IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A p: IX) II I.I 11.25 28 1^ (50 "™ 2.5 2.2 M 1.8 U III 1.6 <^ /; dl 'V '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 S^ ^ fV signifie "A SL'iVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hjnd corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est filmd A partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 I i^^p^ W*^'^ !■ SIXTY-SECOND ANNIVERSARY or GREENOCK CHURCH, ST. ANDREWS, N. B. jk. sERiN^onsr PREACHED AUGUST 1st, 18S6, BY THE PASTOR, REY. ARCHIBALD GU:N"1I^. HALIFAX : Nova Sootia, Printing Company. 1886. 'JFI^EP^Ji^CE- This Sermon is now printed in pamphlet form at the urgent and repeated request of the congregation. We trust that it may help to keep in mind the events and lessons of the past. The church is a grand old edifice of pure Grecian architecture, and finished inside principally with bird-eye maple and solid mahogany. The pulpit is a "work of art," built of solid mahogany, and relieved here and there with a few panels of bird-eye maple. It cost over five hundred pounds (£500) stg. This alone may serve to give strangers an idea of its magnificence. The Bay Pilot of Aug. 5th reports as follows:— "A very interesting service was held in Greenock Church last Sunday morning. The Rev. A. Gunn, Pastor, preached the sixty-second Anniversary Sermon." Having given the text and a good synopsis of the Sermon, it proceeds to say : " The large congregation paid strict attention throughout the whole service, and seemed sorry when it was brought to an end. The choir rendered beauti- fully the one hundredth Psalm — the one used in opening the churcrii 62 years ago, also Hymn 244, which begins, * Sweet is the solemn voice that calls the Christian to the house of prayer.' They also sang the second Paraphrase. During the taking up of the collection the choir rendered in a very artistic manner a Hebrew chant. Psalm one hundred and eleven was translated into English by the Pastor in such a w^ay that it might be sung KRth good effect to this Hebrew chant which Dr. Bonar heard sung in Jerusalem by seventy Jewish male voices. The floral committee attended to their o ' ' Favours received should never be forgotten. A l)a(l memory leads to ingratitu.lH, and an ungrateful spirit tends to less«,n the power of recalling past events. If we believe that «'all thitu's work together for good to them that love Go.!,"' then we must believe that the events of the past are fur our good,-that they are favours received at the hand of God. " The Lord hath led us in a way that we kn«Av not :" but now that we know that way up to the present, we ought to remeniber,-we ought to keep it ever vividly before us, with all the lessons which it teaches, with all the duties which It enjoins, and with all the encouragements which it bestows so that right thought, an.l feelings may be engendered within us' and that right words and actions may continue to flow therefrom during the remainder of our lives here below. Moses knew the danger of forgetting the past. He enjoined Israel, again and again, to remember God's works, and his wonders performed on their behalf. He enjoined them to bring these thin^r. before their children, and to impress them upon them. "And tliele words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart • and thou Shalt teach them diligently unto thv children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou nsest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand and they shalt be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." " Beware lest thou forget the Lord, whicli brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." " When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying what mean the testimonies, 6 and the statutes, and the judyiiionta, which the Lord our God com- manded you ? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, Wo were ]'haraoh'a hundmen in Kgypt ; and the Lord hrought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand," itc. Deut. vi., 20-2'l-. "And thou shalt remeniher all the way which the Lord thy God hatli led thee these forty years in the wilderness." Ho wuuld have thcni remoni- bf.r the great straits into which sometimes they were brought })y their perverseness and willfulness, — their want of food, drink, raiment, guidance, defence, comfort, correction and forgiveness ; he would have them remember the provisions that were made to meet these emergencies, — manna from heaven, water out of the flinty rock, raiment waxing not old for forty years, and such like blessings ; he would have thera remember their training and discipline, — "As a man chastenath his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee." In Older that tiieir memories might be aided in calling up the events of the past, Moses required them to observe certain great national feasts, each attended with varied and characteristic ceremonies. The feast of the Tabernacles, in which the people were required to dwell for eight days in booths or tents made of the branches of trees, would remind them of their sojourn in the wilderness — of their wants, of the provision for the supply of these wants, and of the d^'scipline to which they had been subjected. But Moses did more than this to secure the recollection of past events by coming generations. He wrote these events in a book. This book has come down to us through the ages, — through the