THE DAY OF REST. ADDRESS AND PRESENTATION TO THE REV. T. J. WILLS.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 199, 16 April 1887, Page 1

THE DAY OF REST. ADDRESS AND PRESENTATION TO THE REV. T. J. WILLS.

The friends of fcho Rev. T. J. Wills met on Monday night in the Good Templars' Ball, Giaborne, to wish him God speed on the occasion of hia leaving Gisborne for his new charge as minister of the Church cf England at Opotiki, and to present him with an addrees and a somewhat more practical re minder that he leaves many true friends and well-wishers behind him. The meeting was not what might be called large, owing to unavoidable circumstances, but it was undoubtedly a widely representative one. The Rev. J. McAra was voted to the chair. The meeting opened with a hymn. After stating the purpose for which the meeting had come together, he reviewed Mr Wills' j Gisborne career. The meeting was not large, but thtir hearts were. Mr Wills had come among us about about a year ago, a stranger, but he was no stranger now." His whole-heartedness in the cause of Christ had made him a large circle of friends. They of the ministry had found no difficulty in working with him. He had taken an active interest in the spiritual, moral, and social good of the place, had been an earnest worker in the cause of temperance, and in the matter of cur late evangelistic services They wouid commend him to God — less they could not do, more they would do. He would leave with their hearty good wishes for bis new sphere of work. Mr Joseph Baker was then called upon to read the address. After apologising for many who were unvoidably absent, he read the following :— Giaborne, March 28fck, 1887. Dear Sir,— We your fellow workers in Gisborne cannot permit you to leave us without expressing to you our very cordial goodwill and our recognition of the good work you have done amongst us as a minister and fellow citizen. You have arrived at one of life's few turning points, when you are called upon in the true path of personal duty to leave your work in one part of the vineyard and to resume itin another -in either rendering devoted service to theone Supreme Head. We hope that it will please ana help you in your new district to know that we who know you gladly recognise your past labors in Gisborne ac having been most beneficial to the cause you love You have striven to impart vigor and life into the routine of Church Services and to promote all kinds of social reforms in our midst which minister in any degree to the true work of the churches. We desire not to address you with words of mere flattery, but to wrah you and Mrs V\ ills God speed, and to say to you, "Goon in the Master's eervice with this at least to cheer you, that we your friends go with you in spirit aud pray God to be with you both and sustain you faithful to the end." The Chairman then resented a copy of " Ellicot's Commentary on the Bible" (eight volumes.) They had experienced some difficulty in choosing a suitable work, but had at last fixed on this aa a work that would bo especially useful to him. Mr Will? in reply said : -It was hard to put his feelings into appropriate words. He need not tell his friends how indebted • he felt to them for their testimonial, which he would not take as an evidence of his goodness, but of Christian kindness in them. He was indebted to every Christian church for some good, and he was thankful that we could have unity even without uniformity in one Saviour and through one Spirit. Canon Westcott somewhere says, "Uniformity is the result of limited design, but unity is one great principle expressing itself in many ways," Though we do not all see alike we are actuated by one great principle of Christian love. The work they had presented him with was just what he needed They could not have chosen anything more suitable. The very name of tho editor warranted the contents reliable. With reference to our work we ought all to remember that ours is a high and holy calling ; we are called to cooperate with Christ in his great saving work, and to be aucceseful, we must faithfully pieach Christ and him crucified. It is no credit to us to be earnest and faithful in our work. •' He who was rich for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might iecome rich." Next to preaching Christ, the temperance reform demands our most earnest attention and effort. Brink is the great impediment to Christian progress, and he hoped ! that Christian churches would continue to do their duty in this matter. The speaker then referred to the allusion to Mrs Wills in the address, and he thanked them on her behalf. He had no doubt made mistakes but his greatest mistakes were made before his marriage, and whatever mistakes he had made since then were not due to his wife a advice. In conclusion he thanked the friends for thefr very kind addresa and their substantial gift. Mr DeLautour was then called upon. He said they, as laymen, said little, criticised more, but nevertheless they oould and did recognise good, self denyipg,Christlike work. They often felt inclined to go to their minister and shake hands and say (if it did not actually find utterance) " Go on, don't be discouraged." A clergyman gets no response to bis sermon, he shoots one arrow after another without apparent effect. Ha does not know how his words have cheered many a troubled heart and comforted many a sick bed. But Christian work is not for the Ministry only, but for the laity too. Duty is duty and must be done, and to Ministers and laity alike he would say, ** Be content to do your duty, and leave the results to God." To MrWille he would therefore say, u Continue in doing with all your might the work given you to, do, and the result will be satisfactory." Mr Dean oould bear good witness to Mr ; Wills' zeal and energy, , gathered - from numerous friends in the two oirculte in which he bad succeeded him,, and he was pleased to be present and bear his testimony to the faithfulness of Mr Wills' past work, and he wiihed him every spiritual and temporal success in. his new < sphere of life. Mr Barnard apologised for theabsenoe of the Rev. Mr La we, who was unavoidably engaged at that timo. He said he was the : btfaror pf the good wishes o < tho Wefltyan

community. He with many others was glacl thai Mr Wills had come to Gisborne, and testified of good received. Pastor Wallace added testimony to the lasting »ork Mr Wills had done. There was more than one person in his Church that owed ' their conversion through God's blessing to Mr Wills, He was in perfect sympathy with Mr Wills' remarks with reference to the temperance cause and thought that something more might be done 'Mr Wills had the good wiehea of the section of the Church which he represented. Mr Baker said, he took a great interest in this matter. He had known Mr Will's when he was a mere lad, and was associated with him many years ago in the temperance movement. He had kept the run of his career until he bad come to Gisborne, where he had renewed and enjoyed his acquaintance. The Rev. J. E. Fox endorsed the sentiments of the \ revious speakers. When Mr Willis had told him that he contemplated a change he very willingly gave him all infor mation that would assist him in bis object, feeling that if his intentions were carried into effect it would be a gain to the Church of England. He sympathised with Mr DeLau tour's remarks. They (the clergy) were at best but human, and a word of cheer was helpful. But he believed the more they thought about themselves the less the work prospered. They should ignore self ; the less of self, the more of Him. After some rofre&hrnents which had been kindly prepared by the ladies, Mr Wills, in a few suitable worde returned tbanks for manifest kindness, making special reference to the kindness he had received from Mr and Mrs East from the day of his landing in Gißborne, and he took the opportunity of twitting Mr East for having served as an attraction to another meeting at the same time. After singing a hymn a very enjoyable evening was brought to a cose by Mr Wills pronouriciug the Benediction. — " Poverty Bay Herald March 30th 1887.