PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3994, 21 December 1891, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

, t/i • j lltafoxlal 3etsio&*3! he at the Presbyterian Cliarch wera of a spscial character due to the removal by death of Mr William Macara and Mr James Jack... At was a large attendance", the buildings being r ful 1. The Bev ; Robert pt;frtclied fioniiP3alin9lll%lsjtJi vefcae, !'Piecious in the sight of God-is-the death of "his 'saints'" Mr Wood impounded the teachings of text J£ 'shpjiyirig tf&Kkof j the .believer.-,wasv^precipus- i to God, | {\T, •BloausW ihS. flpefi the finar' triumph of redeeming grace. ! (2); Because it brought. dtliyeran.ce, from the limitsr'tibiis and Vva'k u nel3ses , of j the. body of sense. (3) Because it wag the entrance into the blessed lifeof heaven 1 . (4) Because it led to the liberation of the saint's .powers;.,;!'?}? .-the fujlflSt] service of God in eternity. The

preacher, toward the close of I his •sermon said:.—BrethVerij'tliisite.xfc has been given to me by God "in! his: providence. x Dea<u has entered ! the--ranks, of- our congregation, and two of our 1 number to-day " sleep iiV Jesus." , Dining.,my, ; short. niiqibtry here our coiiimunion roll rias jnot been ' reduced by death lull now. . . Death has, indeed. ; ent<}red: homes during the past ye»c : and, dear ones have been taken away; j»nd though they did notsit,.at the tablp of «le" fiord"here we good hope through grace that they are slippering with the Master .yondeij..-1 The tender, -mercy- xrf God lVseefi' ill "Mr t bereavements. The old Covenanters: who carried in .their ha ds jforiChriats' ; can^e; ; Lprd itake the ripe and -spare: i the' greeD ,','. f pn,g":tjis;;tfrfd has taken .the ripe and spared: the green. |ie'' i has left us we might Wpeu and.brf%fcv'th fruit. Our two brethrt now' - wi th God —Mr Williani Macara and Mr James Jack men of pre-eminently Christian Character. They were truly saints, and like Enoch testified tint they walked with God. They are not now with us, for God h»s taken them. " Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.''

Mr Macara was in many ways a remarkable man. He reached a ripe old age which is given to few men. He was b.>rn in the last year ot last century. When he was born the dust of Robert Burns had only been lying in the grave for four yeaif., and Thomss Carlyle was a child of three years. He was a lad of fourteen years "when Robert Murray M'Cheyne— Scotland's modern Sa inuel Rutherford

—was born. He was n man ot twentyone years when an interesting child oi four was playing among he guns of Leiih Fort. That child be» came a great preach-r and the sermons and uame of Frederick Robertson will live for ag»s in English literature. When you conversed with our aged brother you had the feeling that the hands of the clock of time had been turned back three quarters of a century. This remarkable old age was accompanied by a wonderful preservation of his mental powers. The sight of his eyes failed him, but his mental vision remained undimned to the last. His memory was clear about the events of yesterday, and also about

the everts cf eighty years ago. He took an intelligent interest in our congregational life ; he would describe the appearance and repeat the sermons of tho Diem pt ion Divines ; and he could recall the excitomeut ot the people of Edinburgh when the news of Waterloo reached them. But the most noticeable feature in his character was his true and tender piety. His piety was intelligent. His mind was stored with Divine truth. John Ruskin, one of the great living authorities on art and literature, and I may add on morals, has said that the one real part ot his education was received from the Bible. It was so with Mr Macara. His mind, heart, conscience, and imagination were nourished and made strong on Bible truth. He could repeat long sections of the Divine word with faultless accuracy. And its teachings to him were eyer instinct with life. One felt in listening to his recitals of Scripture that the word was luring. He was not alone, for the Father was with him. A simple trust in God, a firm assurance that God's will was good, were features of his religious life. He had experienced his share of sorrow—wife and children had been removed by death—but a holy calm possessed his soul. From hjs face with its dph'less eyes there ever shone forth a light that spoke of a soul at peace with God and man. The testimony that he again and again made to me was that ot the perfect religion of David's Psalm : —- *' Goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." An unuaualjjdeath crowned this remarkable lite. It was painless. For more than four score years and teo he served his generation, and then God's glory smote him, and he fell asleep. " Piecious in the sight of the Lord ia the death of his saints.'

Brethren, we mourn over the removal of another brother this day. The <ieath of Mr James Jack makes us much poorer as regards the spiritual force of our congregation. In the providence of God, our brother only spent tbe last years of his life in this Colony, and these last years burdened with physical weakness—the sharp pain of disease was ever shooting through his frame. The best of bis days of active service in the cause of Christ were lived in Scotland, and ns an elder of the Perth congregation lip won for himself a good degree for his fidelity to Christ and the Church. My real acquaintance with our brother began in the sick chamber shortly after I began my ministry here. During these months of weakness and pain the features of his high Christian character were tmde clear to me. He was patient in tribulation. It was his lot "o fight the good fight of laith against the foes of bodily pain and distress. He endured with patience his sufferings. An outstanding feature of his religious life was his calm and deep assurance of his interest in Christ. Again and again be spoke to me of the conscious nearness of the | Saviour and of his union to Him. His conversation reminded me of the saintly Hewitson's testimony, "I kDow Jesus Christ better than any earthly friend." His interest in Christ was shown in his tamest prayer and desire for the prosperity of this congregation and the whole visible church of Christ. If he could not use the sword of active seryico in fighting the gDod fight he used the sword of " All Prayer." How much spiritual good was tbe result of his prayers eternity alone will reveal. When I saw biro tbe other day on my return from Nelson I fell that the conflict with the last enemy was near at hand. I last saw him late on Thursday evening, and he wbr evidently fast slipping away from us. He saw theligbfc of the nest morning,

and then strong, in his the presence of the Good hf. passed iuto the valley of deatlte;! Hi? dust today lies in his old home, bat he isyonder with]theK'ng. in the sight of the Lord is the death o£ hissaims."

Friends in Chtfrch, these brethren are gone from ns. But we need not -;Wb shall-notipse'.fheWif we remember ihe gruce of Ohrist that |wa£ niahifj&stcd? iii thelni / We.ahall WtloW Aeoi if, when we lift np'orir' Byesrandcry;"my fa'rbeiS'niy'fathl'iV the chariots of Israel and horsemen thereof," we- a«fce' ; hdli ■ to! -fheV mantles as they fall., jGod is willing, ifaoral ;nfcti|resi'wllli the graces that; adorned ihpir . hyes, May'''-''-©^/ 1 ' service • ;'this'vWpViijng be a saisbn 'of fi'esli'"' c'onsecTa-' 'tioh'' £oA th'e service of God. As we thoughtjby the side of hply dead ( may we say J*"We. will .wStjffl ' Cli'rist ' deatlvof Mo'righteous-. \i>yAiring : life? of the b£ initio'you wndVpeace loved us, and washed us from our sifts" ' in'firs'own blood, and hath made us 'Kings'ami Priests unto -God' arid' His' Father: to ilitn.be.. glory, ,r and dou|inip.a for evec'a^d.evec— 1" In the,evening 'there was: anotbe); very large congregation, aud'Mr Wood p'reaeh'ed from Rev. 7,0«17. {,.