generations unimpaired and unimpeachable. It is the oldest book in the world. By the written word he thus guarded against the loss of the knowledge of the past through the neglect of one generation teaching that knowledge to another. For if one generation neglected its duty in this respect, then without the written word, the past would be a blank to all succeeding generations. The Lord did much for the children of Israel, and they ought to keep it in mind. They ought to remember all the way which the Lord their God led them. Indeed we find tliiem singing the wonderful events of this way in song. Read the three historical Psalms — 78th, 105th, 106th. My dear christian friends, the Lord has done much for us as a congregation. We ought to keep this in mind. We ©ught to remember all the way which the Lord our God hath led us. In order " to stir up your pure minds by way of remeniLrance," T determined to preach this anniversary sermon reviewing the past, which so far as I know, is the first of the kind ever preaclied in this church. May this review lead us to extol the faithfulness of God, deepen our gratitude, inspire us with a loftier courage, and enable us to go forward with a greater zeal and greater faith to encounter the untried future. God has been with us in the past, he will be with us in the future. Sixty-two years ago to-day this church was opened for public worship by the Rev. Alexander McLean, your first minister. Per- haps there are only two who saw the opening of this church present this morning. Mr. McLean came out direct from tlie old country in the good ship Flora, and landed in Sc. Andrews on the Monday or Tuesday of ti. previous week, Capt. McCollnugh wl>o conim.anded this ship was afterwards drowned at the long bar at the eastern end of the town, and was among the first buried in the Kirk-yard. The news of Mr McLean's arrival spread far and near. The congre- gation determined to give their young minister a hearty reception. Aocordingly on the first Sunday of August — the first day of August — 1824, this church in all its beauty, as it came from the hands of the artists, was filled to overflowing by the congregation and inhabitants of St. Andrews, and by warm friends from Eastport, Robbinston and from the parishes of St. Patricks, St. James and St. George. There was much enthusiasm and the work was well begun. For a period of about 20 years, from 1824 to 18f^, Dr. McLean laboured successfully as minister of this congregation. But before entering upon a detailed account of the events which transpired during his ministry in this place, let us briefly notice the previous history of our cause in St. Andrews. In this we experi- ence considerable difficulty. We have little or no aid from the records. Who was the first Presbyterian minister that preached here ? Wc cannot tell. The Rev. John Cassel, who taught in the Academy or King's College, Windsor, N. S., from 1811 to 1818, and during the last of these years was the first settled pastor of the Presbyterian Church there, came to St. Andrews In 1818 or 1819, and took charge qf the High School which had just been organized here. It is probable, and indeed it is asserted, that he preached ^ecasienally in Ordway's Hall (now Pauls Hall) and in Masonic ^:7^ "" m. 8 Hall, which stood on the corner adjoining the lot on which Mr. Coates' house is now being erected, and also in this church before it was finished, while it stood for some time merely boarded in and the roof partially shingled. It appears to me that Mr. Cassel's preaching had much to do in awaking in the hearts of our people a desire to worship their God as their fathers did, — to have a Kirk, and a minister of their own. Mr. Robert Pagan was the first to move in the building of a Kirk for St. Andrews. His own mag- nificent gift of £100 (one hundred pounds) stimulated others. A contract was immediately given to Donald D. Morrison, who had Biyon Stephenson as his framer and foreman. The foundations were laid, an( he frame of a goodly proportioned church (as we this day can testify) was erected, boarded in, and the roof partially shingled. In this condition it stood for some time, weather-beaten and worn, for the funds gave out. Mr. Cassel preached in it occasionally. In November, 1822, Capt. Christopher Scott came to the rescue and undertook to complete the church at his own expense. The work was energetically pushed forward. On Saturday in September, 1823, the plastering was finished, and on Sunday, Dr. Burns, of St. John, preached to a large congregation. The very excellent manner in which Mr. Scott accomplished the work is evident to you all. Where do you find a better proportioned church (creditable also to the first Architect)? Where do you find 3uch a well finished church ? Where do you find a better proportioned, richer, or more magnificent pulpit ? I do not think you will find its equal on the continent of America to-day. I have seen the pulpits of some of the richest churches of New York and Phila- delphia, but none of them can compart with this one. Let this pulpit remain as a monument to Christopher Scott, — as a memorial of his taste, liberality and generosity. Let no sacrilegious hands be placed upon this sacred edifice. Holy men have stood here and proclaimed to you the message from heaven. May the mantle of these men fall upon the present and futura occupants. As we have mentioned the names of those who by their