last closed his earthly career, and whose mortal remains are to-day to be committed to their last resting place. This is not the time or the place for panegyric; but, we cannot but refer, to the long and valuable services which the late Sir Donald McLean, in various capacities rendered to’ the colony; to the energy and ability he ever brought to bear on the work entrusted to him; and especially .to the sagacity and straightforwardness which characterised his native policy,’ and which so won the confidence of . the.’riritives, and so largely contributed during recent, years, toj the maintenance of peace. There may. be differences of opinion in regard to some parts of bis.native policy; on that', I do not here enter, it lies; beyond my province ; but this fact will, I am sure, be gratefully , admitted by all, that when he took' the helm of .native affairs the whole country [was suffering and depressed from a native war ; that in a very short' time after peace was established, which has never since been broken; and that that peace tended greatly to restore confidence and prosperity in almost every department of commercial and political life. For these great services, if for nothing else; his name should be held in grateful remembrance by his fellow-colonists. The waysof Providence are often inscrutable. He whom the country mourhs to-day seemed but a few months ago still in the full vigor of life ; hia robust, frame seemed the very embodiment of health and strength : he was in the very midst, of. his .work, and in the full enjoyment of the honors which his Sovereign and his countrymen, had conferred upon him. It seemed as,Jf ho had still many years _ot an active public life.(before him. But disease attacked that robust .frame ; and weakening strength—fhe weakening hastened by care and •worty—compelled him to resign his office. The hand’of death was upon him. _ After a short but severe illness his .earthlyfife came to an end ; he passed into the Eternal world, and only his name and memory now remain with us. He .had scarce: left his post of work and duty when-he sank and died. . To us and to those personally related to him, it is most comforting to. know (as,the telegram announcing his death informs us) that in the last hours of life, as his immortal spirit was nearing the Eternal world, he was heard “ now and then muttering some words in his native Gaelic tongue, of, a. tenor, showing his mind to be occupied by thoughts suitablo to the imminence of his; entrance into .a fut.iire state.” It is a grand thing to live an honorable, a .useful,, and a noble life. It is a blessed thing to die a peaceful, hopeful, arid happy fieath—to die the death of a true Christian who fips peace, with God arid assured' hope iri, Christ.. ! May we (.live, in some measure at least, kuch a life; and, through Grid’s irifiriite grace, die such a death. “Blessed fire"the dead who dfe in the Lord: froin henceforth ; yea, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.” ( '■ „ , ' '" The Mayor, in .an address to young men,' delivered at. the Woodward-street Congregational Church, pointed to the life of Sir Donald McLean as one well worthy of their attention; and, in 'doing so, ho made a touching reference to the .death' of the ; late Native Minister. To-day (the lecturer said) the dust of one who was among New Zealand’s leading men has been' ednimitted to its kindred dust amid general i regrets. The death of Sir Donald McLean he regarded as a loss to this new country:.; the lesson of his fife is,.another example for our young, men. Sir Donald landed'on these shores' a young man from the Highlands of Scotland, fresh and heathery as his native hills. ■ He Had no advantages, beyond a strong arm arid a stout heart, the. ; remembrance of a loving home and the determination to do it credit. He was ready for any honest work. His intellect, although, good, was neither' high nor cultured —yet see the position to which industry apd. probity • can lead.' aHB set himself to study the native character, arid he studied it until he could read .it like a book. He was employed to’doal with natives, arid being nobly truthful, thorough, brave, adventurous, arid determiried,these characteristics soon won for him an undisputed supremacy over the Maori race. How his influence was used to advance the l interests of this colony has not yet : bden fully understood or appreciated;! but when tbe mists' of party politics have passed away it will be found that, so' far in her,history, New Zealand has had no faster or better friend among her public men than Sir Donald McLean. There are touching

things take place around, us every dayhuman life is full of pathos—but there are few things more touching than that which Saturday’s telegrams told us of this : worthy man lying in only a half-conscious state, and .repeating evidently texts of Scripture iu the old language he had learned at his mother’s knee. He was manifestly far away from the scene of . his triumphs, and living over again his dreaming .childhood in his native glen, proving, how much truer’than all our philosophies is the intimation that the innocence, of childhood is the fit preparation for that Paradise which once lost is now again happily regained. ■ . .. . 1 .