PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4821, 10 September 1894, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Memorial Service,

The services at the Presbyterian Church were largely attended yesterday and wo of an unusually solemn character. In the morning the Rev, R. Wood preached from the text " Our Friend Lazarus Sleepcth" and in the evening from the words " Jesns Wept. " At the close of tho morning sermon tho preacher mado the following referenco to the tragic death of Mr W. Alexander: "Brethren wo meet this morning | under a dark cloud of sorrow. The strange and dreadboreavement that has entered one of our homes has filled our hearts with a grief that words cannot express. One, who, for many years lias taken the deepest interest in this congregation,is no longeron oarth, He was in this placo of worship in spite of storm and tempest last sabbath, and now he is in the oternal world, Tho mystery and meaning of his death arc known only to God, This much we know, that lib Hugh Miller, ono of Scotland's noblest and most pious sons, ho died suddenly; he died alono; he died whilo his reason was under an eclipse. For the prematureness of his death, I believo he was no more responsible than tho man who is smitten by lightning, or engulfed by an earthquake, Brethren, Gods' providence is sometimes very dark. Tho mysteries of Christian faith are less perplexing than the dark mysteries of human lifo with its great sorrows. In the presence of our grief are we not tempted to say like the Jews at tho grave of Lazarus " Could not Jesus ivhoopened tho eyes of theblind have caused that this man should not have died," For holy and wise purposes God permitted Lazarus to die, For holy and wise purposes Ho permitted tho saintly Hugh Miller,in amomentof insanity, to shear his lifo away. For some wise but inscrutable purpose, God has permitted this strangeanddrcad death to tako place. Brethren, all this is very dark to us now.

When the end of our Christian pilgrimage is reached we shall see that the Judge of Earth has done all things well. But now, while- we are on the road, and when all things seem dark and crooked, tho fact of God's wisdom is of faith, and not of sight, We are reminded again this morning that the whole creation groanoth and travaileth in pain, The believer in Jesus Christ is no no way oxempted from the physical burdens of pain and disease. Ho may suffer from a diseased heart or from a diseased brain and ho is no more blameworthy for tho ono than for the other. ButourChristianHopo tells us of an EtewialHome in which theroisno disease, nor pain, nor sorrow, nor death, Brethren, the life lived by our brother, whose death is so full .of mystery is known to you all. In his daily lifo ho acted justly, loved mercy and walked humbly before God. During the last two or three dark days of sorrow, many outside of this congregation havo spoken to me of tho integrity and purity of his life, A merchant in this town for exainplo writes me: '_' I was brought "into contact with him some years 11 ago through some work he did fori "mo and I then formed a high " opinion of him, My subsequent " intercourse deepened niy esteem—- " so humble, soupright, so consistent "in all bis ways." ; This testimony of one oiitsido this congregation .describes his 'chttracteriioir only ' in his' business lifebuViu Mslwme