generous gifts have shown their interest in the welfare of our beloved Zion, we will now extend that list. The oldest Pulpit Bible in our possession contains the inscription, "Presented by the Rev. Dr. Davidson, of Edinburgh, to the Scotch Church of St. Andrews, New 9 Brunswick, May, 1824." The second Bible contains no inscription, while the third, the one now in use, has the words, " Presented to Greenock Church by the Ladies of the Sewing Society in connection therewith, April, 1876," beautifully engrossed. On the silver cups of our Communion Service are engraved the words, *' The gift of the Rev. Dr. Davidson of Edinburgh, to the Scotch Cliurch of St. Andrews, New Brunswick, 1825." The land on which to build a mansG was the gift of Col. McKay, of St. George ; and the organ in the gallery was the gift of Col. Gray. That this church internally and externally is so clean and neat and bright looking, and that the surroundings are so orderly and beautiful, is very creditable to those who were instrumental in keeping them in this highly satisfactory condition. But in the remembrance of these things, it may be asked, are we giving glory to God t Are we not rather giving glory to men 1 We endeavour to give " honour to whom honour is due." This is our duty. In discharging our duty we glorify God. Every good gilt and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." If these men and women gave nobly, God moved their hearts to give, and they ga:*} but of what he gave them. We should then thank God for this our beautiful heritage. While grateful to the human givers, we ought to be exceedingly more grateful to the Heavenly Giver, who makes use of these outward blessings to convey to us the best of all gifts. The ministration of the word and the administration of the sacraments were regularly observed in this church from the first. You were very few years without a minister whom you could call your own ; while for three years (1868-71) you had two ministers. During these sixty-two years over one thousand eight hundred persons (adults and infants) were baptized here by your pastors. Would that all the parents were faithful to the vows which they took. The names of the parents and children are carefully recorded on the book of the church. The old Communion Koll, and the Minutes of Trustees and congregation from 1850 to 1874 are missing. When these two books are obtained our records will be complete. The five books which have been under my hands for the last few weeks are exceedingly well kept. The minutes kept by Dr. McLean, who ^ 10 acted as Moderator and Cle* k of Session, are very full,' jcontaining many things not usually found upon the pages of a session book, and the handwriting is particularly fine. So is the handwriting of Mr. Ross. l\Ir. Keay's is clear and full. Now that we purpose giving you a brief account of your seven ministers and their labours here, 1 ,t us go to the records. On the first page we read as follows : — "About the year 1821 the inhabitants of Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, who approved of the Presbyterian form of worship (taking into consideration the expediency of possessing a place of worship in which they and their families might attend divine service according to the form most congenial with their consciences) began to raise, by subscription, a fund that should be available for that purpose. By the employment of this frnd and the subsequent aid of C. Scott, Esq., a very elegant and commodious building was erected; and having ascertr'nod, by annual subscription, that there existed among the people a willingness to support with respectability a clergyman of the Church of Scotland, a commission was accord- ingly transmitted to Scotland in January, 1824,- addressed to the Reverends Stephenson MacGill, D.D., Professor of Divinity in the University of Glasgow, John Scott, D.D., minister of the new Parish Church, Greenock, and Robert Burns, minister of Saint George's Church, Paisley, and authorizing these gentlemen to select a minister for the Scotch Church in Saint Andrews. After due deliberation, their choice fell unanimously on the Rev. Alexander McLean, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Glasgow, and who having been recommended by the above commissioners to that Presbytery as a fit person for the charge in question, was solemnly ordained thereto accordingly at Glasgow on the 7th day of May, 1824. He arrived in the Province so as to be enabled to preach to his con- gregation on the first day of August in the same year. On Sabbath, the 17th of April, 1825, after a sermon by Mr. McLean from I Peter, V. 1., a Kirk Session was solemnly organized according to the Directory of the Church of Scotland. This Session met immediately after the dismission of the congregation, when the minister, as Moderator, constituted the meeting by prayer, giving thanks to the Divine Head of the Church for the regular administration of gospel Ordinances in the place, desiring the effusion of the Holy Spirit upon the congregation in general, and the Kirk Session in particular, and imploring His heavenly direction in our sessional deliberations. '' 11 The names of the first Session are as follows : — Rev. Alexander McLean, Moderator and Clerk, Rev. John Cassels, St-fitfiOBge, Treasurer, Hugh McKay, Esq., of Suther Hall, liV '^l£^*^^ Colin Campbell, Sr., Esq., Collector of Customs, Colin Campbell, Jr., Esq., J. P., William Kerr, Esq., Merchant, James Douglass, Esq., Merchant, James Campbell, Jr., Esq., John Rodgbrs, Esq., Mr. Gordon GilchrisTj Mr. William Douglass, Mr. Neill Morrison, Sr., in St. James. These twelve names are the names of those who formed the first Kirk-session in St. Andrews in the year 1825, April 17th. On the 26th day of June of the same year the Sacrament of the Lord's Snpper was celebrated in this place for the first time. Divine service was held on Thursday and Saturday preceding, and on the Monday following, — a good old custom which is not now so generally observed. On Thursday after divine "service we see a large congregation lingering in the church. We see the elders seated in this pew (No. 3), the Moderator stands at the door of the pew with a number of metal tokens in his hand. Intending communicants come up, their names are taken and when approved they receive tokens and pass down that aisle one by one. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas are the first to come forward. Mr. and Mrs. Math come next, and so they pass on until 72 tokens are given to intending communicants. The last who receives is the Rev. Mr. Sturgeon. These tokens were struck by dies which were in the possession of the elders. The greater portion of these dies are still to be seen. We hope that the remaining part may be found and preserved with the rest.* On one side of this token we see a St. Andrew's Cross, enclosed in a square by the words and figures : "Saint Andrews, June 1825." By these words and figures they celebrate the first communion held in this place June, 1825. On the other aide of the token we have another St. Andrew's Cross, enclosed in a square by the words " New Brunswick, N. A." These tokens have not been in use for the last few years. On the 16th September, 1825, an address was delivered by the * It has been found. 12 Moderator, in the name of the session, to His Excellency Sir, Howard Douglas, IJart., C.I)., TR.iS., tt'c, Lieutenant-Governor, and Com- mander-in-chief of the Province of New Brunswick. To this a suitable reply w^s yiven. Both address and reply ar^ recorded in the minutes. This circumstance stands alone in our history. Thern is another event which occurred in the same year, 1825, to which I wish to direct your attention. It illustrates the sympathy of this young congregation for suffering humanity, and their readiness to lend their help, and also their readiness to yield their own plans of help to the better plans of others. This I think is brought out in the following interesting minute : — " Authentic intelligence having lately reached St. Andrews of very destructive fires having taken place on the same day, October 7th, 1825, in Fredericton and at Miramichi, in which ninety-eight houses were burnt down in the former place, and the whole settlements of Douglastown and Newcastle destroycl in the latter, three ships burnt in the river Miramichi — pine timber tracts of country extensively devastated, and about two hundred lives lost. The Moderator stated that his first impulse was to preach a sermon for the benefit of the sufi'rrers, but that a general meeting took place yesterday in the Court House, in which a committee was appointed consisting of John Cani])bell, Esq., the senior magistrate. Rev. Jerome Alley, and Rev. A. McLean, to divide the town and neighbourhood into districts — to appoint collectors and a subscription list to each district, and thus to give all the inhabitants an opportunity of contributing larger or smaller sums according to their several ability. He submitted to the meeting, therefore, whether this arrangement did not supercede the necessity and even propriety of making a collection in the church. The opinion of the session was that it did — and the intention was relinquished accordingly." In 1826 there are three events worthy of notice : 1st. That the second communion was celebrated on the third Sunday of January, there being 47 communicants whose names are engrossed on the minutes. 2nd. That on the seventh of March an Act passed the Provincial Legislature incorporating the Kirk-session by the title of " The minister and elders of the Scotch Kirk in the town of St. * Andrews," and investing them with the powers ordinarily inherent in corporate bodies. 3rd. An attempt on the part of the Episcopal clergy of this county, in conjunction with the Provincial Attorney General, to abridge Mr. McLean's power of solemnizing marriage, was firmly and successfully resisted. 13 On the 24tli ISIarch the corporation secured a seal having for its device a St. Andrew's cross. Behind th« cross is St. Andrew himself, underneath is the Latin motto " //ac Vince" — in tliis conquer, — the whole surrounded by the words " Scotch Church Corporation, St. Andrews." The impression of this seal you can see on the plan in the lobby. In the latter part of 1828 the difficulty with Mr. Scott began. This arose out of the inability or unwilling- ness of the session and congregation to build a manse for their minister according to agreement. Had the committee in charge shown a little more earnestness and zeal, I am firmly convinced that no diffi- culties wouM have arisen, and that the corporation would have been better off in every way. In 1832 an Act passed the Provincial Legislature repealing the Act of 1826, and placing the temporal affairs of the church under the management of trustees, annually electiv